A Growing Affection
by Xavon Wrentaile
Summary: After a misunderstanding reveals hidden emotions, Naruto and Hinata begin training together, getting to know each other. At the same time Sakura finds herself jealous. Takes place in a tangent after the Elemental Training Arc of the Shippuden timeline.
1. Revelation

**Chapter 1: Revelation**

"... and we were both just getting sick of the old pervert trying to set us up, so we decided to teach him a lesson," Naruto Uzumaki placed his hands behind his head with a grin. Shikamaru Nara smirked back, nodding slightly.

"What did you do?" Sakura Haruno asked, seemingly aghast. But in her mind, another Sakura shouted, 'YEAH! Serves the old goat right!'

The so-called Rookie Nine had been brought back to the Academy to give a presentation of Ninjutsu and Taijutsu to the students. The trio in question had gone first, and afterwards had gotten to talking in the back of the room. Even after the class had filed out, the three teen ninja had hung around, catching up.

"We agreed to go on a date," Naruto answered Sakura's question, "But we planned it ahead so almost everything would go wrong. Like during dinner I kept talking about all the great girls of the Konoha; glamorous Ino, fiery Sakura, cute Hinata. Then I spilled something on her dress. But I told you she wanted to be an actress, right? Well every time I messed up she managed to look a little more into me..."

Hinata Hyuga was wandering the halls, remembering her time own time in school. When she heard familiar voices she started to join them, but then her natural shyness stopped her, and she stood outside the door, listening.

"… so we where standing in front of these stone pillars. She is looking at me with these huge eyes. And her stare, and her body language, they are screaming 'I love you. Accept me.' It was so ludicrous; it was all I could do to keep from laughing. I mean after all that…" Naruto shook his head with a huge grin. Shikamaru nodded, and Sakura stifled a chuckle.

"And she was obviously not my type. She was so sheltered, and she probably couldn't even throw a kunai halfway straight. I was basically trapped there, trying to think of what to say next…"

SMACK!! Before any of the trio had noticed, Hinata had crossed the room, and slapped Naruto full in the face.

"Hinata?" Naruto croaked in surprise.

"I won't take that. Not even from you. Even if you figured out that I love you. Even if you saw me almost naked at that waterfall," Tears were running down the Kunoichi's cheeks, and her body shook slightly.

"I thought you were better than that. I… I…" Hinata turned and started to run away; but Naruto was faster. He wrapped his arms around her, and held her gently even as she struggled to get away.

"You thought I was talking about before the finals of the Chunin exams, in front of the training stones," he said softly, remembering, "Back when you gave me the boost I needed to fight Neji. But I wasn't. I was telling them about a joke this girl and I played on Jiraiya just before I came back."

He released her, and she didn't move, so he continued, "I know all to well what it is like, so I would never make fun of someone else. Especially not you, who was always kind to me."

He gently turned her, so he could look into her eyes, "Especially not for being in love with someone who doesn't notice or acknowledge you. I know how that feels, too. I used to have a huge crush on Sakura. I though I was in love with her. But she only had eyes for Sasuke. She thought I was annoying. That's why I understand how you feel. I know..,"

Naruto trailed off, and looked down. Then he looked back at Hinata, with a touch of worry. He reached up and scratched his right cheek.

"Hinata, my life is pretty much a mess right now. But when things settle down, if you're still interested, maybe we could go out some time?"

The daughter of the Hyuga clan turned bright red, and her white eyes grew wide as saucers.

"We could go get lunch…"

Hinata held her breath.

"… and you know, talk. Get to know each other better."

It appeared as if most of her blood had rushed to Hinata's head. She rocked back and forth slightly, as if to faint. Then she took control with a shudder and glanced up at Naruto again.

"I… um… I would like that," she answered. Then she executed a quick bow, and ran from the room. She did not go far, however. She stopped just outside the door; feeling like her heart was going to leap out of her chest.

"Heh," Shikamaru grunted, "I don't know if I should wish you luck or offer my condolences."

"That was very nice of you, Naruto," Sakura said. The golden haired ninja turned to face her, and a look of sadness settled onto his face.

"It might seem that way Sakura, but it really wasn't. Between Sasuke, and Orochimaru, and the Akatsuki, I probably won't live long enough for my life to get less hectic. No, the nice thing to do would have been to let Hinata down easy. To tell her I was flattered, but there was no chance. And I knew that even as I asked her out."

"Then why?" his teammate asked. Listening outside, Hinata brought her hands to her mouth in a familiar gesture of fear and worry.

"I wish I could say I was thinking strategically like Shikamaru," Naruto answered, "That I was expecting to need Hinata's help at some future point, and I was banking on her feelings to make sure she would be willing. But we all know that's not me. I'm not that smart or that cold."

"Hey!"

"Sorry Shikamaru, you know what I mean," he waved his hand at the lazy genius in supplication before continuing, "No, the reason was that, looking at Hinata at that moment, so angry, so heartbroken, but still standing up to me, something changed. I've always known Hinata was kind and smart, if a little too shy. But I realized she's stronger and braver than most people give her credit for, even me, and especially herself. And she's a great Ninja."

Then he grinned, just a little, remembering, "And she may have been ultra-cute three years ago, but she's become a real beauty."

Hinata felt wetness on her cheeks again, but this time she was crying for a different reason.

"And at that point, I started crushing on Hinata a little. I thought, 'I could fall in love with this woman. We could be happy together.'"

Then he chuckled ironically, "So I wasn't being kind to Hinata, or thinking strategically. I was being purely selfish. I saw a chance for my future happiness, and I wasn't willing to let it go."

He sighed, "But I can't do that to Hinata. I have to go after her. I'll tell her I was leading her on. Maybe I'll tell her that 'using her feelings strategically' stuff. If she hates me, it will be easier for her to find someone better for her."

For the third time in less than an hour, Hinata Hyuga shocked even herself with her brazenness. She stepped back into the classroom, and shouted, "I don't think she will believe you."

The other three all turned to stare at her in amazement. As the normally withdrawn girl turned away, they were amazed to hear something they had never heard before. Clear as a bell, and full of joy, Hinata laughed as she ran away.

"HINATA, wait!" Naruto ran after her, "I knew you were still there!"

"That girl is developing a bad habit of eavesdropping," Shikamaru noted, "Catch you later, Sakura."

"Yeah, later Shikamaru," Sakura waved to him. As he exited, a more thoughtful look crossed her face. And for once, Inner Sakura was not energetic. Instead the mental projection almost looked sad.

'He was in love with me?' Inner Sakura asked, the word 'was' in a giant thought bubble over her head.

* * *

Hinata had lead Naruto on a merry chase back to the training stones. Whether she had had a plan or not, when they first arrived, all they could do was pant, catching their breath.

"Um, Naruto," Hinata finally said, back to her normal demeanor, "If you are in trouble… well, uh, maybe we could train together? I might not be as good as Shino or Kiba, but I'll try not to hold you back."

"Hinata, that would be great," Naruto enthused, "There's no way you'll hold me back. We can both get stronger."

Then he settled down, a shyly rubbed his finger under his nose, "And get to know each other."

"Uh-huh," she nodded, smiling again.


	2. Training: Rasengan vs 8 Trigrams Palms

**Chapter 2: Training: Rasengan vs. Eight Trigrams Palms Heavenly Spin**

As Naruto ran up to the training stones, Hinata surged to her feet. She had been sitting against one of the pillars, and could not suppress a yawn and a stretch.

"Hey, Hinata," the young ninja greeted her, "Sorry if I'm late."

"You weren't," the Kunoichi's voice cracked slightly in awkwardness, "Uh, late that is. I just got here a little early."

Naruto Uzumaki nodded, and then looked around at the monoliths set throughout the clearing.

"So, what do we do?" he asked.

"What do you mean?" her counter was twinged with confusion.

"Well, to be honest I never really trained with anyone else. Not as a partner. When we did the tree climbing training, Sasuke, Sakura, and I were competing, not working together. And the rest of the timing its been either me working alone, or being taught by someone," he gave her an embarrassed grin, "So I'm not too sure what we should do here. Do we spar? Have target practice? Go for a jog?"

"Actually," Hinata tapped her fingers together and looked at the ground, "I, um, had an idea. If you don't mind?"

"Sure, what is it?"

"Well, can you show me the Rasengan first?" she tapped her fingers again; afraid she was asking too much.

"Yeah, no problem." As he answered, Naruto extended his right hand. Blue streaks of chakra began to circle above his palm, quickly increasing and growing tighter until they formed a spiraling sphere, about 4 inches in diameter.

"Byakugan," Hinata whispered. The veins around her eyes swelled as additional blood and chakra flowed into the pale orbs. She looked down at the chakra globe spinning in Naruto's hand, and she gaped in amazement.

"It's so beautiful."

"You think so?" Naruto asked, staring down at his hand through slitted eyes.

"You can't see it like I do," she told him. Then her voice grew very quiet and she asked, "Um… Would you like to?"

"Really? That would be awesome. How?"

"Kariname Jutsu. It is one of the kekkei genkai techniques of the Hyuga clan. It enables the user to share what they see with someone else," her gaze dropped to the ground, clearly unhappy about what she was about to say, "I am just learning the Jutsu, so I still require direct contact. Neji is able to transmit his vision through a thread over 100 feet already. And my father can send to multiple people several miles away with no connection."

Sensing her depression, Naruto got a little angry.

"Listen, Hinata, you have to stop comparing yourself to Neji. He might be better at some things, but you are better at others. You created the 'Protection of the 8 Trigrams 64 Palms', not Neji," Naruto put his hand on her shoulder as a supportive gesture, "And besides, Neji's like a machine. All he thinks about is getting stronger. You are a more balanced human being, and more fun to be around."

Hinata's head jerked up in shock, but she smiled a bit, "Thank you, Naruto."

"Don't mention it. Besides there's nothing wrong with a little 'direct contact'."

Hinata turned red at that, but Naruto was looking at his Rasengan again and didn't notice.

"So, what do we need to do? Hold hands?"

Hinata flushed again and this time Naruto saw. His face colored as he realized what he had suggested.

"Um, no… I'm not that advanced. I'll need to touch your forehead, the third eye point."

"Ok." Naruto shifted his headband to a higher position to give her access to his forehead. The young woman flashed a quintet of quick hand signs, and then pressed the middle and ring fingers of her right hand to the center of his forehead, just above the brow ridge.

The possessed ninja felt an odd sense of being outside his body as he found he was seeing himself rather than Hinata. Suddenly he was glaring straight up into the sky. Then he was looking at the stones to his left. He realized he could not access Hinata's entire 360-degree vision at once, instead he had his normal field of view, and could change what part he was seeing by 'turning' his 'head'. He remembered why they were doing this, and focused on himself again.

He could see the blue trails of his chakra network through his skin. He turned his attention downward, and realized that the chakra points around his stomach were red instead of blue. He wondered if he always looked like that to Hinata and Neji. Finally he shifted again, and saw the Rasengan in his hand.

Instead of a sphere, under the Byakugan it appeared as a many faceted gem. The colors of the chakra streams appeared both more varied, and more vibrant. The chakra appeared to be moving more slowly, but the 'jewel' itself also rotated gently.

"You're right, Hinata," he said reverently, "It is beautiful. This is…. You're amazing."

Hinata suddenly stepped back, and broke the connection.

"Thank you," Naruto said with heartfelt honesty. He dismissed the Rasengan and asked, "Ok, so what's next?"

"Well… My idea was for you to attack me with Rasengan."

"WHAT?"

"I don't mean to hit me," she explained quickly, " I suspect the Rasengan might be able to break the 8 Trigrams Heavenly Spin. I thought we could test it, and in the process give us both a chance to push the limits of our abilities."

"Alright," Naruto still sounded a little dubious, "But I am going to try it at half power first. I don't want any chance of hurting you."

She nodded, and then stepped back. Naruto also moved away, carefully judging the distance between them. He dropped his hand, and formed a less dense Rasengan.

"Ready?"

She nodded. He took a half step forward, and then darted towards her, his right hand extended. When he was three feet away, she moved.

"Heavenly Spin," Hinata incanted, expelling chakra from her palms as her body rotated. The energy expanded into an opaque dome around her. When the Rasengan struck the barrier, there was a moment of where the two seemed to strain against one another. Then the chakra sphere shattered and the Genin was thrown back almost thirty feet.

"Man, Hinata, that was too strong. I don't think the Rasengan did anything," he shook his head to clear the cobwebs.

"Oh no," she protested, "It did. You made a dent in the Heavenly Spin. I haven't seen or heard of that happening before."

"Also," she frowned as she continued, "That Rasengan was only about thirty percent of the strength of one you showed me before."

Naruto blushed, it was his turn to be embarrassed, "The pervy sage keeps telling me I need to work harder on my chakra control."

"Oh... Um… Lets try again," having pointed out one of his flaws left her uncomfortable, "You just need to make your Jutsu a little stronger."

"Right, a little more," Naruto still looked worried. He formed a weak Rasengan again. Not satisfied, he let it dissipate, and formed the attack a second time. This time the glowing ball met his expectations, and he readied himself to rush the Kunoichi.

"Here I come, Hinata," he warned her as he charged. She braced herself, and when he was in range, activated her technique again. This time, the conflict lasted a half second longer; and instead of shattering, the Rasengan carved through the Heavenly Spin barrier. Naruto's hand followed the spinning sphere in, but the defensive wall closed around his wrist. The force pulsing from the Heavenly Spin shook the Genin like a terrier shaking a rat. As soon as she realized what was happening, the Byakugan user released the Jutsu, dropping Naruto like a stone.

"Naruto," Hinata ran over to him, her face wracked with fear, "Naruto?" She reached out and gently touched his back, "Naruto?"

Suddenly he rolled over, a huge grin on his scratched and dirty face.

"Hinata, did you see that? I got through. Not very far, but I got through."

She let out a sigh of relief and then smiled with him, "Yes, I saw."

"Let's try it again," he jumped back to his feet. She nodded even as he jogged a short distance from her. Then he turned to face her again, with a look of renewed determination.

"Rasengan!" he exclaimed, rushing forward.

"Heavenly Spin!" Hinata countered. This time there wasn't even a moment's conflict. The Rasengan cut right through the Heavenly Spin. But the barrier did not reform; instead, the entire dome unraveled.

Naruto's eyes widened as he realized he was aiming a deadly attack at Hinata's now unprotected heart. He tried to stop, but the Rasengan itself seemed to be pulling him forward. Time appeared to slow as the zipper of her coat flapped in the breeze thrown off by the Fourth Hokage's weapon. As the chakra tracks in the sphere began to slice into her jacket, Hinata moved. Her fingers pulsing, she tapped two places on the top of his forearm, and one on the underside. The Rasengan instantly vanished, and Naruto tumbled backwards from the effort he had been putting into not striking Hinata. The Genin jumped to his feet, and grabbed the Chunin gently by the shoulders.

"Hinata, are you ok?" Naruto asked. She blushed slightly under his intense gaze, and nodded. Her face grew even redder when he hugged her tightly with a sigh of relief.

"I thought I was going to hit you," he released her, and looked down at his hand, "You closed chakra points in my arm, didn't you."

"Yes. Oh, I can fix that." She reached for his arm.

"Wait," he stopped her, "When Neji did this to me with the 8 Trigrams 64 Palms, I was able to overcome it. And pervy sage told me that Gentle Fist isn't the only technique that closes chakra points, it's just the simplest and most efficient. So I want to see if I can do it again."

Naruto formed a fist, trying to force the chakra back into his hand.

"Come on," his nails cut into his palm, "COME ON!"

Finally he let go, stretching out his fingers to work out the cramps.

"Man, I only got one of the three. Hinata, can you…"

"Of course," she answered, elated to be asked. She tapped his forearm again, releasing the restrained energy.

"Thanks."

"Then, shall we try again?" she asked.

"What?" he exclaimed, "No way. You were right, the Rasengan totally destroyed your 8 Trigrams Palms Heavenly Spin. And I almost hurt you. If you have been an instant later…"

"No, that is why we need to continue. I need to see if I can find a way to stop it, I want to improve the Heavenly Spin so it won't have this huge weakness. And you need better control. What if this was a real fight, and your enemy used substitution to switch for one of your teammates? Or an innocent bystander?"

"But…"

"NO BUTS!" she shouted at him, "Now attack me, or I'll shut off all your chakra points." Then she realized what she had done, and collapsed in on herself, "OK?"

"Yes ma'am," he chuckled at her. His laughter calmed her, and she resumed her fighting stance.

"Rasengan."

"Heavenly Spin."

"Rasengan!"

"Heavenly Spin!"

Twenty minutes later, Hinata raised her hand in submission. The front of her jacket was ripped and torn, revealing brief expanses of pale, yet firm skin, or the armored mesh undergarments favored by the Kunoichi of the Hidden Leaf village. The young woman dropped to the ground.

"'m sorry… Naruto… I don't… have… enough chakra."

"It's my fault Hinata," he helped her to sit against one of the rocky columns, and then plopped down next to her, "If I had better control, you wouldn't have had to waste chakra on the Gentle Fists and Substitution Jutsu."

"No, it's fine. Beside, you were getting a lot better at the end. I didn't have to do anything the last four times."

"You too," he encouraged her, "You stopped 2 of my last five attacks. But next time, maybe we could try something a little safer. I'd like to work on overcoming those chakra blocks."

"Next time?"

"Don't you want to?" Naruto sounded surprised, and a little hurt.

"Of course! I just... uh… wasn't sure you would."

"Same for me. You helped me a lot today, Hinata."

She blushed again, "Well, if you are up to it, I did have another idea for you."

"I still have some chakra," Naruto feigned modesty, to spare her feelings, "What is it?"

"I was thinking about your charka control, and the Rasengan. Is it harder to make the Rasengan smaller?"

"Yeah. How did you know that?"

"Well," she leaned back as she explained, "A lot of things are like that. Like how it is harder to hit a small target than a big one. In this case, even though it takes less chakra, a smaller area requires greater focus and control. There's not as much space to work with, compared to what you are used to."

"So I should just try to make the Rasengan smaller?"

"Right, but only if you can keep the power the same. A smaller ball might not hit as much of your target, but it needs to do the same amount of proportional damage. Then, once you can create a full power Rasengan on your fingertip, try creating another one on each of your other fingers. Doing that would take a great level of chakra control."

"A smaller Rasengan on each finger," Naruto looked amazed, "Hinata, that's genius."

"It's not… really," she stammered. Now that she was done explaining, she reverted to form, "But… well, it could help."

"No, it's really good. And it's something I can work on during my spare time."

The impulsive ninja looked down at his hand, forming the rotating orb once again. This time, it was only the size of a baseball, and sweat formed on his brow. After a few seconds, he lost control, and the sphere pulsed outwards to its normal size, before tearing itself apart. Naruto started again, and Hinata simply watched, always impressed by his determination.

"Naruto," she finally spoke after his third attempt.

"Yeah?"

"Could you… could you teach me the Rasengan?"

Naruto looked flustered, and scratched the back of his head, "I don't know, Hinata…"

"Of course," she sounded sad, and upset with herself, "It's your special technique. I shouldn't have asked."

"That's not it, Hinata," he shook his head, "It's just… No matter how many character flaws he has, Jiraiya is a good teacher. And I'm not sure I'm smart enough to teach anyone else such an advanced jutsu."

"But if you are willing to put up with an inept sensei, I'll give it a try."

"Under one condition," she locked his eyes to hers with a determined gaze, "If I'm not allowed to doubt myself, then you can't doubt yourself, either. Right?"

"OK," he grabbed her hand and shook on it, "Next time, I'll bring the water balloons!"

"Wa… water balloons?"


	3. His Greatest Treasure

**Chapter 3: His Greatest Treasure**

Naruto swung his feet out of bed with a yawn. He stumbled across his small apartment, and pulled open the refrigerator. The teen ninja withdrew a carton of milk, opened it, and sniffed carefully. To his surprise the contents still smelled fresh. Uzumaki to a swig, and took out two slices of bread. He dropped them into the toaster and then finished off the milk.

After Naruto finished showering and getting dressed, he walked purposefully over to the wardrobe and threw the doors open. Inside were all the tools of a shinobi. Posts held stacks of shuriken and kunai, and Naruto noticed he was running low on the latter. Hanging in the back were a single tonfa, jian, and nunchacku, the weapons he had trained with but never bothered to master, along with his backpack. Crumpled in the bottom was a stealth uniform, and on top of it were strewn rope, claws, and other random essentials.

"Hmm, the only thing scheduled for today is the debriefing on the bandit mission from last week, with Sakura, Sai, and Kakashi-sensei after lunch," he noted aloud, while considering what he might need.

Naruto reached in and took the first of his treasures from its place of honor. He placed the Konoha Headband against his brow, and knotted it into place. With the replacement on, he touched the broken pieces of the original Iruka had given him. He opened the barely hidden compartment he had added to the door, and removed the amulet of the First Hokage. Smiling fondly, he looped the jewel around his neck. Next the ninja slipped two kunai into his leg pouch, and a third into the holster under his jacket between his shoulder blades. He also moved a dozen shuriken to the various concealed pockets sewn into his clothing.

Finally Naruto took out the small wooden box, which housed the greatest of his treasures. Though he did not intend to take it with him today, he looked at it every morning when he was in the Village Hidden in the Leaves. As he opened it, the Genin's face twisted in shock, and he dropped the empty box.

"Oh, man. What happened?" Naruto said to himself, looking around the studio flat, "WHERE IS IT? SHADOW CLONE JUTSU!"

Instantly there were 10 Narutos, who proceeded to tear the room apart.

"Not here."

"Maybe there?"

CRASH!

"Transform!" One of the clones turned into a rat and crawled under the bed.

"Not here."

"Come on."

After every square inch of the room had been examined twice, all of the duplicated youths stopped moving.

"It's not here," one of them said. Three others turned to glare at him, and he added, "I'm just saying."

"I didn't take it on the mission," another spiky haired teen remembered, "But I have been carrying it around the village more lately. Maybe I dropped it or something."

"Right," Naruto scooped the wooden case from the floor as he moved to the door, and looked back at himselves, "I'm going to search the village. You guys clean up here."

"Hey, why do we get maid duty?"

"Because you are the clones."

"Oh yeah, prove it!"

"We don't have time for this," he showed the empty box to them for emphasis, "It's missing."

The copies all blanched, and the original rushed out the door.

'Where have I been?' Naruto thought to himself as he jumped from the balcony, 'Ichiraku Ramen, of course. Old Man Teuchi would have noticed if I dropped something.'

Naruto tore through the Konoha at high speed. In his wake he left a series of confused and slightly wind-whipped villagers.

"Was that Naruto?" Tenten asked Neji as an orange and black blur passed them.

"Yes," the Hyuga Jonin kept walking.

"Aren't you curious?"

"Not enough to risk getting involved."

She chuckled even though he had not been joking, "I guess you're right."

Naruto arrived at the Ramen Shop, and burst through the curtains.

"Hey old ma…" his words died in his throat when he saw a familiar figure.

"Uh, good morning Sakura," he croaked out slowly, "What are you doing here?"

"Hey, Naruto," Nishi waved, "Miss Sakura loves our new breakfast ramen. She's here almost as much as you are now."

'Breakfast ramen?' Naruto was all but salivating at the thought. Then he shook his head, refusing to be distracted.

"Umm," the ninja looked as his teammate, struggling with what to say, "Nishi, have I left anything here lately? Anything at all?"

"I don't think so," the new chef answered, "But I'll go ask Mr. Teuchi."

Sakura set down her chopsticks, but did not look up from the empty bowl.

'He's hiding something,' the Kunoichi told herself, 'He's looking for something and he doesn't want me to know what it is. Maybe a gift for me? Or a gift from Hinata.' Then she grimaced to herself, 'More likely something perverted.'

"Good morning, Naruto," the shop's owner smiled at his favorite customer as he came out from the back of the store, "I'm sorry to say we haven't found anything recently."

"OK, thanks," Naruto turned and walked out, a visage of concentration crinkling his eyes and nose. Sakura stood up and followed him.

"Are you looking for something?" she asked him carefully.

"Oh," he looked back, not having noticed her trailing behind, "Yeah."

"I can help you look," she offered innocently.

"What? Umm… You don't need to waste your time, Sakura. It's not that important."

"It's OK, I've got nothing to do," then she considered for a second, "Didn't you visit Kiba in the hospital yesterday?"

"Yeah!" Naruto perked up, "I did!"

"Let's go, Naruto." Sakura started walking towards the infirmary. But the energetic young man took off running again, and the young woman was forced to quicken her pace to keep up. After he reached the hospital, Naruto slowed to a respectful pace, mostly out of fear of being yelled at by the nurses. After a short walk, the pair reached Kiba's room.

"Poor Kiba," Sakura announced, "Getting chicken pox at our age. And needing to be hospitalized for it…"

The first thing noticeable in the room was the 7-foot long dog alongside the bed. Akamaru raised his head and 'woof'ed happily at them. Kiba turned to look at them, his face covered with red marks.

"I sure am mister popular today," he remarked weakly. As they moved past they dividing partition, his meaning became clear. Standing on the other side of his bed were both of the Hyuga sisters.

"Good morning Haruno-san, Uzumaki-san," Hanabi inclined her head respectfully. The Genin had almost the same features as her sister, but looked totally different. The younger Hyuga was garbed in a short-sleeved shinobi shozoku, and wore her Leaf insignia as a headband. Unlike Hinata's bashful kindness, Hanabi gave off an aura of assured superiority.

"Hello Naruto, Sakura," Hinata said.

'Oh no,' Naruto thought to himself, 'Now Hinata, too.'

"Hi, Hinata, Hanabi," the fox-faced Genin returned their greeting.

"Sorry to interrupt, Kiba, but I'm here on a mission," Naruto's statement filled the faces of the other three ninja with surprise and curiosity. Sakura just rolled her eyes at the exaggeration.

"Did I… uh drop something here yesterday?"

"No, I don't think so. Did he Akamaru?" The large dog lifted his head again, and let out a slight growling bark.

"I didn't think so," the animalistic Chunin confirmed. Then he slowly and painfully lifted himself up onto one elbow, "But if you are looking for something you lost, I have an idea."

The three Kunoichi reacted with concern for his discomfort.

"You know Akamaru's great at finding things, and he's been kinda bored the last few days. So maybe he could go with you. If you can give him scent to track, he can find it anywhere in the village."

"If he's willing, that'd be awesome," Naruto pumped his fist in excitement, "What do you say, Akamaru?"

"WOOF!" the ninja hound jumped to his feet.

"Great. Thanks for your help, Sakura," Naruto started to run out the door.

"I'm not done yet, you might still need me to think for you," Sakura poked a little fun at him, while Inner Sakura shouted, 'You're not getting rid of me that easy!'

'Darn,' he thought, 'I hoped I could ditch her.'

"You should go as well, sister," Hanabi stated, causing everyone to gawk at her, "If Uzumaki-san needs Haruno-san's insight and Akamaru's nose, he may also need your eyes."

Then the younger Hyuga lowered her voice so only Hinata could hear her, "And you do not want Naruto alone with Sakura and indebted to her."

"Yes," Hinata stood up suddenly, "I'll come too."

'Oh no,' Naruto wilted, 'Now it's both of them.'

"Alright, Akamaru, you should be able to get a scent off of this." Both women took note of the handsome wooden case he removed from his belt, but neither could see what, if anything, was left inside as he opened it for the dog to sniff. The white canine stuck his nose into the box, and then let out a quiet, "Arf."

"OK, let's go," Naruto pointed at the door, and Akamaru bounded out of the room. The three teens quickly followed.

"You don't have to hang around, Hanabi," Kiba told the girl, counting the points in the ceiling.

"No, I do not mind, Kiba-san," she said, blushing not unlike her sister.

"Then, can you grab the radio from my jacket? It's linked to the one in Akamaru's collar."

She complied, and they both listened.

"Where is he going?" Sakura asked as they followed the furry tracker through the back alleys of the Hidden Leaf Village.

"He seems to be heading for the Academy," Hinata noted.

"That's right, I talked to Konohamaru there yesterday," Naruto remembered, "Maybe that's where I lost it."

As the quartet raced through the street, they passed a familiar pair, for the second time.

"This time he's got Hinata, Sakura, and Akamaru with him," Tenten observed.

Neji sighed, "Fine. You obviously will not be able to focus until your curiosity is assuaged. So we will shadow them for a while."

She smiled knowingly as they jumped to a nearby rooftop and began to trail Naruto and company from above.

The search party reached the school, and ninja cadets scrambled to get out of the path of the giant dog. Akamaru lead the three humans to one of the classrooms on the bottom floor. Fortunately, the room was empty, giving them the chance to look around.

"It's not here," Naruto sounded dejected.

"Akamaru," Kiba's voice emerged from the collar, "Were there any other trails, weaker ones?"

"Woof."

"OK, then try following the next best track."

The nin-dog let out a slight whine, and trotted back into the hallway, his nose to the ground. This time Akamaru moved more slowly and carefully; taking a different route out of the school. His path took them towards the outskirts of the village.

"He seems to be heading towards the target range or the training stones," Sakura remarked, "Have you been there?"

"Not since before our mission," he considered, "And I know I still had… 'it', before we left."

As he lead them past the final row of houses, Akamaru turned onto the path to the target range.

* * *

"Last set," Konohamaru told his teammates, taking out his last four kunai. Moegi also readied kunai, and Udon withdrew shuriken. The Genin trio were back to back to back, and the dummies around the wooded thicket were peppered with throwing knives and stars.

"On three," the self-proclaimed leader counted.

"One," each of the young ninjas tensed.

"Two," they drew back their arms.

"Three," they released in unison. But an orange shadow crossed the path of Konohamaru's missiles. Two were deflected into the ground, but the remaining two each spun around Naruto's pointer and middle fingers. The two blades stood out, because instead of the standard white linen, one of the kunai was wrapped in red, the other in blue. Each weapon also had a tail that matched the grip.

"Oh, hey boss," Konohamaru greeted Naruto familiarly, however his goofy grin faded quickly as the older Genin stalked towards him with an angry glare.

"Where did you get these, honored grandson?" Naruto used Konohamaru's least favorite nickname as a sign of his rage.

"Remember, Karin's on vacation so her store is closed and since I was running short on kunai you said I could get some from you and I would pay you back after the Emporium reopens," in his discomfort he babbled out an explanation.

"And so you borrowed the ones that were in a separate, special case?" the possessed ninja asked with biting sarcasm.

"Naruto, I…"

Naruto forced himself to calm down, "Don't worry about it, Konohamaru. No harm done in the end. But next time, take the normal stuff, not the ones kept separate."

Without waiting for a response, he turned and flash-stepped into the forest. Once he was in clearing half-mile away, Naruto stopped and took out the wooden case. Before he could replace the treasured weapons, a red streak intercepted him, and Sakura landed a few feet away holding the two blades. She tossed one to Hinata, before considering the red wrapped kunai she had retained.

"This is what you've been panicking over? And almost bit off Konohamaru's head for? A pair of ordinary kunai?" Sakura's voice bore confusion and a touch of scorn.

"Akamaru, stay out of sight," Kiba counseled, still listening. Neji and Tenten landed on a branch above the canine.

"You're wrong, Sakura," Hinata offered, "These blades have been very skillfully maintained, and have had chakra bonded them, if somewhat clumsily. They only started as ordinary."

The fiery Kunoichi looked as the blade she held more carefully. It was more slender then usually, is if it had been repeatedly sharpened. There was also a chip in one of the edges that had been expertly repaired. That was unusual; kunai were considered expendable. As many as one third were lost or destroyed in the course of normal use. And those that were recovered were recycled once they went dull or were damaged. This sort of care was generally reserved for valuable weapons like swords or spears.

"What is that, a character," Hinata noticed something at the edge of the wrapping. She carefully detached the cloth from the grip and unwound it. Then her eyes went wide.

"My name?" she asked, looking up at Naruto in doubt. Sakura's temper flared, and she unwound the blade she held none to gently.

"Sakura Haruno!?" She glared at Naruto with disappointment and a touch of fear, "Naruto, you made death blades for Hinata and me?"

"Of course not," he was hurt by the implication, "Even if I believed in that myth, you have to put the name on the blade right? If that superstition even worked, putting the name on the handle would make sure they could never hit you, right?"

Both ladies calmed slightly at that, but neither seemed ready to let him off the hook.

"Fine… I'll explain," he slumped in defeat, " I don't know if you two ever thought about it, but growing up I pretty much hated my birthdays. I didn't have friends or family, and hearing everyone else talk about presents and parties only made it worse."

Realization filled the faces of Hinata and Sakura, but they did not interrupt. And now that he was opening up, the words continued to pour out of him.

"Eventually I got used to it, or so I told myself. I made it a point not to tell anyone my birthday, so I could never be disappointed. But last year, I couldn't avoid it. Pervy sage knew when my birthday was, and he made a point of celebrating. He took me to see the last Princess Gale movie, and even treated me to dinner."

He paused and glanced sideways at the blades again, his eyes growing wet. Hinata started to tear up too, and Sakura held her face carefully neutral.

"When we got back to his home Jiraiya presented me with two small boxes. He said they had arrived by courier that morning. One was from you, Sakura, and the other was from you, Hinata. Each contained a simple note wishing me a happy birthday."

"And each box contained a single kunai," Sakura interrupted quietly.

"Exactly. The first birthday presents I ever got," a drop of water ran down his left cheek, "But it was more than that. They were the physical proof that I had friends; and even though we were apart, they were still thinking of me."

"That why I put your names on them, bought special cloth to wrap the handles, and made a case to keep them in. I only use them as a last resort, and I always recover and repair them. So I will never forget."

He opened the hand-carved box and extended it towards them. The inside was lined with orange velvet, with perfect indentations for a pair of kunai. Each girl skillfully rewound the hilt, and walked over to him. Sakura carefully placed her dagger in the hollow on the right, and Hinata gently placed her blade in the mark on the left.

"Well, there you go," Naruto wiped the tear from his face and forced a smile, "Go ahead and laugh at me for being an idiot."

But neither of them cracked a smile. Instead, they looked at each other and nodded. And then both girls hugged him at the same time.

"Sentimental fool," Neji said, turning away. Then Tenten caught him pressing his pointer and thumb into the corners of his eyes.

"Neji?"

"I must have gotten something in my eye from all this running around. Can we go now?'

"Of course," she did not press him further, and covered a smile.

"Thank you, both," Naruto said after the two Chunin has disengaged, "Even if you weren't supposed to find out about this."

He started walking back to the village, and they fell in next to him.

"You know, Naruto," Sakura started, "Infusing chakra into weapons isn't that different than healing. I could probably help you with whatever you're trying to do with those."

"The Byakugan is highly suited for observing such precise work," Hinata was not to be out done, "We could use the Kariname Jutsu again so you can see the binding better…"

"Seeing won't help if you don't know what you are doing," Sakura countered confrontationally.

"Humans cells and metal weapons are not that much alike," Hinata pretended she was thinking out loud instead of addressing Sakura. The pink-haired young woman was ready to argue, when they were interrupted by Naruto's stomach growling angrily.

"Man, I'm starving from all that running," then his expression brightened, "Wait, didn't Nishi say something about a new breakfast ramen. I gotta try it. If you two want to come, I'm buying!"

Naruto took off like a shot. Sakura pretended to be exasperated, and Hinata giggled, and they both followed.


	4. Training II: The Hokage’s Strength

**Chapter 4: Training II, The Hokage's Strength**

"Oh man," Naruto paced fretfully, "What does Grandma Tsunade want now?"

He had been summoned to the Hokage's office. At first he had hoped it was some urgent mission, but there did not appear to be anyone else there, so he decided he had been wrong. The Genin wracked his brain for anything he might have done to get himself in trouble.

The door opened, and a well-endowed woman, seemingly in her early thirties, emerged. Her hard brown eyes fell on Naruto, and for a second her expression was one of unfading affection. But before he could see that, she assumed an arrogant smirk.

"Ah, Naruto," she said with feigned disdain, "What are you doing here?"

Instantly all thoughts of playing it polite vanished. Naruto pointed at her and shouted, "Are you going senile, old lady? You told me to come here!"

"You ungrateful whelp!" she raised a fist, "You should be grateful to receive an invitation from a beautiful, important, young woman such as myself."

"You haven't been young since long before I was born."

"Do you want to take this outside?" she advanced menacingly. They glared at each other for another second, before breaking down into peals of laughter.

"Come inside," the Fifth motioned into her office.

"Ladies first," Naruto both bowed and winked. In response, she pushed him through the door.

"So why did you want me to come here?" Naruto asked, settling into one of the chairs opposite her desk, "Do you have a special mission for me?

"No," she grinned mischievously, "You could almost say the opposite is true. I'm going to be your new sensei, for a little while at least."

"Really? That's awesome," Naruto almost leaped out of the chair. But then his eyes narrowed, "Wait, you're not going to teach me healing jutsu, are you?"

Tsunade frowned slightly as she thought about that.

"No, I was not. But now that you mention it, that's not a bad idea. I think all ninja should know the basics of medical jutsu, in case the team's medical-nin is missing or injured. If Sakura got hurt, you'd want to be able to help her, wouldn't you? And with the amount of chakra you possess, even if you don't have any talent for healing, you might be able to save someone through brute force."

"But that's not why you are here today," she digressed, "There are certain aspects of your ninja skills…"

The Hokage was cut off by a quiet knock on the door.

"Good, your training partner is here," she turned and walked back to the door.

"Partner?" Naruto sounded dejected.

"Yes. Your history shows that you advanced fastest when you have someone at your own level to either compete against or help. So I picked another ninja in need of similar assistance to work with you."

"Come in, Hinata," the female Sannin said as she opened the door, "You are just in time to hear me go through a list of Naruto's shortcomings as a ninja."

"Hey!"

"Oh, no, I don't… I can come back later," the daughter of the Hyuga clan took a step back from the door.

"No, no, come on," Tsunade caught the girl's shoulder and gently pulled her into the room, "This is part of your training."

The Hokage sat down at her desk, and both of the young ninja's fidgeted as she placed their files in front of her. After a few moments of review, she addressed them.

"Hinata, you wish to some day attain the rank of Jonin, is that correct?"

"Yes, Lady Tsunade," the Chunin bowed her head humbly.

"And, Naruto, everyone knows your dream is to one day be the Hokage. Although it is not technically required, if you cannot become a Jonin, you stand little chance of becoming Hokage."

"So what?" Naruto asked defensively.

"Well," Tsunade opened his file again, "Unlike the rank of Chunin, which can be achieved through natural talent and luck, a Jonin needs strong technical skills. And on paper, you are the weakest ninja in the village."

She turned the paper to face them. Naruto's face went blank with surprise, and Hinata blushed in embarrassment.

"As you can see, all of your weapon and Taijutsu skills are ranked at E or D level, except for light throwing blades. To qualify as a Jonin you must have at least 5 C rank skills in each category, and either two B Rank or one A Rank."

"The list of Ninjutsu you know is short but not out of range, considering the number of A or S Rank techniques you know. But your Genjutsu is intolerable. You have no techniques, and have never successfully released Genjutsu. And your Chakra control is below average."

Naruto looked like death-warmed over at the frank and negative portrayal of his experience. His would-be-romance looked at him with pity.

"Of course, that is only on paper. You have a natural talent for unarmed combat, and are among the strongest, quickest, and toughest Ninja in the village. And with the incredible amount of Chakra you possess, your lack of finesse has not been a hindrance. You are more than qualified to be a Chunin, and I believe that you will pass the next exam. But a Jonin requires more than that."

"Hinata." When the Hokage said her name, the young woman jumped.

"You have achieved A Rank in Gentle Fist Taijutsu, but your other unarmed skills have suffered, almost to the level of Naruto. Your weapon skills are almost adequate, and you are qualified in both Ninjutsu and Genjutsu. And your Chakra control is top-notch. But your Chakra reserves are below average for a Ninja of your age and experience. This is due in part to your Chakra control, and the efficiency of the Gentle Fist style. You have rarely been forced to stretch the limits of your Chakra."

The Byagukan's heir nodded blankly at her review. Naruto recovered enough to empathize with her, reaching out to touch her forearm.

"Grandma Tsunade, that's too cruel!" he glared at their leader.

"No, it is just honest," she shook her head "I believe you both have it in you to achieve the rank of Jonin. So, you will both be working with me on your Taijutsu and your Chakra. I have devised a training regimen that will allow Naruto to work on his control, and Hinata to push herself, while you both work on unarmed combat."

"OK, then, what's the plan?" Naruto was guardedly optimistic.

"First, I am going to teach you both the."

"That jutsu you used to screw up Kabuto's movements?"

"The same. You will both be required to maintain the flow of energy for the duration of our training sessions. And since you both have a secondary affinity to lightning, the technique is well suited for you."

"Wait, my chakra element is wind," Naruto protested.

"Your primary element is wind, as Hinata's is earth," the legendary ninja lectured, "But many shinobi, including the two of you, have a secondary affinity. Not as strong as the primary, but stronger than the other three."

"We both have lightning for a secondary element?" Hinata's voice trembled slightly at the suggestion. Tsunade turned away to hide a kindly smile.

"Correct. The Ranshinsho requires the use of elemental recomposition to convert your chakra to electricity. This will be where it will help Naruto. And the technique takes more chakra than the Gentle Fist; so maintaining it for an extended period will push you, Hinata. I also borrowed some of Gai's chakra weights, should just the Ranshinsho become too simple."

"When do we begin?" Hinata asked.

"I will meet you both at the academy at 1 PM. I have asked them to set aside one of the rooms with the sparring dummies," she answered, "You are free until then."

Hinata bowed deeply as she stood, and hurried out of the room.

"Naruto," the Hokage's gentle voice caught him before he left the room.

"I'm sorry for embarrassing you like that in front of Hinata. But you needed to know. And you might want to seek out additional tutors for your weapon Jutsu and Genjutsu."

"Well I would be better with weapons," Naruto offered, "But the old pervert didn't think they were that important. And there was one in particular I liked, but he just made light of it."

"Which weapon?"

She appeared surprised by his answer.

"That is an unusual choice," she agreed, "But there are two people in the village who have mastered it."

"Who?"

"Iruka Umino and Anko Mitarashi."

"Really?" Naruto was overjoyed, "Iruka-sensei can teach me?"

"Anko is more skilled…" Tsunade informed him, already knowing his preference.

"Well, maybe I'll ask them both, just to be safe. See you in a couple hours." He ran out the door.

Naruto left the building at a sprint, not knowing he had an invisible stalker. As soon as he had slammed the door, Tsunade had opened a sealed drawer in her desk, and removed the Hokage's treasure. With no one to teach her, and only vague instructions, it had taken her almost a year to master; but now she could use the crystal eye to perform the Clairsentient Jutsu. Thus, without their knowledge, the Fifth continued to spy on her new students.

"Wait up, Hinata," Naruto said as he caught up to her. He met her eyes with concern, "Are you OK? Grandma Tsunade was too harsh."

"What… Oh, I'm fine, Naruto. I basically knew everything Lady Tsunade told me. Her intentions were good, it is just a little tough to hear out loud."

Then she gave him the same appraisal, "But what about you, it must have been even harder for you."

"Nah," Naruto shrugged, "You know I don't worry about that kinda thing. Those stupid papers have nothing to do with the real world."

He chuckled, however she had come to know him well enough to hear the hollowness in his voice. She had once called him a 'proud failure', but she could now see that it was at least partly a façade.

"Anyway," the Leaf Genin quickly changed the subject, "I've got something to show you. Come 'ere."

He gently dragged her into the small meditation park next to the Ninja Operations building. The watching Sannin's eyes narrowed in suspicion, what was he doing?

"Ready?" Naruto released her. He raised his right hand, cupping and spreading his fingers.

"One." He proclaimed. A tiny Rasengan, only a half-inch in diameter formed over his pointer. Tsunade carefully controlled her amazement, despite being alone. Wrapping the chakra strands into such a tiny sphere should have been almost impossible for Naruto.

'But why did he start coun…' she started to ponder, only to be interrupted.

"Two," the fox-faced boy created a second, identical Rasengan over his middle finger. The Hokage's eyes widened against her will to hide. She signaled rat, ox, dog, and serpent, and said "Chakra Mask."

The Genjutsu she cast over herself allowed her to see chakra, though not so precisely or efficiently as the Byakugan. As she suspected, both of the miniature spiraling spheres were perfect. It had taken Jiraiya years to be able to form two Rasengan at the same time. She was starting to doubt…

"Three!" Naruto conjured a third orb over his right ring finger, and Tsunade's jaw dropped.

'What are Jiraiya and Kakashi playing at?' she thought angrily after she regained control. Even if it was only for this one technique, forming and maintaining three Rasengan was a feat of incredible chakra control. Had those two really undervalued Naruto's abilities to that degree?

'Or,' she suddenly wondered, 'has he advanced this much in the five weeks he has been training with Hinata?'

"Four," Naruto struggled to get the word out. Still more chakra began to twist and flow over his pinky finger, but the energy destabilized, and exploded, taking the third swirling sphere with it.

"I still can't get the fourth one…" he sounded somewhat dejected, dismissing the first two as well. Tsunade sank back into her seat with a sigh of relief.

"No, that's excellent, Naruto," the pale young woman cheered him, "And I have something to show you too."

She took out a child's toy, a hand sized rubber ball. The female Sannin's attention was again ensnared.

The heir to the Byakugan held the ball lightly in both of her hands, almost as if to pray to it. After a second, the surface of the plaything began to rapidly distort, as though a tiny shinobi was attempting to punch her way out. After another moment, the sphere exploded, sending rubber shrapnel throughout the clearing.

"Hinata, that's great, you mastered the second phase!" Naruto hugged her impulsively, and the girl's face started to glow red.

"Tomorrow, we can start on the last step." He let her go, and plucked a bit of latex out of her hair.

"Yes," she nodded back, smiling.

The Fifth pushed her chair back from the desk, breaking the jutsu.

'He's teaching her the Rasengan,' she leaned back in her chair, suddenly feeling every one of her… forty years. Her mouth twitched upwards at the personal deception.

'These kids are too much,' she thought.


	5. Mother of a Shinobi

**Chapter 5: Mother of a Shinobi**

With a pained groan, Naruto dropped on to one of the stools at Ichiraku Ramen. Hinata was more delicate, but just as tired as she too sat.

"Hey, old man, give me an extra-large miso ramen with extra pork," the teen waved at Teuchi as he shouted his order.

"Coming right up, Naruto," the cook nodded, "What can I get for you, miss Hinata?"

"Oh, just a small diet seafood bowl, please."

As they waited, he grabbed his shoulder and started to massage his sore muscles.

"Man, Grandma Tsunade sure is a slave driver," he grunted, "I wonder how Sakura puts up with her."

"She's not so bad," Hinata countered, "She's just trying to make sure we learn the techniques, and are strong enough to survive."

Naruto made an annoyed face, and opened his mouth to argue. But then he noticed the look of pain she was trying to hide. She was also holding her left arm strangely. He realized both the physical exertion and the draining of her chakra made the training much harder for the Kunoichi. He stood up and stepped so he was behind her left side. She almost jumped when he reached up and began gently kneading the muscles in her shoulder. Though she turned bright red, the hurting also eased from her eyes and her posture grew more relaxed. The Genin knew he was being too familiar, especially given the circumstances, but he was more concerned with helping her.

"You know, Hinata," he said softly, "if she is pushing too hard, you should let Tsunade know. She wouldn't want you to get hurt. Or if you can't tell her, you can talk to me."

Hinata's eyes grew misty, but she was spared having to respond as two bowls were plopped down in front of them.

"Is your arm better?" Naruto asked, continued to rub even though his mind had obviously shifted focus to the food.

"Yes, much. Thank you. Please, go ahead and eat." She lightly pulled away as she broke her chopsticks apart. Naruto sat back down and after mumbling a traditional thanks, dug in. For the next few minutes they sat in silence, simply enjoying the food and each other's presence. Then the blond teen spoke again.

"Hinata, I'm going to ask you a question. But it's kinda personal, so feel free to not answer, or even slap me again and tell I'm totally out of line."

The girl pushed away her now empty bowl, obviously apprehensive. But she nodded and said, "Alright, what is it?"

"Well, it's just that everyone knows about your dad. But I was wondering if you could tell me about your mom?"

"M…My mother?" Hinata repeated as if unsure what she heard.

"Yeah, what was she like? Was she a ninja?"

"My mother…" she paused, considering what to say, "No, she was not a ninja. She was a baker. In fact, the clan elders tried to prevent my father from marrying her. They said because she was not a ninja, she would weaken the bloodline." She flinched at that, showing the heartache of having been called the fulfillment of that prophecy, "Uncle Hizashi told Neji that my father refused to accept the decision, and went so far as to threaten to abandon the Hyuga Clan and reveal our secrets if they did not let him marry. He loved her more than anything else."

"Where is she now?" he pressed slightly as she trailed off, "Is she…"

"Yes. Neji told you that I was almost taken by a Cloud Ninja, and that my father killed the kidnapper. What he did not know, is that when the spy came to take me, my mother was present. She tried to fight him off, and he stabbed her. That was the real reason my father slaughtered that shinobi. Not because I was being kidnapped, but because the man had killed father's true love."

Hinata wiped a drop around her left eye and continued. "That was when our relationship fell apart. Things had always been strained because I was so timid and clumsy. But afterwards, he seemed to blame me for my mother's death. At one point he told me if I had been brave enough to cry out, he might have arrived in time to save us both."

"That jerk," Naruto slammed his fist on the counter, "How dare he say that to you, his own daughter!"

She shook her head vehemently, "He apologized for that, and other things. He finally realized he had been wrongly directing all of his anger and regret towards me. And he figured that out because of you and Neji."

Naruto settled down, and cautiously asked, "Do you remember her?"

"Yes," she said again, "Sometimes it's hard to remember specific events, but I can still see her smile, smell her scent of fresh bread and cake, and hear her laugh. She was very beautiful, and kind."

"Just like her daughter," Naruto mused matter-of-factly. Hinata blinked widely, then smiled and blushed slightly at the compliment.

"What about you?" the Hyuga's heir turned the conversation back on her training partner, "I know you are an orphan, but do you know anything about your parents?"

"I've looked some stuff up in the archives," the boisterous Genin turned introspective, "My mother was Yukihana Uzumaki, a Leaf Genin."

He frowned and rubbed his face at that, "In fact it's kinda strange. Her skill report was the opposite of mine. B-Rank or better for everything, and a list of Ninjutsu and Genjutsu as long as your arm. I checked through all the records, and the only ninja I could find with better overall rankings where the Third and Fourth Hokages, and the three Sannin. She should have been a Jonin, or at least a Chunin. She … she died the night the Kyubi attacked the village."

Then he grew depressed. "My birth certificate doesn't list my father's name. It makes me imagine all sorts of strange things. Was he someone married and powerful, who forced his poor ninja mistress not to give up his name? Or did she just have so many boyfriends she didn't know who my father was?"

She looked sad for him, and touched his hand gently.

"I'm sure it was nothing like that," he tried to downplay it, "But when you don't know something, it can be hard not to imagine the worst, right?"

He stood up suddenly.

"I've got a scouting mission tomorrow, so I better turn in early. But we should be back in three days, so I'll see you then, OK, Hinata."

"What?" she was roused from her trance by his statement, "Right. Good luck, Naruto."

The young man dropped enough money to cover the tab; and then hurried off, carefully hiding his face.

The next morning the gentle woman was still troubled. Her family life was far from ideal, but she had never known Naruto's history was such a blank. By the time she had finished eating breakfast, she resolved to do something about it.

"He already looked in the archives," she remembered aloud, drawing a curious glance from her younger sister, "So where else could I get information… I know!"

Hanabi continued to view Hinata as an oddity even as the elder sister ran from the room.

"Lady Tsunade," Hinata burst into the Hokage's office a few short minutes later. Two other Leaf Ninja trailed closely behind her, panting.

"Lord Hokage, we tried to stop her…" the taller of the pair started, but she raised her hand to silence them.

"Raido, Genma, you can go. I will see Hinata." Tsunade informed her guards.

"What can I do for you?" the medical Sannin asked her student.

"I wanted to ask you if you knew anything about Yukihana Uzumaki," the Chunin Kunoichi stated.

"Naruto's mother?" Tsunade asked sharply, fixing the girl with a harsh stare.

"Um… yes," Hinata grew uncomfortable under her superior's gaze.

"Naruto and I were talking yesterday night, about our families," anxious, she began to explain quickly, "And he told me his father isn't listed on his birth certificate, and he worried his mother might have had an improper relationship or even been… wanton…"

The last word was difficult for Hinata to say, but apparently harder for Tsunade to hear. The Hokage's eyes burned with both anger and sadness. The timid ninja let out a squeak when she saw the expression, and took half a step back.

"And I was hoping you could tell me something so I could put his mind at ease," the pale beauty forced out without pause. Tsunade took a deep breath to regain control.

"I know who Naruto's father was," she answered the request carefully, "Not many people did, but Yukihana Uzumaki was someone I considered a friend, despite our age difference. Yukihana had her reasons for keeping it a secret, and those of us who know have chosen to honor her wishes until it is either the time is right, or it becomes necessary to tell Naruto."

"But why?" Hinata interjected.

"If I tell you that, you might be able to figure out this secret. And I don't trust you not to tell him," she smirked as the girl looked down and wrung her hands.

Then the Hokage's face softened in fond memory, "But you can tell the knucklehead this: Yukihana Uzumaki was a loyal, virtuous woman, and a truly outstanding shinobi. She only ever had eyes for one man, and she loved him with all her heart and soul. And it was her great fortune that he returned her feelings. But she was also odd about change. He proposed to her at least once before I left the village, but she refused. And even though they spent every night together, she refused to move in with him. And in a village of gossiping ninja, they did a remarkable job of keeping their privacy."

Hinata smiled happily at the information.

"But if you really want a story to pass on about Yukihana, there is someone else you need to talk to…"

* * *

Later that evening, Hinata entered the tavern with great uncertainty. Every eye turned to look at her, and the dull roar died instantly. It was not every day an under-aged princess walked into the bar, and suddenly all but the most drunk or brazen of the Konoha citizens were uncomfortable.

Spotting her target, Hinata began to make her way across the crowded room. It was easier than she expected, as most of the patrons were quite anxious to move out of her path.

"Mr. Akimichi, Mr. Nara, Mr. Yamanaka," she stated both in greeting and to get their attention.

"Hello, Hinata," Inoichi Yamanaka seemed the least put off by this unusual interruption, and smiled openly at the young woman, "Is there something we can do for you?"

"Yes," she was put at ease by his sincerity, "Lady Tsunade said you could tell me about Yukihana Uzumaki."

Shikaku Nara choked at that, spitting sake all over the bar. Choza Akimichi grabbed a half-dozen skewers from the plate in front of him, and began to rapidly suck the dango from them. Ino's father's face clouded over, and he turned away from the girl.

"Another bottle," the blond Jonin flagged down the barman, "on second thought better make it two."

"I'm sorry," she was confused by their reactions, "Did I say something wrong?"

"That woman," Shikamaru's father croaked, "We owe her a debt we can never repay."

"A debt we have only expanded," Choji's father paused his gorging to say angrily.

"Here we go again," Shikaku groaned.

"Yukihana saved our lives," the lazy remark sparked the large Jonin's ire, "And we've treated her son as badly as anyone else in this village."

"I wouldn't say…" Inoichi started, but Choza interrupted him.

"Did we ever tell anyone to lay off the kid? Did we tell our own children to be nice to him?" then his near shout dropped to a whisper, "Did we ever tell Naruto what a great person, a great ninja, his mother was?"

Re-opening old wounds didn't sit well with Hinata, but she thought up a way to be of assistance.

"You could tell me about her," she offered, "And I can pass it on to Naruto. I'm sure both mother and son would appreciate that."

The trio exchanged glances, and then lead Hinata over to a booth for more privacy.

"We had just become Chunin," Shikaku started, "And we were so full of ourselves. Until the night disaster came to the village…"

* * *

"Damn it, it's still coming this way," Choza whispered harshly, "Shika can't you pin it down?"

"No," the deer-herder shook his head, "Its charka is disrupting my Shadow Jutsu. It's such a hassle."

"I know what you mean," Inoichi added, "I tried to Mind Transfer into it. It was like running face first into a brick wall, painted with all my worst nightmares. What about you, Cho?"

The big ninja grimaced, "I'm too hungry to do anything."

"What about you two?" Yamanaka looked at the two Jonin they had encountered. The slight Kunoichi shook her head.

"I hit that demon a dozen times," Ryu indicated the giant club she carried, a device half again her height and close to three time her weight, "And it didn't even notice. Now I barely have enough Chakra to carry this..."

"I hit it with my best Fire Jutsu," Ken offered when his wife trailed off, "And I think it laughed at me."

"Shh!" Akimichi hissed. A loud crunch echoed as the giant beast landed lightly, only twenty feet from them. They heard a scream of human pain, which went silent in a sickening chomp. The five shinobi backed away as quietly as they could, as the Kyubi sniffed the air. As it turned to face them, they could both feel and smell its fetid breath. With a vicious chuckle, the demon started stalking towards them.

"Crap, run," Choza shouted, but before the quintet could escape, the fox's tails flashed and barricade of torn up trees landed behind them, blocking their path. With its prey trapped, the Kyubi lunged forward. Both Inoichi and Shikaku desperately hurtled kunai into the exposed soft tissues of the monster's mouth, but the demon did not flinch or pause.

"Fuuton: Cyclone Spikes Jutsu!" a high, clear voice proclaimed above them. A shadow appeared over the Kyubi, and gestured as if to throw blades. But instead the shinobi released eleven green charka cones, which dug into the demon's neck. The creature's head snapped up with a growl of annoyance, mere inches from swallowing Choza and Ryu.

The Kunoichi with pale blue hair landed in a tree, facing the monster. She looked down at her comrades and shouted, "RUN!"

"Isn't that?" Shika asked.

"Yes," Cho confirmed.

"Didn't she just?" the lazy genius continued.

"Yes."

"Doton: Stone Claws Jutsu," Yukihana Uzumaki shouted completing a set of hand seals. Five talons of rock and dirt erupted from the earth. Two each secured the demon's forelimbs, and the remaining grabbed its right rear leg. The vulpine struggled to reach her, and when it could not, began tearing into the manifested claws with its teeth.

"What are you waiting for?" she yelled at them once more, even as her hands started moving again, "Get out of there!"

"Lady doesn't have to tell me three times," Ken said, climbing the wooden wall. The other ninja followed suit, but the Ino-Shika-Cho trio stopped at the top to watch the Genin's next move.

"Katon: Abyss Flare Jutsu!" She grabbed her right wrist with her left hand to brace, even as a column of purple flames blasted into the demon. This time when the Kyubi roared, it was a bellow of pure pain. In its rage it finally managed to rip free, and its left claw flew up and struck the young woman. She tumbled into the sky from the impact, and the men did not see what happened to her.

"Let's go," Ryu shouted back to them, and the Chunin dove off the rampart away from their opponent.

After running for a few minutes, the shinobi slowed when they realized the creature was not following them.

"What happened?" Ken asked anxiously.

"Not sure," Nara said, "It looked like the Kyubi hit her. I didn't see a substitution."

"She shouldn't have been out here," Inoichi said angrily, "She only gave birth two days ago."

"It's a good thing for you I'm a fast healer." The other five Leaf warriors jumped when Yukihana Uzumaki appeared in their midst.

"Yuki! Are you ok?" Inoichi looked at her carefully.

"I'm fine. It barely scratched me."

"What are you doing here?" Choza demanded, worried.

"Besides saving you?" her green eyes sparkled mischievously, and she put her hands behind her head. When none of them smiled, she sobered.

"Listen, this thing destroyed the entire Hidden Lake Village a couple weeks again," she lectured them, despite being both the youngest and the lowest rank, "We need every ninja we can get."

Ken nodded, and asked, "Now what?"

"The Fourth has a plan," she told them, taking out two weapons scrolls. She handed one to Ken and the other to Shikaku.

"The Hokage needs time, so he can finish the Jutsu. When he gives the signal, we have to hit the demon with as many of these kunai as we can. Until then, we have to distract the Kyubi. Keep it away from the village, and the Fourth. But don't be a hero, and don't try to hurt it. Get its attention and stay alive."

"I need you five to spread out. Distribute the orders and the weapons to everyone you can find."

Her task complete, the skilled Kunoichi disappeared. A few seconds later, the nine-tail fox howled in pain again.

"You heard her," Ryu made them focus, "Ken and I will go north, you three go south."

Twenty minutes later, the flare went up, and Ino-Shika-Cho converged on the demon. Dozens of Leaf ninja charged the Kyubi from all sides, peppering the calamity made flesh with scroll bound blades. But nothing happened.

"Its not working!" Ino shouted.

"Maybe we didn't have enough kunai," Shika speculated.

"Look," Cho pointed.

Yukihana Uzumaki had appeared in the air above the fox. Her green eyes glowed brightly under the effect of some sort of Genjutsu.

"There," despite the distance, her voice carried to them. She drew back her arm, and drilled a kunai into the fox's skull next to its right ear. Instantly, her kunai and seven others began to glow vividly against the night. A seal expanded around the demon, and after it had engulfed the creature, the Kyubi vanished.

"Good," Yukihana exhaled, then her eyes lost their glow and she started to fall, "I'm sorry… Naruto."

"Yukihana," the trio shouted in unison. They moved quickly, and Choza caught the Kunoichi before she hit the ground. They all saw the blood leaking from the front of her snow-white shozoku.

"Quick, we have to get her to a medic," Shika directed his comrades.

* * *

"The doctors told us those 'scratches' tore a third of the way through her body, and damaged her liver and right lung," Inoichi concluded, "If she had sought healing right away, she almost certainly would have lived. Instead she held her insides together with her own Chakra so she could keep fighting."

Hinata nodded, trembling slightly, but not crying. Then they all realized the entire bar was silent, that everyone was listening to them recount the tale.

The teen Kunoichi stood slowly, and then bowed deeply to them.

"Thank you for telling me," she told them, "Naruto's mother was truly a remarkable woman. I will make sure he knows that."

Bowing again quickly, she walked out of the tavern. As she exited, the normal noise resumed.

"That was hard," Inoichi said.

"Yeah, but I feel better," Shikaku acknowledged.

* * *

"Hey, good morning, Hinata," Naruto was in good spirits as the young woman ran up to him. Then he looked confused at her palpable excitement.

"What's up?" he asked.

"I have something to tell you," Hinata said, and then she began to relay what she had learned.


	6. Training III: Power of the Five Points

**Chapter 6: Training III: Power of the Five Points Rasengan**

As always, Hinata was waiting for him at the training stones. This was their first solo meeting in three weeks, between their respective missions, and training with Tsunade. But this time Naruto did not bound into the clearing. Instead he approached slowly and nervously. His unusual demeanor set her on edge.

"Hello, Naruto," she greeted him first, also counter to their pattern.

"Hello, Hinata," his voice was oddly shy, and formal. She began tapping her fingers anxiously. He fidgeted for a second, and then extended a small, poorly wrapped box to her.

"What is this?" she asked, taking it gingerly.

"This is to say thank you," his voice trembled, "For giving me my mother."

Her breath caught in her throat, and she could not say anything. Unable to meet his gaze, she instead focused on the present. She gently plied at the tape, and carefully removed the crumpled paper. Rather than throwing it away, she carefully folded it and slipped it into one of her pockets. Then she drew the lid off the box.

Inside was a silver chain bracelet. The tablet had the Spiral Leaf etched into it, and the symbol was filled with what appeared to be emerald dust. The girl's eyes grew huge, and tears spilled out. She looked up at Naruto and shook her head 'no'.

"Naruto, I can't accept this. It is too much," she tried to give the box back to him. But he shook his head.

"How much is family worth?" he asked quietly, placing his hands behind his back. She pushed the bracelet towards him again, and his eyes hardened, "If you have to, think of it as 15 years of missed birthday and Yuletide gifts."

She did not budge, and he got angry.

"Look I can't take it back, and it won't fit me!" She jumped at his shout, and he sheepishly calmed down.

"So please, take it." Seeing how much it meant to him, she nodded. She took the ornament out of the box, and noticed the inscription on the back.

"Strength comes in many forms," she read aloud. Her eyes glistened again as she looked up at him. She extended the bracelet in her right hand and offered him her left wrist.

"Will you?" she asked. He took the bangle from her, and opened the clasp. He wrapped it around her forearm, and closed the catch. With a pleasant jingle, the gift fell into place.

"Thank you," she said sincerely. With her acceptance, the Genin's normal humor returned.

"Oh, there's something else," he said enthusiastically. She returned her eyes to him in surprise.

"I mastered your Jutsu," he proclaimed.

"My… my Jutsu?" she was confused by the assertion.

"Well, you came up with the idea," he told her. Then he raised his hand, separating his upturned fingers. This time he didn't count, but instead formed five tiny Rasengan in quick succession. One perfect sphere, the size of a grape, hovered over each digit.

"The way I suggested you practice chakra control? That's not a Jutsu…"

Naruto grinned broadly, and expanded each of the spheres to just over an inch in diameter. Then he turned to boulder next to him.

"You might want to stand back," he warned. After she had moved back a few paces, he drew his arm back, and jabbed the standing stone. The spiraling spheres drilled rapidly into the hard mineral. As the tips of his fingers passed the surface of the stone, the entire rock began to vibrate. Hinata blinked as the entire structure began to quake violently. Suddenly, the stone exploded. When the cloud of dust cleared, there was a hole straight through the granite as big as Naruto's palm, and trails radiating out from his fingers.

"I see," she jogged back over to examine the scarred rock. She probed the damaged boulder, "Because the Rasengan are all slightly different frequencies, the dissonance causes a vibration when they hit. The target tears itself apart. And when that happens, the spheres are pushed away, creating these tracks."

Naruto looked totally lost, but nevertheless said, "Yeah, I thought it was something like that."

Then he grinned at her again, "And you designed the technique, so you have the right to name it."

"Name it?"

"Yeah, it needs a name, right?"

"A name…" she traced the cuts in the boulder again, "Like a five pointed star." She mused.

"How about the Five Points Rasengan?" she asked, unsure of her choice.

"Five Points Rasengan… That's great. The Five Points Rasengan it is!"

Then he took out another bag. He opened it, and spilled a handful of balloons onto the ground.

* * *

Hinata all but floated back into the Hyuga Manor, glowing with happiness. She had had a perfect afternoon, capping it off by keeping a balloon from popping for almost 30 seconds. When she met her father at an intersection of the halls, he was forced to smile by her obvious joy.

"Good evening, Hinata," Hiashi greeted his daughter.

"Hello, father," she bowed slightly, sending off a slight clinking. The Hyuga leader's enhanced eyes immediately found the source of the noise, an unfamiliar decoration affixed to the girl's wrist.

"That is a very nice bracelet," he commented carefully, "where did you get it?"

"It was a gift from a friend," she smiled fondly at the bracelet.

"It looks expensive. You and this person must be very close." His tone betrayed mistrust, but his doubts did not touch her.

"I hope so," she sighed pleasantly, "Good night." She bowed again and skipped away.

As his daughter left, Hiashi Hyuga's face grew shadowed in anger. He turned back the way he came and stalked off.


	7. A Father's Prerogative

**Chapter 7: A Father's Prerogative**

"I demand you keep him away from my daughter!" Hiashi Hyuga slammed his palm on the desk for effect.

"You demand?" The Hokage had been staring down at her paperwork, but now she lifted her head to look at the clan leader. On the surface she appeared amused, but the twist of her lips and a tightness around her eyes dared him to push again. Realizing he had gone to far, Hiashi took a deep breath to steady himself.

"Even if I were inclined to honor your request," she hurtled the last word like a shuriken, "The first Hokage set up the laws so that the people of the Konohagakure can be friends with who they want, date who they want, and marry whomever they wish."

Her smirk broadened as she added, "A fact I'd think you be painfully aware of."

She raised her hands in mock defeat, "So what can I do?"

"Send Naruto on as many missions as you can, as far from the village as you can find."

"The only tasks we have that fit that profile involve espionage, and are unsuitable for that knucklehead. Besides that, I think Naruto and Hinata are good for one another, in whatever way they choose."

"So put simply, no, I will not help you." She answered with great finality.

Hiashi spun imperiously and strode out.

"I should have known there was only one way to stop this." He offered that parting shot as he left.

'That was ominous,' the Hokage thought, 'I had better check on Hinata.'

* * *

"Hinata," a voice called her name as she walked out of the bookstore. The young woman looked up to see her elder advancing towards her.

"Lady Tsunade," the teenager bowed, "I thought our lesson was later."

"It is," the Sannin was relieved she arrived first. After a moment of internal debate the elder shinobi decided to be forthright.

"Hinata, your father just came to see me. He asked me to stop you and Naruto from spending time together. I think he is going to try and force you to discontinue your training with the knucklehead."

"I know," she looked down sadly, "He told me yesterday he thought the time I am spending with Naruto is wasted. But I know he just wants me to stay away from Naruto. When I told him he was wrong, that Naruto was helping me grow stronger, he grew angry. He tried to hide it, but I saw. That must be why he spoke to you."

"But if he already spoke to you, then what is his 'one way to stop this'?" Tsunade asked herself more than her student. Each woman met the other's eyes at the same time.

"Naruto!"

* * *

"Welcome, Naruto," Hiashi forced a smile as Uzumaki entered the Hyuga clan's dojo.

"That will be all, Hanabi," he dismissed his daughter, who had brought the 'guest' to him.

"Thank you for coming," he nodded in mock gratitude, "I need to speak to you about Hinata."

Naruto remained silent; that was the only reason he could have thought the Hyuga clan leader would want to speak with him.

"I hate to say this," Hiashi affected remorse, "But I don't think her time with you is benefiting my daughter. She needs to spend more time with her teammates, developing her teamwork. And I'm afraid she is too focused on you to be gaining much from your time together. You may just be taking advantage of her."

"Respectfully, Lord Hyuga," Naruto forced down his pride, and said calmly "I disagree. When we started training with the Hokage, she told us that Hinata's Chakra reserves and stamina where both much higher than the last rating Kurenai gave her. She thinks it's because of our training. And I'm not the best teacher, but I've managed to pass on a few of the skills Jiraiya taught me."

"I didn't want to ask this," switching tracks, the lord pretended to be regretful, "But don't you think you are taking advantage of Hinata, at least a little bit? We both know how she thinks she feels about you. You could be leading her on, without intending to."

The young Genin's anger flared, but he did not let it show.

"Hinata was the one who initiated our training," his tone bordered on a lecture, "I have told her I don't know where this is going. It might just be friendship. We both agreed to respect the others feeling and decisions. If anything, I hoped that spending more time with me would give her a more realistic view of me."

Naruto took a step back, and half turned away, saying, "I have an appointment, I should be going."

"We're not done, boy," Hiashi growled, the veil of civility dropped. He activated his Byakugan and cut off Naruto's escape. The ninja teen stopped moving to avoid colliding with his host, and the Hyuga leader's glowing fingers began dancing.

"8 Trigrams 64 Palms," he proclaimed. His Chakra network partially sealed, Naruto's shoulders dropped as he struggled to stay on his feet. He looked at his friend's father with surprise and anger.

"Don't glare at me," Hiashi snapped, "I won't have my daughter involved with a worthless, no-account, thieving shinobi like you."

"Thieving?" Naruto seemed most insulted by the last accusation.

"I know you stole that bracelet."

"Right, I had it specially engraved and then stole it to give to someone I care about. Because that doesn't make an already unique item any easier to identify…" though in the weaker position, Naruto's voice dripped with sarcasm.

"There's no way you could afford that on a Genin's salary." Hiashi sounded less sure of himself.

"Not that it's your business," the demon-bonded warrior explained, "But as an orphan I get my mother's pension until I turn 16, and I've saved a lot of my money. And either way, I bought it with my royalties." Seeing his opponent/host's confusion, he added, "From helping the per… I mean Master Jiraiya with his books."

Abandoning that attack, the Byakugan wielder tried a different assault.

"Everyone in this village knows what you really are. Most distrust and despise you," he said in a dark, insidious tone, "And they will never accept you. Do you want to drag Hinata down like that? To make her experience that rejection?"

"No, she's had enough rejection," the teen sounded regretful, and the girl's father flinched, "But since the Chunin exam and Orochimaru's assault three years ago, it seems like most of the people of the Konoha now accept me for who I am."

"You have lost control before," in desperation, Hiashi's voice grew harsh, "You can't say you won't lose it again. Next time, you could hurt Hinata."

"Only one of us has a history of hurting Hinata," Naruto finally gave in to his legendary temper, "AND IT AIN'T ME!"

"How dare you!"

"Excuse me? I'm not the one who told a seven-year old girl she was responsible for her mother's death because she couldn't stop a Jonin level ninja. And then, after she worked so hard to gain your acceptance, you turned your back on her on the day she became a Genin!" he scowled, "And now you're doing it again. You said 'how she thinks she feels', like her emotions are fake or unimportant."

The angry father paused and looked away from his target. Naruto brought his hands together. He no longer faked being weakened by the effects of the Hyuga's secret technique.

"Chakra Pulse," he stated. The blue energy visibly expanded throughout his body, and the Byakugan user was surprised that Naruto's normal Chakra flow was restored.

"Hinata and I devised a counter to the Gentle Fist ability to stop Chakra over a month ago. The 8 Trigrams 64 Palms doesn't work on us anymore," he told the nobleman, "And for the record, Hinata is better at this technique than I am."

The jab roused Hiashi, who flashed across the room as Naruto was opening the door. He stepped past the Genin into the hall. He landed facing the boy, his eyes blazing.

"Rotation," he exclaimed, streaming Chakra out in all directions. An explosion shook the walls around them, but it was the Hyuga lord who was thrown off his feet. He quickly lifted his face, to see Naruto standing before him, the Rasengan roiling in the teen's right hand.

"Do it," he ordered, "Show me your true colors! Attack me!"

"This?" Naruto frowned in confusion. He raised the Rasengan up to the level of his heart, "This isn't for you. I just needed to disrupt your Heavenly Spin."

Naruto released the Jutsu, as he nodded to indicate something just behind to the fallen adult.

"So you wouldn't hit Hanabi," he explained. Hiashi Hyuga goggled at his daughter, standing not two feet from him. She was not in his blind spot, but he had been so focused on Naruto he missed the girl entirely. He turned back to Naruto, who was looking at him with pity.

"Lord Hiashi, I don't want to be your enemy. Hinata is important to both of us, and so long as she is part of our lives, we're gonna run into each other. And if not for ourselves, we should make peace for her."

Naruto extended his physical hand to match his metaphorical one. The nobleman considered it for a moment, and then slapped it aside. He stood on his own, and glanced at his daughter.

"Hanabi, show Naruto out," he said coldly, before returning to the dojo. The two Genin walked back to the entrance in silence, but when Naruto stepped outside, the second daughter of the Byakugan spoke.

"You should have hit him."

"What?" The blond youth almost gave himself whiplash, he spun so fast.

"You should have hit him," she repeated, "He said some cruel things, and attacked you twice. You should have fought back."

"But if I had fought back, he just would have taken it as justification of his opinions," the older Genin explained, "I couldn't do that, for Hinata's sake. Well, later Hanabi."

Naruto waved as he walked away. After the girl had closed the door and he was a good distance from the mansion, the shinobi stopped and asked, "How much of that did you two hear?"

An instant later, Hinata and Tsunade stood behind him. The younger woman's face was a mask, but the Hokage just smirked.

"Enough to say I agree with the squirt," the leader of the Leaf Village offered, "You should have slugged him."

Naruto grinned back, but then caught a glimpse of his friend's expression. He expected Hinata to be looking down, and tapping her fingers. Instead, the Kunoichi would have been staring straight ahead, had her eyes been open. And her hands were clenched into fists, trembling at her sides.

"Lady Tsunade," the girl said suddenly. Her eyes flew open and her gaze was fierce.

"Are there any open rooms in the ninja barracks?" she asked in clipped tones, "I do not want to go back there."

"Hinata," Tsunade's mirth vanished as she realized how hurt the Chunin was.

"Hinata," Naruto put his hand on her shoulder and started to say something to her. But she stopped him with her anger and shook her head 'no'.

"What he did back there is beyond forgiveness. Talking to you like that is bad enough, but to actually attack you. I've never been so ashamed before. I can't see him, can't be in his house."

"Hinata," he began again, and she pulled away.

"Hinata." This time Naruto's voice was stern, and her resolve faltered. She met his eyes.

"People have said and done much worse things to me for less important reasons. And he has a very great reason. He's your dad, and he always will be. He finally wants to protect you, especially since you longer seem to need it. Family is too precious, I can't let you throw it away."

"Technically," the Sannin teacher cleared her throat, "You won't be an adult before your 16th birthday. And despite some painful words, he never legally disowned you. So for now, I can't let you stay in the barracks."

"If nothing else," Naruto offered another out, "Go back for Hanabi. You two have just gotten close. If you leave now…"

He trailed off letting her imagination fill in the blank. Finally she nodded.

"That's settled," the Hokage took charge, "Now it seems like you two could use some hard exercise to clear your minds."

She grinned viciously and Naruto groaned.

* * *

"Come in," Hiashi Hyuga responded to a knock on his study door later that night. When he saw who it was, he grew uncomfortable,

"Hello, Hinata." His daughter had pointedly ignored him all afternoon, not even saying one word during dinner.

"What can I do for you?" he tried to sound like nothing was out of the ordinary.

"Lord Hiashi," she addressed him formally, and his façade slipped, "Your actions today were shameful. To go to the Hokage with a personal matter, and attack a fellow ninja… You are fortunate Naruto is not holding you accountable for the assault."

Inside, he collapsed. She knew everything, and he could not refute it.

"Please do not disgrace our family in this manner again." When he did not respond, she turned to leave. Halfway out the door, she looked back at him.

"Do not make me choose between you and Naruto," she advised, even more coldly, "You will not like the results."

She closed the door hard, and took a deep breath.

'Naruto wants me to stand up for myself,' she thought, 'But that also means I have to defy him sometimes, doesn't it?'


	8. Challenge: Which is the Strongest Dojuts

**Chapter 8: Challenge: Which is the Strongest Dojutsu?**

"Grandma Tsunade!" Naruto was vaguely aware the Hokage's normal aides where not there to stop him as he burst through the door to her office. In his left hand he held a number of sheets of paper.

"Ah, good," the Sannin said, then she triggered her radio, and announced, "Naruto is here, cancel the search."

The blond Genin's eyes narrowed at that, and he suddenly realized he was not the only one in Tsunade's office.

"Hinata, Sakura, Bushy Brow," he greeted his friends, "Are you here because of this too?"

He waved the fliers towards them. He was surprised by their grim faces.

"We have all seen it," the Hokage lifted a pristine flier and began reading, "Dojutsu Tournament. Come to Foot-hill Town and determine who commands the strongest eyes. Winner will gain the title of Strongest Dojutsu and a cash prize. Entry fee waved for the bearers of any of the legendary Kekkei Genkai Dojutsu."

She put down the leaflet and looked at Naruto knowingly.

"You want to go because you expect Sasuke to be there," she informed him.

"Of course."

"Can you give me one reason why?" she challenged him, but the Genin grinned as though he were expecting this.

"I can give you two. Sasuke has always been obsessed with proving he is the strongest, especially when challenged. A tournament to fight against the strongest users of Dojutsu will be an irresistible draw."

"And second, he will be hoping Itachi will be there. He knows I will want to come to the tournament to find him, and so his brother will show up to find me."

"So you want to go because Sasuke will be there because Itachi will be there because you will be there?" Sakura shook her head, "That's circular logic, Naruto."

"Huh?"

"She means since there is neither beginning nor end, the argument holds no weight," Lee explained.

"It was good reasoning, for you anyway," the Hokage slapped him with a backhanded compliment, "But it is too dangerous. I am sending a pair of Jonin to watch this tournament."

"However, I do have another, related task for you," she interrupted when he start to protest.

"Is that why the rest of you are here?" Naruto looked around at his peers. Sakura nodded, while Hinata fidgeted.

"What's up?" he looked back at their leader.

"Neji," Lee's statement was almost a growl.

"Yeah, he'd want to be in this almost as much as Sasuke." The fox-faced ninja noted, "So?"

"So he already left," Hinata whispered.

"Without permission," Tsunade said, "That's why you four are going to bring him back."

"Why us?"

"You, Hinata, and Lee have the best chance of reasoning with Neji. Sakura will be your medical-nin, but she will also be in charge."

"We should get going then," Naruto started to move, but the Sannin stopped him.

"Naruto," she caught his eye, and stared at him intently, "You are going to bring back Neji. You are not to go to Foot-hill Town, unless Neji is already there. You are not to get involved with this tournament, or fight unless you absolutely have to defend yourself. Do I make myself clear?"

"Sure, Grandma Tsunade," Naruto grinned sheepishly. Lee and Hinata smiled slightly at him, and Sakura just shook her head.

"We should go," Sakura re-emphasized, "We can't let Neji get further ahead."

The four teens ran out the building, and to the edge of the village before Sakura stopped. Hinata and Lee pulled up easily, but Naruto skidded to a halt after he noticed they were no longer moving.

"What's up?" he asked as he added himself to the huddle, "I thought we were in a hurry."

"We are," the appointed leader said, taking out a map, "So we can't just go running in the direction of Foot-hill Town. There are two roads and five common shortcuts through the woods or hills."

"That is true, Sakura," Lee complimented her.

"OK, then how do we track him?" the blond man asked.

"I… I may have a way," Hinata offered nervously. Though she may have grown more comfortable with Naruto and confident in general, the combination of the mission, the team, and their target was unsettling her.

Hinata took out a kunai and carefully sliced her left thumb. After putting the dagger away, she slowly dragged the bleeding digit across all the fingers of her right hand. Her life essence in place, she formed Dog, Boar, Monkey, Rooster, and Sheep.

"Summoning Jutsu," she proclaimed as she placed her hand on the ground. The seal spread out and two squirrels appeared before her. Two three-foot long squirrels. The slightly larger rodent was jet black with bright blue eyes, and the other was snow white with flashing red eyes. Both wore grey sashes with the Konoha Leaf on the back.

"Sol, Luné," when the young woman spoke, the squirrels both looked up at her, "Neji has left the village. We need to find his trail."

Both of the summoned animals nodded, and then scampered off in different directions.

"I am most impressed, Hinata," Lee said, "I was not aware you had made a summoning pact."

"Can they find Neji?" Sakura asked.

'Oh yes," Hinata nodded enthusiastically, "They know Neji's scent, and can recognize his trail."

"Neji does not leave a trail," Lee countered.

"The pervy sage says everyone leaves a trail," Naruto offered, "Just some are too subtle for most ninja to find."

After few minutes of waiting, the two squirrels bounced back into view. The pair ran straight to Hinata.

"We have discovered his route, Mistress," the white rodent said respectfully.

"Yeah, we found the jerk easily enough," Luné added.

"Lead on, then," Sakura instructed. Sol nodded, and her brother just rolled his eyes. Both bushy-tailed rodents took off to the east, and the ninja followed.

The chasers continued well past twilight, but eventually the darkness and the full day of running caught up with them, and Sakura called for them to take a break for the night. After a quick dinner, the group commander put Naruto and Luné on the first of the two watches.

"So, what's your beef with Neji?" Naruto asked the squirrel, once the others were asleep. The summoned animal looked at him cannily.

"He belittled my sister," the black rodent answered, matter-of-factly. Sol's eyes popped open, and she slithered over to them quietly.

"Lord Neji did not insult me," she scolded, "He was merely asking an uninformed question. He did not know it was a source of contention."

"What did he asked?"

Luné's eyes narrowed, but the white squirrel just smiled sadly.

"He asked about my coloring," she explained, "But he did not know that my albinism is seen as a detriment."

"Detriment?!" the male rodent snorted, "No ninja would summon you until Hinata-chan, and many of our people treat you like a second-class citizen."

"I know how that goes," the fox-faced ninja empathized.

"So we've heard, and heard, and heard," the black squirrel said.

"Luné," Sol snapped, "Do not bad mouth Lady Hinata."

"I'm not. She just talks about Naruto. A lot."

Naruto blushed and rubbed the back of his head.

"Well, I should rest," the pale rodent noted, wandering back over to curl up next to Hinata. The blond Genin's eyes fell on the young woman, and he felt a warmth in his heart for the generous shinobi. And the Hyuga teen's dark-furred ally watched him, with a pleased smirk.

* * *

The night passed without incident, as did the next day. The group moved as fast as they could, but they also understood Neji was faster than any of them, excepting Lee; and that an individual can generally move faster than a group. They had the advantage being the chasers, but it did not appear that would be enough. At the end of the second day, the forest began to thin, and the outlines of buildings became visible. The trackers slowed, to avoid detection. When they reached the outskirts of the town, Naruto expressed shock.

"Man, this place is a dump," Naruto whispered loudly, observing the broken down and abandoned homes, "Why would someone hold a tournament here?"

"To try to bring the money back," Hinata answered the rhetorical question.

"Huh?" the oblivious ninja grunted.

"This used to be a big resort town," Sakura told him, "My parents and I came here once when I was five. It had incredible hot springs, and a gorgeous underground lake. It was very nice vacation."

"What happened to it?" Lee prompted.

"There was an earthquake in the area seven years ago. After that, the hot springs and the lake dried out. Without the draws, people stopped visiting."

"So they hold a tournament to attract tourists again?" Naruto nodded, his eyes all but closed, "I guess that makes sense."

"But then, where is everyone?" Sol noted. The four ninja turned to look at her, and the squirrel wilted, "Sorry."

"No, you are correct. The city is too quiet," Lee agreed.

"Sol, Luné, thank you," Hinata told them. The black rodent nodded, and the white one bowed. Then they disappeared in matching plumes of chakra.

The Leaf shinobi crept into the town, but they did not encounter any other people. Even as they moved closer to the center of town, the buildings retained their derelict appearance.

"Something's majorly wrong here," Naruto did not bother to whisper, and stepped into the open.

"Hinata," Sakura addressed her fellow Kunoichi, "Can you get Sol and Luné back here?"

The Byakugan user started to comply, but a low moaning interrupted her.

"Is someone there?" Naruto questioned the empty street, and another, louder groan answered. More muttering erupted behind them, and the trained warriors closed ranks instinctively. They did not have to wait long for the source of the noise to appear. Human forms shambled out of the damaged buildings, accompanied by an odor of advanced decay. Many of the corpses still wore village headbands and the remains of armor or shozoku.

"Z-Zombies," Naruto stammered.

"Don't be stupid," Sakura shot back, "There's no such thing. It's a puppet master jutsu, like Kankuro uses. Hinata, can you find the threads?"

The pale girl shook her head, and looked at their leader, confirming that her Byakugan was active.

"There is no chakra going into these bodies. They are dead, but their chakra network is still active. It is making them mobile."

"Then they are zombies?" Rock Lee sounded scared.

"It is some other sort of jutsu," Sakura shivered despite her proclamation, "It has to be."

Any further debate or speculation was cut short as the cadavers drew forth rusted kunai and chipped tanto.

Naruto was accosted by the remains of a seven-foot tall man wielding an eight-foot long staff, and a girl who appeared to have been about thirteen, wearing a Hidden Star headband. The smaller body tossed two handfuls of splintered shuriken at the blond youth, while the larger swung in at Naruto's left side, cutting off his best avenue to dodge. He was able to block the most threatening of the projectiles, but a trio of decrepit blades scored light hits on his right side. The knucklehead countered with a spinning jump kick the all but tore the tall corpse's head from his shoulders, but the monster continued to move, only moderately effected buy the fact its eyes where now looking straight back.

Rock Lee was confronted by a trio of long-limbed corpses, all wearing Hidden Mist insignia on the remains of their left biceps. The former brothers twirled manriki-gusari to widen their profile, even as they surrounded the Taijutsu master. Lee assumed a broad stance, his arms splayed wide, to avoid giving any of his opponents too great of an advantage. When the zombie in his front right quadrant threw out one of the weights, the splendid ninja caught the chain behind it. He yanked the lighter warrior in, planting his foot firmly in its chest as he pulled the weapon from its hands. Lee swung the steel oblong wide, slamming the temple of the corpse to his rear right. The Leaf soldier turned to face the final opponent, but was aware enough to avoid the metal mass hurtled at his back. He returned to his former stance, spiraling his stolen weapon as the two cadavers he though he had downed, regained their feet.

Sakura and Hinata ended up back-to-back as five revenants stalked each of the young women. Sakura punched one wearing a Hidden Snow tablet across its brow, sending it tumbling back into its comrades. But the corpses behind caught the expired ninja, and set it down, continuing to advance on the Kunoichi. Crinkling her nose in disgust, the fiery girl took a step back and collided with her comrade. Fortunately, Hinata's extended vision let her see what was occurring, so she did not counterattack her ally, and was able to speak a warning to avoid being struck as well.

"Hey Hinata," Sakura said, "Why are we so popular?"

"I," the young lady was interrupted as she dodged a fist, and forced the cadaver back with a Rasengan. After her path was clear, she continued, "I don't know. Maybe who ever is controlling them hates women."

The corpse, which now bore a hole in its chest, lurched forward, swinging its fists at Hinata again.

"Sakura, behind Naruto," Hinata suddenly said. The lead Chunin spared a glance, and noticed a large number of the ambient dead closing in at a moderate clip.

"Alright boys," the red-head shouted, "Time to take off the kid gloves. Lets go on the offense."

As she gave the order, Sakura's hand darted under her clothes, and emerged with a scroll.

"Ninja Art: Weapon Recall Jutsu," she proclaimed, as she unrolled the parchment. Her right hand disappeared into the page, and when she withdrew it, a large crescent-moon bladed axe was in her grasp. Replacing the scroll, she took the halberd lightly in both hands. With two quick slashes, she quadrisected one of the zombies, after which the corpse seemed much less inclined to move.

Lee threw away the weapon he had taken, and tapped his heels together. As his ankle weights detached, he kicked up his right leg, sending the mass up. He caught it easily, and opened the pockets. The marital artist deftly assembled the metal bars into a sansetsukon. He struck one of the advancing corpses with one of the sections. Unlike the relatively light weight of the manriki-gusari, the 30-pound bars Lee normally wore tore through the rotting flesh and bone. The first two opponents went down easily, but the third stopped the staff with its chain, giving a new body an opening to strike with a long sword. But Lee was able to turn back the third section of his staff and shatter the damaged blade before it could cut him.

"Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu!" one Naruto became twelve, who then split into 6 pairs. A second later, 12 exclamations of "Odama Rasengan" filled the street. The sets of blonde ninja began to shred the corpses with the enlarged and empowered spheres.

As the others began to move outward, disabling the zombies, Hinata fond her attacks ineffective. Her normal Rasengan damaged the cadavers, but not enough to stop them. When the creatures were too close, she dropped the Rasengan and hit them with the 8 Trigrams Palms Heavenly Spin. The technique cleared a space for her, but the bodies did not slow. When the dead reached her again, she instead attempted her Protection of the 8 Trigrams 64 Palms. The enhanced technique threw the corpses further, and scoured some of the flesh from their bones. And still they continued. Panicking, the Hyuga Chunin began to retreat, trying to reach her friends.

"Hinata, what's wrong?" One of the Naruto clones saw her fear and withdrawal.

"Nothing is working," she blocked a shuriken with her kunai. Two of the Genin duplicates peeled off to help her, but the original stopped them.

"Hinata, you said their chakra system is what keeps them moving, right?" the real Uzumaki asked, "Then, what if you hit them with the Gentle Fist?"

For an instant, Hinata looked as if she had been struck. Then her face settled into grim determination, and a blue glow surrounded her hands. She lightly tapped the first revenant fourteen times, and it fell to the ground, no longer moving. Analyzing her impact, she was able to fell her second opponent with only eleven strikes, and the third with only seven blows.

* * *

As Naruto attacked another mobile body with the enlarged swirling orb, he noticed this time the enemy did not rip apart as the others had. Looking down, he realized his Odama Rasengan was starting to unravel. The fight had been raging for over 20 minutes, and he had already been forced to cancel two sets of clones due to low chakra levels. Glancing around, he noted that both Sakura and Lee were breathing hard and soaked with sweat. He guessed that swinging the giant axe and weighted sansetsukon were tiring the melee fighters. Out of the four of them, Hinata seemed to be in the best shape, and had disabled the most zombies. But he also had a decent understanding of his partner's limits, and knew she could not hold out forever.

Despite all appearances, the Leaf Ninja were losing the battle. None of the four had suffered more than minor cuts and bruises. And there were dozens of formerly animated corpses littering the street. But for every body down, at least three still stood, and the living ninja were only mortal.

After another five minutes, almost all of the ground they had gained was lost. Only Naruto and one copy remained, while Sakura and Lee were both forced to carefully watch their blows to avoid their allies. Hinata was starting to show signs of both physical and chakra fatigue; she was panting slightly and the aura of the Gentle Fist had retracted to her pointer and middle fingers.

"I don't know how much longer I can keep this up," the redheaded Kunoichi took a second to rest her crescent blade on the ground while she waited for the next two opponents to shuffle into range.

"Do not worry," Lee said, "Lady Tsunade said she was sending Jonin to observe the tournament. We need only hold out until they arrive."

"Yeah, except she didn't say when she was sending them. Remember, the tournament doesn't start for three days," Naruto countered, and the bowl-haired Chunin's face went dead.

"It may be time to think about escaping," Hinata said what they were all thinking.

"Ttooo lattteee," hollow voices around them rasped, "tttoooo llatttee."

"Alright," Naruto said, "I'm gonna prove these corpses wrong. I'll use the Fuuton: Rasenshuriken to cut a path for you guys to escape."

"What about you?" Hinata looked more frightened than ever, and a touch mutinous.

"I'll be fine," he addressed Sakura then, and said, "You know what I can do, if I have to."

Sakura nodded gravely, and Hinata felt a twinged of jealousy.

"You might be sacrificing yourself prematurely," Lee pointed at shapes moving quickly through the treetops. The shadows lighted on the apex of one of the buildings and resolved into…

"Neji," Hinata exclaimed, looking up at her cousin.

"Sasuke," Sakura whispered, staring at him in confusion. Neji Hyuga and Sasuke Uchiha surveyed the situation calmly. Naruto did not remain calm.

"Are you two just gonna stand there looking cool? Or are you gonna help us?" he shouted. But more than his normal annoyance with the two aloof ninja, was worry and confusion.

Without a word of response, they dove into the mob, sending cadavers flying. The two master ninja cut a rapid path through the zombies to reach their lower ranked counterparts.

But as Sasuke passed Sakura, he slammed the hilt of his sword into the back of her head. She crumpled to the ground, unconscious.

"Lee," Hinata shouted. Neji had buried his knee in Lee's gut, and as the Chunin doubled over, slammed his Chakra charged fists down on Lee's back.

"Why?" she asked her cousin, but instead of answering, he stepped towards her. He brought his hands up, but Hinata recognized the gesture and countered the Heavenly Spin with a Rasengan. The Hyuga Jonin did not react, rather stepped past her. He attempted to strike her from behind, but she dropped into a splits, and then placed her hands on the ground and swung her feet into his chest. She pushed him back, but he caught one of her legs, and tossed her to the ground. Off balance, she was unable to escape as he pulled her up and put pressure on her neck. She struggled to break free, but he was stronger and she was exhausted from her previous struggles. After 20 seconds, the Kunoichi went limp, and after another 10 count, Neji released her. As she dropped to the dirt, he turned to the last conflict.

Naruto was expecting treachery from his former teammate, but was nevertheless upset when Sasuke knocked out Sakura. However, he was surprised when Neji assaulted Lee. Before Sakura hit the ground, Sasuke was aiming his chokutō at Naruto's stomach. But the last shadow clone intercepted the attack, and disappeared in a puff of smoke. Taking advantage of the cover, Naruto charged forward. Passing through the mist that had been his duplicate, he knocked the traitor's sword aside and stabbed his kunai into Uchiha's heart. His blade was met by another puff of smoke and the rogue ninja was substituted for one of the zombies. The corpse grabbed Naruto's wrist. He was able to free himself, but was forced to leave the dagger behind. Sasuke's weapon had remained with the substitution, so when Naruto turned to meet him, they were both unarmed. Naruto fired his fist at Sasuke's face, but the red-eyed ninja avoided with a simple shift of his head. After that, the fight began in earnest.

Naruto was surprised that he was holding his own against Sasuke. Not that he thought he was weaker than his rival, just that he was already tired. Instead, Sasuke's movements were off, enough to give Naruto an edge. He was shocked when Sasuke stepped back to avoid a kick, and nearly stumbled over one of the cadavers Sakura had dismembered. He was about to KO the Uchiha, when his hearing and smell caused him to pitch sideways, instants before Neji would have landed an axe kick on his head. Sasuke took advantage of the distraction and his position to sweep Naruto's legs. The blond Ninja tried to escape, but the Leaf deserter grabbed his ankles, and Neji landed on Naruto's chest. He hammered the side of Naruto's head three times, until the Genin finally passed out.

Without a word, Neji and Sasuke fell in to guard positions, as the zombies carried the four fallen Leaf Ninja away…


	9. Trapped: Cavern of Treachery

**Chapter 9: Trapped: Cavern of Treachery**

Naruto's first thought as he woke up was that he was sitting in a very comfortable chair. His second thought was that he was chained to a very comfortable chair. Only after that did he start to remember the earlier battle.

Naruto's eyes popped open. For a moment he was surprised he wasn't dead. He took in his surroundings, trying to determine what was going to happen. He immediately noticed his three friends were also tethered in chairs to his left. They were in a natural cavern, which had been richly outfitted as a dining room. They were seated before a magnificent hardwood table, set with beautiful china dishes and silver flatware. Naruto didn't see anyone else, so he turned his attention to the other Leaf ninja.

"Sakura," he whispered, trying to nudge the Kunoichi next to him. She mumbled but did not awaken.

"Naruto," Hinata opened her eyes and leaned past Sakura to look at her male counterpart.

"Hinata!" Naruto shouted quietly, "Thank goodness. Are you alright?"

"Yes," she replied, sotto voce, "Neji used pressure points to disable me. No lingering damage. And you?"

"He punched me in the face until I passed out. But you know me, I'm a quick healer."

"Uughh," Rock Lee groaned, his eyes flickering. Then his substantial eyebrows shot skyward and his head jerked up.

"Neji, Sasuke," he exclaimed, before realizing the situation.

"Great," Naruto said, "Now if we could only get Sakura to wake up, we could figure out how to get out of here."

"I am awake, you idiot," the fiery girl lifted her head with a sigh, "It's called playing possum? Gathering information?"

"Well, everyone is finally awake," a deep, dark voice purred from the shadows. The ninja all looked in the direction of the sound, but could not pierce the darkness.

"Byakugan," Hinata said, but neither her eyes nor the veins around them changed.

"That won't work," the sibilant voice chuckled, "Those chains were specially created, they disperse and disrupt chakra. None of your jutsu will work while you are bound."

"What is it you want with us?" Lee asked carefully.

"For starters, dinner and polite conversation," the mysterious person answered, "My servants are not the most skilled linguists."

As he said that, a tray creaked into the room. It was pushed by a young woman. Or rather, the body of a teenage girl. Dressed in a maid's frock, she was in much earlier state of decay than the corpses they had faced earlier. But she was still quite dead.

"Stop," the self-proclaimed master of the dead said, "Your aroma is growing to advanced, Anora. Leave the cart."

The girl nodded and backed out of range.

"How are you doing that?" Sakura was both curious and disturbed.

"He's a demon," Naruto answered simply. The others' heads rotated to look at him.

"How did you know?" their captor sounded amused rather than upset.

"I can smell you."

"Really?" the demon sounded genuinely surprised, "That is interesting."

He stepped forward into the light, finally. The monster appeared basically human, though his facial structures were unnaturally angular. But two features marked him as other than mortal. His tapered, elegant fingers numbered only three; and his ears extended six inches before splitting and ending in two sharp points. His lavender eyes regarded them with imperious curiosity.

"Yes, I am a demon of the Blood-Taster tribe," he waved his hand as if explaining something obvious to a child.

"A vampire?" Lee shouted. The demon's face flashed with anger, but then he just looked at the ninja with pity.

"Hardly. Vampires a human myth," the his face clouded for a second, and he admitted, "Though my clan may have inspired the legends. Vampires drain a human's blood to survive. I take a small amount of a person's blood, to gain a measure of their chakra, as well as all of their jutsu."

"That includes Kekkei Genkai, doesn't it," Hinata noted, remembering the flier.

"Indeed," he grinned broadly. His pupils turned white, and the veins around his eyes expanded. The corneas around his pupils where lightly pink, deepening as it spread out to blood red at the outside. And inside each of those corneas, three magatama circled.

"Byakugan and Sharingan," Naruto noted bitterly, "You stole those from Neji and Sasuke."

"Stole?" the devil clicked his tongue, "They still have their powers. And you make it sounded like they got nothing in return. Gentlemen."

He grinned sinisterly, and Neji and Sasuke stepped into the light.

"No, in return for their power, they get to serve me forever."

Naruto growled, and Hinata gasped, but both Sakura and Lee hid their reaction.

"Then those… bodies…" Sakura started.

"Call them zombies," the blood-drinker offered, "It is simpler, if inaccurate."

"Those zombies are the people whose blood you sucked?" she more stated than asked.

"Exactly."

"And us?" Hinata whispered.

"Well..." the demon grinned broadly, "As I said, dinner and conversation to start. I am hungry, and am in need of knowledge of the state of the world. So I will eat with you, and you will talk to me, while you plot and ponder your escape. Neji, Sasuke, untie their right hands, and then set the table."

"You want us to tried and escape?" Sakura was suspicious and a touch sarcastic.

"It's called ennui. The boredom that comes with immortality. It leads one to take risks in the pursuit of entertainment. Not that there is much risk," he smiled at them condescendingly, "Humans can't kill demons. And I doubt any of you have the knowledge necessary to seal me in a rock, or ring, or human. No, if you escape all you could do is go back to your village for help."

"Why should we play your little game?" Naruto snapped.

"It's called manners, Uzumaki-san," the monster lectured, "What separates humans from animals, and high class demons like myself from lesser creatures like the tailed beasts."

Inside Naruto, the Kyubi growled.

"Or if you won't play, I'll just drink you now, and find other ways to amuse myself," he looked Sakura and Hinata up and down suggestively. This time, it was Naruto who growled. Sakura looked disgusted, and Hinata shuddered but did not turn away.

"So what will it be?" the monster seemed pleased by their reactions.

Naruto's scowl turned into a forced, sickly smile, and he asked, "What's for dinner?"

"Actually, at this time of day, it would be lunch," the devil grinned.

Lunch, as turned out, was a sumptuous affair. Medium-rare bacon wrapped prime filets; steamed, garlic-hinted baby red potatos; a medley of fresh fruits; and grilled sweet corn on the cob. All of the diners were suitably impressed, except for Naruto, who 'politely' remarked that ramen would have been better. The monster courteously asked them about the current political environment, the five great nations, the Hidden Villages. They answered carefully, while trying to draw information from their host.

"Well," the demon seemed sad as he pushed away a plate with the remains of a seven-layer, 4-chocolate cake, "It appears that dinner is done. All of you attempted to pick the locks with your forks, with varying degrees of success and secrecy. Naruto even tried using his spoon. And Lee has come far closer to destroying that chair than I would like. But you have failed to escape, which means it is time for me to do what comes naturally."

He stood, and slowly rounded the table. When he reached Rock Lee, the Taijutsu expert fire a hard punch at the monster's midsection. But the demon caught his wrist, and forced it back to the arm of the chair with inhuman strength. The monster forced Lee's head to the sign. Bending low, the vampire sunk his fangs into the ninja's neck.

After a second, the creature jerked back with a look of disgust. He turned his head and spat Lee's blood onto the stone.

"Worthless," the devil snarled, "No Ninjutsu, or Genjutsu. And your chakra is so stunted I can't even access it."

The bloodsucker struck the back of Lee's head with a knife-hand, knocking the ninja unconscious. Realizing he had lost his composure, he took a moment to steady himself before moving behind Hinata.

"I already have the Byakugan," he commented, "But you have shown other skills. And a backup might be useful."

Hinata shivered with fear as the monster slid her hair to the side, so he had a clear view of her neck. After a he bit into her neck, he pulled back with a look of surprise and joy.

"Delicious," he exclaimed, "And Neji thought he was the strongest Byakugan user."

Naruto saw Neji twitch out of the corner of his eye, but when he turned to look, the Leaf Jonin was standing still.

The vampire released Hinata, and ordered her to take her place beside Sasuke. The girl did so without hesitation or expression.

"Next."

Sakura tried to fidget and squirm to avoid being bit. But without her chakra, the demon was stronger, and he dug his fingers into shoulder and upper neck to hold her still. Sakura flinched slightly as his fangs pierced her skin. The demon drew deeply from her artery, before stepping back, licking his lips.

"What exquisite control. Medical jutsu, not something I would have sought, by my servants fight, and smell, better while they are technically alive. And great strength… You are not a total loss, Sakura. Go stand by Neji."

He removed her chains, and she moved to where he indicated.

"You are last, Naruto. I'm curious to see just what you are made of."

Unlike his friends, Naruto did not put up any resistance. He tilted his own head, offering his neck. The demon paused, trying to decide if this was a show of pride, or if the human was up to something. Nevertheless, he bit deeply into the blond youth.

"You have a demon sealed within you," the vampire spat Naruto's blood onto the boy's lap, "You are as useless to me as Lee. Which your guest must have told you."

Then he scooped up a drop of the fluid, and pressed it firmly to his tongue.

"I thought I recognized that flavor. If it isn't the Nine-tailed Fox. I had heard you disappeared, old friend."

"You're concern is touching," the vulpine snarled within its host.

"I would say curiosity more than concern," he waved his three-fingered hand as a dismissal.

"Wait, you heard that?"

"Yes, the demon presence acts as a barrier in your blood. But while I have the connection," he displayed the still bloody finger, "I can hear the beast within. We should take this opportunity to catch up."

"Why don't you let me out, and we can relive old times, Doraku?" the tailed demon's voice was darkly threatening.

"No, that doesn't sound like it is in my best interests," then the demon turned suddenly, "But that does give me a good idea. Sakura, heal Lee's head and wake him up."

Spitting out Naruto's blood again, he practically skipped to stand behind the other three ninja slaves. The healer used her training, and the martial artist roused with a groan.

"Now free them," Doraku tossed her the key.

"What?"

"It's a new game," the demon responded, as Sakura rejoined them and returned the key. The two men who still had their own will stood slowly, expecting treachery.

"So, this game will be simple. Outside," he indicated the passage to the left, "you will find your weapons and equipment. Please don't take Sakura or Hinata's gear, to be fair. In 60 seconds, I will order these four to kill the pair of you. I promise none of my other servants will become involved, though I can't say the same for myself."

"Run, fight, do whatever you want. That's what makes it interesting for me. Your head start begins now."

Nodding to each other, the two Leaf Ninja ran out of the room. Outside they quickly regained their tools.

"Run or fight?" Lee spoke quickly and quietly.

"Normally, there's no way I'd back down from a scrap with Neji or Sasuke. But I can't fight Hinata or Sakura like this."

"I agree," Lee nodded, "So we escape and go for help."

When they rounded the first corner, the tunnel divided into three separate passages. Two were more or less level, while the third angled downwards.

"Split up?" Naruto asked.

"2 on 1 is safer than 4 on 2, and we will have a better chance of finding the way out."

"We won't get out by going down," Naruto commented, "I'll take the right."

"I disdain the obvious. I will see you outside," Lee nodded again as he ran off down the middle passage.

"Go," the blood demon instructed, "Kill Naruto Uzumaki and Rock Lee. Hinata and Neji, use your Byakugan so that I may observe."

The brainwashed ninja complied silently. When they reached the fork, all four took the left branch.

"Wait," he spoke his command even though they were all out of earshot. The quartet froze.

"As interesting as it is, you can't all go after Naruto. Hinata and Sasuke go after Naruto. Neji and Sakura, you will have to content yourselves hunting Lee." The group separated as instructed. Doraku concentrated, splitting Hinata's Kariname Jutsu to his right eye, and Neji's to his left.

Lee had left behind all but four of his weights, keeping only the set that he could combine into a quarterstaff. Even before the quick exchange with Naruto, he knew that the best chance, their only chance, was to go for help.

"Right, left, left, right, middle," Lee kept track of his path as he raced through the cave. At each junction, he chose whichever path had the greatest downward grade. Despite the common perception that caves where below the ground, he decided that it was possible they could have been taken up into the nearby mountains. Lee noted that the tunnels varied between both natural caves and human-reinforced mines. Along the way, he paused once, to examine the ribbons of glowing crystal that gently lit the caverns. The martial artist broke off a piece of the stone, but it lost its shine in his hand. Realizing he wasn't going to learn anything, he continued. He turned a corner, and skidded to a stop just before the dead end.

"I must have taken a wrong path," he said to himself, "It is times like this I wish I could use some manner of Jutsu to find my way."

* * *

"Oh man," Naruto grabbed his head in frustration, "I should have paid more attention when the pervy sage was teaching me that maze solving jutsu."

Having reached a third junction, the blond teen stopped, staring down each of the four paths.

"I could split up," he considered, starting to summon chakra to duplicate, "But if I go down the wrong path, and my clones find the right one, I'll have to backtrack."

He suddenly perked up, "I could send out clones and stay here… No, then Hinata and the others could catch up to me."

He closed his eyes tight, rubbing his hair, "Darn it, I'm wasting time. And I should probably save my chakra."

Nodding to himself, he took the rightmost path again.

* * *

Lee slid to a stop as he turned the next corner and almost ran into Naruto.

"Naruto," he panted slightly, "obviously this was not the right way. I will try another path."

When the normally rambunctious Genin said nothing, Lee's instincts turned him back just in time to let him block the kunai aimed at his neck. The weight he had strapped to his left arm stopped the dagger cold. Lee put his hand to Naruto's chest, and the younger ninja was launched back.

"What are you doing?" the martial artist asked, "Are you under that monster's power also?"

'But Naruto seemed fine before,' Lee thought to himself. Considering that idea, Lee launched into a quick series of punches and kicks against the blond shinobi. He observed carefully how the Genin blocked and dodged, and after a half-minute, he knew.

"You might as well show yourself, Neji," he told his opponent, "I know it is you."

He heard a shuffle, and managed to avoid Sakura's attack; even as Neji released the Transformation Jutsu. Lee stepped back so they could not surround him. He released the four weights and quickly assembled his weighted staff. He caught Sakura's foot on his weapon as he tried to find a way to fight back without hurting his friends.

* * *

Sasuke and Hinata froze when they reached the fork. Footprints lead down each of the three tunnels.

"Well," the demon's voice echoed in their heads, "which way did the real Naruto go?"

The two slaves just stood, not moving, not blinking.

"Answer," Doraku sounded exasperated.

"No way to tell," Sasuke's voice was flat, "Naruto is too random."

Then Hinata moved, but not to one of the tunnels. She palmed a trio of shuriken, and flung them at the wall. Part of the stone swept outwards, and Naruto knocked the throwing stars away with his chameleon tarp.

"I should have known I couldn't fool the Byakugan," Naruto grunted. He plucked two of the blades from the cloth, and hurtled them at Sasuke.


	10. Internal Struggle

**Chapter 10: Internal Struggle**

The last Uchiha quickly signed, and spit out a stream of fire. Without the final, vocal seal, the Fireball Jutsu was not at full power, but was still enough to blow away the shuriken and send a mass of flames at Naruto. The blond shinobi countered by summoning a Rasengan, deflecting the attack away from both himself and Hinata. And in return for his kindness, Hinata charged him. He recognized her stance of the Eight Trigrams Holy Cyclone, the improved version of the Heavenly Spin that she had devised during their training. The Holy Cyclone could neutralize the Rasengan almost every time, and in many cases, survive the encounter. It was also larger and more damaging than the Heavenly Spin. But Naruto had a theory he had yet to test.

"Rasengan," he exclaimed, creating a second sphere in left fist. As the deep purple energy dome sprang forth from Hinata, he thrust both of his spiraling spheres forward. Though the phrase 'harmonic dissonance" may have been way over Naruto's head, he understand the principal at a very basic level. The two globes both shuddered when they struck Hinata's barrier, but ultimately won out. The Holy Cyclone tore apart like paper, and the unsuspecting blood slave was knocked to her knees. Naruto did not press his advantage, instead keeping one Rasengan trained on each opponent.

"Hinata, please stop," Naruto begged, "I don't want to fight you."

Sasuke aimed a punch at Naruto's head, but Naruto swung up his left hand and the twice traitor had the hold his attack to avoid losing his hand.

"Hinata, I know you are stronger than this. You don't want to hurt me," he pleaded with her. In the middle of lifting her leg for a kick, she paused, and replaced her foot. A look of confusion flitted across her face. Then her visage emptied again, and she crafted her own Rasengan to counter his.

'She's still in there,' Naruto thought, 'just like how Neji reacted when Doraku said Hinata is stronger.'

"You know that won't work," he told he gently, "My Rasengan is still stronger than yours, and you are still limited to one at a time. I think you are trying not to hurt me."

He reinforced the sphere in his right hand, and brushed his Rasengan to hers, destroying it. Sasuke jabbed with the Chidori, but like the previous night, his movements were off. Naruto wondered if it was a side effect of the blood control, or if his rival was injured. He elbowed the Sound Ninja's ribs, forcing him back, while the Leaf Ninja continued to focus on the Kunoichi.

* * *

Doraku again ordered them to kill Naruto, this time with a harsh edge. Thought he could hear Sasuke and Hinata's thoughts such as they were, and see via the Kariname Jutsu, he could not hear Naruto, and thus could not determine what jutsu the boy was using to disable Hinata. As the demon had suspected, the Genin was loath to harm the girl. Obviously, he knew another way to disable the Byakugan user, and the vampire wanted to know what technique it was.

* * *

Hinata slowed again, her lips trembling. Always proactive, Naruto pushed his advantage.

"These last few months have been the best of my life," he informed her honestly, "Training with you, getting to know you, growing closer to you."

She gulped and took a step away. She activated Tsunade's attack, and lightning surrounded her hands. Naruto sent a clone to keep Sasuke busy, and continued to talk to Hinata while carefully avoiding her strikes.

"You know me better than anyone else. And I won't lose you," Naruto dropped the Rasengan, and knocked her hands away. He knew he was gambling with his life, even as he stepped in close and put his arms around her.

"I trust you, Hinata," he whispered into her ear, as he hugged her tightly. He waited for her to touch him, disabling his nervous system.

* * *

Doraku swore elegantly. Naruto had managed to knock out Hinata. After all, if she were dead she would just become one of his zombies. And without the Byakugan user, he could not see what was happening.

"Sasuke, quit playing," he demanded angrily, "Kill Naruto as quickly as possible."

* * *

"Naruto," Hinata suddenly shouted in a worried voice. He dove forward reflexively, shielding her as Sasuke's barrage of tiny fireballs swept the room. He was struck, receiving a number of moderate burns on his back, but the tough young man ignored the pain as he leaped again, carrying Hinata free from the barrage.

"I knew you could do it," he told her as he turned to face Sasuke again. Despite his injuries, Naruto was grinning from ear to ear.

"Naruto, what happened? The last thing I remember, that fiend was biting my neck."

"You and Sasuke were trying to kill me. But you managed to break free, with a little coaxing. Which reminds me…"

He grabbed his radio, even as he dodged another attack from the still enslaved Sasuke. He flicked the frequency dial while Hinata stepped forward to knock aside two thrown kunai.

"Lee," he called their other ally.

"I am rather busy, Naruto," Lee grunted.

"Perfect," Naruto enthused, "I got Hinata back, with a little emotional prodding."

"Really," Rock Lee grinned as he circled away from Neji and Sakura, "Thank you for the tip."

Lee cracked his quarterstaff gently against Sakura's extended wrist, and started talking.

"I am surprised, and a little disappointed," he told her, "is this the same Sakura that defeated Ino's Mind Transfer Jutsu? The girl who tried to jump in between the Rasengan and the Chidori?"

Sakura tried to grab his weapon, but he rotated it away, knowing with her enhanced strength she could take it away if he gave her the slightest chance. Neji brushed passed her, and struck quickly with his Gentle Fist. Lee avoided the strike, blocked the next two with his staff, and dodged the fourth. But the Jonin's fifth attack landed, tearing Lee's left bicep. The martial artist nearing dropped his weapon, but gritted his teeth against the pain to retain his grip. Lee jabbed Neji in the solar plexus, pushing him back and knocking the breath out of him.

"What happened to being useful to your team?" he prodded, "How will you be of any use, if you are a slave of our enemy?"

Her next blow was more awkward than her previous strikes, and Lee knew Naruto was correct.

* * *

"Again," the vampire growled. Now Lee was constantly talking, and Sakura was faltering. But Lee had no Ninjutsu or Genjutsu, so he was not using a power against the Kunoichi. Could he really be disrupting her just by speaking? That should not be possible, his control was absolute.

* * *

"Or are you thinking that this is your chance to be close to Sasuke?" Lee swept Neji's legs as he jabbed at Sakura's emotions, "Because it isn't. Sasuke won't even know you are there. And you saw how that perverted monster looked at you. Sasuke won't be the one you will be close to."

The girl shuddered and froze.

"And what about Naruto? The one who did not betray you, your team, or our village, and who never tried to kill you. Are you just going to abandon him, or worse try to kill him?"

"No, I…" the girl dropped to her knees, clutching her head.

'One last push,' the Taijutsu master thought, "Well, then I guess Ino wins."

"What?" Sakura was on her feet, livid, "No way I'm losing to Ino-pi…"

"Huh?" she stopped, confused, "Lee, what's going on?"

Neji surged forward and knocked the staff from Lee's hands. He grabbed Lee's vest, and turned the bushy browed Chunin over his shoulder, throwing Lee into the wall. But Lee was able to twist around in the air, placing his feet against the wall. Rock Lee pushed off the stone, and body slammed Neji.

"The monster ordered the four of you to kill Naruto and me."

"Naruto?"

"Yes, the demon could not control him either. Naruto was able to break Hinata free by playing to her emotions, and I was able to do the same for you."

Neji hoisted Lee off his chest, and Lee landed near Sakura.

"I hope we can do the same for Neji and Sasuke."

* * *

"Inconceivable!" Doraku exclaimed. Sakura was no longer under his control. He could clearly see her up and moving through Neji's Kariname Jutsu, but could no longer sense her or control her. He could still taste her blood, and access her Jutsu, but she was free. The same might be true for Hinata. This should not be possible. There were only two ways to remove a human from a Blood-Taster's control. Maybe he had not taken enough blood. Or Naruto or Lee's blood might have interfered.

"Sasuke, Neji kill your target and bring back Sakura and Hinata," he considered stopping his remaining servants, but decided to let it continue for now. He had to learn how, why this was happening.

* * *

"It's not working," Naruto slid back after blocking Sasuke's kick. He had been plying Sasuke with supplications of teamwork and friendship. But the rogue ninja had never shown even the slightest sign of emotion.

"Naruto," Lee's voice came over the radio, "I woke up Sakura. She woke up when I suggested she had lost out to Ino."

"That's it! Thanks Lee."

"You are welcome?" the martial artist sounded confused

"What is it, Naruto?" Hinata asked.

"Sasuke isn't really a human. He's just a human shaped jackass…"

"You take that back, Naruto!" Sakura's voice emerged from the communicator. He ignored her.

"Of course appealing to his better nature won't work," Naruto continued, "He doesn't understand kindness or loyalty. We gotta make him mad."

"Alright, save your batteries," Sakura resumed her role as leader, "But keep in contact if anything happens."

"So, are we going to try to wake Neji up?" Sakura asked, trying to sweep the Jonin's legs. Neji leapt over her foot, aiming his own kick at her head. Lee caught his ankle and pushed him away.

"I do not see why we should," Lee answered. Making sure Neji could not see him, he winked at Sakura. She managed to halt the surprised look on her face, and nodded.

"He left the village without permission, and joined with an enemy," Lee continued, "that would seem to make him a traitor. And we have already reclaimed the main family scion, why do we require a branch family member."

Neji focused his attacks on Lee. If Sakura drew to close, he would aim a quick strike, to attempt to disable her. But otherwise, he doggedly pursued his teammate. Lee continually dodged, moving backwards through the tunnel, staying just out of reach of the Gentle Fist.

"You're right. We don't need Neji, anyway," Sakura agreed, "The demon said Hinata is stronger."

"Interesting," Lee considered, "The monster would have no reason to lie. Neji also told me that he was not sure he could have persevered in my situation."

"Then why are we still hanging around?" Sakura asked.

"Indeed, why stay?" Neji's dulcet tones probed.

"Neji!" they both shouted.

* * *

"So, you finally found your way out, huh, Sasuke?" Naruto's tone was conspiratorial and condescending. Sasuke's response was a hard right to Naruto's face; but the Genin recovered without pause.

"It's not like you ever really had a chance against Itachi," he derided, "The greatest son of the Uchiha clan. Every time you've confronted him, you've been beneath his notice. And you picked Orochimaru to teach you to defeat him. Jiraiya told me, Orochimaru tried to possess Itachi and failed. Or did the old snake keep that to himself?"

Sasuke growled and launched another barrage at his former teammate's head and chest.

* * *

"Enough. Sasuke come back now."

The vampire decided he was not going to lose his last, and strongest slave.

"I think it is time for me to become involved," Doraku said to himself.

* * *

"Neji, are you okay?" Sakura observed him with a physician's eye.

"I'm fine."

"What do you remember?" Lee prompted.

"When I arrived in this town for the tournament, I realized something was wrong. As I started to investigate, Sasuke Uchiha suddenly attacked me. But he was… off. There is no other word for it. He did not speak, even to invoke his jutsu. And his movements were awkward. In the battle I broke, or at least cracked, his right tibia. After that, Sasuke retreated and a number of puppet corpses attacked me."

"Just call them zombies," Sakura suggested, "It's easier."

"They were not strong, but they were resilient and numerous."

"We observed that as well," Lee nodded in agreement.

"When it became obvious I was to be captured, not killed, I pretended to be knocked unconscious, to try and learn what was going on here."

"Would you mind teaching that concept to Naruto?" Sakura asked, drawing a slight grin from the normally taciturn Jonin.

"I watched carefully as they carried me through these caves, for any hint of what awaited. After a short walk, they placed me in a chair in a lavish dining room. The blood demon questioned Sasuke, who told the monster of me in short, clipped sentences. When he had learned what wanted, he bit me. After that, I woke up to find myself being insulted by my comrades."

"I apologize," Lee looked contrite, "It was necessary to generate an emotional response to free you from the demon's control."

"Wait," Sakura stepped closer, "If you were awake while they brought you to that dining room, does that mean you remember the way out."

"Of course," Neji smirked superiorly.

"Great," she grabbed Lee's radio, and triggered it.

"Naruto, we woke Neji. He knows the way out. Once you and Hinata wake up Sasuke, or knock him out, meet us back at the dining room."

There was no answer over the radio.

"Naruto? Are you hearing this?"

When nothing but static came through, she looked back at the older ninja.

"We better get back."

* * *

"I shouldn't be surprised," Naruto kept talking. Sasuke's attacks had ceased, he was now trying to escape, but the two Leaf Ninja cut him off at every turn.

"I mean, it took those Sound Ninja a whole five minutes to convince you to betray the village your clan once honorably defended. And now you've found another new master."

Suddenly, the defector abandoned in opening by Hinata, to spit another stream of fire at Naruto.

"This must be a dream for you. You don't have to fight Itachi, but you don't have to feel guilty for giving up. And best of all, you don't have to feel the pain of your parent's murder."

"CHIDORI," Kakashi's former student roared, his hand surrounded by lightning. Hatred filled his eyes, and, but for a slight limp, his charge was crisp and certain. Naruto deftly evaded the first slash, and the second punch; but Sasuke caught him with a normal backhand strike of his left hand.

"Looks like you finally shook it off," Naruto chuckled, returning Sasuke's angry stare. Hinata started to step forward, but Naruto shook his head.

"I finally get to kill you, Naruto," Sasuke stated.

"Give it your best shot!"

"Naruto, we woke Neji," Sakura's voice suddenly erupted from the radio, giving both men pause, "He knows the way out. Once you and Hinata wake up Sasuke, or knock him out, meet us back at the dining room."

Naruto turned off the radio and continued to glare at Sasuke.

"So, what's it gonna be?" Naruto asked, "Fight me until that demon shows up, or deny him his prize and escape? I don't know how he caught you before, but you probably would stand a better chance of getting revenge with some allies."

Though his visage did not change, Uchiha's stance softened slightly. Then, finally, he dropped his arms.

"Fine," he snapped, "We have a truce until we escape this maze. Let's find the others."


	11. Dancing With a Demon

**Chapter 11: Dancing With a Demon**

"Lee," Sakura's shout echoed through the cave. The Taijutsu expert recoiled from the kick to his midsection, but allowed himself to fall back to avoid the second foot aimed for his chest. Sakura fist bounced off the invisible wall surrounding her, while Neji watched like a cage predator.

"Your friends don't seem to like the Nankyuu Abara Kekkei Genkai," the demon noted, slashing at Lee with his wakizashi. Lee had disassembled his staff, and bound one part to the outside of each of his forearms. He used the improvised bracer on his left arm to block the curved blade, and struck the vampire's chest with an open palm.

"But I wanted some time alone with you," Doraku continued, unconcerned by the attack.

"You see, I'm torn. On the one hand, you have cost me two powerful servants. And the rank taste of your blood still lingers in my mouth," the monster stabbed again, attempting to trap the Leaf Chunin against the wall, "But then again, this has been interesting. And I have learned a previously unknown weakness of my power."

"So, should I give you a quick death, or a slow one? Because I can't let you live, knowing what you know."

Lee's answer was a Leaf Gale. The demon jumped easily over the leg sweep, but the Chunin turned his momentum into Leaf Great Whirlwind. He caught Doraku in the chest, sending the monster higher. Unfortunately, the ceiling was too low, and Lee could not follow-up with the Leaf Dancing Shadow. The vampire twisted in the air, and stuck to the roof. He glared down at Lee with what could only be described as disappointment. The blood drainer coiled, and launched himself at Lee, leading with his blade. The teen motioned as if to block with his wrist, but then stepped inside and smashed the vampire's wrist with the 30-pound weight on his own forearm. The expected crack of bone was not heard, and the vampire countered with a punch to the human's heart. The attack sent Lee flying.

"Attacks like that won't work," the demon paused, not bothering to press his advantage. Lee rose, clutching his chest.

"The Jutsu Sakura uses to boost her strength is more impressive than she knows. I can use it to make my muscles hard as iron. Blunt attacks won't have much effect on me."

Doraku sighed, and looked away from Lee, "This is boring. Perhaps with some extra help you might be a challenge."

He placed his hands together, and the barrier holding Neji vanished with a soft tone.

"Of course I know all Neji's moves. But you humans can be so creative and unpredictable. Or at least he can be a distraction."

Neji ignored the jab and moved slowly forward. His Byakugan scanned the demon intently, trying to find a weakness. Then he darted forward, aiming for his opponent's right arm with glowing fingers.

"Good choice," the demon easily dodged, "Without my weapon, I could be slightly less dangerous."

The vampire's left hand snaked out, and his Gentle Fist tapped Neji's left temple. The Byakugan in the Hyuga's left eye faded out. Then with a grimace of pain at the off center vision, he canceled the other jutsu in his other eye.

Neji feinted low, then struck from the left. He pressed hard, sacrificing accuracy and success for keeping the demon off center.

"Well, this is interesting," the demon noted, knocking aside another attack, "But you aren't really accomplishing anything. Unless you are trying to push me towards Lee!'

Doraku suddenly kicked out, and his stolen strength Jutsu sent Neji flying. He used the momentum to do a 180, facing the martial artist. But rather than looking surprised or chagrined, Lee just smirked even as he finished throwing the punch the demon readily blocked. Then the plan became clear when Neji's shadow clone exploded and the original surged through the smoke to the now exposed monster.

"8 Trigrams," the Hyuga Jonin exclaimed, stabbing a chakra point on the demon's spine.

"2 Palms," he continued, striking the left shoulder, and elbow.

"4 Palms," the speed of his strikes increased as his path took him in front of the bloodsucker.

"8 Palms, 16 Palms," he flowed around his would be master, shutting down his chakra network.

"32 Palms, 64 Palms," Doraku was barely standing, and Neji was a blur.

"128 Palms," Neji concluded with a massive volley. But then the demon started to chuckle.

"Very impressive," he proclaimed, looking to where his weapon had been knocked, "I might be in trouble, if it wasn't for one little thing."

The demon placed his hands together and intoned, "Chakra Pulse!"

"You see," the monster smirked as he stretched back to his normal posture, "Hinata has a counter for that move."

"I am well aware of the technique Hinata and Naruto developed," Neji's verbal counter was just as smug, "I just needed to disrupt your Chakra network for a second."

Doraku was unable to dodge as the now free Sakura Haruno barreled into him.

"Fine," the demon snorted in disdain as he rose. His tone was still amused, but his eyes were not, "Play time is over then."

As he dropped his arms, the vampire's limbs were surrounded by both the soft blue glow of the Gentle Fist, and the purple sparks of the Ranshinsho. His eyes transformed under the power of both the Sharingan and the Byakugan. And under Neji's restored Byakugan, chakra spiked out of each of the monster's muscles.

"I'll humiliate you with your own techniques."

Sakura blinked, and missed the Doraku's charge. Before she realized, the demon was trading blows with Neji, this time pushing the teen Jonin back. Sakura started to move to help, but Neji shook his no, then indicated Lee with a glance. The other young man was clutching his chest again, and the medical ninja blinked in acknowledgement. She flashed across the cavern, and gently brushed his hands aside. Using both touch and chakra, she determined his ribs were cracked, not broken, but a splinter had come perilously close to his left lung. She quickly dissolved the shard, and then started to repair his bones.

"That was a mistake," the demon hissed. He knocked Neji's hands wide, and drilled two fingers into each of Neji's shoulders. Muscles tore, his chakra system was interrupted, and his arms flailed wildly from the shock to his nervous system. With the shinobi temporarily crippled, the monster was able to grab Neji's shoulders, and place his face inches from the teen's. As he did, the demon's eyes changed again, the circling tomoe becoming blade-like and connecting to his pupil.

"Mangekyo Sharingan, Tsukiyomi!"

For three long heartbeats, the enemies' eyes were locked. Then Neji let out a pitiable whimper. The demon released him, and Hyuga collapsed to the floor, eyes open yet seeing nothing. Doraku let out a sharp breath as he returned his focus to Lee and Sakura.

"Well, that technique is exhausting," he commented, "But quite useful. Total incapacitation, and no permanent damage. And I also have the technique to wake him up when I need."

He nodded at Sakura, then added, "Of course, that means I need to keep you away from Neji, my dear."

"Sakura," Lee stepped in front of her, whispering, "Guy-sensei has taught me how to fight those with the Sharingan. I will hold him off while you restore Neji."

"Do you think I will let that happen?" the monster asked. He stood over Neji, challenging them. Lee started towards the demon, but Sakura rushed past him. Doraku caught her fist in his hand. Sakura let out an angry shout, and the demon was shocked when he pushed was back. The girl did not even seem to notice the disrupting electricity flowing into her. She punched again, and the vampire released her left fist to avoid her right.

"Interesting. I have all your skills and more chakra. I should be stronger."

"The power of the jutsu is based on your natural strength. You steal power, you don't earn it yourself. You'll never be stronger than me."

"Cute speech," he cracked his knuckles, "And you know the counter to the Ranshinsho. For all the good that will do you."

He dropped his arms to his sides, expelling chakra. Sakura thought recognized the technique, and both braced her arms and jumped back. Unfortunately, she was two close, and was not aware of this variation.

"8 Trigrams, Holy Cyclone!" The enhanced technique flowed outwards, and the dome of crimson Chakra lifted the kunoichi into the air. Ill prepared for the attack, Sakura could not do anything to right herself before she was slammed into the wall. She slid to the ground, then tried and failed to stand.

"Alone again," the demon extended his hand, and his short sword flew back to his hand. He darted forward, swinging the blade like a much heavier weapon. Lee moved to block, but Doraku shifted his blade, cutting the weight, sleeve, and some skin from Lee's arm. The Leaf shinobi tried to counter with a kick, but the vampire caught his ankle and sent a strong electric charge through Lee's leg. Lee kicked again with his left leg, but grunted in pain when Doraku stabbed him in the thigh. The demon dropped Lee, shaking his head.

"I expected so much more," the wakizashi plunged for Lee's exposed heart.

"Clone Railgun!" Naruto's voice arrived only an instant before the teen did. Naruto's foot collided with the demon's temple and neck, and the bloodsucker rocketed hard into the stone wall. Behind Naruto, the two-dozen clones who had catapulted him forward exploded, clear the way for Sasuke and Hinata.

"Sakura, help Neji and Lee," Naruto instructed s he stared murder at the demon, "we got this."

"Ah, good, the second course." The demon pulled himself to his feet, snapping his neck back into place.

"Naruto, don't look in his eyes," Sakura warned, limping over to Lee, "He has the Mangekyo Sharingan."

Naruto spared a sideways glance at Sasuke at that, but the traitor did not appear surprised by the news.

"Please," the vampire was offended, "As if I would be so gauche as to use the same jutsu twice in one battle. I have already decided not to use any of your techniques against these three."

"Naruto, duck," Hinata warned as Sasuke threw a quartet of kunai at the demon, not caring his former teammate was in the way. After her training partner moved, Hinata added her own blades to the attack. Doraku lifted a hand, and the seven daggers stopped in midair.

"Tetsu Kobushi Kekkei Genkai. The power to control iron. Nice craftsmanship, though," he flicked his hand back, and one of the floating weapons shot at each of the active ninja. The teen shinobi dodged fairly easily. The demon waved the fingers on his left hand, and the four remaining kunai melted and merged, transforming into a broad-bladed short sword. Doraku grasped the weapon with his left hand and smirked at them.

"The Murasame clan that possesses this blood line trait are also the originators of the legendary Weapon Forge Jutsu. Though they had a much easier time performing it, as do I."

He flitted past Naruto and went straight for Hinata with both of his disparate swords. She lithely avoided the wakizashi, and knocked aside the gladius. She observed his weapons carefully, and after his fifth slash, summoned a Rasengan. The next time the newly forged weapon came close; she tapped it with the chakra ball. The sword splintered with barely an impact.

"Not quite up to the standards of the Murasame clan," Sasuke stated snidely.

"That?" the vampire threw the handle of the broken sword at Uchiha, more as an insult than as an attack, "That was a toy. Even with the Kekkei Genkai it takes at least 20 minutes to craft a decent weapon."

Hinata took advantage of the minor distraction to strike the vampire's right wrist with the spiraling sphere. The demon's hand opened reflexively, dropping the wakizashi to the floor. The girl stomped hard, breaking the blade off at the hilt.

"And how long did you take to make that one?" Naruto needled.

"That was an artifact of the first Mizukage. It was worth more than all of your miserable lives combined"

He punched Hinata hard in the stomach, expelling her breath. Then he grabbed her by the neck and hoisted her an inch from his face.

"It looks like I lied. Mangekyo Sharingan, Tsukiyomi."

He stared into her eyes, attempting to shatter her mind with his horrors. Hinata's body shook, and she gritted her teeth. Then her eyes widened further.

"Suigin Byakugan, Reflection," she announced. Though the other three could not see it, Naruto and Sasuke were amazed as Hinata's white cornea and iris suddenly turned solid metallic silver. Then the vampire's head snapped back as if struck and he released Hinata. The girl landed on her feet, but exhaled sharply and slid to her knees, her eyes returning to normal. The vampire almost fell back, but with a grimace caught himself, and returned upright, though still unsteady.

"The eye that sees only truth can become the eye that deflects all illusions," Doraku intoned harshly, the loss of his weapon forgotten, "That power has not been seen for almost 100 years. I must have it."

He picked up Hinata again, this time exposing her neck. He lifted her towards his waiting fangs.

"Chidori!" Before the vampire could steal Hinata's new power and grow stronger, Sasuke darted forward, severing the tendons in Doraku's right wrist. The demon could no longer hold Hinata, but Naruto flashed in, catching the girl. He moved to the opposite site of the cavern, placing her next to Lee.

"I'm sorry Naruto," she whispered, "I can barely move. I feel like most of my strength has been drained."

"It's OK, Hinata," he reassured her, "You rattled him. Sasuke and I can take it from here."

The monster grabbed his wrist, and used Sakura's healing skills to amplify his own unnatural healing. But his head was still spinning from having his jutsu reversed. As Naruto and Sasuke closed in, the monster decided to try a more elusive tactic.

"Congratulations, I'll show you another of my Kekkei Genkai."

The monster raised his arms, and a dome of ice panels rose to surround the three of them.

"Hyoton: Demon Ice Mirrors," the demon announced with a self-satisfied grin.

"That's Haku's technique," Naruto was aghast, "Did you suck the blood from his corpse?"

"I don't own any Haku," Doraku sneered, as he merged into one of the mirrors, "And blood is only useful from a living source. I have owned this bloodline trait for more than 80 years."

He put his hand to his chin in thought, and added, "That is mildly interesting though, this Kekkei Genkai was supposed to have been exterminated almost 20 years ago."

A left hand emerged from eleven of the mirrors, and each threw a single icy shuriken. The former friends blocked or dodged most of the projectiles, but Naruto received a light cut on his left calf.

"Just like old times, huh?" Naruto asked, closely watching the mirrors.

"And you wonder why I left," Sasuke responded, with only the slightest hint of a grin. He flashed a series of hand seals, and then announced, "Katon: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!"

Uchiha exhaled dozens of fireballs, and each struck a mirror dead center. But to no one's surprise, the ice didn't melt even a little.

"You didn't expect that to work, did you?" the demon asked.

"Not really," Sasuke shrugged, "But it was worth a try."

"So what's the plan?" Naruto asked when the next barrage of ice shuriken drove them back-to-back, "I'm pretty sure my Rasengan can bust these mirrors."

"The same goes for my Chidori. But he knows it, and knows our attacks are short range. That's why he's keeping us corralled in the center."

"So how do we reach the edges?"

"Why ask me?" Sasuke snapped, "You're the brilliant strategist who came up with the way to free Kakashi from Zabuza and defeat Neji during the Chunin exams."

"All right," Naruto's eyes narrowed, "Give me a minute."

"We don't have a minute," Sasuke snarled as an ice star embedded itself in his right arm. He pulled a pair of small flasks from his belt, and dashed them on the floor. Then he used a slight variation on his clan's favored technique.

"Katon: Grand Fireball Jutsu!"

Flames filled the half of the dome in front of Sasuke. The oil mixture he had spread across the dirt exploded, increasing the size and heat of the inferno. It also filled the nearly sealed dome with smoke. Coughing, Naruto created a Rasengan to help clear the air.

"What was that?" Naruto choked.

"At least I'm trying something," the traitor countered, ending his jutsu, "If I can make the jutsu hot enough, it might be able to melt the ice. And while I fill my half with fire, he can't attack me."

"So he can focus on me?"

"And you can focus on him! Look for a pattern, or just try to grab him next time he attacks!"

"Yeah, that could work," Naruto considered, then he brightened at another thought, "If nothing else, you're forcing him to spend more chakra to keep the dome in place."

Sasuke nodded, and activated his technique again. Now that the oil was burned off, the smoke from the cloud of flame was manageable. As predicted, all of the demon's attacks now emerged from Naruto's side. But they were not focused on Naruto. Instead, the blond ninja was forced to stop a constant barrage of ice blades aimed at the back of his former teammate.

"Looks like there's a flaw in you plan," after half a minute playing bodyguard, Naruto spoke. His voice was twinged with sarcasm, "If I try to get close to the dome, he'll just hit your exposed back."

"I still haven't heard your plan." Sasuke snapped back, ending the fireball again.

"How about… NOW!"

A rumbling filled the tunnel, and an Odama Rasengan erupted from the ground under the mirrors in front of Sasuke. Just behind the sphere was Naruto. After shattering a column of the ice, Naruto stepped back. Sasuke darted out the hole, as the clone Naruto took the throwing stars aimed at Uchiha. After he was outside the dome, Sasuke activated his Chidori. He quickly circled the barrier, destroying the bottom level. The remainder of the ice mirrors crashed to the ground, shattering.

Doraku appeared above the broken shards of ice, clapping.

"I don't know if you thought that would hurt me, Sasuke, or if you were just being vindictive," the demon smirked as he stopped his applause, "But either way, I like it."

Never taking his eyes from Sasuke, he appeared in front of Naruto, and used both the Gentle Fist and Ranshinsho to damage Naruto's nerves and chakra; leaving the boy sprawled on the floor.

"Naruto!" Sakura paused in her treatment of Neji as her teammate fell. But the vampire did not pause, and moved behind Sasuke, disabling him as well. He then kicked Sasuke hard into the wall.

"And then there were none," Doraku beamed, "Unless you are ready to try again, Sakura?"

He grinned viscously at the injured healer.

"You're not done with me yet," Naruto snarled, regaining his feet.

"Ah. Neji mentioned you also knew the counter to the Gentle Fist," the demon turned back to the blond Genin, "I suppose this means you also know how to resist the Ranshinsho…"

"Well, then, lets see what you can do," the demon dropped into a fighting stance again.

Naruto drew his last kunai, gripping it tightly as he could. But the demon just shook his head and tore the weapon from the teen's grip. The blood drinker gestured, breaking the weapon against the granite wall behind him. Then, for good measure, he grabbed the shuriken left in Naruto's hip pouch, ripping them free, and scattered them.

"No more blades."

"No, two more," Naruto counted, placing his hands together, "Weapon Summoning Jutsu."

Naruto's shirt bulged outwards above his heart. He reached in, and removed a familiar wooden box. He removed two kunai; one accented in red and the other in blue, and then tossed the box to Sakura. She set the box next to Hinata, and went back to awakening Neji.

"You waste a powerful jutsu for those?" Doraku laughed at him. Then he latched onto the kunai with his iron controlling power, and pulled. But the weapons did not even shudder in the ninja's hands. Frowning, the demon pulled harder, but still no effect. Curious, he engaged the Byakugan and Sharingan again.

"Well, it's a little sloppy, but those are some powerful enhancements bonded to those knives."

He put his hands in front of him, and ice began to form above them.

"Hyoton: Artic Edge Jutsu," he noted as the frozen nodachi finished forming, "It's been a while since I had a good sword fight. Unless you had something else in mind?"

"Yeah, how about this?" Naruto crossed his hands, "Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

Two-dozen Naruto's leapt forward, kunai extended.

The demon snorted and put his hands together in an opposing gesture, "Clone Disrupt Jutsu."

All of Naruto's clones exploded, leaving the confused original open. The monster's extra-long blade scored a deep cut across the ninja's chest. Naruto scissored both his blades to pin the vampire's. The wind chakra enhanced edges of the kunai began to cut into the curved ice weapon, and Doraku withdrew his sword.

"Kakashi-sensei said that technique was lost," Naruto glared at the demon.

"Naruto, I'm older than the Council of Shadows," the vampire smirked, "I know plenty of 'lost' jutsu."

Doraku slashed deliberately high, trying to get Naruto to look into his eyes. But the teen tenaciously kept his gaze on the demon's shoulders, even though it hampered him. Even though he could tell Doraku was still recovering from Hinata's counter, the demon was able to score a trio of light hits, while Naruto only managed a single scratch.

"Naruto," Hinata's voice carried to him. She was leaning forward, and her Byakugan was once again active. Suddenly, his vision shifted and he was seeing the monster from Hinata's point of view, and through the Byakugan. The demon's chakra network was a patchwork of different powers and colors. Hinata adjusted her jutsu so that Naruto could see Doraku's chakra network almost from his normal vantage point. Then she focused on a green spot flowing up the bloodsucker's left leg.

"Strike there," she instructed. Naruto faked a leg sweep, then feinted for Doraku's heart with Sakura's blade. Once he had the opening, he stabbed the indicated area with Hinata's kunai.

Blood fountained from the wound; far more than should have for such a light stab. At the same instant, the red color ran out of Doraku's eyes, and the tomoe disappeared.

"Now, there!" Hinata urged him to hurry while the demon was stunned. Naruto stabbed the purple patch moving through the demon's other leg, and another geyser of blood erupted. As the fluid stopped flowing, the frozen sword melted away.

"Left shoulder," she directed. With the attack, the Byakugan in Doraku's eyes faltered. Rage filled the demon's face, and he knocked Naruto away with an enhanced punch. The white eye Dojutsu retuned as he snarled at the girl.

"I get it," Naruto smirked, "You don't eat their blood. You store it in your body. That's how you gain everyone's powers, and how you control them."

"You may have figured out how my powers work," the demon ignored Naruto, and turned to stare at Hinata, "But you won't be helping him anymore. Raiton: Lightning Cannon Jutsu!"

A six-inch sphere of lightning formed in his hand, and then shot towards Hinata. Naruto tried to intercept the attack, but Doraku elbowed him away when the boy passed. Lee reached for Hinata, but the half-healed wound in his leg opened, and he stumbled.

The lightning ball struck Hinata's left side at the bottom of her rib cage, just under the swell of her breast. It burned through muscle, bone, and organ; damaging her stomach and left lung. The kunoichi collapsed against the curved stone, spilling blood and acid onto the floor.

"HINATA!" Naruto howled, instantly next to her, kneeling.

"Na…" she coughed, flecks of blood staining her lips. Sakura appeared a second later, looking slightly nauseous as she appraised the wound.

"Sakura, help Hinata," Naruto ordered, growling under his breath as he stood again. As he turned to face Doraku, his eyes were glowing red, and the whisker scratches on his cheeks were larger and rougher.

"Naruto," inside of him, the nine-tailed fox's rage and bloodlust echoed his own. A small part of him was confused by the demon's anger, but most of him did not care.

"Just this once, I will lend you my power without reservation or interference. Just promise me you will kill that bastard."

"Humans can't kill demons," Naruto answered out loud, "But I can make him wish I could."

"Even better," the Kyubi grinned in sadistic pleasure.

Neji's turned sharply away from his cousin, to look at Naruto. Under the Byakugan, Naruto looked different than ever before. The blue and red chakras were mixing, oddly harmonious, until Naruto's entire chakra network was suffused with a silver chakra; stronger, more terrible, and more beautiful than anything the Jonin had ever seen before.

Naruto took two deep breaths. The first was harsh and ragged, but the second was smooth. The teen now possessed a deadly calm, and the vampire stepped back against his will.

Naruto launched a complex series of hand signs, so fast even Neji and Sasuke had a hard time following. Both Dojutsu users noted that Naruto was using a thirteenth seal, unlike any of the others. After thirty gestures, he completed the jutsu, placing his hands together.

"Ascendant Fox Jutsu!"

Naruto's arms grew longer, and his fingernails lengthened into razor claws. His face distorted, his nose and mouth distending into a vulpine muzzle. The scratches on his cheeks became true whiskers. His ears moved higher on his head, and stretched into sharp points. Short fur erupted from every inch of his skin. Finally, a fox tail ripped out the back of his pants. Unlike his tailed forms, Naruto's eyes remained human, and blue; and his fur was the same light blond color as his hair.

"Impressive," Doraku's banter was more than slightly forced, "Shall we start?"

"Not yet," Naruto answered forcefully. He stuck Sakura's kunai into his belt, and then quickly slit his wrist with Hinata's gift.

* * *

"Well, now that I've mastered elemental manipulation, what should I work on next, Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto beamed at his teacher.

"I would hardly say you have mastered it," the Jonin smiled indulgently at the energetic student, "But if you are looking for something to work on, let me ask you a question."

"OK."

"You have used the Shadow Clone Jutsu more than most shinobi 2, or even 3, times your age," Kakashi prefaced the question, "What are the weaknesses of the technique?"

Naruto's face screwed up in deep thought at the query.

"I guess there are two major drawbacks," the Genin finally said, "It takes a lot of chakra, and the clones are pretty fragile."

"Can you elaborate?" the teacher guided his student.

"When, making solid clones takes a decent amount of chakra, even if you're as good at it as I am. And then I have to split my chakra among the clones, both so they can use jutsu, and so that chakra detection doesn't give me away. And on top of that, when the clones die, I don't get back all the chakra. Some of it is always lost."

"All correct," Kakashi was proud of his normally slow student, "And the second weakness?"

"Well, that's a lot simpler. One or two good hits will take out a clone."

"And how would you fix that?"

"Well, the Mist and Rain ninja make clones from water. And Gaara uses sand. And those clones are both more durable than shadow clones, in their own way. Having something other than pure chakra as the base of the clone makes them harder to kill."

Naruto's face scrunched again, "The chakra thing is tougher. I suppose the best thing might be to make sure all the chakra from the clones comes back to me."

"And how would you achieve those goals?" Kakashi prompted. Naruto frowned.

"Well, then, maybe that would be something you could work on," the Copy Ninja suggested.

* * *

Naruto's blood sprayed into the air, but almost immediately, the wound healed. Sheathing Hinata's blade, Naruto flashed another series of seals even as the life liquid started to fall.

"Blood Clone Jutsu!"

The blood in the air gathered into eight spheres, the silver chakra swirling around it. The blood began to expand and change, taking human form. After a few seconds, eight more fox shaped Narutos joined the original. The clones began to quickly circle the vampire, hiding which one was the real ninja.

"Didn't we already do this dance?" the demon asked, configuring his hands again, "Clone Disrupt Jutsu."

None of the nine Naruto copies so much as shuddered.

"Fine, then I will just find the original myself," Doraku seemed unnerved by Naruto's quiet rage. He ran forward, pulling the broken blade of the wakizashi into his hand. The monster landed before one Naruto, and carved into the ninja's left arm. Blood flowed freely from the wound, and Naruto paused long enough for the demon to land a solid backhand to the ninja's jaw. The vampire pulled his broken knife back, and the wound closed even as the metal cleared.

"Well, found the real one first," Doraku jumped back to avoid the Genin's counterattack. The bloodsucker quickly jumped at the next Naruto, and sliced him across the chest. Again, the wound bled, but the teen did not exploded. Instead, he caught the weapon before it could cut too deep, and tore it from his opponent's hand.

"What is this?" the demon demanded. In answer, Naruto stabbed his claws into Doraku's right bicep. The fox's ring finger triggered another gusher. The vampire retreated before the human could strike again, only to find he was surrounded by a tight circle of orange and yellow.

Narutos darted from one side of the circle to the other in random turns. Each one slashed the demon as he passed. For the first few dozen passes, nearly every attack caused a spurt of blood, and closed as quickly as Naruto's own injuries. With each pool of blood, Doraku lost chakra and jutsu, and one zombie was granted peace. But in the fourth second, the red fountains slowed, as did the demon's recovery. Then, Doraku started to laugh.

"Your power is impressive," he crowed, "But this is futile."

The villain's mirth faded, "After you leave, I will just gather my power again. I will rebuild my army, and find new jutsu and Kekkei Genkai. And then I will come to the Konohagakure and I will drink the blood of every person in your village. You can't kill me, so you can't stop me."

18 ice blue eyes narrowed. Eight of the Naruto clones extended their right hands, only the one currently in front of Doraku did not.

"What?" the vampire smirked.

"Fuuton: Rasengan!" four of the teens announced. An eight-inch green chakra sphere formed above each of their hands. The elemental Rasengan whipped the air, flapping the clothing of even the injured ninja.

"Raiton: Rasengan!" the other 4 ninja clones intoned. These spheres were deeper purple in color than the normal Rasengan. Sparks crackled across the surface, and the fur of the clones holding the spheres stood up. As one, the clones attacked.

The first wind sphere tore into the demon's left arm, just below the shoulder. It sliced through the limb until it hung on by only a thread of skin and muscle. The first lightning Rasengan struck the demon's right shoulder blade. The third clone stabbed his Fuuton Rasengan into the demon's left knee. Two copies sandwiched the vampire's right side between a pair of Raiton Rasengan. The third green attack glanced down the demon's right forearm, disintegrating the outer third of the limb and hand. The fourth wind-imbued orb ate away at the demon's left hip. The last sparking sphere caught the left side of the demon's head, destroying his ear. The demon could barely stand as the eight clones withdrew.

The last Naruto finally raised his right hand. One small Rasengan formed above each upturned digit.

"For Hinata," he breathed, charging forward. Doraku could not dodge or block.

"FIVE POINTS RASENGAN!" Naruto shouted as he thrust his hand to the demon's chest. The spheres burrowed into the vampire's body, and he began to shake.

"RRRAAAAAAA!" Naruto howled, expanding each of the 5 Rasengan another quarter inch. As he did, a six-inch hole exploded out both the front and back of Doraku's chest. The five spheres burrowed out of then demon's body, one through each shoulder and hip, and the last through his brain and out his skull. Blood poured from the seven wounds, and the Byakugan finally left his eyes. When Naruto withdrew his hand, the demon collapsed in a heap of seemingly random parts.

The nine teens turned started to turn away. But a harsh and hollow laugh turned them back. Doraku was standing again, through will or chakra, rather than muscle.

"You just don't get it," he taunted, his voice emerging from both his mouth and chest, "Nothing you do can stop me. All you do is buy yourself a few more days while I heal, a few more weeks while I regain power and slaves. And you strengthen my resolve to make your friends suffer."

"Neji, which way is the way out," Naruto asked. The Jonin quietly pointed down the path opposite the one where he had hunted Lee. As one, four of the copies moved. They grabbed the demon, and carried him into the tunnel they had gone down before. They slammed him hard into the wall. Two of the other clones followed closely behind, and when the demon was secure announced "Fuuton: Cyclone Spikes Jutsu."

Seven miniature green tornados shot from each of the Genin, but only eight of the fourteen hit. Two went wide, and four of the charka darts passed through the hole in the demon's chest. The Naruto that had used the Five Points Rasengan leapt forward, breaking off a stalactite. He charged forward, pushing the stone cone through the gap in the demon's solar plexus. The rock scraped against the hole dug by the Cyclone Spikes, pinning the demon. Six of the clones surrounded Doraku, and summoned Rasengan. But rather than the demon, the blond shinobi attacked the walls and ceiling. The cavern began to rumble, and the other three Narutos used stage two Rasengan to prevent the cave-in from spreading back into the dining room. The tunnel collapsed, crushing Naruto's duplicates and burying the demon under tons of stone.

"Get out of that," Naruto growled. The remaining two clones dispersed, and Naruto's blood splashed to the floor. The real Uzumaki exhaled, and as his breath escaped, returned to his normal form.

"Hinata," he remembered, and ran over to the girl. Sakura was kneeling over Hinata, her glowing hands still on the injured girl's chest. But the wound was unchanged.

"Naruto," Sakura looked up at him, obviously holding back tears, "I'm so sorry. There was nothing I could do."


	12. The Value of a Life

**Chapter 12: The Value of a Life**

"Hinata?" Naruto's eyes were wide. The Hyuga girl took a shallow breath under Sakura's glowing hands. Her eyes were squeezed shut, and her face was a mask of pain. Against his will, his gaze drifted to the hole through the left center of her torso. Hinata's chest expanded and contracted again.

"She's breathing," Naruto was confused, "But you said…"

"She's not dead yet. But there's nothing I can do," tears wet Sakura's face as she explained, "If I stop the Life Sustain Jutsu to try and repair the damage, she'll die before I can even start. Even if I were fast enough, she's lost too much blood, and I've already given her all the plasma pills I had."

She looked up at Naruto with profound sadness, "I thought you would want a chance to say goodbye. But you need to hurry, I'm running out of chakra."

"Wait," Naruto's mood changed in an instant, "So you need blood, chakra, and the Life Sustain Jutsu?"

He kneeled next Hinata, opposite Sakura. Neji's focus shifted from his cousin to his rival, with a look of suspicion.

"I can supply all of that." Naruto looked into Sakura's eyes with determination.

"But you don't have the same blood type as Hinata," the medical ninja object.

"Right," he agreed, "Let's start there."

Naruto flashed a series of hand signs, and then place the first two fingers of his right hand just below his left elbow, stating, "Type O Jutsu."

"Ok," he looked physically uncomfortable, "Blood, check. Start the transfusion."

Sakura's surprise faded as she looked down at her hands hopelessly.

"Right." He grimaced, and slowly went through another group of seals.

"Life Sustain Jutsu," he said, placing his now shining right hand beside Hinata's injury. The dying kunoichi's face cleared, slightly.

"Now take my blood." The blond ninja instructed. With a nod, his teammate released her own support jutsu. Sakura found the vein, and inserted the needle. She found appropriate vessel on Hinata's arm, and connected the two shinobi.

"Naruto," Sakura looked at him in concern, "How long can you keep up those Jutsu? "

"As long as I have to," the Genin gasped, "Now, you need chakra."

Naruto moved slowly to avoid dislodging the cannula in his arm. He gently grabbed Sakura's shoulder, and began pouring his chakra into her. Sakura's head snapped up and her eyes dilated.

"Naruto," she gaped, "Do you always have this much power?"

"No," he growled, "I just finished a fight, and I'm sustaining two jutsu."

Then his flash of anger turned to contrite sadness, "Please hurry."

"Right," the doctor turned her attention back to her patient. She crafted a chakra scalpel, and carefully carved away the charred outer layer of tissue. As she finished, blood began to leak from the now open veins.

"Cellular Trace Jutsu." Sakura stimulated Hinata's circulatory system, and the veins, arteries, capillaries re-grew and reconnected. Examining the damage to the lung, liver, and stomach, the healer decided she needed support first. So, she touched the jagged edges of her ally's ribs, regenerating the bones. With the skeleton back in place, her jutsu started to repair the damaged organs. Suddenly, Hinata's eyes popped open, and she tried to sit up. But Lee was quicker, and he gently restrained the injured girl. The teen's pale eyes darted widely about, seeing nothing.

"Hinata," Sakura said firmly, "You have to relax."

Her pupils focused, and when she realized what was happening, the heir of the Byakugan forced herself to go limp, and closed her eyes again.

With the major damage repaired, Sakura took a deep breath and wiped the sweat from her brow. But she knew at this point, Hinata could still die from the same shock that had woken her. And Naruto's immense power could not last forever. Initiating the regeneration jutsu again, she restored Hinata's toned muscles. Finally, the pale skin healed over what should have been a fatal injury.

With a sigh, Sakura rocked back to take her weight off her knees. She removed the transfusion tube. Hinata opened her eyes.

"Sakura, Naruto, thank…" she started to say, but as she looked down at her restored abdomen, she turned bright red and trailed off. All other eyes followed her gaze.

The outside edge of Naruto's still radiant right hand was pressed firmly against the partially exposed bottom swell of Hinata's ample left breast.

"NARUTO," Sakura shouted, her eyes burning, "YOU PERVERT!!"

Naruto yanked his hand his away, and all three men turned away.

"I wasn't thinking about that," Naruto argued, hiding the goofy grin as he looked at his hand, "I was worried about keeping Hinata alive."

Naruto staggered slightly as he removed his jacket and handed it over his shoulder to the girl.

"Thank you," Hinata was still red as she covered herself, "It's OK, Sakura. I know Naruto wasn't thinking anything bad. Where you, Naruto? NARUTO?"

The ninja could not defend himself, as he pitch forward onto the stone floor.

"NARUTO!" Sakura and Hinata shouted in unison.

* * *

"Well, it's about time," a familiar voice said. Naruto slowly opened his eyes, and looked up.

"Grandma Tsunade," he croaked, "Where am I?"

"The hospital," she answered, "I would think you'd recognize it by now. You've been out for five days."

Then her face turned angry, "Do you know how incredibly lucky you are? If anyone else had given away that much blood and chakra, they would have been dead. As it is, if Iruka and Anko hadn't found you, you would have died."

"Iruka-sensei and Anko-sensei? Why…"

"I told you I was sending Jonin to observe the tournament. Fortunately for you, Iruka always carries a handful of plasma pills. It was enough to keep you alive until they could get you back."

"And Hinata?" his voice was little more than a whisper, "How is she?"

The Hokage turned away, so he wouldn't see her expression change. Her eyes softened and she smiled slightly. But she forced her voice to remain harsh.

"She's fine. I examined her myself. If it weren't for her hair and her jacket, I would never have believed she had a 6-inch hole burned through her chest, no matter the testimony. She is in perfect health, not even a scar to mark the wound. What you and Sakura did, it was nothing sort of a miracle." Then she turned back and stalked towards him, "And if you ever try it again, I've given orders to let you die! Do you understand, me?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Good," she stepped back, smiling triumphantly, "Now, there are some people waiting to see you."

She stepped out of the room, and said, "He's awake. You can see him now. But he still needs rest, so one at a time."

As the leader of the Leaf ninja stepped out of the doorway, Naruto already knew who his first visitor would be.

For the first time since he had returned to the Konoha, Naruto saw Hinata Hyuga without her oversized lavender jacket. Instead, she wore a medium grey shozoku with short sleeves and knee-length leggings. The garb was fitted more tightly than what she normally wore, and Naruto was surprised and impressed. When she saw him, her eyes became moist.

"You cut your hair," he said, lightly. She laughed at the off-the-cuff and utterly normal comment.

"Well," she touched the tips of her locks with a slight smile, "I was suddenly missing a large chunk, so I didn't have much choice."

He grinned back for a second, but the conversation died out and they stopped smiling. After a few seconds staring at each other, both started fidgeting.

"How could you?" she finally asked. He blinked.

"How could you put yourself at risk like that?"

"Hinata, I didn't…"

"I was there," she interrupted, "Lady Tsunade taught us the Life Sustain Jutsu at the same time. And I was with you when you learned the Type O Jutsu. You knew the danger, but you did it anyway. You put yourself at risk for me."

"Hinata, ninja save each others' lives every day. I've taken hits for lots of people," it may have been his weakness, but he didn't sound so sure.

"This wasn't the same as jumping in front of a kunai," she shook her head, "I heard some of what Sakura said back then, and talked to Lady Tsunade when she was examining me. I was essentially dead. You didn't just put yourself at risk to save me, you did it to bring me back from the dead."

"I had to save you," he said, and she drew closer, "I just couldn't let you die, no matter what."

Hinata sat down on the side of the bed, staring intently at him.

"What is it?" he asked, uncomfortable.

"I was just thinking, there is something I haven't said to you. I threw it in your face once, as a weapon, but since that day, I've held it back."

She leaned over him, holding his blue eyes with her white ones.

"I love you, Naruto."

"Hinata, I…" he started to answer, but she put her finger on his lips to stop him.

"Sshhh. I know you can't say it back, not yet. And I don't want you to," she drew closer, "You wanted me to see you differently, you told my father that. And I do. I have seen more of your darkness and humor than I ever did before. You've shown me your strength and your sadness. And I love you still."

She was close enough now, that her hair was a veil around them. He could smell her hair and her lips. She continued to lean closer, and he knew what she intended. She was all he could see.

"Hinata…"

"Don't." she whispered, "I don't want to lose my nerve."

Her lips parted slightly. Naruto didn't have the strength to stop or avoid her; and he was not sure he wanted to.

"NARUTO!"

Hinata pulled back so fast, for a second Naruto was not sure she had ever been that close. Sakura had burst into the room, and was in a rage.

"You pervert," Tsunade's apprentice shouted, "How dare you take advantage of Hinata like that! 'I saved your life, and now I'm hurt. Kiss me and make it better.'"

Then she turned on Hinata.

"And you! Naruto is recovering from serious injury, and he doesn't need this kind of… stimulation."

Hinata's eyes narrowed as she considered Sakura. Then she stood, and walked to the door.

"You are right," Hinata told Sakura, "And I will leave you for your visit." She glanced back at Naruto, "I'll see you later, Naruto."

Hinata closed the door, and Sakura's face changed. The anger was replaced by worry.

"You idiot. Lady Tsunade told me about that blood jutsu you used. Extreme pain, increased heart rate, and reduced blood supply. Never to be used in an uncontrolled transfusion. You must have known how dangerous that was. Using that jutsu for an extended time, and while maintaining other jutsu?"

"I regenerate because of the demon fox. Lady Tsunade taught me the Type O Jutsu because she knew it was well suited to me."

"Well, now she told us that if you ever use it that recklessly again, we aren't supposed to help you."

"I know," he managed another weak smile, "She said that, too. Would you actually do it?'

"Idiot," she said again, tearing up, "Like I've said before, I already lost Sasuke, I'm not going to lose you. But you have to be more careful."

Then she laughed derisively, "Look at who I'm talking to. You don't know how to be careful."

He chuckled, and they both relaxed. He asked her a few questions about what had happened after he had lost consciousness. She told him Sasuke had disappeared during the healing. He learned that they had taken him out of the cave, where Anko had found them. After Iruka had administered the plasma pills, he, Lee, and Neji had taken turns carrying Naruto back to the Konoha. After she finished filling him in, she had taken her leave.

Lee stood to take his turn, but a tall figure slid in before him, stating, "I only need a minute."

Naruto blanched when Hiashi Hyuga walked into the room and closed the door.

The lord of the Hyuga Clan chuckled when he saw the teen's response, "Last week, I would have given almost anything to see that look on your face."

Naruto's panic faded at the enigmatic statement.

"What can I do against that?" Hiashi asked, further confusing the teen, "You put your life at risk for my daughter. Anything I say or do against you would make me seem like a bigger jerk than I've already been."

"Wait… what?" Naruto blinked, and his 'shout' came out at an almost normal volume.

Hiashi bowed his head, "You saved Hinata's life. Whatever you and me daughter are now, whatever you may become in the future, you both have my… acceptance."

Before Naruto could respond, Hiashi quickly strode out of the hospital room.

* * *

After she had informed the others she was done, Sakura had left the hospital.

"I won't lose to you."

Sakura stopped when she heard Hinata address her.

"Hinata?" she was surprised by both the other kunoichi's unexpected appearance and her unusual statement, "What do you mean?"

"It's funny, everything has reversed. All those years he watched you, and you didn't notice him. Now, he's finally seeing me, and you have started to look at him."

"You think I like Naruto?" Sakura's counter was not as smooth as she would have liked, "You're wrong. He's just a friend, a team-mate."

Hinata frowned, "Then why interfere, just now?"

"Like I said at the time, I was just worried about you both. I did want Naruto to stain himself, or you to get hurt emotionally."

Hinata considered her carefully. Then she walked back towards the hospital.

"I won't lose to you," Hinata repeated, as she re-entered the medical center.

* * *

As Rock Lee regaled him with a blow-by-blow account of his battle with the demon, Naruto began to worry. Sakura and Sasuke already knew about the Kyubi. And by his tale, Lee hadn't figured it out. But, what about Neji? And how much had Hinata seen and heard in her injured state? She had already said she was aware of at least some of what had occurred.

His fears were at least partially confirmed when Lee had exited and Neji Hyuga entered. The blond Genin had not expected his rival. But Neji had not stayed long.

"It seems I am in your debt, again," the Hyuga Jonin had said, "And you needn't worry. I will keep your secret, even from my cousin."

Having said his peace, Neji left Naruto to think, and to fret.


	13. The Secret

**Chapter 13: The Secret**

Finally awake, and able to take solid food; Naruto's recovery hastened. The next morning, Naruto was feeling somewhat better, and tried to leave. But Tsunade put him in his place, pinning him to the bed and insisting he stay at least three more days. When he tried to protest, she offered to give him a reason to remain in the hospital longer. Seeing her face, he acquiesced.

Choji came to visit him that morning, bearing a box of snack foods. Of course, before he left, the chubby Chunin had consumed almost a quarter of the box himself. After lunch, Hinata had arrived with Shino and Kiba. After a few minutes of conversation, her teammates left Hinata alone with Naruto. Hinata was back to her usual self, and Naruto was not sure if he was more relieved or disappointed that she had not continued, or even acknowledged, their romantic interlude from the previous afternoon. Naruto, however, was uncomfortable, he felt guilty for keeping his secret from Hinata, and worried she knew. And even worse, how would she react when she knew?

When Naruto's dinner arrived, Hinata gracefully fled from the prospect of hospital food, promising to return the next day. For the first time since that fateful misunderstanding, Naruto was happy to see her go. With Hinata gone, the weight of his omission was lessened. When he finished eating, the teen found he was exhausted; and realized why the Hokage had insisted he remain.

Naruto awoke bored and full of energy again; but the Sannin's threat loomed in his mind and he stayed in bed. Sakura appeared in the middle of the morning, accompanied by Sai. The newest member of team 7 presented Naruto with his own odd version of a get well card; a highly detailed painting of a deathly pale Naruto being carried into the Hidden Leaf Village by Neji Hyuga. Naruto's dismay and embarrassment were tempered by another pang of guilt when he saw how distraught Hinata looked in the picture. He decided to tell Hinata the truth that very day.

Hinata arrived just before lunchtime, bearing food, a deck of cards, and Hanabi. His plans dashed, Naruto tried to act normal while the sisters entertained him.

Later that afternoon, Iruka and Anko came to check on Naruto, and the Hyuga girls left.

"Sister, Naruto was acting strangely, don't you think?" Hanabi asked shortly after they exited the hospital, "I don't think he wanted me there."

"No," Hinata sighed, "It wasn't you. He was the same yesterday. I fear I made a terrible mistake."

Hanabi gazed intently at her older sibling, waiting for her to elaborate.

"After Naruto woke up," Hinata continued after a few long moments, "I… I told him I love him. And then I tried to kiss him."

The young Genin's eyes went wide, and then she laughed, "Sister, I did not think you had it in you."

"But I promised Naruto I would not pressure him."

"You both promised to accept the other's feelings," Hanabi reminded her.

"But I still tried to kiss him. I was too forward, and now he feels uncomfortable."

"If that is true," the younger kunoichi sounded dubious, "Then talk to him about it, and try to go back to the way things were before."

Hinata simply nodded. She already knew that, but still had fears.

* * *

His weapons teachers had taken turns berating him. By the time they left, Naruto was ready to sleep. Which also had the added benefit of making the day of his release come quicker.

Before Naruto had finished breakfast on his third morning, Hinata had arrived, looking worried. She walked over to his bed without speaking, and sat down in the chair, staring at him.

"Naruto, I…"

"Hinata, what…"

Both started speaking at the same time and stopped at the same time, from embarrassment and to allow the other to continue. But neither continued, and the anxious silence returned. After almost a minute, Hinata opened her mouth again, but she was interrupted when the door opened again.

Kakashi walked in the room, then paused when the palpable tension hit him.

"Hi, Hinata," the Jonin greeted her, "I should have guessed you would be here. Umm… I need to talk to Naruto, alone. Could you maybe come back after lunch? That's when the Hokage said Naruto will be released."

She nodded, and hurried from the room, glad for the excuse.

"That was awkward," Kakashi noted, "Did something happen between you two?"

"No… But I've been feeling bad that I haven't told Hinata about the Kyubi. I think she's noticed, and is worried."

"Anyway," Naruto's eyes narrowed, "Are you here to lecture me too?"

"No," the Copy Ninja grinned, "I think you probably got enough of that from Iruka, Anko, and Tsunade, and unless I miss my guess, Hinata and Sakura."

Kakashi set down, and explained, "Lady Tsunade asked me to interview the five of you about your little adventure. You're the last. And as your teacher, I'm curious about some of the things the others have said. So let's hear your version."

Naruto recounted the tale as he remembered it. In this version, he destroyed a few more zombies, and managed to avoid all of Sasuke's attack, but Kakashi let the minor embellishments slide. He was after more important information.

The blond Genin faltered when he described the attack that nearly killed Hinata.

"You can skip that, if you wish," the teacher offered, "I already got a detailed description from Sakura. I want to know what happened next. Neji said your chakra and the fox's chakra mixed."

"Yeah," Naruto turned thoughtful, "Back then, the fox offered to let me use her power for free. She seemed as angry as I was. I ignored it at the time, but now it seems odd to me. Why would the Kyubi be angry over Doraku attacking Hinata?"

'She… her…' Kakashi considered that change in nomenclature a moment, before answering, "You said the Fox Spirit already knew this vampire, Doraku, and did not like him. And the Kyubi is not known to have a calm personality. I suspect… she… was already enraged, and you only noticed when you became angry too."

Naruto's eyes narrowed in thought, and he frowned, but he finally nodded, "That makes sense."

"And then you used a new transformation jutsu. Neji also noticed you used a different hand sign in that jutsu."

"Yeah," Naruto suddenly became anxious. He configured his hands to show his mentor.

At first glance, it resembled the dragon seal. Unlike the dragon, only Naruto's first two fingers were laced, with both of the bottom digits extended. And instead of curled and together, his thumbs were separated, and sticking straight up. After a moment of examination, Kakashi understood.

"Naruto, is that…"

"Yeah," Naruto admitted, "It's the 'fox' hand sign. But I haven't been able to use the Ascendant Fox Jutsu since. I've tried. And I can't do the Fuuton or Raiton Rasengan alone, either. I need clones again."

"And that other new jutsu," Kakashi masked his relief carefully.

"The Blood Clone Jutsu?" Naruto clarified, "I guess it's new, but that wasn't the first time I used it. Only the first time I used it in front of other people. I've been working on it like you suggested. Using blood for the base makes the clones more stable, and almost as tough as the original. And thanks to the link between blood and chakra, I always get all my energy back from the clones. Unfortunately, it does take more chakra to form the blood clones."

'A jutsu only someone with your regenerative powers and high level of chakra could use effectively,' Kakashi thought to himself, "Well, what happened next?"

Naruto finished the tale of his one sided battle with the demon, and healing Hinata. Kakashi asked him a few more questions, and then stood up to leave.

"I hope the Hokage releases you," the Jonin offered, "We have a mission tomorrow, and it won't be the same without you."

Then just before he exited, he stopped.

"Oh, one more minor thing," Kakashi pretended to remember a minor detail, "When Hinata defeated the Tsukiyomi, did you notice anything unusual?"

"Oh, I had forgotten that," Naruto nodded, his lips pursed, "Her eyes turned silver. Like real metal, not just grey. And then Doraku said something about truth eyes reflecting illusions."

"Alright. I'll see you tomorrow, Naruto."

* * *

Just after noon, Tsunade stopped in, and pronounced Naruto fit to leave. His excitement was tempered by the fact Hinata had not returned. He dressed slowly, still hoping she would appear. Finally, he left the hospital alone.

"Naruto."

Just outside the medical building, the voice he had wanted to hear stopped him. Hinata emerged from the hospital behind him, slightly out of breath.

"I thought I was too late," she said, "I… I need to talk to you. Will you come with me?"

He nodded, and followed her. His unease grew, if he truly meant to tell her, he was out of excuses. She led him back to the park were they had commiserated after becoming Tsunade's students. She found a bench in the wooded area, and sat. Naruto followed suit.

"I'm sorry, Naruto," she began to talk quickly, "I broke out agreement. I said 'I love you', and tried to kiss you. And now you're angry and uncomfortable. So please, forget it happened. Can we just go back to the way things were before?"

Her misunderstanding eased his burden slightly, enough for him to reassure her.

"Hinata, I'm not mad, and I don't want you to take it back. I might be unsure of my own feelings, but you don't have to hide yours. I may be trying to be a nice guy here, but I'm still a 15-year old, who spent way too much time around Jiraiya. There's no way I'd be upset about a hot girl trying to make out with me."

She blushed a little, and for a moment looked happy. But then she remembered the source of her fears.

"But the way you've been acting. This distance…"

"Is all me," he finished for her, "There's something I've kept from you, and its been weighing on me the last few days. But I've decided to tell you, no matter how you might react."

She stared at him with a different kind of apprehension. Naruto took a deep breath, and started to explain.

"I know why I was shunned and hated most of my life," he told her, "Though I only found out a few years ago, just before I became a Genin. I know why when you look at me through the Byakugan, you see two different colors of chakra. And I know why my mom apologized to me before she died."

Naruto lifted his shirt, and as a testament to both the gravity of the situation and her own personal growth, Hinata did not even blush. Naruto focused his chakra, and the 8 Trigram Divination Seal became visible across his stomach.

"The Nine-Tailed Fox, the calamity made flesh, the beast that killed my mother," Naruto felt a tremor from the demon at that, but ignored it, "is sealed inside me."

* * *

"I am still not comfortable with you knowing this," Hiashi Hyuga addressed Kakashi Hatake roughly, "No one in the Konohagakure is supposed to know this, outside of the Hyuga clan leaders and the Hokage. Even the Fourth Hokage was never informed, because the Third was still alive."

"The information is out there," the Sharingan user shrugged, "For those who want to put it together. Though I still don't have the whole story. I just know that there is a link between sealed demons and Kekkei Genkai."

"And you won't leave it alone, will you?" Tsunade observed Minato's apprentice.

"Not when it could impact my student," Kakashi's previous humor had faded.

"If we are going to tell him, I will have a blood oath of silence," Hiashi demanded.

"I thought I was done with blood oaths when I left the ANBU Black Ops," Kakashi groused.

"Unfortunately, I am inclined to agree with Hiashi," Tsunade answered, "This secret is too dangerous."

"Alright," the Jonin agreed. Kakashi removed his vest and shirt. He split his right thumb, and drew the kanji for Honor over his heart in blood.

"I, Kakashi Hatake, swear not to discuss, reveal, or use anything I know about the origins of Kekkei Genkai or the link between demons and bloodline traits; except with Hiashi Hyuga or the Hokage, or Naruto Uzumaki, should be coming necessary for him to know. Should I attempt to break this oath, I will lose all knowledge and memory of the taboo subjects."

The blood started to glow, and faded into his chest.

"Satisfied?" the Copy Ninja asked, dressing.

"I suppose that will do," Hiashi sighed. Tsunade smirked at his attitude.

"Then tell me all of it."

"First, tell us what you know," the Hokage instructed.

"Only the basics. That most, if not all, Kekkei Genkai were born out of demons sealed within humans. I don't know if there are other special circumstances, limitations, or the precise mechanics."

"Not all," Hinata's father muttered.

Tsunade turned back to the lord of the Hyuga, who sighed.

"During the First Ninja wars, some two hundred fifty years ago," he started at the beginning, "it was a common tactic to summon demons. Though many of the monsters could not be controlled, simply summoning one in the midst of the enemy could kill hundreds. The tactic was difficult to counter, because humans cannot kill demons, and summoning a second demon to battle to first was worse than suicide."

"Which is why after the war, demon summoning techniques were forbidden," Kakashi was familiar with the history.

"The only way to stop the demons was to seal them," Hiashi continued, "And humans were the vessels of choice. Humans were ideal for two reasons. The demon's host always gained at least a measure of the spirit's power, and when the human died, there was a chance the demon would die too."

"Not a large chance," Tsunade added, "and the longer the demon was trapped the better."

"So during the war, thousands of demons were confined in human bodies. And that was when they started to notice."

Hiashi stared at the floor, "Most of those with demon essences were taken over, or went completely insane. One in 30 remained more or less stable. And of those, less than one in twenty were as in control and mentally sound as Naruto is."

"And with the stable ones a few dozen melded completely. In time, the demon simply faded away, leaving the host's DNA permanently imprinted with the spirit's power and essence. That is the original of most Kekkei Genkai."

"Not all of them, there are those that can't be traced to a demon possession. Like the Sharingan. Madaras Uchiha was born into the Hyuga Clan, but was abandoned because he did not have the Byakugan. But somehow, he developed the Sharingan later."

"So that is why you are so worried about Naruto's chakra truly mixing with the Kyubi's, and the demon helping him," Kakashi concluded, "Just carrying the demon isn't enough, they have to truly join. But why would that be so bad?"

"After the First Ninja War, there was a demonic arms race," the Hokage explained, "The various clans and villages continued to seal away demons, hoping to give birth to another blood-line trait."

"Eventually the elders of the various groups came together," Hiashi noted, "and crafted a jutsu to erase this knowledge from the minds of all other ninja. They retained the information themselves, so they could prevent any future abuse."

"And then the Council of Shadows was convened," Tsunade concluded, "and the five Kage, along with three leaders of Kekkei Genkai clans became the guardians of the secret."

* * *

"The Fourth Hokage just wanted everyone to treat me normally. And the Third forbid anyone to talk about the demon. But people didn't see me, only the fox. Or they were afraid the Kyubi would break free. Though no one told their kids, the hatred rubbed off anyways. Even now, more people have accepted me; but there will always be those who hate me, and most others have a certain level of mistrust. And it isn't unearned; I have lost control before. When my normal chakra runs out, I tap the fox's power, and sometimes she has gained control of me."

"That's what your dad meant. If you are with me, they will probably view you the same way. And if the Kyubi takes over while I'm around you…"

Naruto almost told her he would understand if she did not want to spend time with him, he realized he would just be pressuring, taunting her to stay.

Hinata just looked at him, not saying anything. Then she took his hand, allowing his shirt to fall back into place.

"You are Naruto Uzumaki, ninja of the Hidden Leaf Village. No monster inside you will change that."

Then she hugged him, not in romance, but in comfort.

"You trusted me not to hurt you while in the control of a demon. I believe the same of you."

"Thank you, Hinata," Naruto whispered, returning her embrace.


	14. The Oceanside Mission Begins

**Chapter 14: Undercover or Vacation? The Oceanside Mission Begins**

"Is everyone here?" Tsunade asked. She looked around, tallying off the teen shinobi filling her office. Naruto took note of the 7 Chunin present. Tenten was standing next to Tsunade's desk, while Ino, Shikamaru, Choji, Rock Lee, Sakura, and Hinata stood against the wall. Also present were the newly promoted Iruka, and a twenty-something kunoichi. She had long purple hair and deep purple eyes. Naruto thought she looked familiar, but could not recall her name or where he had seen her before.

"We can begin then," the Hokage continued, "As you may know, Tenten has been on a mission for the past month. I can now tell you that she has been undercover, as a high school student. We have heard rumors of an attempt to kidnap the daughter of the Daimyo of the Land of Fire. So, Tenten was sent to pose as an exchange student. And sure enough, she was able to thwart an attempt to take the girl."

Their leader leaned forward with a fierce look, "But it turns out that the abduction Tenten stopped was not the real plan. Instead, it was one of the underlings, trying to kiss up to his boss. Unfortunately, he is too much of a peon to know who is orchestrating this crime, but he did know when the real kidnapping is to take place."

She leaned back again, with a slight grin, "The Daimyo's daughter is going on a school trip to Daikaiyo Villa in the Land of Waves. They will be outside the Land of Fire, and are not the only school visiting. All of you will be going undercover as Tenten's classmates. Iruka and Yugao will be leading the mission, and taking the role of your teaching chaperones."

"Does this really take ten ninja?" Shikamaru asked.

"Probably not," Tsunade agreed, "But this is politics. The fact that there was one attack means the threat is real. And this is the daughter of the ruler of our country, so a show of force and commitment is called for. Also, we need to send enough bodies to maintain the appearance of a real group of high school students on a trip."

"Then why not include Kiba, Neji, and Shino," Hinata asked.

"Kiba's clan markings are too obvious, and the hotel doesn't allow pets anyways. Neji has his cursed seal," Hinata flinched when the Sannin said that, "and there is a reason Shino is always covered from the neck down. All of you will need to pass as civilians, and without using jutsu. Which reminds me," she drew a small case out of her desk, and tossed it to Hinata.

"Colored contacts," the leader of the Konoha explained.

"Based on the skill of criminal we caught, this will probably be an easy mission," the Hokage offered, "And most of you are in need a vacation. Take turns watching the girl, but also get some rest and have some fun."

"And I shouldn't need to remind you of this, but it is an undercover mission, so no headbands, minimal weapons, and only civilian clothes and swimsuits."

Hinata's head jerked up at that, and she quickly hid a look of terror. But a certain sharp-eyed blond caught the reaction.

"You leave tomorrow afternoon, so you will need to be ready then. All of you are dismissed, except for Naruto and Iruka."

After the others had shuffled out, the Hokage addressed Naruto.

"Naruto, this is your first undercover assignment," she watched him with concern, "And to be honest, I'm not sure I trust you not to mess it up."

"So, you're gonna ask Iruka-sensei to keep an extra eye on me."

"Naruto," his teacher chided his lack of respect.

"No, that goes without saying," the Hokage grinned, "No I have a special mission for the two of you before you go."

"Really?" the Genin got excited, "What is it?"

"Iruka," she spoke to the Jonin instead, "I've seen Naruto's fashion sense. Or total lack thereof. Take him shopping, and make sure he has appropriate clothing for the week."

"Yes, ma'am," Iruka answered with a chuckle.

"Oh man, is that it?"

* * *

In the hall Hinata tentatively called, "Tenten?"

"What is it, Hinata?" the brown-eyed girl asked.

"Can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Sure."

Ino grabbed Sakura's arm as they rounded the corner, and stopped her romantic rival.

"Wha…" Haruno started to ask what Yamanaka what she was doing, but the blond kunoichi shushed her.

"Did you see Hinata back there?" Ino whispered, "I want to hear this."

"It's just…" Hinata was struggling to find the words, "I… umm… I don't have a swimsuit. I mean, I still have my academy swimsuit, but I don't think it will fit. And it has the Konoha Leaf on it…"

She fidgeted, "I've never bought a swimsuit before and…"

"This is the first time Naruto will see you in a suit, and you want to look nice," Tenten supplied. Hinata nodded and looked down at her feet.

"Hinata," Tenten took her arm with a smile, "It would be my honor to help you find a swimsuit that will knock Naruto's socks off."

"Thank you, Tenten."

"You know, I could use a new suit, too," Ino said conspiratorially. Looking at her face, Sakura knew what her competitive friend intended.

"Maybe we should leave them alone," the pink-haired kunoichi suggested, but her inner spirit shouted, "No way I'm letting Ino or Hinata look better than me!"

* * *

"Alright Hinata, what are your measurements?"

Naruto's head popped up above a pile of Hawaiian shirts, when he heard Tenten's voice across the store.

"My… my measurements?" Hinata stuttered, then quietly mumbled, "Ummm.. mmm…mmm, mmmm, mmm."

"5 feet, 5 and one half inches," Naruto answered under his breath, "103 pounds, 32B -24-33."

"What was that, Naruto?" his escort asked.

"Oh, nothing, Iruka-sensei," the teen hid his face from his teacher.

"Did you find anything?"

"No, they're all pretty ugly," Naruto lied, "I'm gonna go over there and look at sandals."

Naruto slid silently across the store, hiding behind various racks of clothing. Then he saw the two kunoichi, standing in front of the swimsuits. Each was wearing a loose fitting shirt and shorts, to facilitate changing clothes. And Hinata was blushing furiously.

Naruto was torn. His hormones and Jiraiya's training both urged him to get closer. But his respect for Hinata told him to leave. Then Tenten held up a bikini for Hinata's consideration, and any thoughts of leaving were abandoned.

"Oh, no, I don't think," Hinata stammered looking at the slight two-piece.

"Ok, the maybe too much to start," Tenten acknowledged, putting the suit back, "Hmm, this one is my size."

"5'7", 98 lbs, 30A -24-30," Naruto mumbled instinctively.

* * *

"So what are we going to work on first?" Naruto asked. Upon arriving at Jiraiya's mansion, the young Genin had not even bothered to settle in before begging his new sensei to start their training.

"Settle down, Naruto," the Toad Sage waved his hands to emphasize. Then his face twisted in a perverted grin, and a gleam appeared in his eye.

"Alright, Naruto," Jiraiya proclaimed imperiously, "I'm going to teach you one of my most important techniques. The ability to properly size up any opponent."

* * *

Of course, rather then teach the boy how to evaluate another ninja's Taijutsu or chakra levels, the pervert had instead drilled Naruto until the young Genin could tell any woman's measurements at a glance. Already familiar with the female form from his Sexy Jutsu, now only the bulkiest of clothes could conceal a girl's figure from his piercing blue eyes.

Tenten set aside the green bikini she had chosen for her self, and took down a lavender tankini and mid-shorts combo for Hinata to try.

"Hinata, Tenten," a loud voice called across the store. Ino's greeting was full of false warmth and sharp jealousy.

"It looks like great minds really do think alike," she simpered as she sauntered over, "If we want to fit in with normal students, we'll need new swimsuits before our 'vacation'."

She looked at the swimsuit Tenten had handed to Hinata, and smirked, "I didn't think that was exactly your style, Hinata."

The Hyuga princess's eyes narrowed. She snatched up the string bikini Tenten had first offered her, and strode proudly into the dressing room.

"So Sakura and I were talking…" Ino suddenly realized she was alone, "Where is Sakura?"

'Uh-oh,' the Genin knocked over a stack of sandals as a panic gripped him. As he bent over to pick up the footwear, he felt a sudden, murderous intent pushing down on him.

"NA-RU-TO," Sakura growled. When he looked up, he could have sworn he could see fire in the kunoichi's eyes.

"Are you spying on Hinata and Tenten? Trying to see them changing?" Sakura demanded, raising her fist to prepare to wallop him.

"NO," Naruto insisted, "Grandma Tsunade sent me here with Iruka to buy new cloths for the mission. She doesn't think I have anything suitable to wear."

His answer was both honest and plausible. Sakura turned, and caught sight of their teacher looking at shirts. Some of her anger faded, and was replaced by equal parts doubt.

"Then what are you do looking at them?" she lowered her hand slightly, but did not stop glaring at him.

"I was over here looking for flip-flops, when I heard Ino shouting, and naturally I looked."

"Alright," Sakura nodded. Then she grabbed a pair of blue sandals in his size and thrust them into his hands, "These will be fine for you."

Then she grabbed Naruto's collar, and dragged him back to Iruka.

"Sensei, you lost something," she said, dropping Naruto next to the newly minted Jonin.

"Oh, thank you, Sakura," Iruka eyed Naruto suspiciously.

"Please keep him over here, ok?" she requested.

"Naruto, what were you doing?" the teacher asked after Sakura left.

"I was just trying to see what kind of swimsuit Hinata is going to pick out," the Genin answered defensively.

"Naruto, you'll get to see Hinata's new swimsuit plenty over the next week," Iruka lectured, "You need to show some more respect."

"Come on sensei, don't you want to see what kinds of tastes those girls have."

"First off," Iruka answered, "They are all my students. Second, I have respect for women."

And then he trailed off, mumbling under his breath, "And if she heard I was looking at teenaged kunoichi, I probably wouldn't survive."

"'She'," Naruto's ears twitched, then he smirked at his teacher, "'She' who, Iruka-sensei?"

"Lady Tsunade," Iruka tried to cover his deception with a cough, "The Hokage charged me with undoing Master Jiraiya's influence on you. Now, come on, let's hurry up and get out of here."

"Fine," Naruto grumbled, trying catch a glimpse of the kunoichi as he picked out shirts.

* * *

Naruto was the first in front of the Ninja Operations building the next morning. He wore a simple blue shirt and khaki shorts. He set his overstuffed backpack on the ground, and sat down next to it to wait. He did not have to wait long before Hinata joined him.

"Good morning, Naruto," she offered, placing her bag next to his.

"Hey, Hi… WOW!" Naruto turned to look at the girl, and his greeting was interrupted by his exclamation of amazement. The kunoichi wore a simple yellow camisole sundress, fitted tightly on top, and flaring at the waist down to just above her knees. Her hair was pulled back in a loose braid, highlighting the shape of her face. She blushed slightly under his amorous gaze.

"What do you think?" she twirled to give him the full view, then asked, "Will I pass for normal?"

"No," Naruto answered is if the question was foolish, and Hinata blanched. Then he grinned and continued, "You look way better than 'normal'."

She blushed again and smiled, "You don't look so bad yourself."

Naruto was surprised and happy when he realized Hinata was flirting with him. Then he noticed something else.

"Hinata, your eyes…"

"Oh, I'm wearing the contacts Lady Tsunade gave me," then she looked a little worried, "Do they look alright? Are they straight?"

"I like your real eyes better, but blue isn't bad."

Hinata carefully tucked her dress under as she sat next to him. She continued to regard him with a happy grin.

Sakura arrived next, garbed in a pink tank top and blue jean shorts. She looked at the two ninja with a touch of annoyance.

"Good morning. I should have guessed you two would be the first here," she said, then Inner Sakura added, 'Or rather Naruto would be the first one here, and Hinata would be trailing after.'

"Have either of you two been to the beach before?" Hinata asked as Sakura settled in across from them.

"On missions," Naruto answered, "But I've never had a vacation before."

"Oh, of course," Hinata's joy diminished at her faux pas.

"Same here," Sakura answered, regarding Naruto with veiled pity, "My family never went to the ocean. How about you Hinata?"

"Just once, not long after Hanabi was born," Hinata offered, "I don't remember it well."

The trio lapsed into silence. Before long, Rock Lee appeared, and then Tenten. The young shinobi started to talk about what they had heard about the resort, and what they hoped to do. Naruto grew more excited by the minute, only barely noticing when Yugao, Ino, Choji, and finally Shikamaru arrived.

"Oohhh! I can't wait," Naruto leapt to his feet suddenly, "Lets get going!"

He started walking west, until he noticed no one else was moving and that they were all staring at him.

"What?"

"Naruto, Iruka-sensei is not here yet," Hinata offered. Shikamaru placed his hand to his forehead in dismay.

"Hey, idiot," the lackluster genius stabbed his finger into his palm to emphasize, "You don't think we're walking all the way to the Land of Waves, do you?"

"Why not? I've done it before."

"Civilian high school students don't have the speed or stamina of ninja," Sakura explained, "They wouldn't travel to the resort on foot."

"Iruka is getting our transportation," Yugao informed them, "And unless I miss my guess, there he is now."

The teens heard a low rumbling, and a 20-foot bus rolled into the square. The younger shinobi gawked, but Yugao just walked over to the automobile.

"A bus? Where did it come from?" Naruto darted around the conveyance, examining it.

"The Konoha keeps a small number of vehicles on hand for missions," Iruka told him, "Automobiles are expensive and rare, but certain governments and companies are starting to make more use of them. Schools in the Lands of Fire and Earth use buses to ferry students, both for safety and speed."

He opened the storage compartment.

"Stow your luggage and get on board," the male Jonin instructed, "We need to roll out."

The ninja threw their bags in the bus, and then boarded. Naruto slid into one of the benches and reclined.

"Ah, traveling in style," the others grinned and chuckled in agreement.

"Hey, Iruka-sensei," Naruto sat back up and looked at his teacher, "Where'd you learn to drive?"

"All Chunin who are of legal age are taught to drive," Yugao answered for him.

"Do Lee and Tenten know how to drive?" Ino asked.

"No, you must be 20 to drive," Lee's response was disappointed, "Not merely an adult."

"Everyone sit down," Iruka instructed, "We're leaving."

* * *

"…and then the gas explodes, pushing the first piston down and the second piston up. That pulls more gas into the first piston, and puts the second piston in place. Then the process repeats," Hinata explained.

"Huh," Naruto looked amazed, "That's really cool. How do you know about engines, Hinata?"

"Oh, I saw inside one with the Byakugan on a mission. It was so strange, with so many moving parts," she told him, "I was curious, so when we got back I started to read up on automobiles."

"Hinata and Naruto are sure getting close," Ino moved next to Sakura, and whispered conspiratorially.

"So?" Sakura snapped under her breath

"So, you don't seem too happy with the situation," Ino observed her rival intently.

"I don't care if Naruto and Hinata are friends."

"And if they're more than friends?" Ino insinuated.

"I'm not letting you have Sasuke," the pink-haired Kunoichi suddenly stated, still keeping her voice down. But her attempt to turn the conversation back on Ino failed.

"If you still want him, he's yours," she snorted, "Brooding, angsty loners might be my type, but murderous, revenge-obsesses traitors are not. I moved on."

"But, Naruto," Ino needled again, "Who'd have thought he'd turn out like this? He used to be short, inept, and annoying. Now he's tall, talented, and reliable. If I thought I stood a chance, I might make a play for him myself."

Sakura turned to look out the window with a grunt of disgust.

'First Hinata, now Ino,' she thought, 'why do they think I have feelings for Naruto? I mean, of course I have feelings for him, he's my teammate and friend. But not romantic feelings. Not for that knucklehead. How could I?'

* * *

As they boarded the bus after their brief stop for lunch, Naruto waited to get on last.

"Can I sit up here with you, Yugao-san?" Naruto asked, "It's just, I've never moved this fast before when I wasn't under my own power, and I wanted to see what it looks like out the front."

"Yugao-sensei," she corrected, "you must remember to call me that at the resort. And yes, you may join me."

Naruto slid into the other front seat. But instead of looking out the windshield, he found himself glancing at the female Jonin. Yugao frowned at the attention.

"I got it!" Naruto suddenly shouted. Eight sets of eyes turned to stare at him, and Iruka had a hard time keeping his eyes on the road.

"I remember where I've see you before," Naruto told Yugao, "You were sitting with Kakashi-sensei at the memorial service for the Third Hokage and the others who died in the invasion."

"Yes," Yugao seemed relieved, "yes, I was."

Satisfied with his recollection, Naruto went back to watching their course. And the former member of the ANBU Black Ops was relieved that was the only reason for his interest.

"So, how do you know Kakashi-sensei?"

The Jonin kunoichi blanched.


	15. The Daimyo's Daughter

**Chapter 15: The Damiyo's Daughter**

They arrived at the resort early the next morning. Two other buses were already parked behind the hotel; one empty, and the other in the process of unloading. The Konoha ninja disembarked, and began to remove the bags.

"Alright!" Naruto shouted, "Time to hit the beach!"

The blond Genin started to run towards the ocean, but Iruka caught him by his belt.

"Check in and breakfast first," the teacher instructed, stifling a yawn, "Then we can talk about activities."

"Oh man," Naruto deflated as the others continued to gather their belongings.

"TENTEN!" a feminine voice shouted from the other bus. A teenage girl ran over, and embraced the weapons expert. She had vivid orange hair flowing just below her shoulders and deep grey eyes. Her face and figure drew looks of wonder from Lee and Choji, and jealousy from Sakura and Ino. Neither Naruto nor Shikamaru were impressed, both sensed something in the way she carried herself.

"What are you doing here?" the girl stepped back.

"I told you I'd see you again soon, Nyoko," Tenten answered, smiling at the other student.

"But I didn't think this soon," Nyoko punched her in the arm, "You knew you were coming here."

Tenten shrugged, with a knowing grin.

"So, these must be your classmates," the girl turned her attention to the other undercover ninja, "So which one is the boyfriend you spoke so highly of?"

Tenten coughed, as her companions looked at her.

"Uh, none of them," Tenten answered sheepishly, "He couldn't make it. He had to take remedial math over the break."

* * *

Neji Hyuga sneezed violently.

"Are you alright, Neji?" Gai asked grandiosely.

"I am fine, Gai-sensei."

* * *

"I'm starting to doubt he exists," the orange-haired girl squinted at Tenten. Then she broke off the gaze with her own shrug.

"Well, then, introduce me to your friends," Nyoko ordered.

"This is Ino, Sakura, Hinata, Lee, Shikamaru, Choji, and Naruto. And our teachers Iruka and Yugao."

Nyoko walked down the line, shaking each of their hands, and openly appraising each. She offered Hinata a kind smile and a nod. The civilian also nodded at Sakura, but this time her grin carried a hint of challenge. When Nyoko shook Ino's hand, the grip lasted a little longer, and the each girl's face tightened. Taking Lee's hand, her face showed disapproval at she looked at his hair and eyebrows. Similarly, Shikamaru's bored expression and weak handshake seemed to offend her. But both Choji and Naruto appeared to meet her approval, she gave each a pleased, almost lecherous assessment.

"Nyoko," one of her teacher's shouted, "Come collect your bags, so we can go register."

"Fine," she yelled back. Then she gave Tenten a sad smile, "I'll find you later Tenten."

After she left, Yugao fixed a stern eye on Tenten.

"You did not report that you had cultivated a relationship with her," the Jonin said evenly.

"She approached me," the kunoichi explained, "It would have blown my cover if I hadn't tried to make friends with my classmates."

"Then that was…" Shikamaru asked.

"Nyoko Honokata, daughter of Hisoka Honokata, daimyo of the Land of Fire," Iruka confirmed.

"She seems like a hassle," Shikamaru commented.

"Not the word I would have used," Ino scowled.

"She's not that bad," Tenten countered. The others looked at her in doubt.

"On the surface she has it all. Money, power, looks. She's in the top ten at her school for both athletics and academics," the brown-eyed kunoichi explained, "But she's had a very sheltered life. For most of her childhood, she was confined to the palace, and not allowed to do most things for herself. She and her mother had to beg her father to let her attend a public high school. This is only the third time she's been allowed to leave the capital, and the first time she hasn't been surrounded by a hundred guards."

Tenten looked over at the princess again, "She's trying very hard to be a normal girl. And that's why we are here, right?"

Hinata and Naruto both nodded, and the others smiled.

* * *

"Finally!" Naruto burst out the double doors of the hotel. He wore orange swim trunks with a blue stripe up the sides, and the sandals Sakura had chosen for him. Halfway to the shore, he unceremoniously tossed down his towel. He charged into the ocean, and once he was up to his waist, dove forward. He erupted back out of the surf, and turned back to his companions.

"Come on, guys," he shouted, "What's the hold up?"

Choji shook his head, and Shikamaru scowled in mock dismay.

"Maybe we should wait for the girls," Lee suggested. A goofy, lecherous smirk crossed Naruto's face. He returned to the beach, spread his towel across the sand, and sat down to wait. But he would not have to wait long.

Ino strode out of the hotel first. She was barely clad in a black triangle top string bikini and matching brazilian bottom. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail, and her eyes shone with confidence and promise. Wolf whistles and catcalls crossed the beach, and the proud beauty drank them in.

Sakura followed closely behind her rival. She wore a red camisole tankini, cropped an inch above her navel, boy shorts in the same color with a front tie string, and a scowl. She was angry at Ino's brazen display, and that Yamanaka had gone back later and purchased a different swimsuit. But some observers, including Naruto, found Sakura's modest suit more attractive than Ino's shameless display.

Tenten and Yugao walked out together. The tallest and slenderest of the teenage Chunin was garbed in a forest green, front-tie halter-top and mid-cut brief bottom, complimented by a tan sarong. The 25-year old Jonin wore a white one piece, with high cut legs, and a neckline that plunged to her bellybutton, held together across her bosom by crisscrossing straps. A small part of Naruto's brain recorded her sizes for later, but most of him held his breath as the door swung outwards again.

Hinata exited the hotel slowly, radiating nerves. She was carrying a rattan bag with both hands, so her arms covered part of her body. She wore a two-tone blue one piece, mostly a deep sky blue, but turquoise around her hips and neckline. The suit was high cut around her legs, and scoop necked, showing more cleavage than Hinata had ever displayed before. The cloth was tight across her toned stomach, displaying the outline of her umbilicus.

Naruto found he couldn't take his eyes off her. As if drawn by his gaze, she met his eyes across two hundred feet of sand. Suddenly, the other students checking her out did not matter. The terror vanished from her face and she released the tote with her left hand, no longer hiding behind her limbs.

The kunoichi crossed the beach to their companions. Sakura, Hinata, Yugao, and Tenten moved quickly, but Ino sauntered slowly, gaining an admiring entourage. When the first four women reached their male teammates, Yugao asked, "Where is Iruka?"

"He was tired after the drive," Shikamaru answered significantly, "He'll be out after a short nap."

"Orange," Sakura smirked at Naruto, "I should have known."

"Right back at you, red," he grinned back.

Hinata walked between them, and the deliberately turned to set her bag down, displaying the back of her suit to Naruto. It had a large, oval cutout, displaying ample amounts of her smooth, toned back. She colored slightly when she realized where his eyes had landed, but she forced herself to continue. She dug in the bag, and removed a small tube.

"Naruto, could you… um… get my back?" she looked up at him, extending the sunscreen, "I can't reach."

Sakura turned way so they would not see her roll her eyes, but Tenten winked at Hinata and gave her a thumbs up.

"Oh, sure," Uzumaki took the lotion, and Hyuga stretched out on his blanket to give a steady platform. Naruto knelt quickly next to Hinata. He spread some of the oil on his hands, and gently rubbed it into her exposed, pale skin.

"The rest of you should be sure to put on sun block, too," their 'teacher' prompted. The others complied, but Rock Lee was disappointed the Sakura sought Tenten's assistance instead of his help. And Ino allowed two of her new friends to apply lotion to her back.

"OK," Naruto looked at his friends, sounding exasperated, "Now that everyone's here, let's do something. Swimming, surfing, volleyball; heck, we could even build a sandcastle!"

"Build a sandcastle?" Ino scoffed, "What are you, five?"

"No," he snapped back, "I never got to be five."

For a second, all of the teens looked away in guilt.

"Come on, Shikamaru," Naruto pressed, "Carefully piling sand, shaping the base, slowly building a perfect structure."

"That does sound right up my alley," the sedentary planner admitted, "Why n…"

"HEY, where are you guys going?" Ino suddenly shouted as most of her admirers broke off and rushed back to the hotel entrance. Nyoko Honokata sashayed through the gaggle of teen boys, her smile only slightly self-righteous and vindictive. She glanced knowingly at Ino, bring her hand to her mouth accent her chuckle. Her leopard print bikini consisted of a strapless bandeau top and high-cut briefs. She strutted across the beach, and spread out her towel not fifteen feet from Ino.

"It's so hot," Nyoko whimpered seductively, "I'm already parched."

"DRINKS!" the cry spread through the hormone driven throng, and half of them raced madly to the various vendors dotting the coastline.

"There's an open court," Tenten pointed, "How about a few games of volleyball before lunch?"

The other's all agreed, from Naruto's enthusiastic shout, to Shikamaru's blasé nod. Except for Ino. When the others turned to look at her, she looked down at her suit, chagrined; than scowled.

"No, thanks," she waved then off, "Running and jumping around the sand? Count me out. Besides, I haven't lost this battle yet."

Tenten shrugged, but Choji looked at his teammate in concern, and a touch of pity.

"Yugao-sensei, you have to play then," Tenten reached down and pulled up the Jonin, "So the teams will be even. We can play boys vs. girls."

"OK," Shikamaru grinned at his teammates, feeling assured of their victory. He could not have been more wrong.

Tenten took the ball, and stepped into the server's box marked on the sand by cloth barrier staked down. She leapt high into the air, and smacked the ball hard in a skillful, overhand serve. The ball passed right by Naruto, who was focused entirely on Hinata. Shikamaru scowled as he tossed the ball back. The weapons expert served again, and this time Choji got under the sphere. He bumped it clumsily back over the net. But Yugao was waiting, and she spiked the ball hard at Lee. Unlike Naruto, the other member of Team Gai tried to intercept the ball. Unfortunately, he was too busy staring at Sakura, and trying to hide the fact; and he also let the target hit the ground. The rest of the first match played out the same. Yugao and Tenten had obviously played the game before; and their skills, combined with the distraction of the boys, lead the girls to an easy victory.

Ino upped the ante by turning onto her stomach, and undoing the ties on her top, supposedly to avoid tan lines but truthfully because it drew much of the mob back to her. The daimyo's daughter countered by 'accidentally' squirting too much suntan oil across her tight stomach, and pleading for help cleaning it up. Before Ino could make her next move, the battle completely changed.

The hotel doors opened again, and the eyes of every person on the beach where drawn to the portal against their will. Amusingly, this allowed the male shinobi to score their first point. The new beauty had pure, white hair, trailing loose to the middle of her back. Her bright green eyes spoke of innocence without naiveté. She was tall, almost Naruto's height; and her limbs were long, slender, and well muscled. Her curves were without a doubt the most outstanding on the beach, a fact her swimsuit amply displayed. It was arguably a one-piece, consisting of a high-cut brief bottom, with two thin straps extending like suspenders out the briefs, barely covering her breasts, and tying behind her neck. Unlike Ino or Nyoko she didn't seem to crave the attention that was focused on her, but also unlike Hinata or Sakura, she did not seem opposed to the stares.

The crowds around the princess and the kunoichi melted away, and merged around the new teen. Even Naruto started to drift towards her, until the Kyubi let out an annoyed and jealous bark. The Genin froze, and then shook out his head as if waking from a strange dream. The interlude lit a fire under the male shinobi. Their focus restored, they were only out-scored two to one in the second game. Ino and Nyoko were left alone fuming, until the princess was approached again.

A young man, best described as a giant, ambled up to Nyoko. He was closer to seven feet than six, and had a bodybuilder's physique. His head was shaved, except for a short green mohawk and ponytail. He leaned over the potential ruler of the Land of Fire; blocking her sun, and leering lecherously.

"So, honey, how about if I keep you company now?" he grunted suggestively. She finally looked up at him, with obvious disgust.

"No, thanks," she answered witheringly. But her disdain only amused him.

"What, you got a better offer?" he looked around, reinforcing the fact that he was the only one present, "Besides, I'm worth any three of those losers who were fawning over you before."

"Just go away," Nyoko told him, with a touch of distrust. His sneer turned into a snarled, and he grabbed her arm.

"Listen, girl, on this beach you'd be lucky to rate in the top ten. I'm doing you a favor," he started to pull her up, and she let out a loud, "Ow."

"So be my arm candy for the afternoon, and maybe I'll give you a prize tonight."

"Leave her alone," Naruto growled behind the muscleman. The bully looked back, and then frowned in confusion.

"Get lost, kid."

"I said, leave her alone," the blond Genin took another step closer, into the large youth's personal space. The lothario looked down at Naruto with a snort of derision. He released Nyoko, and turned to face the princess's champion. He put his hand on the teen's chest, to push him down. But the shinobi was faster. He wrapped both hands around his opponent's wrist, and spun. Naruto boosted the jerk over his shoulder, and planted him lightly into the sand. The bully's face twisted in anger, and he quickly regained his feet. He raised his fist to strike Naruto; until he realized the boy's friends were also approaching, and the beach goddess and her followers had also taken notice.

"That will be enough," Iruka yawned, finally making his way through the crowd. The troublemaker glared at the authority figure, and then turned away with a harrumph.

"Not worth my effort," he kibitzed as he disappeared into the throng.

"Why did you do that?" Nyoko asked Naruto.

"I used to be short, and I got bullied a lot. So, I learned martial arts to defend myself."

"That is 'how' you did it. I want to know 'why'," she probed, "You did not seem to like me very much earlier."

"I really don't like bullies," he answered, "and besides, Tenten is friends with both of us, so we should be friends too, right?"

The daimyo's daughter digested that, and Naruto took the opportunity to escape back to the other Konoha agents.

"Well done, Naruto," Iruka offered quietly as his student passed.

"What?" Ino hissed under her breath, "He almost gave himself away! He used Taijutsu on that guy."

"If Naruto thought that was Taijutsu, I'd bust him back to the academy," Iruka countered.

"His form was terrible," Lee agreed, "And like a trained amateur, he set his opponent down instead of releasing him at the apex."

Naruto grinned, and Ino scowled as she settled back down. Iruka appeared to drift off to sleep again, and the others resumed their game. After a short period of deep thought, Nyoko walked over to Ino. The narcissistic kunoichi regarded their unknowing client with suspicion.

"He's right, you know," the orange-haired girl offered amicably, "There's no reason we shouldn't all be friends."

Then she dropped her voice, and continued in a conspiratorial tone, "And if we work together, we might be able to take her."

Both girls looked over at their mutual adversary. And Iruka groaned internally.

* * *

"Where is the girl?" a shadowy figure asked.

"I couldn't get her," the giant from the beach answered.

"You had the perfect distraction."

"Not that perfect," he complained, "Some kid interfered. He attacked me, and it attracted all kinds of attention."

"A bodyguard? Or a shinobi?"

"Probably not. He moved more like someone who attended a few martial arts classes. If there hadn't been other people watching, I could have taken him."

"Alright," the shadow reclined, calming, "I honestly did not expect you to succeed. This was to test the girl's defenses…"

* * *

After lunch, all the attending schools competed in a series of physical and mental challenges provided by the hotel. The Konoha ninja purposely restrained themselves, taking no better than third in any competition. Nyoko, however, lived up to Tenten's description, and lead her class to first or second place in most of the games.

After the contest, all of the students retired to the hotel for dinner. A low din filled the room from all the kids talking, and the Konoha teens eagerly discussed their first day at the beach. Not long after the first platter was placed on their table, the princess walked over to the ninja.

"Can I join you?" she asked.

"What about your classmates?" Shikamaru looked dubious.

"They're too busy gossiping about Ino and that platinum blond," she shrugged, masking her annoyance, "And we're not just here to view the meteor shower, we're supposed to be here to establish new connections with other schools."

"We would be honored to eat with you," Yugao told the girl. Nyoko sat down next to Tenten, and helped herself to one of the sandwiches. Only Tenten resumed speaking, the other shinobi all ate in an uncomfortable silence.

"OK, look," Nyoko sounded exasperated, "I'm guessing either Tenten or your teachers told you who I am. But just forget about that. I'm just a normal girl on her high school trip. Just treat me like anyone else."

The others looked distressed by their behavior, and began conversing again.

"…and after Sakura passed me, I thought you guys had us in the foot race," Nyoko admired, "If Hinata hadn't tripped, you would have won that one."

"I can't run on sand," Hinata lied with convincing embarrassment.

"Naruto, give me the pepper," Nyoko said suddenly. Naruto did not move, and his eyes narrowed slightly as he regarded her.

"What?" she glared back at him.

"If a 'normal' person asked me something in such a rude manner, I'd ignore them," he told her point-blank. The other ninja all froze, stunned by his gall and directness.

"Naruto, that's…" Iruka started to scold him.

"…right," Nyoko interrupted him. Her face switched from anger to contrition, "You are absolutely right, Naruto. I am sorry."

Then she forced a smile, "Will you please pass the pepper?"

"Sure," the daring Genin handed over the shaker with a grin.

"Thank you," the princess told him sincerely, and the rest of the table let out sighs of relief.

* * *

"So, we've only got a year and a half left," their guest said suddenly as the dessert trays were cleared, "Do you guys know what you're going to do after high school? Choji?"

The large Chunin was surprised, to be chosen first. He suddenly began chew more slowly, thoughtfully. Finally, he swallowed, took a deep, and answered.

"I guess I'll probably be a chef," he explained, "Food is one of my passions, and I'm a pretty good cook."

"Hmm, I can see that," Nyoko commented. Choji's face darkened, and she quickly elaborated, "Because you handled all the spices, sauces, and other condiments like a pro. Shikamaru?"

"Oh, I'll probably just take over the family ranch," his answer was bored.

"I hope to take over my sensei's dojo," Rock Lee did not wait for her to ask him.

"And what's your dream Naruto?"

"I'm gonna be the next Ho…" the blond boy began his trademark statement, but Hinata's eyes widened in fear, and Sakura started to get angry, and he managed to choke back the pronouncement.

"Err… honorable member of my father's profession," he finished weakly.

"What does your father do?" the princess seemed confused by his midstream disconnect.

"He was a writer," he answered, unconvincingly, "He wrote textbooks."

"Really?" both her face and voice showed she did not believe him, "Like what?"

Naruto grimaced. Then, he remembered all the times he lied to get out of trouble; the best storied always contain at least a grain of truth.

"My father didn't write textbooks," he admitted, "He wrote adult novels under a pen name."

"Adult novels? You mean…"

"Smut," Naruto said bluntly, "That's why I want to be an honorable writer. I don't want to write stuff like that, and I want to be able to use my own name, not hide."

"So, what did he write?" Nyoko asked slyly.

"No way I'm telling any of you," Naruto looked around at his friends.

"Alright, then I guess Sakura is next," the princess turned to the girls with amused disappointment.

"I've already started studying to be a doctor."

"Wow, that's pretty impressive," the girl was genuinely amazed, "What about you, Ino? Are you going to be a model like your mother?"

"How do you know who my mother is?" Ino snapped.

"I'd recognize that nose and those cheekbones anywhere. And other than the color, you have the same eyes and hair, too. Minako could have been the greatest model in the Five Nations, until she mysteriously quit the business nineteen years. But even now, her pictures are very popular."

"She didn't quit," Ino grew introspective, "After she moved to our town to marry my dad, she did some smaller, local gigs. That is, until she got pregnant. Now she just works in our flower shop. I think she still misses it."

"But no, I don't want to be a model; even if it would make her happy. I'll probably take over the family business, like Shikamaru."

"And Tenten wants to be a physical education teacher," Nyoko remembered, "Which leaves Hinata…"

"I don't know," the teen shrugged, "My father wants me to accept an arranged marriage and settle down. Which is the one thing I know I do not want."

"That sounds like me," Nyoko commiserated, "Life planned out for you, but it isn't what you want."

* * *

After the teens and teachers had demolished the platter of fruit topped cupcakes the waiter dropped, the ninja slowly drifted away, until only Nyoko and Ino were left. Though Lee remained close by, hidden.

"So, I think we should hit the boutique and see if we can get matching suits for tomorrow," the princess suggested.

"Actually, I was going to get something I could move around in," Ino apologized, "Maybe try surfing with the others."

"So you made your point?" Nyoko asked. Ino was surprised.

"So you noticed?" the blond asked the orange-haired girl.

"That you were watching Choji all day, making sure he was looking at you? Yeah, I noticed. I was considering making a play for him until I figured it out."

Then the daimyo's daughter added quietly, "I'd rather have another real friend than a guy right now…"

"Besides, there's always Naruto," she forced a smile, "So what's up between you two?"

"We've been friends for a few years, but I always used to be into someone else. Then I figured out the other guy was a jerk, and wasn't worth my time. After that, I noticed that Choji had changed. I made an overture, but he shot me down. I think he likes me, but he doesn't trust my feelings because of my past."

"So you want to make him jealous, and show him what he's missing," Nyoko smirked.

"Yup," Ino grinned mischievously.

* * *

Hinata paused on the second floor landing. Nyoko and her classmates had individual rooms on the second floor of the east wing, while the Konoha ninjas had two group rooms on the third floor. The observant young woman noticed the door to Nyoko's room was slightly open. She knew the daimyo's daughter was still on the first floor with her new partner in crime, so she activated her Dojutsu to get a better look.

"Choji!" she directed her voice up the stairs. Choji had been just ahead of her when she stopped, and he stuck his head over the railing.

"What?"

"There is someone in Nyoko's room. Someone wearing shinobi stealth gear!"

Choji leapt over the railing and, belying his girth, landed silently beside her. The pair padded quickly downs the hall. They paused outside the door, and Hinata looked through the wall.

"She's planting something. Her clothes are laced with chakra, so I can't see through them…"

Then Choji's stomach let out a loud burble. The intruder's head shot up, and she darted out the window.

"Come on," Choji tore open the door, "We can't let her get away."

The two ninja jumped out the window, landing just behind the intruder. The disguised kunoichi took off towards the forest, and the Konoha duo followed.

"Choji, I need your back," Hinata exclaimed.

"Huh?" the larger Chunin grunted in confusion, but partial understanding dawned when she leapt onto his back. He leaned forward, and wrapped one of his hands behind to give her a somewhat steady platform. She bit her thumb and spread the blood to her other digits, before placing her hand on his back.

"Summoning Jutsu," Hinata whispered, and Choji nearly tripped as Sol appeared on his back.

"Sol, there was a ninja in Lady Nyoko's room. Choji and I are in pursuit. Find Naruto and the others, and tell them. But don't let the civilians see you."

"Right away, Lady Hinata," the white furred rodent hopped down, and scrambled back towards the hotel. Hinata also skipped back to the grass, and resumed her pace beside Akimichi.

"Thank you."

"That was a good idea," Choji complimented, "But where's the other one? Kiba said you always have two squirrels."

"I purposely restricted the flow of chakra, so Luné could not follow. I was afraid both of them together would knock you down."

He nodded, and they lapsed into silence to save their breath. After a few long minutes, Hinata spoke again.

"Stay behind her," she counseled, "I'm going to try and cut her off."

'Fool,' their opponent thought, as Hinata pealed off to the right. She veered to the left, deeper into the forest. But before she could travel to far down her chosen path, she had to stop as a tree branch snapped out in front of her. Skidding under the limb, she came to a halt just in front of Hinata.

"Fine," she growled, launching a punch at the Hyuga scion. Hinata dodged, and fired back. After a brief exchange, Choji appeared between the trees, and the prowler tried to escape again. Hinata attempted the grab her, but the shinobi slipped between her fingers. The young kunoichi managed to snag the trespasser's mask. The woman's head snapped back, and she tried to twist out of Hyuga's grip. All she managed to do was loosen the veil enough for Hinata to pull it free. Lustrous white hair, tied in a ponytail and tucked into her shirt, shone in the twilight. And her wide green eyes regarded the two Chunin with annoyance.

"You!" Choji instantly recognized the girl who had trumped Ino and Nyoko that morning.

"I guess it's come to this," she frowned, and flashed the signs for a jutsu.

"Ninja Arts: Infinite Infatuation Jutsu!" A mass of pink mist emerged from her lips, and wrapped around Choji. The young man's eyes went blank, and his mouth opened in a loopy grin.

"Choji, darling," the opposing ninja simpered, "I need to leave now, but Hinata won't let me. Will you please stop her for a few minutes? Don't hurt her if you don't have to, but don't let her follow me, OK?"

The size altering ninja turned on his friend. Hinata took a step back, and put her hands together.

"I can do this," she whispered under her breath, "Please, work."

She held her breath and focused her power. Unseen under her contacts, her eyes turned silver.

"Absorption," she incanted, activating the second power of the Suigin Byakugan. The Genjutsu detached itself from Choji, and the cloud flowed into Hinata.

'How did she do that?' the enemy ninja pondered, 'I guess it doesn't matter, this works just as well.'

"Hinata, honey, can you stop Choji for m…" her request was cut short when Hinata punched her hard in the stomach.

"You're not my type," Hinata growled. Then she copied Doraku, using the Gentle Fist and Ranshinsho together to disable their opponent's chakra and nervous systems at the same time. She rapidly tapped the kunoichi's arms and shoulders, before finally hitting each ankle once.

"I have completely disabled your arms, and if you try to run on those feet, you will almost certainly trip," Hinata informed the intruder coldly, "So you have two options. You can walk back with us, or we can knock you unconscious and carry you back."

Unable gesture, the defeated woman sighed in acceptance and nodded once.


	16. From the Mist: Ally or Enemy?

**Chapter 16: From the Mist: Ally or Enemy? **

Nyoko had returned to find both her door and window wide open. Understandably shaken, she asked Tenten to stay the night with her, and the slender kunoichi complied. Lee stood watch outside her door at Tenten's request.

The remaining Konoha shinobi had gathered in the men's room with their prisoner. The all stood around the attractive teen, who sat with her legs folded under her, and her arms tied behind her at both the wrist and the thumb. She appeared unconcerned that she by her capture.

"Just who the heck are you?" Naruto demanded, "And why were you in Nyoko's room?"

The captured Kunoichi smiled gently at him, but did not answer.

"Her name is Kaede Mizuno," Yugao said, "She is a Hunter-Nin from the Kirigakure."

Both Shikamaru and Iruka blinked at this, recognizing the name.

"She wasn't wearing a Hunter's Mask," Choji noted, "Just a normal shinobi hood."

"She doesn't wear a mask," the violet-eyed woman told them, "She is called 'The Face', because she does not wear a mask. Her looks are her greatest weapon. She uses seduction and deception, and counts on her enemies underestimating her."

Kaede turned her attention to Yugao, staring concertedly at the purple-haired Jonin. She carefully examined the eldest Kunoichi's figure and stance, until finally a realization filled her face. Her eyes drifted to Yugao's right shoulder, and displayed mild surprised at finding it unmarked. The Mist ninja smirked and looked down at the floor.

"But that doesn't explain why she is here," Ino said harshly, obviously still bearing a grudge.

"I suppose you could say it is both the same reason you are here, and the opposite reason," their prisoner finally spoke, "You are here to protect the Daimyo's daughter, and I am here to capture the kidnapper. Which is a good thing for you."

The hunter suddenly brought her arm back to the front of her body, the makeshift shackles falling to the floor. She rubbed her wrists to restore circulation, and gazed cannily at the Leaf ninja.

"There doesn't seem to be any point in keeping this secret anymore. And it'll be better for all of us if you guys are prepared. So here's what I know."

"The leader of this group was one of ours," she told them, "A missing-nin from the Hidden Mist village. From what we have heard, he's been teaching the bandits he recruited basic Ninjutsu and Taijutsu. But that's not the worst of it. The real problem is who the rogue is. Although given the presence of Naruto Uzumaki, I guess it makes sense that the fourth and final of the Broken Swords would show up."

The Konoha ninja all tensed at the revelation, except for Naruto, who looked lost.

"What do I have to do with this?" he could barely keep his voice down, "And what's 'the Broken Swords'? It sounds like a rock band."

Iruka sighed at the density of his student, before starting to explain, "In the Hidden Mist village, there were seven legendary swords, ancient weapons of such power that a unique fighting style was derived around each blade. In each generation, seven Jonin are chosen to wield these blades. They are known as the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist."

Kaede nodded, adding, "But after Zabuza slaughtered his way to the rank of Genin, the 11th Mizukage was able to start to change the direction of our village. He realized the senseless bloodshed was decreasing our numbers, and hurting our teamwork, but not producing stronger shinobi as was expected. Unfortunately, many of the old guard saw this as a betrayal, and many have left the village. Including four of the Seven Swordsmen. In the Bingo Book, these s-class criminals are referred to as the Broken Swords."

She grinned mirthlessly or mercilessly at the blond knucklehead, "And Naruto here has already 'met' Zabuza, Kisame, and Raiga. So it seems like fate, that when Bunjiro finally showed his ugly mug, this guy would be around.'

"Bunjiro Egureru is master of Souhi, the sword whose blade is so cold it can freeze a small lake solid with barely a touch. It fits him, as he was called the coldest of the Seven Swordsmen. Even Zabuza was disturbed by his ruthlessness and lack of emotion."

She stood, stretching languidly, "That's all I know. Do you intend to hold me? Or can I go back to seeking my target?"

Iruka looked at Yugao, who nodded. He looked at their potential ally.

"Alright," the male Jonin stepped away from the door, "But we have removed your bug from Nyoko's room. If another one shows up…"

"Whatever," she masked her annoyance. The Mist Kunoichi looked at the female Jonin again, and exited the room.

"Why are we letting her go?" Ino asked, "We shouldn't trust her."

"She is loyal to her village, particularly the current Mizukage," Yugao answered, "The relationship between both our villages and our countries have been strong as of late, so it is unlikely she or her village are part of this plot. She is certainly withholding something, but we are more or less on the same side."

"Well, I don't trust her," the vain Kunoichi voiced.

"You don't like her Ino," Sakura mocked, "That's completely different."

As the rivals started to argue, Yugao used the distraction to slip out of the room. As she expected, Kaede was waiting.

"So, you left the ANBU Black Ops," Mizuno commented. Uzuki nodded.

"I heard about Hayate. I am sorry," the beauty was genuinely sad, "Is that why you quit?"

"Partly," Yugao said softly, then quickly changed the subject, "It took you longer than I expected to recognize me."

"That was six years ago," Kaede was now slightly defensive, "And unlike your boyfriend, I never saw you without your mask."

"Has it really been that long?" the Leaf Kunoichi asked in surprise, "You haven't changed one bit."

"Well, like you said, this is my greatest weapon," the Mist ninja swept her hair back, showing pride in her appearance for the first time, "The jutsu that stops me from aging may shorten my life, but it's worth it not to lose my edge or hide my age like certain other shinobi."

"So what didn't you tell us?"

"Nothing relevant, I swear," Kaede answered, "and nothing you couldn't guess. Bunjiro is hoping to use the incident to foster animosity between our countries. And he will use the ransom to finance his attempt to overthrow my father."

Yugao nodded, she had suspected as much.

"I will keep you informed, if you'll do the same," the former Special Forces shinobi stated.

"I don't think that will be a problem," the girl looked back at the boy's door with interest, "I plan to stay very close."

Yugao sighed, "If you have to play, could you stick to Shikamaru or Lee? Naruto, Choji, or Iruka would overcomplicate things."

"Really?"

Yugao groaned inward, wondering if she had made things worse.

* * *

By the time she hit the beach the next morning, the princess was feeling much better. The hotel had formally apologized; the maid cleaning Nyoko's room had been called away for an emergency involving one of the other schools and two bottles of stolen saké. Or at least that was the story Shikamaru had concocted, and the hotel manager expertly conveyed.

Unfortunately, her peace of mind was not shared by Konoha teens. Having learned what they faced, and how dangerous their enemy was, the shinobi were in no mood to enjoy their time at the beach. With two exceptions, one obvious and one notable.

Naruto hit the beach with his normal enthusiasm. He was not the least bit reserved or worried. He snagged his rented surfboard and dove straight into the ocean. Nyoko and Lee quickly followed, though the Taijutsu expert's enjoyment was forced. The blond Genin was able to catch a wave for a few seconds, before he pretended to lose his balance, and tumbled to the shore. The princess chuckled at his outrageous display, as did Sakura, but the rest were to busy, pretending they were happy, to laugh at his pain.

"What is wrong with you guys?" Sakura hissed at her fellow Kunoichi, once Nyoko was out of range, "Naruto's only putting on this show because all of you are in danger of blowing our cover."

"I know," Hinata countered, an edge of annoyance entering her depressed face.

"What's wrong with you?" Ino asked sharply, "We are facing an s-class criminal. One with a sword that can disable or kill with a scratch. Why aren't you more worried?"

"First of all, if we include that Mist Hunter, there are eleven of us, and only one of him. If Iruka and Yugao help Kaede fight this Bunjiro, that leaves the 8 of us to handle his flunkies. And two Jonin and a Hunter-Nin should be enough to handle almost any single ninja," then Sakura nodded out at Naruto, "And besides, we have a trump card. These Broken Swords have never won a battle where that knucklehead was present. He might just be some kind of good luck charm against them."

"And most importantly," Iruka joined the girls, leaning on his borrowed long-board, "If the rest of you keep acting worried, Nyoko is going to figure out that something is wrong."

"Think about it this way," Sakura suggested, primarily to Ino, "It is possible that Kaede is wrong. In which case you'd be wasting this vacation for nothing."

Tenten nodded, and the other three girls visibly unclenched. Iruka smiled slightly, proud of Sakura's leadership. Yugao finished her discussion with Choji and Shikamaru, who also appeared appeased.

'We forget sometimes,' Iruka thought, 'that even though they are shinobi, they are little more than children.'

All ten ninja and the princess were finally able to enjoy a morning in the surf. Ino and Nyoko had found matching swimsuits, black and white patterned sports tops and boy shorts. Still able to draw in the attention they desired, but not so brief to prevent them from joining their friends.

Naruto was extremely happy when the others decided to go to a beachfront ramen shop for lunch. After scarfing down two bowls, he straightened up with a satisfied sigh.

"So, what are we going to do this afternoon?" Naruto asked the others, "I still want to make a sand castle, at least once."

His teammates remembered the point he had made the previous day, and didn't laugh; but Nyoko rolled her eyes affectionately.

"Well, instead of a castle, you could do a sand sculpture of me," Kaede purred wrapping her arms tightly around Naruto as she suddenly appeared; pressing her stupendous chest firmly into his back. The blond Genin turned bright red, and the expressions of Hinata, Sakura, Ino, and Nyoko all changed, and none for the better.

"I don't think I could do you justice, Kaede-san," Naruto's answer was strangely formal, and he struggled gently to escape.

"Kaede?" Nyoko asked disdainfully, "When did you learn her name, Naruto?"

"My class is on the same floor as these guys," Kaede answered, deftly preventing Uzumaki from breaking away, "And when I saw Naruto-chan last night, I had to tell him how impressive his heroics were yesterday morning."

"Naruto-chan?" Sakura growled. But Hinata really scared Naruto; he had never seen such a cold, hard look on her face.

"Umm, how about volleyball?" Choji interjected, nervously trying to break the mood.

"Sounds great to me," Kaede broke away, finally allowing Naruto to see that she too wore a more modest and function suit, though the Mist Kunoichi had on a one-piece, unlike her rivals.

Naruto found himself, uncomfortably, on a team with Hinata, Sakura, Nyoko, and Kaede. His sixth teammate became Yugao, when Shikamaru insisted Tenten and Yugao be split up. During the first match, however, he and Yugao seemed to be the only ones trying on their side. Kaede and Nyoko were much more interested in bumping him than bumping the ball, while Sakura snarled and growled, and Hinata pretended she wasn't seeing what was happening. On top of that, Nyoko and Kaede's admirers surrounded the court, staring daggers at the Genin.

"I'm done," Naruto said, walking off the court after Iruka scored the final point of the disastrous match.

"What?" Sakura gaped.

"Naruto?" Hinata's mood shifted to confused.

"I don't mind if we play hard and lose. But two on six just isn't fair, it just isn't worth it."

Hinata, Sakura, and Nyoko all looked chagrined. Kaede regarded him through slitted eyes; and after a moment, shrugged with a smirk.

"Alright," he relented, "One more game."

Sakura took the sphere, and stepped into the server's box. With excellent form, she jumped into the air, and smacked the ball between Lee and Shikamaru. The Taijutsu expert lunged, and bumped the ball clumsily over the net, but still between Naruto and Kaede.

"Mine," the kunoichi called it. Instead of using the chance to collide with Naruto, she instead set the ball perfectly for Nyoko. The princess showed off her own skills, precisely spiking the ball to the southwest corner, behind Ino.

They scored three more points in quick succession. Now that their focus was on the game, Nyoko was obviously the most experienced player, and Kaede was not holding back like the Leaf Ninja. Hinata proved to be a skilled defensive player, and Sakura a pinpoint server.

The fifth volley grew into a fierce battle, and the onlookers were no longer concentrating on the girls alone. Naruto set the ball for Nyoko, who leapt as if to spike it again. But at the apex, she suddenly tapped the ball sideways. The Mist Ninja also hopped up, striking the ball directly at Shikamaru. The quick-witted teen was not caught off guard, and knocked the ball back to his front line. Iruka propelled to ball into position for Tenten to attack.

Hinata tried to dive for the orb as is descended between herself and Yugao. However, her right foot became entangled by the sand, and she fell to the earth with a sharp cry of pain.

"Hinata!" Naruto quickly ran over to her, "Are you OK?"

"I'm fine," she turned over, grinning sheepishly. She brushed the sand off her face and chest, and then tried to stand. As she did, she winced again, and would have fallen had Naruto not been there.

"My ankle," she grimaced slightly. Sakura walked over, and knelt down to look.

"It's not broken," the doctor in training pronounced, "At least, I don't think it's broken. But you probably pulled a muscle or sprained it."

"Let me help you," Naruto wrapped his arm around her and supported her as she hopped off the court, "Lee, take my place, OK?"

As Naruto half-carried Hinata off the court, the onlookers moved out of their way, happy Naruto was leaving. Kaede's gaze shifted from the pair to Tenten with knowing amusement. But Nyoko just looked annoyed. Naruto set Hinata gently on the blanket, and then sat by her feet. He gave her injured joint his own examination, then started to gently massage her ankle.

"I'm sorry, Hinata," he told her.

"This isn't your fault, Naruto," she told him.

"That wasn't what I meant," he looked significantly in over at Nyoko and Kaede.

"Oh," Hinata looked conflicted, "That isn't your fault either, Naruto."

"And you don't owe me anything," she said quietly, "If you like one of…"

"No," Naruto said firmly, "I need more than just a pretty face. You should already know that, although if you ever tell the pervy sage I said that, I'll deny it."

"And I do owe you. A lot," he turned introspective, "If I were to fall for someone, anyone, the least I would owe you is to tell you."

She blushed, and nodded. The jealousy faded from her face, but her restored happiness still carried a small hint of doubt. Naruto moved to sit next to her and watch the game. As he sat, his hand accidentally brushed hers, and he quickly pulled away.

Rock Lee was overjoyed to be on the same team as Sakura. And finally the teams were equal, and put on a good show for the onlookers. By the time they had completed the fifth and final match, it was time for dinner. Both Kaede and Nyoko joined the Konoha ninja for the evening meal.

The next morning, Naruto finally got his wish. Despite the fact it had taken Sakura less than five seconds to heal Hinata's ankle, they had wrapped it tightly in gauze to maintain their cover. With her mobility fictionally limited, she suggested she could help Naruto build his sand castle. Naruto excitedly took her up on her offer, but was slightly less impressed when Nyoko and Kaede both decided to help. Shikamaru also decided to assist them. The rest of their teammates decided on a second day of surfing instead.

So the next three days passed, Naruto trying to spend time with the 'injured' Hinata, while Nyoko and Kaede both stuck close to him. As this left Naruto and Hinata on perpetual guard duty, the other shinobi were free to do as they pleased.

* * *

The sixth night, the next to last, was the night of the meteor shower. As twilight spread across the ocean, the various classes set up observation posts. As the bodyguards set up their telescopes, Nyoko approached them.

"Mr. Umino, can I borrow Naruto?" the princess asked.

"Can I ask why?" Iruka countered, confused.

"Our teacher gave us multiple options for our project. I've chosen to write poetry about the falling stars. And since Naruto plans to be a writer, I thought he might be able to help me."

"Fine, if he wants to."

Naruto looked at his 'teachers', both of whom surreptitiously nodded. Then he looked over at Hinata. The girl smiled sadly, and she too nodded.

"OK, sounds like fun," Naruto collected his bag, and followed the orange-haired beauty.

"Naruto," Iruka stopped him. The blond boy turned back, and the Jonin said, "I will expect to see your poetry as well."

Naruto blanched slightly, and Ino-Shika-Cho all chuckled at him.

"Sure thing, Iruka-sensei."

She led him not back to her class, but instead to a quiet spot at the edge of the forest, far from the hotel and the other classes. As the space rocks began to streak across the sky, the pair began taking notes and talking about meter and rhyme. Naruto was not sure which surprised him more, how much she knew about poetry or how much he knew about poetry.

As the astrological event ended, the other classes began to drift back to the hotel. But Naruto and Nyoko remained outside, working on their sonnets. Naruto completed his sixth work, and then helped Nyoko with the rhyming scheme on her fifth. After she finished, they put away their notebooks.

"So Naruto," Nyoko's voice was coy, and even a little nervous, as Naruto offered her a hand to help her stand, "How would you like to marry me?"

The Genin released her hand in surprise, and the girl almost fell. But the athletic noble caught her self, and finished standing.

"Wha… What?" Naruto stammered, "But… you… I…"

"I really like you, Naruto," she told him sincerely, "You are straightforward, you treat me like a normal girl. You are brave, and kind, and cute. You might not love me, but you like me and you think I'm attractive."

She looked down, "I know I won't be allowed the chance to even find love, so I certainly won't be able to marry for it. But I think you would be acceptable to my father, and you're more than acceptable to me."

Then she met his eyes with a mischievous twinkle in her green orbs, "Besides if you marry me, it would help you achieve your dream of becoming Hokage…"

"How did you… I mean, that's craz…"

"Even if I hadn't made Tenten during her first mission," she interrupted his thin denial, "I would have recognized you right away."

Naruto closed his mouth in shock. Then opened it again. She smiled at his surprise. Finally, he was able to string together words.

"You recognized me? How?"

"My father has taken his own interest in you," she explained, "He receives briefings on all your missions, and your skill reports twice yearly. A year ago, I started borrowing the older files."

She looked at him intently, "It makes for a very interesting read."

"Nyoko, I can't…" he started to protest, but she cut him off again.

"Think about it," she argued, "The leader of the Land of Fire and the Leader of the Hidden Leaf Village would be a perfect political union. Our children will be incredible."

"In fact," her tone and expression became openly seductive, "There is no reason to wait to start working on heirs..."

She loosened the ties on her yukata, letting it fall loose and display ample cleavage. Naruto froze, mesmerized by the display. He started to reach for her chest, then paused as if unsure. Nyoko took his hand and continued to guide it to her bosom. Just as his fingers were about to touch her breast, Naruto had a visionary flash.

White eyes; angry, disappointed, and wet with tears.

White eyes; excited, and proud.

White eyes; crossed with pain, their light fading.

Naruto gently, but quickly, pulled his hand away.

"What I am thinking," he laughed hollowly, "If your dad ever found out, that would be the end of me."

He turned away, and softly said, "Sorry, Nyoko."

The girl sighed, and clinched her garment again, "To be honest, I'm surprised you let it go that far."

Then she stepped beside him, and waited for him to meet her eyes.

"But I was serious. I would be happy to marry you. Please, think about it."

Before Naruto could respond, they heard a commotion from the hotel. One of the visiting students burst out of the front door, but as he tried to make his escape, two crossbow bolts emerged from the building. His leg impaled, the teen collapsed under his own wait. A large, familiar form emerged from the inn, and dragged the boy back in.

Naruto grabbed Nyoko, and pulled her into the cover of the forest.

"Nyoko Honokate," a thick, gravelly voice emerged from the hotel's PA system, "If you do not return to the hotel and surrender yourself to us, we will begin killing hostages. Starting with your friends and classmates."

The princess looked at Naruto in surprise, and the ninja grimaced.


	17. Siege at the Beach

**Chapter 17: Siege at the Beach**

The ambush occurred just as the students were sitting down to eat. The teens were too stunned and frightened to resist, though a few had tried to run. Both Jonin had prevented the Chunin from fighting back.

"Where is she?" the Mist rogue asked, remaining in the shadow.

"She ain't here," the giant from the first day answered, "Her teacher says she went off alone before the meteor shower."

"Well, we'll have to bring her back. Keep the students from the Fire Country here. Move the other five classes to the locations we discussed, and be ready to execute the plan."

As his minions began to move, he suddenly noticed something. Loosening the huge sword strapped to his back in anticipation, he interrupted his followers as they reached for one of the students.

"She stays too," he told them. Though his exact appearance remained hidden, his eyes seemed to narrow as he surveyed the girl.

"Kaede Mizuno," the leader of the villains pronounced, "I am honored. Secure her. If she resists, we will start killing the Land of Water hostages."

The Hunter-Nin remained stock still as they threw a bag over her head. Then, they brought out ninja manacles: solid cold-forged iron gloves, designed to prevent a shinobi from making hand signs. Securing her hands behind her, they pushed her roughly to the floor.

"Nyoko Honokate," Bunjiro's thick, gravelly voice emerged from the hotel's PA system, "If you do not return to the hotel and surrender yourself to us, we will begin killing hostages. Starting with your friends and classmates."

"Iruka-sensei, what should we do?" Sakura whispered.

"Nothing, yet. They have us outnumbered. If we were to fight, chances are the civilians would get hurt, especially the students they took away."

"Naruto is with Nyoko," Yugao reminded them, "He will keep her safe. We wait as long as we can."

* * *

"Naruto, let me go," Nyoko struggled to break free, "I can't let them kill my classmates."

"No way," he held her gently, her arms pinned to her sides, "If this guy is half as nasty as I read, he'll kill all the hostages just to cover his tracks. And who knows what he'll do to you before he gets his ransom. One of his old buddies once suggested cutting off my legs so I couldn't run away."

She seized up in fear, and then went limp.

"What do we do then?" she turned to look at him when he finally released her.

"Hmmm," the blond ninja's face crinkled in thought, "Well I guess Plan A is out."

"Plan A?" she considered that, "You mean creating hundreds of Shadow Clones, and sending them to attack en masse?"

"That's the one," he confirmed.

"So why not use it?"

"The hostages. I don't know the enemy's numbers, or location, or anything. So starting a pitched battle would just put all the students at risk."

Then he looked a little browbeaten, "Besides, Iruka-sensei would lecture me and Sakura would probably sock me."

"OK, then what about Plan B?"

"Improvise a new attack based on something I saw someone else do?" he looked confused, "I would need someone to fight first."

"Wait, you actually consider that your Plan B?" the princess almost let her jaw drop.

"I need more information about what's going on inside," he frowned slightly as he let the crack pass, "I guess that means it's time for a little recon."

He put his hands together, and announced, "Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu."

A half-dozen copies sprang into being around them. Without waiting, each duplicate put his own hands together and said, "Transform."

Where had stood six Naruto clones, there were now six little, white mice. The rodents all nodded to their progenitor, and scurried off to the hotel, far faster than normal mice.

"One more thing," he commented, "Weapon Summon Jutsu."

His casual shirt stretched around his heart as the wooden box materialized. He removed the container, and withdrew the blades. After a second of terse consideration, he sent the box back to his room. He turned back to Nyoko, and handed her the red wrapped and tailed dagger.

"Just in case," he told her gravely, "And I what that back when this is over. It is important to me."

She nodded and took the kunai.

"Now what?" she asked nervously.

"The clones know that they have ten minutes. Unless something else happens, we wait for their intel."

* * *

The altered ninja scampered into the building. They squeezed under one of the side doors, entering the hotel near the kitchens. At the first branch, they split up, three going straight and three turning right.

One of the groups encountered a rough looking woman, carrying a large club. Like real mice, they scrambled towards the walls. But the mercenary did not notice them, and continued walking. One of the Naruto clones peeled off, following the criminal. The remaining two continued onwards, quickly reaching the pastry kitchen. Inside the pair found seven of the marauders holding most of the hotel staff. They also recognized two of the crooks as members of the cleaning staff. Exchanging angry glances, the furry duplicates exited the makeshift prison.

The other set of fake rodents found themselves in the lobby. Through the glass walls of the gift shop, they noted the group from the Land of Water. At fifteen students and two students, they were one girl short, leaving the Narutos to wonder where Kaede was. They split up from there, one heading into the east wing, another searching the west side of the lodge. The final copy went around the store towards the special purpose rooms, including the ballroom they had been using as a cafeteria-style dining hall.

Naruto was briefly surprised to see all three classes from the Land of Fire together. His shock lasted slightly longer when he recognized Kaede bound and lying on the floor. He ran over to her, after a quick examination, determined she was unharmed. And ticklish. Unable to suppress a giggle when Naruto's tail brushed her, she attracted some unwanted attention.

"What's so funny, girl?" the large bandit kicked her.

"Something touched my side," she admitted.

Naruto darted away from her towards the wall. The rodent barely avoided a single-edged knife thrown at him.

"Just a rat," one of the kidnappers noted, "I guess the cleaning crew wasn't quite up to snuff."

The others laughed at this, except for Bunjiro. He stared for a long time at where Naruto disappeared in a gap in wall. After a few minutes, he seemed satisfied, and returned his attention to his hostages and minions.

Naruto watched also, until his opponent turned away and the coast was clear. He slunk across the floor, and quietly climbed the leg of a certain chair. He knew Hinata was not ticklish. He crawled up her yukata, and behind her hand, tightly gripping the cloth. He felt the muscles in her wrist clench, but she betrayed no other reaction. The kunoichi shifted her arm slightly, so she could get a look at the intruder. Her eyes shifted to the rodent, who met her gaze unflinchingly. Ice blue orbs stared back at her, familiar.

"Naruto?" she mouthed soundlessly. The tiny animal nodded.

"Scouting?" she enunciated carefully, so he could read her lips. He nodded again.

"Do you have a plan?" But this time he shook his head, no.

"Did you find the others?"

He nodded, shook his head, then shrugged. She looked confused, and the mouse form did its best pantomime of the Shadow Clone Jutsu.

"Oh, more than one of you." The copy bobbed its head once.

"Do you have any ideas?"

Naruto shrugged, then winked at her, and gave her the rodent's best approximation of his crooked, goofy grin.

"Hey!" one of the criminals turned towards Hinata, "What are you mumbling over there?"

Hinata's face assumed an expression of terror, and she began to rhythmically chant, "This can't be real. This can't be real."

Admiring the girl's ingenuity, the clone dismissed himself.

* * *

"Good move, Hinata," the real Naruto whispered as the clone's memories flowed into him.

"OK," he looked up at Nyoko, his expression fierce, "Now that I know the score, it's time to crash this party."

"So you found everyone?"

"Yeah," he balanced out the memories sifting through his mind, "Everyone from the Land of Fire is in the dining room, with twenty-two of the bandits and their boss, plus Kaede."

"Why Kaede?" the princess was surprised, worried, and annoyed, all at once.

"I don't know," he lied, then quickly continued, "The other five classes are being held individually, the Land of Water class in the gift shop. The rest are split between the first and third floor hallways in both of the hotel wings. Each class has four guards. And the hotel's real staff is in the kitchen with seven guards. Plus, there are eight or ten additional mercenaries wandering the halls."

"Let's go," he said.

"Let's? As in both of us?" Nyoko was surprised.

"I don't think it would be smart to leave you out here alone."

"You could leave me some Shadow Clones," despite her previous confidence, she was less than eager to follow him into danger.

"Shadow Clones are meant for offense, not defense," he told her, "if there are any reinforcements in the woods, or some them escape, I might as well just hand you over to them."

"Well, then, stay here with me," she pleaded, "Just send in your copies, let them do the job."

"I can't. I have to be there, in case something goes wrong. If all my clones are killed, I would be back to square one, and I'd lose the element of surprise."

He looked at her frightened face, and was mentally torn. He decided to push the issue.

"I… We could do nothing. Stay out here, and leave it to my friends. I can try to find some way to get Iruka-sensei what I've learned, so…"

"So they can save as many lives as possible," she finished with a sigh, "You think I'm being selfish."

"No, I think you're scared. And in a lot of ways, you are right. If I could think of any way to leave you here safely, and launch the attack, I would go in alone."

He exhaled, "But I can't think of any way. So, I'll leave it up to you. We can stay out here, and leave it to the others. Or we can go in, try to help."

For three long seconds, she didn't bother to hide her turmoil.

"Alright," her face hardened, and she tightened her grip around the kunai, "I'll trust in you."

"One last thing," Naruto stared at her intently, "You cannot say anything. If I ask you a question, nod or shake your head. Any other noise you make I can cover up, but not speech. Got it?"

She opened her mouth, then smiled ruefully, and nodded her head, 'yes'.

"OK, lets go."

* * *

"Yugao-sensei," Hinata continued to rock back and forth, staring at the floor. But as soon as the kidnappers became disinterested in her feigned terror, she changed her chant to normal speech. The Jonin's eyes shifted, and she made quick gesture to indicate she was listening.

"Naruto was here," the girl whispered, "Scouting."

"What did he tell you?"

"He couldn't speak. And he had clones running all over the place."

The former ANBU hid her realization, and mouthed, "The rat?"

"Yes," Hinata affirmed, "He's going to try something, we need to be ready."

"And Nyoko?" the purple-tressed kunoichi pressed.

"I didn't have a chance to ask, before they noticed me talking," the Byakugan wielder was chagrined at her lapse.

"I hope he doesn't do anything too stupid," the female leader worried.

"This is Naruto," Shikamaru had been listening too, and his comment was both snide and dubious.

* * *

The real Naruto moved slightly ahead, while a single Shadow Clone remained with Nyoko, just over two meters back. They lead her to the same door his scouts had previously entered.

"We're heading to the kitchen first," he explained, "to free the staff and get some equipment."

When they reached their destination, the duplicate lead Nyoko into a locker room.

"We can't let them see you," the copy explained. She frowned at him, and shrugged in confusion.

"I recognize eight of the kidnappers as being members of the hotel staff. There could be more, still hiding."

She nodded her agreement.

"By the way," Naruto's double looked her up and down, "I think you should change into one of the waiter's uniforms. For freedom of movement."

The princess nodded, full aware her yukata was hardly designed for physical activity. Then she puffed up her cheeks, and stared at him angrily.

"What?" he hissed. She glared at him, and spun her finger around.

"You want me to turn around?"

She nodded.

The clone dutifully complied, mumbling, "Twenty minutes ago, she was trying to seduce me, now she doesn't want me to see her undress," in annoyance.

The real Naruto was thankfully unaware of any of this. When he reached the kitchen, he carefully used the polished edge of his blue-accented kunai to peer around the corner. He quickly memorized the locations of the bored looking mercenaries. After he had learned the placement of his enemies, he snaked his hand around the corner and turned off the lights.

"What the…" the angry comment was cut off by the proclamation, "Shadow Clone Jutsu!" and the cacophony of fist and metal striking flesh. Naruto flicked the light switch, revealing a room crowded by duplicates. Each criminal had his or her mouth covered by at least one clone. The most of the copies exploded, and all of the bandits fell to the floor, dead or unconscious. Even that small amount of blood caused one of the busboys to nearly vomit. Naruto and the remaining clones freed the employees.

"Follow them, they will take you outside," he ordered, and the workers complied as quickly and quietly as they could. As they left, Naruto searched the villains for weapons, and also for communications devices. He found no radios, cell phones, or even walky-talkies. The blonde shinobi realized that was part of the reason for the rovers, to pass messages. He took four of the daggers that were in the best shape, and dumped the remaining implements into the ovens, setting them to the highest heat. Finally, the Kyubi's host unceremoniously tossed the bodies, living or not, into the freezer.

Once the hotel staff was clear, one of the four clones dissipated to let Naruto know, and Nyoko and her guardian joined him. He handed one of the purloined blades to the duplicate, and offered Nyoko a butcher's cleaver and a cast iron frying pan. She looked at him in confusion, and then pointed to the kunai he had lent her.

"That's backup. A last resort of last resorts. Besides, with these and that uniform, you might be able to pass as a staff member."

She frowned in confusion, and pointed at her face.

"Yeah, they probably know what you look like. But if we get separated, and you are caught… Well, anything you can do to buy time or give yourself an opening to attack…"

Nyoko pursed her lips, and nodded. She wrapped the kunai in a towel, stuck it in her pants pocket, and took the tools. Naruto then created another set of ten clones. These copies morphed into rodents again, and scattered.

"Look-outs," he explained at her questioning gaze, "In case someone catches on. Come on, we need to keep moving."

The trio headed towards the west wing. Along the way, Naruto eliminated two of the floaters, carefully hiding the bodies. On the first floor, the ninja and his clones defeated crooks, although not fast enough to prevent one of the Land of Earth students from suffering a minor injury when one of the bandits tried to use the teen as a human shield.

* * *

The bandits in the ballroom were enjoying themselves, taunting some of the students. Though it galled most of the shinobi to just sit by, they did so nevertheless. Just when Choji had reached his breaking point, Bunjiro suddenly stood, staring at the door.

"What is it, boss?" the giant with the mohawk asked, suddenly leaving his prey behind.

"Kenji is late," the rogue ninja growled.

"Maybe he had to use the bathroom? Or some of the kids got uppity?"

"Perhaps," the leader sounded dubious, "If he does not appear shortly, you will be going to find him. And if he is slacking off…"

The bandits shuddered. And unseen outside the door, a rodent ceased to exist in a puff of smoke.

* * *

"Damn it," Naruto had met up with Nyoko and the clone again, and they were starting to head to the third floor. He froze suddenly, with an annoyed and slightly fearful look.

In her confusion, the princess almost broke her promise, and asked 'what?'. But she just managed to keep the word from forming. The blonde shinobi recognized her intent, and answered the question anyway.

"Their boss said one of the roamers was supposed to report in," Naruto explained quietly, "And if the guy doesn't show up, he's going to send out a search party."

"Nyoko," he looked at her, and asked, "Do you trust me?'

She was frightened by his intensity, but she forced herself to nod, 'yes'.

"OK."

* * *

The door to the modified dining room opened, and the bandits turned, expecting to see their missing comrade. Instead, they saw a tall youth, with blonde, spiky hair. The teen was holding their target tightly around the waist with one arm, and held a butcher's knife to her throat with the other.

"Let my friends go now," he shouted, "Or you lose the princess!"

"NARUTO!" Iruka yelled, "What the hell are you doing?"

"She tried to run away. She was just going to leave you guys at their mercy."

"You idiot, do you know what you how much trouble you are in?" one Nyoko's teacher's asked.

"They won't kill her, they need her alive to get whatever it is they want," the teen countered, "The same doesn't apply to the rest of us."

This pronouncement jarred many of the students, and one of the girls burst into tears.

"How did you get in here?" Bunjiro asked in a sinister tone.

"Umm," Naruto looked nervous, "The west-side delivery door. We had to sneak past some guys playing dice."

The villain masked his annoyance, "And what do you propose?"

"You let my friends go, I give you the girl," he stated, "That simple."

"That simple? And what about the other students?" he asked, deviously.

"Oh," Naruto appeared surprised by the question, "Uh, them too."

"Instead, what if I give you one of your friends for the girl?"

"What? Um, no!" the teen tried to sound forceful, "All of them."

"I would have to be a fool to release all of your friends," the villain exhaled roughly, as if laughing.

"You would still have all the other students," he offered, "Let my friends go as a show of trust, and then trade the girl for all the rest."

"Or," the rogue stood, loosening his giant sword in its sheath, "I could end this charade, kill you now, and just take the wench."

Naruto closed his eyes, and when he opened them, his feigned fear and uncertainty were gone.

"You're right, it's time to end this 'charade'."

Naruto released the girl, who drew a number of daggers and knives from under her apron. With surprising precision, she threw one blade, hilt first, at each of the Konoha shinobi. Naruto's allies caught the weapons easily. 'Nyoko' shot the criminal a familiar smirk, and then disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"A Shadow Clone?" one of the bandits reacted, "He's a ninja!"

"You idiot, they're all ninja!" another of the kidnappers panicked, and ran for the door. But Lee was quicker, and the deserter fell. Acting in unison, the Ino-Shika-Cho team herded the hostages into one of the corners.

"Naruto, the other students?" Yugao asked.

"My clones freed them all. They're safe. Only a few minor injuries."

"And Nyoko?" Sakura prompted.

"She's okay. She's with the two best bodyguards I could conjure."

* * *

"… and then this idiot asked when we were going to get snacks," Gamakichi told her. Nyoko stifled a giggle.

"Lay off, I was only 6 months old," the light colored toad grumbled.

"So was I," the redder amphibian pointed out.

Nyoko was in the lobby with the two summoned toads, each the size a large pony. Surrounded them were six alert Naruto duplicates.

"Is it true the Aunt Tsunade used Gamabunta's sword?" she asked…

* * *

"Remember me?" Naruto tapped the giant on the shoulder.

"I'll kill you runt," the crook started to turn to confront the younger warrior, "I am master Bunjiro's strongest apprentice."

"RASENGAN!" as his opponent faced him; Naruto thrust the roiling sphere into his mid-section. The big man shot away from the Genin, spiraling head over foot, until he crashed hard into the wall. The villainous lieutenant slid to the ground, and did not stand again.

With all of his men defeated, Bunjiro faced the Konoha shinobi. He panned his eyes across them, and then erupted in a sardonic laugh. He pulled his sword, scabbard and all, over his shoulder, and held it ready to draw, all but taunting the Leaf Ninja. Not one of them blinked, flinched, or faltered in any way. Finally, the villain made his move.

"Please don't kill me," he begged, throwing down his sword, and dropping to his knees. The Chunin all displayed obvious shock, and Naruto nearly fell over. Only the Jonin remained ready, expecting treachery. But the Hidden Mist renegade started sobbing in fear.

Naruto collected their enemy's weapon. He drew the sword part way from its sheath. The edge was chipped and rusted.

"This is the legendary Souhi?" the blond youth asked in confusion and dismay.

"No," Kaede stated, after Tenten freed her, "And that is not Bunjiro Egureru."

She grabbed the whimpering man, and demanded, "Who are you?"

As her words sank in, the would-be kidnapper's face seemed to melt.

"Bunjiro Egureru?" he rambled, "You thought I was? If he ever finds out, he'll kill me. Please don't tell him."

"Your name," Kaede seemed torn between anger and pity.

"I… I'm Bunjiro Akaikazunoko," he said quickly. Kaede dropped him and produced her copy of the Bingo Book. After flipping through the list of criminals, she let out a sigh.

"Bunjiro Akaikazunoko, rogue ninja from Kirigakure," she read out loud, "Rank Genin. After barely passing the graduation exam on his seventh attempt, Akaikazunoko was caught shoplifting a pack of cigarettes, and fled the village. Considered a D-rank criminal deviant."

"WHAT?" Naruto shouted angrily, "After all that, this guy's just some small fry?"

He rounded on Kaede, "You said he was one of those Bent Swords!"

"Our intel said a dangerous criminal named Bunjiro, with a two-handed sword, was gathering a small army. We never thought to check any other Bunjros," she shrugged in defeat, "He did try to ransom your princess. And a rogue is a rogue. Though I'm sure the Mizukage will be disappointed…"

"No, I won't go back," the thief rose to his feet, aiming a kukri dagger at Kaede's chest. She effortlessly disarmed him, and then knocked him unconscious with a single uppercut. She groaned in annoyance, and retrieved the ninja manacles. She tightened them severely around his wrists, then turned to face her allies.

"So much as I'd like to hang around, I really need to get back," the Mist huntress lifted her prisoner with ease, "My people need to know that Egureru is still out there. And I can't wait to get rid of this worm."

"Yugao, it was almost as much fun as last time," she gave the former ANBU member a two-fingered salute. Deciding she did not want to carry him, she dropped Bunjro to the ground and dragged him towards the door.

As she exited, she looked back and offered, "And I'll be seeing you in a few weeks, Naruto."

"Wha… Why?" he stuttered at her abrupt statement.

"Well, the Hidden Mist Village is hosting the Chunin exams next month. I would assume you're tired of being behind the rest of your friends…"

Before he could retort, she was gone.

* * *

Though both Nyoko's class and the Land of Water class stayed until morning the other five schools quickly packed and left. And as soon as the sun crested the horizon, Kaede's 'group' loaded their bus and drove off. Except for Nyoko, the remaining Land of Fire civilians were also ready to quit the resort; but their transportation, and the additional guards with it, had not returned. The two Jonin stayed with them, giving the princess and the teen warriors one last day to play. But the day went by far too fast, and by mid-afternoon, a quartet of very large guards escorted Nyoko to their bus. They did not even give her time to change out of her bikini.

"Naruto," the princess opened her window, "Think about my offer."

"What offer?" Sakura's voice was dangerous as the bus pulled away.

"She… asked me to be her personal bodyguard?"

"You're lying, Naruto!" the red-head was half-annoyed, half-amused, "What did she offer you?"

* * *

After dinner, Naruto slipped away. When Hinata noticed he was missing, she went to find him. It did not take her long. The normally hyper Genin was sitting on the beach, staring up at the stars.

"May I join you?" she asked quietly.

"Oh, hi Hinata," he looked over at her, startled, "Sure."

She did not sit down, but stood next to him.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"Not wrong," he said, "I was just thinking, tomorrow we go home. My first vacation is almost over."

"And how was it?"

"Well, I don't really have anything to compare to," he considered, "but I had a lot of fun and got to try all kinds of beach sports. How about you? Did you get to do everything you wanted to?"

She paused for a second, and then answered honestly, "Mostly. Though I had been hoping to watch the meteor shower with you…"

Naruto grinned apologetically, then brightened, "Well, they may not be falling, we can look at these stars together."

She was surprised by his offer, and her reaction in turn made him nervous.

"Come on, sit down," he said gently. The kunoichi nodded, and slowly descended to the sand. With deliberate precision, she accidentally put her hand over his. This time he did not pull away. Instead, he shuffled hand so their fingers were intertwined.


	18. Skinning a Snake

**Chapter 18: Skinning a Snake **

"Welcome back," Kabuto offered sarcastically. He ignored Sasuke's venomous gaze.

"Lord Orochimaru has been waiting for you."

Sasuke's expression changed from murderous to condescending. He did not answer, but did change his course, diverting into the Sannin's audience hall. Inside, he found his teacher, pouring over an ancient scroll. Orochimaru did not acknowledge Sasuke's entrance, did not look up from his reading. Uchiha stared at the necromantic shinobi with mildly concealed distaste.

"Ah, Sasuke," the leader of the Sound finally turned his gaze to his apprentice. The rogue Genin's ire rose, he knew Orochimaru had been aware the moment he had entered the room.

"I see you have finally made it back from your little tournament," the villain's voice was a soft hiss, "It has been almost three weeks."

The yellow, slitted eyes locked on orbs that held the Sharingan.

"I was afraid something might have happened to you," his platitude was entirely without sincerity. But his next query did carry a mild curiosity, "Did you find what you where looking for? Or at least win?"

"It was a trap, set by a Blood-drinker demon," Sasuke offered without emotion.

"Of course, the creature was after your Kekkei Genkai," Orochimaru mused, "Obviously, it was not up to your level."

"No," Sasuke turned the suggestion back with dark humor, "I was captured, and enslaved."

Orochimaru tilted his head, betraying a slight increase in interest.

"Naruto broke the demon's hold on me, and defeated the vampire," admitting this would normally have been difficult for Sasuke, but this time, he reveled in the Sannin's reaction. Though most people would have missed it, the Uchiha scion caught the angry narrowing of Orochimaru's eyes, and twitch over his right temple indicating the snake's fear of the fox.

"So the idiot did come for you, as expected. But once again he was unable to capture you."

"He was distracted," Sasuke meticulously laid out Naruto's fight with the demon. The description of Naruto's new techniques had a strange impact on the legendary rogue, inspiring both hunger and worry. The Genin's story ended when Orochimaru suddenly coughed fiercely, wetting the parchment before him with drops of blood. Sasuke's mood darkened, his amusement at baiting his teacher gone.

"It is interesting," he told the body-thief, "I don't remember most of what happened to me while under the creature's control. Nothing I heard, or felt, or smelled. But these eyes, they retain what my brain did not. I can still see anything I saw back then, when my Sharingan was active. I know what Naruto said to me, because I can read his lips."

"Enough about the Jinchuriki," Orochimaru interrupted, "We have other matters to discuss."

"He said one thing worth noting, while preying on my emotions," Uchiha continued without pausing, "He told me that you had failed to defeat Itachi."

Orochimaru had been growing angry at being ignored, but Sasuke's announcements froze him.

"And?" the Sannin feigned indifference, "You didn't already know that?"

"I suspected, but..." the teen lost his temper, "Everything I have done over the last two and a half years was based on the assumption you could provide me with the power I need to kill my brother! I betray my village and my teammates. I have stolen for you, and killed for you…"

"And in return, I have given you the strength you were willing to do anything to gain," Orochimaru's answer was harsh and mocking.

"I was even willing to let you take possession of my body to gain my vengeance. But you could not even defeat Itachi. And of course, your tutelage would be designed to keep me weaker than you."

Orochimaru watched impassively, waiting to see what Sasuke was building up to.

"No more. You are not fit to claim the power of the Sharingan. We are done. I am leaving. I will find someone who can give me what I need."

"Ha," Orochimaru started laughing, "Hahahahahahahahahahaha! What incredible timing. I might have missed you last time. Had you not come back, left a little earlier, I would have been forced to take a surrogate again. But this time I will own you. Be you."

"I thought you looked frail," Sasuke took a step back, "I thought you were going to be trapped in that body for another six months."

Slithering to his feet, the villain shrugged, "Maybe this form was too weak to begin with. Or perhaps I burned too much of its life force, regaining the use of my arms."

He dropped his shoulders, and his arms extended to almost twice their original length.

"Either way I still have more than enough left for the weaker sibling."

Sasuke looked back at the entrance, weighing his options. He saw Kabuto's smirking visage as the reinforced doors slammed shut.

As Orochimaru's arms reached the ground, the skin and even some of the muscle sloughed off. Underneath were scales; so pale they were almost translucent. The shedding stopped, and instead of arms, the Sannin had two large vipers extending from his shoulders. Their transformation complete, the serpents lifted their heads, staring at the teenager in hungrily.

Sasuke threw a trio of shuriken with each hand. Orochimaru's reptilian arms knocked the blades away without even taking a scratch. The jutsu hunter's robe shredded, chunks of flesh pouring off his torso. As the Sannin's host peeled away, the form of a coiled snake was revealed. Fortunately, the ninja creature's breeches remained, intact, but the skin on his feet also shedded, showing clawed, scaled toes.

"Mi, Hitsuji, Saru, I, Uma, Tora," Sasuke shouted, spitting a sphere of flames at his former master. As Orochimaru's body and neck started to unwind, his serpentine hands gestured and spoke.

"Mi, Tastu, Tori, Inu, Ne" the twin snakes invoked, "Ninja arts, Mud Surge Jutsu!"

The ground erupted between them, a cresting wave of muck enveloping the Uchiha's fire art. The rebel teen was forced to abandon his attack to avoid being dashed against the wall.

"Wind Release, Vacuum Blade," He drew his chokutō and cut upwards through the mire in a single stroke. Behind the wall, he saw Orochimaru's molting was complete. His legs remained covered, and mostly unchanged. But from the waist up, he was a twenty-foot long constrictor. Five feet below his head, the two ten-foot vipers jutted out as his arms. The Sannin's face was mostly unchanged, except his canine teeth had lengthened into hypodermic fangs.

"This is what you have chosen to become?" Sasuke sneered, allowing his obvious disgust to show.

"This, foolish boy, is my soul shell," Orochimaru hissed in triplicate, "It is the natural form my spirit takes when it manifests outside a body. It is much more powerful than a physical body."

"Then why steal bodies?"

"Because," this time, only his head spoke, his 'arms' were beginning to craft a new jutsu, "For all its power, the soul shell begins to fade without a material form to anchor it. Also, without a charka network, I cannot recover my energy."

"Necromantic Arts, Flesh Bomb Jutsu," the villains hands whispered. The serpents scooped up chunks of the discarded skin and muscle in their mouths and tossed the tissue, not at Sasuke but near him. As expected from the jutsu, the missiles exploded; however rather than force or flames, the eruptions filled the air around Sasuke with vile fumes. Coughing, Uchiha dove out of the cloud.

"You are correct, of course," the main head grinned in dark amusement as the left arm deflected the younger ninja's sword, "I could have given you so much more power. It was actually amusing trying to balance it. Making you strong enough to be a worthy host, teaching you enough that you would not leave, and yet keeping you weak enough that you could not oppose me."

Stony spikes erupted from the floor around the boy, still struggling to clear his throat. He dodged most with ease, but was forced to shatter one with his blade. Sasuke countered with another fire jutsu; this time sending out four random trails of flame, which converged on the villain. But Orochimaru gestured contemptuously, and the inferno turned back on the self-proclaimed avenger. Uchiha leapt over the flames, towards his former master, swinging his sword horizontally. The right arm reptile intercepted the slice, but no blood exited the wound. Instead of muscle, there were more layers of scales. As the weapon was with drawn, the cut closed completely.

"You cannot hurt me like that," Orochimaru taunted, as Sasuke disengaged, "I don't have blood to spill, or bones to break."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed, then expanded again, turning red.

"Hmm," the snake creature radiated mild interest, "Will the Sharingan work on me? Can you hypnotize all six of my eyes? Can you copy my hand signs when I have no fingers?"

"Mi, Tastu, Tori, Inu, Ne" Sasuke repeated. The copied jutsu created a larger wave than the original had, and Orochimaru watched the approaching mire with moderate approval. But when the wall reached him, he simply raised his right hand, and punched a ten-foot hole through the attack. The wall passed him, but Sasuke was nowhere to be seen. He did not stay hidden for long. Uchiha propelled himself off the ceiling, using gravity to increase his speed and power. The teen aimed his chokutō at the serpent's main head, swinging with both hands. The right hand opened its mouth, and the Kusanagi appeared. Tracing a glowing path, the legendary blade sliced upwards, and Sasuke's weapon was cleft in two, long ways. The next instant, his left hand closed over the base of the damaged sword, breaking off the blade.

The Sharingan user discarded his broken tool with a grunt of disgust. He landed lightly before his master, and quickly began to retreat. Before he could get out of range, the fangs of the left hand serpent clipped the boy's right arm. Smoke rose from the wound, and Sasuke gripped his arm in pain. Despite the pain; as soon as he was out of range, Sasuke launched into another set of chakra seals.

"Raiton," he proclaimed at the end, "Lightning Cannon Jutsu!"

An eight-inch sphere of electricity congealed in Sasuke's hand, and then shot at the soul shell of the Sannin. Orochimaru displayed definite surprise, and was unable to fully dodge the ball. Instead, it burned a substantial chunk out of his right leg. Even though the wound quickly vanished, the slitted eyes regarded the teen with newfound respect.

"I did not teach you that jutsu. I wonder where you learned it?"

The avenger did not respond, and watched the immortal warily, planning his next move. His lungs still burned, and his arm was starting to go numb from the poison.

Before the younger traitor could act, the body-thief took a step forward. Then, before his apprentice could react, almost faster than the Sharingan could follow, he moved behind Sasuke, and slashed twice. The long blade cut the tendons in the back of Uchiha's knees and ankles.

"I had hoped you would be better than this," the hissing was truly disappointed, "I will have a much greater distance to make up…"

After swallowing the Kusanagi once more, Orochimaru's right arm joined his left in constricting the Genin. The monster's jaw distended, and the arm vipers lifted the teen, so that Orochimaru could swallow Sasuke feet first. The last Uchiha kicked feebly as his injured legs were enveloped.

Kabuto's face lit with vicious joy as he watched his arrogant junior consumed. As the Sannin prepared to make the final gulp, his lieutenant started to turn way from the monitors. But something caught his eye, and he spun back. He punched buttons rapidly, and the image feed paused, and then started to crawl backwards. And there it was. Just before the boy's face disappeared behind the fangs, Sasuke grinned, triumphantly.

* * *

Sasuke Uchiha found himself inside of a featureless white cube. He stepped towards the wall, and the sound of his boots was unlike wood, stone, or metal. He tapped the side of his prison. Nothing happened, so he placed his hand on the barricade. As with the sound, the feel was unlike anything he was familiar with. He pushed outwards, but there was no give, and he felt a slight tingling in his palm.

"What is this?" Sasuke shouted at the ceiling.

"I suppose you could say it is my spiritual stomach," Orochimaru's face, his normal human face, formed in the top of the cube, "In the past I have usually just destroyed previous inhabitant's soul, to make things easier. But the Sharingan is as much a part of your spirit as it is your blood, so I will break you down slowly in here. As your memories and personality are stripped away, I will absorb your soul bit by bit. That way, I will gain the full power of these cursed eyes. I also believe this will help your body to last longer, until I find the last secret I need to maintain this form forever."

Sasuke started laughing. The expression of Orochimaru frowned.

"What is so funny," the villain demanded, tritely and contritely. Tears were running down Sasuke's cheeks, and he brought his hand to his face to wipe them away.

"Well?" the jailer sounded annoyed.

"It's just that you are right," Sasuke answered, "The Sharingan is part of my soul."

The last Uchiha looked up, and a three-bladed, black pinwheel spun in each of his glowing red eyes.

"No, you aren't supposed too…" The snake's protest was cut off by his near scream of pain. The face on the ceiling shrunk, and was pulled into the room. Heartbeats later, shoulders emerged. Finally, Orochimaru's human form crashed to the floor of the prison.

"What have you done?"

"The Mangekyo Sharingan manipulates space, time, and thought," Sasuke taunted as he started to fade away, "A soul prison, that is nothing more than space and thought…"

Orochimaru charged the teen, but passed right through him. Sasuke smirked even more broadly as he vanished. The Sannin cast a fire jutsu, but the cage did not change. Grunting, the would-be immortal bit his thumb, and began writing on the floor of the cube in his 'blood'.

* * *

"Well, isn't that interesting," Kabuto told himself. On the screen, he watched as Orochimaru's soul shell faded away instantly, leaving only Sasuke behind. In the past, the transfer had been slow, taking almost half a day as the snake digested its 'food'. On the screen, Sasuke looked directly at the camera.

"You master is done. He won't be able to save you, next time we meet."

The rogue medical-nin froze. Sasuke had defeated Orochimaru. He had wanted Orochimaru to try to steal his body the entire time.

Sasuke looked down at his legs, at the slashes that were closing over with inhuman speed. He smiled at this new power. The rogue stood, and walked to the door. He activated the Chidori, and blasted a hole through the stone barrier, and the wooden bar behind. He pushed the doors open with ease, and stalked further into the hideout. Unseen, Kabuto slipped into the study behind Uchiha. He slid quietly across the room, to the remains of Orochimaru's body. He gathered the chunks of flesh and shards of bone, then quickly exited though the hidden passage.

* * *

"Who the hel…" the red-haired Kunoichi started to shout as the door to her room burst open. But when she saw who it was, her angry expression turned to one of rapture.

The girl was almost Sasuke's height, and so slender as to be almost boyish. Her light red hair was short and wild on the right side, and longer and carefully combed on the left. She wore only a spandex tank top and shorts. Her eyes, the same color as her hair, glowed with anticipation and delight.

"Sasuke-sama!" she purred, lunging towards him with her arms extended. He subtly sidestepped her embrace, as he entered her room.

"Karin, it is time," he told her, standing in the center of her small space, "Are you still with me?"

The young woman was surprised and scared by the statement, but she quickly disguised it with a lecherous grin.

"Run away with you? Of course, Sasuke-sama," this time, she latched onto his arm, pulling it tightly to her chest.

"Good," he disentangled himself from, but in the process managed the brush his fingers lingeringly against her right breast. The contact made her shiver and blush.

"I'm going to get our third teammate," he informed her, "get ready to leave."

"Do you have to?" she was genuinely disappointed, "Won't it be enough, just the two of us."

"Are you willing to fight Kisame Hoshigaki alone?"

She froze and looked angry.

"Do you think I can't?" she countered.

"No," he lied smoothly, "I just don't want to put you at risk. Not when there is another we can use."

She seemed to accept this, and allowed him to leave.

* * *

Unlike at Karin's, Uchiha knocked on this door. After a few moments, an annoyed looking teen answered the summons.

"You again?" he waved his hand, and went back to his bed. He picked up the paired spiked-swords, and began to clean them in an intimidating fashion. Sasuke was not impressed.

Suigetsu Hozuki grinned mirthlessly, displaying teeth filed to a point. He was shorter than Karin, and had a wiry build.

"What do you want, Uchiha?"

"Orochimaru is dead. I am leaving," Sasuke frowned at the disrespect, but held his temper, "Will you honor our agreement?"

"Oh?" Suigetsu pretended not to remember, "What agreement?"

"I will take you to where we buried Zabuza and the Kubikiri Hōchō. And then you will fight Kisame for me when the time comes."

"Right," the Mist rogue nodded. Then he focused on Uchiha with deadly seriousness.

"You know I want to kill you," the swordsman said, "Why will trust me to watch your back?"

"Enlightened self-interest," the Dojutsu user answered, "You already have Raiga's swords. If you want Zabuza's blade, you will need me to show you where it is. And if you want Kisame's sword, you need someone to fight Itachi. Just as the reason I am willing to work with you because I need someone I know will fight Kisame all out."

Then Sasuke smiled mockingly, "Besides, if you try to betray me, you know what Karin will do to you."

The shark-toothed grin returned, "Alright. I'll work with you, until I have Kisame's Samehada."

* * *

Five minutes later, Sasuke, and his two new teammates, quietly left the Sound. Karin had added a shirt and thigh-high boots, and both she and Suigetsu carried backpacks. The swordsman also had lightning swords strapped to his back.


	19. C Rank Mission, S Rank Enemy

**Chapter 19: C-Rank Mission, S-Rank Enemy**

"Hey, Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto shouted as he ran up to the gate, "Are you coming with me?"

"Good morning, Naruto," the silver-haired Jonin greeted his student, "No, I've got teaching duties today. Lady Tsunade is busy, so she asked me to relay the mission to your team."

"Team?" Naruto asked. Then he looked past the Copy-Ninja, and waved.

"Hey old man! Long time no see," Naruto greeted the familiar merchant. The trader set down the cart, and shook Naruto's hand.

"Well, I kept askin' for ya," the client explained, "But first you were always busy, and then you were on some trainin' mission. I guess that means you probably haven't gotten rusty."

"Nope," Naruto grinned confidently, "I'm stronger than ever."

"Great. Ya ready to go, kid?"

"Actually, we are still waiting for the two other team members," the Jonin interrupted.

"Two more?" the merchant was surprised.

"Well, there's been a lot bandit activity in the area," Kakashi offered, "And given both the importance and value of the cargo, the Hokage decided better safe than sorry."

* * *

"Naruto, Sakura, and Hinata?" Kakashi asked, looking at the folio, "Naruto used to handle transport missions like this solo."

"That was before the Akatsuki were actively seeking him. But I can't send a Jonin on this mission without arousing suspicion. Sakura and Hinata are both briefed on the danger of the Akatsuki."

After Hinata had come to her to discuss the Nine-tailed Fox Demon, the Hokage had told the girl about the rogues pursuing the spirit.

"So is Sai, and he would be better protection," Kakashi countered.

"Maybe, but he wouldn't defend Naruto as fiercely. Besides, there is another reason," the leader of the Hidden Leaf told him, "There has been a… tension… between Hinata and Sakura lately."

"And you're hoping by putting them together, they will work it out."

Tsunade nodded.

* * *

"Sakura?" Naruto was surprised when his teammate walked up, "What are you doing here?"

"I'm on this mission with you," she told his, despairing obviously at his denseness.

"And so is she," Sakura hiked her thumb over her shoulder, her annoyance growing. Behind her Hinata was jogging to catch up. Naruto waved to the kunoichi, who smiled broadly.

"Good morning, Hinata," he greeted her, "You're on this mission too?"

"Yes," she nodded, "Lady Tsunade asked me to help guard this shipment."

"So, what is it this time, old man?" Naruto asked, "Oil? Art?"

"Medicine," he answered, "A village in the south of the Land of Fire had its water supply contaminated. So we are bringing them relief supplies."

"Shizune is already at the village," Kakashi told them, "And she was able to clean up the river. But she needs this medicine to treat those already infected."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Naruto jumped into place behind the pull bar of the cart. Hinata took up position by the left wheel, and Sakura by the right. The merchant walked by the front of the cart, next to Naruto.

* * *

After a few hours of walking in silence, the merchant moved closer to Naruto, and whispered, "So which one of them is your girlfriend?"

"What?" Naruto was surprised by the question.

"I saw how they look at you, and you looked at them. Is one of them your girl?"

"Not really," Naruto answered, "Sakura's a friend and teammate. And Hinata and me… well, let's just say that's complicated."

"Heh, heh, heh," their client chuckled, "I remember complicated."

"Well, things are starting to get clearer," Naruto confided.

* * *

"What?" Sakura hissed at Hinata. The white-eyed girl had been glancing over her green-eyed counterpart all morning. Finally sick of it, the medical-nin stepped behind the cart.

"You are still angry," Hinata said quietly.

"Well you've been staring at me since we left, so yeah, I am starting to get annoyed."

"You know what I mean," Hinata raised her voice slightly, "You are upset about what I said outside the hospital."

Sakura sighed, she did not want this.

"OK, fine, I'm still upset," she whispered, to be sure Naruto couldn't hear her over the creaking of the wagon, "You ambushed me, challenged me, and said I like Naruto."

"Is caring for Naruto such a bad thing?" Hinata looked angry, and her voice rose again.

"No, of course not," Sakura said, "And I do care about the knucklehead. Just not the same way you do."

Hinata stared at her, searching Sakura's face and posture. The pink-haired kunoichi tried to maintain a strong front, but found herself fidgeting under the appraisal.

"Naruto," Sakura shouted, breaking away, "Switch out, I'll pull the cart for a while."

Hinata smiled a small, sad, yet satisfied smile as the other woman stalked to the front of the cart.

* * *

As the sun began to pass the horizon, the quartet stopped for supper. The merchant estimated they were slightly ahead of schedule, and would make it to the village mid-afternoon the next day. Given the importance of the cargo, the three teens all suggested they could press on into the night, but their client begged off. So, they made camp.

Hinata drew the first watch, and just as Naruto was drifting off to sleep, she slid over and touched his shoulder.

"There is something hiding," she told him, her Byakugan active, "Outside the light of the fire, just outside my 100 meter limit."

He nodded, loosening his bedroll even as Hinata moved to rouse Sakura. The blond teen crept over to the merchant, and gently shook him away.

"Hey, old man, it looks like we might have company soon."

"Naruto," Sakura whispered, "Stay with the cart and the client. Hinata and I are going to greet our guests."

He nodded, preparing a kunai in his right hand, and three shuriken in his left. After a few seconds, the sounds of battle erupted in the forest. Jiraiya's student tensed in anticipation, but he did not have to wait for long. Two roughly dressed bandits burst out of the woods. When they saw Naruto, they charged him, raising their battered clubs. The boy threw the throwing stars, downing the first bandit, then stopped the second cold with a punch to the stomach, followed by a spin kick to the head.

A third figure emerged from the forest, slowly. Though the shape revealed she was female, but she remained hidden in the darkness. He could feel her eyes, scanning him. Finally, her eyes settled on his headband.

"Shinobi," she said, placing her hands together, her left palm against the back of her right hand, forming a sort of 'X'.

"Die." As she said this a spear of lightning shot out from her palm. Naruto instinctively channeled his chakra into his forearms, and crossed them in front of his chest. He shook the jolt, but managed to deflect most of the energy. The woman paused to consider this, and then stalked forward.

"What the…" Naruto exclaimed as she stepped into the light of the campfire. The woman was bound head to toe, like a mummy. But instead of linen, her 'wrappings' were made up of dozens of ninja headbands. Naruto saw Leaf, Sand, Star, Mist, Rain, Sound, and other familiar insignia, plus some he did not know.

"Who are you?" Naruto growled.

"I?" she seemed surprised by the question, "I am the Reaper of Ninja, demon-spawn."

She did not offer anything more, but leapt towards him. She aimed a punch at his head, and Naruto was awed by her speed and power. But more, he was put off balance by how she had addressed him. Did she know who he was?

"What do you mean, 'demon-spawn'?" he demanded in the midst of their Taijutsu exchange.

"You are a ninja, a user of jutsu. Chakra is the energy of evil, the power of demons. You are like them. And that is why I will kill you all."

"Wait, you used a jutsu!" Naruto protested, blocking a kick, and having his own strike deflect by her 'armor'.

"I have surrendered my soul, to gain the power to destroy all shinobi. When I have cleansed the earth of your kind, I will gladly slay myself to finally eliminate this power from the world."

Chilled to the bone by her arctic vehemence, the teen realized there would be reasoning with this foe. He aimed a kick for her left knee, while he jabbed her right shoulder with his dagger. She shifted her leg to dodge, and the blade skidded off the metal of a Hidden Grass shield covering her joint. Her fist grazed him, and Naruto was again impressed by the damage she did with a glancing blow. He felt one of his ribs crack from the incidental contact.

"Doton: Stone Claws Jutsu!" Naruto exclaimed, jumping back. Three rocky hands attempted to grasp the killer, but to no avail.

"Earth Drown," she countered. Water condensed around the limbs, and the dirt and sand cementing the stones washed away, causing the jutsu to collapse.

'She didn't use any hand signs?' Naruto thought to himself, worried. He stabbed again, this time managing to find a gap in her armor, and draw blood. He continued, aiming a kick at her chest. The Reaper jumped back, studying him again. She placed her hands together as if praying, then made a forward cutting motion with her right hand.

"Tornado Lock." As she quietly announced her maneuver, a wall of swirling wind spun up around the ninja. Naruto struggled to breathe as the air was sucked out of the vortex. Then his attacker put her fingers to her lips in a familiar gesture.

"Fireball," she exhaled, sending a sphere of fire into the cyclone holding Naruto. But when she finished, what collapsed to the ground was a charred log.

Naruto appeared behind her, driving his left elbow into the back of her skull. The mystery woman pitched forward, and Naruto was left rubbing his arm from the impact with the steel covering her head. The concealed killer corrected her fall, rolling in the air and landing facing the Leaf warrior. Jiraiya's student had shifted his kunai to his left hand and formed a Rasengan over his right palm. He did not pause, but ran straight for her. She put her wrists together in front of her chest, palms out, fingers splayed. She pushed her hand out, and Naruto felt a force move past him. The Rasengan melted and the teen was engulfed by a sudden exhaustion.

"What was that?" he stopped moving, assuming a defensive position.

"I can channel my darkness to counter yours," she panted slightly. Her direct stare continued to unnerve him. Then, she started to perform a set of hand signs, for a jutsu Naruto recognized.

"Weapon Summon Jutsu," she intoned. The Reaper held out her hand, and a 7-foot glaive appeared. The entire weapon was made of a dull blue metal, though it was slightly reflective where the 2-foot long blade was sharpened. She caught the polearm, and immediately rotated it, sending the edge in an arc towards Naruto's throat. He raised is kunai to block, but the throwing knife only offered a second of resistance before being carved through. The time bought Naruto enough time to dodge, but the loss of his weapon put him at a disadvantage. He tried repeatedly to draw kunai from his pouch, but she cut him off at each attempt. She was faster, stronger, and had the reach advantage. Only Naruto's luck and the shadows cast by the fire kept him from receiving a serious injury.

Knowing he could not dodge forever, Naruto turned part of his attention inside. He tried to pull out the fox's power.

'Come on, lend me your power, you stupid vixen!' the human shouted at the demon.

'You seem to be misunderstanding something,' the fox was not amused, 'I am not your ally, and I am not here to help you.'

'And if she kills me, you die too,' the teen shot back.

'You are not even close to that point,' the demon growled, 'And maybe I am tired of this existence. Maybe I don't mind if we die.'

Disgusted and surprised, Naruto went back to focusing entirely on the external world. A stab scratched his left earlobe, far to close to a beheading for his taste.

"Inferno," the Reaper twirled her glaive, sending a cone of fire at the shinobi. He dove to the side, taking advantage of her jutsu to implement his newest desperate idea. He ran his fingers over one of his many minor injuries, spreading blood over the digits. He flashed the seals, and tagged the ground, shouting "Summoning Jutsu!"

A cloud of smoke erupted, and Gamakichi materialized.

"Hey, Naru…" the toad started to greet the human, but Uzumaki bowled into him, pushing the larger amphibian out of the path of the Reaper's moving bonfire.

"What the heck is going on?" 'Kichi yelled, after spitting a stream of water to counter the flames.

"She says she's the Ninja Reaper, and she's trying to kill me."

"Summoning a monster will not save you, shinobi," the woman noted, jumping forward with her blade extended.

"Hey, who you calling a monster, wench?" the toad was angry. His tongue lashed out, striking her shoulder. She turned her weapon back, and 'Kichi had to rapidly suck his tongue back to avoid having it severed. Naruto used the chance to use the Cyclone Spikes jutsu, but her polearm blocked the attack without taking a scratch.

Naruto and Gamakichi attacked in unison. The human ninja aimed a series of quick jabs, designed to corral the woman, without giving her a chance to destroy his weapons. He pushed her into the toad ninja's path, and the summoned animal expectorated a stream of concentrated water at the slayer.

"Deflection," the Reaper moved her glaive into the path of the spray, redirecting it towards Naruto. The teen was thrown back, and the woman followed up with, "Freeze."

The mass of water surrounding Naruto instantly turned solid, trapping his legs and right arm. He dropped the kunai, and gritting his teeth, started to form a Rasengan. The killer turned her attention to Gamakichi. She leapt at the toad, jabbing rapidly with her long weapon. The amphibian danced to avoid the pole, without realizing he was the one being driven this time. 'Kichi bumped into a tree, and the armored girl incanted, "Mire."

The dirt around the tree turned into thin mud, and when the ninja toad landed, he started to sink in. He splayed out to slow his descent, but without a firm purchase he could no longer avoid.

"Die, beast," she said, swinging her glaive horizontally.

"Gamakichi," Naruto shouted. He dismissed the partial Rasengan, and grabbed his right hand with his left.

"Dismiss!" he released the summoning, and 'Kichi disappeared. But Naruto could not tell if he had been soon enough. The Reaper of Ninja strode over to him. Against the paralyzing chill, he tried to form the spiraling sphere. But before he could complete the Fourth's jutsu, she was standing over him.

"It is over, ninja," she said as she walked over to him, "Give me your name, that I may remember it."

"My name is Naruto Uzumaki," he grunted through the cold., "And there's no way I'm going to die here. I'm going to be the next Hokage."

She shook her head, raising her glaive. But before she could swing, the merchant bowled in her.

"Leave that kid alone." he yelled at her. She backhanded him away.

"Don't worry, I will free you from the yolk of this ninja." She drew back her glaive again.

'No, not yet,' Naruto thought, then he saw where she was aiming, and told himself, 'Just one chance.'

He focused his chakra, but was too slow, or unsuccessful. Nothing seemed to happen as her blade stabbed into his heart. The ninja cried out in pain, blood pouring from the wound. He coughed weakly, then lay still.

"NARUTO," the returning Hinata screamed. The Reaper looked surprised as Hinata and Sakura both started running towards her.

"I don't have enough left for two more," she told her victim, "But you were enough, for today."

She ripped the headband off his forehead, and fled into the forest.


	20. Naruto's Weapon

**Chapter 20: Naruto's Weapon**

"Hinata, help me get this ice off him," Sakura shouted, kneeling next to Naruto. The other Kunoichi nodded. She formed her own Rasengan, and began to scour the frozen water around Naruto's right leg and arm. Haruno instead shattered the ice with enhanced strength. Working together, they quickly released him.

"Take off his jacket," the medical expert instructed. She noticed something odd about the way his coat was resting, as she struggled with the zipper. When they removed the jacket, they recognized the remains of a familiar box, resting over his heart. Hinata gently removed the splintered wood, blood soaked orange velvet, and the shards of the two destroyed kunai. She placed the wreckage on his coat.

"The cut isn't that deep," Sakura mused out loud, "But it did nick his heart and partial cut through his third rib. The slice in his heart is already starting to heal because of his regeneration, but it might not be enough. He's lost a lot of blood, from all these cuts."

She reached into her pouch without looking away. She handed Hinata two small pills.

"Make him swallow these." The medical-nin placed her left hand over the chest wound, and her right over the slash that trailed down most of his right bicep. Sakura channeled her chakra, starting to repair the damage. Hinata place the plasma pills in Naruto's mouth, and gently rubbed his throat to make him swallow. After he took in the medicine, and knowing there was nothing else she could do, the quiet girl moved over to their client, who was sitting up with a groan.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

"Uuuhhh," he grimaced, feeling the lump forming behind his left ear, "I've had worse. How's Naruto?"

"Sakura is working on him," Hinata carefully maintained her composure, "He is tough, and Sakura is a skilled healer."

As if he heard her, Naruto suddenly sat up. Sakura almost fell back from his sudden movement. Despite the interruption of his teammate's jutsu, the wound on Naruto's chest continued to close.

"Wha' happened?" Naruto asked groggily.

"You tell us," Sakura snapped, going back to work on his other injuries, "You're the one who almost got killed."

"She said she was the 'Reaper of Ninja' and that she was gonna kill all shinobi," Naruto responded as his head cleared. Then he recognized something, and put his hand to his uncovered forehead.

"She took my headband! She's gonna make it part of her armor."

"Her armor?" Hinata's question echoed Sakura's confusion.

"Yeah, she had armor made out of a bunch of headbands. Each one had one, two, or three 'X'es carved into it. Now she's gonna add mine. I gotta get it back."

Naruto jumped to his feet, but he was standing, he started to weave slightly. Sakura pulled him back down, and none to gently.

"Oh no you don't. You just got stabbed in the heart. You're not in any shape to go chasing after her." Sakura finished treating him, and went to see to the merchant.

"My heart. Yeah, I summoned my special kunai to block that. Where are they?"

"I'm sorry, Naruto," Hinata carried over his jacket, with the remains of her and Sakura's gifts, "If it's any consolation, they probably saved you."

She set it in front of him. As Naruto looked at the broken weapons, his face blackened with anger and sadness.

"I think we should get back on the road," Hinata suggested, "Try to reach the village as soon as we can."

"There's no need," Sakura shook her head, "They won't come back tonight. Besides, Naruto needs to rest."

"I'm still too old to be walking all night," the merchant added his support. Hinata nodded, but did not look convinced.

As his three companions prepared to rest, Naruto suddenly burst into motion. He picked out the wood and velvet resting in his coat, tossing it aside until only the steel, and red and blue silk remained. Then he removed his weapons pack and dumped all of the kunai and shuriken onto his jacket. Hinata stood again, moving closer in curiosity and worry. Sakura also watched him carefully. Next he took out Gama. He rummaged around the aging, frog-shaped coin purse, and threw all the copper 1 and 5 Ryo coins he found onto the stack. Then, after a moment's indecision, he added a trio of silver 10 Ryo coins. He shifted the pile of metal with a grimace.

"Not enough," he said quietly. He stood, and began to look around their campsite. Hinata had no clue as to what he was doing, but nevertheless walked over to him. She took out one of her kunai, and placed it on the pile. Then she opened her own wallet and contributed a handful of copper coins.

"Will that be enough?" she asked.

"Almost," he said, "I'll need a little more steel."

Sakura walked over, and dropped another kunai onto the weapons and money.

"Thank you both," Naruto said. He looked down at the mess, and nodded to himself.

"Shadow clone Jutsu," Naruto said quietly, producing four copies. The original did not move, but the clones did, forming a pentagon around the jacket. As one, the five Naruto's sat cross legged.

'Alright, fox,' Naruto turned inside, 'I'm gonna need some of your chakra for this.'

'Did you forget?' she growled, 'I wouldn't give you my power during your last fight. Why would I lend it to you for this?'

'This time you are the one who doesn't understand,' the human shot back, 'I'm not asking, I'm making an offer. And I won't take no for an answer.'

'Oh,' the demon seemed curious, 'And what will you do if I refuse?'

'I'll sing, I'll hum, and I'll whistle. The most annoying songs I can think of. Until you give me your power just to shut me up.'

'And what are you supposed to be offering in return?'

He told her, and the demon laughed at him.

'You think something like that would interest me?' she mocked.

Naruto countered, 'I know it would. And given the alternative...'

The fox grinned evilly, 'Alright, you win, this time. Mostly because I'm curious to see if you can pull it off.'

Naruto returned to the outside,

"You two might want to back off," he cautioned his friends, "Just in case."

"Just in case of what?" Sakura groused, but Naruto did not answer, and both girls moved a few steps away.

In unison, the five blond teens began the craft a jutsu. Each Naruto performed the same set of hand signs, at the same time. Neither of the kunoichi recognized the set, but both grew amazed when after a minute, all five Narutos where still going. And after the third minute, a red and black sphere appeared in the air between them, and the pile of metal was drawn into it.

"What is that?" Hinata asked. She took another step back as she felt a pull on the shield around her neck.

"I think," Sakura paused, as if what she was about to say was impossible, "I think that is the Weapon Forge Jutsu."

"The one the vampire mentioned?"

"Yeah. I asked Kakashi-sensei about it. It takes five shinobi, one for each of the five elements. It also takes a lot of chakra. And if the five ninja are not in agreement as to what they want the weapon to be, it will be ruined."

"But if a person had enough chakra to fill all five roles, that would not be an issue," Hinata considered aloud. Sakura nodded.

"So if the knucklehead has enough concentration to maintain the jutsu, he might be able to make a decent weapon," the pink-haired kunoichi agreed.

The girls continued to watch for a time, but after twenty minutes, they realized he would not be stopping soon. Sakura left Hinata on watch, and returned to sleep. The Hyuga scion activated her Byakugan, both keeping her vigil for the bandits, and trying to see through the chakra sphere hovering in the midst of Naruto's copies. But even the legendary Dojutsu could not pierce the intense energy, and she remained unclear as to what her friend was crafting.

After midnight, Hinata switched with Sakura. Like her rival, Haruno split her attention between watching for an ambush, and observing Naruto. Unlike Hinata, the medical expert was concerned her teammate was over exerting himself.

At around half past five, the sky began to turn pink with the coming dawn. Their leader started to wonder if the knucklehead would be done before it was time to go. But as Hinata woke, Naruto suddenly, and authoritatively shouted, "Ryu!"

Both Kunoichi turned to watch as the sphere collapsed inwards. The four clones vanished even as the chakra poured into the weapon. Naruto lunged forward, and caught the weapon as it began to fall.

"Naruto, that's…" Sakura sounded confused. Hinata surveyed the weapon, and was forced to agree, though she hid it.

The pommel of the weapon was a stylized fox, in copper, or a copper colored alloy. The grip was just long enough to accommodate two hands, thought Naruto held it easily in one; and was wrapped in familiar cords of red and blue silk. The crosspiece looked like a simple oval-bar from the side, but when the boy shifted the weapon to examine it, Hinata realized it was in the shape of the Konoha Leaf when viewed from the top. But strangest of all was the 'blade'. Instead of a slender, sharpened sword, the weapon had a two-inch diameter rod, two and a half feet long, and rounded slightly at the tip.

"It's a staff-blade," Hinata could not stop herself from saying. She activated her Byakugan, to see if there was something she had missed. She had to blink from the intensity and complexity of the chakra strings infused into the weapon.

"Naruto," Sakura was exasperated again, "A staff-blade isn't a real weapon, it's a training tool!"

He ignored her, and took a step away from the girls. He launched into an advanced weapons form. The two women were both unfamiliar with the style, but were impressed by the blend of power and speed in his attacks. Hinata could almost see the imaginary opponents, as Naruto slashed and stabbed at the air. Finally satisfied, the blond teen stopped moving with a hard exhale.

"What kind of technique was that?" Sakura asked, slightly humbled.

"The kind you can't do with a sword, because you'd dull or break the blade," he answered dryly, "And can't do with a mace or axe because the balance is off. And if I need to cut something…"

Still using her Byakugan, Hinata saw Naruto send a tiny thread of chakra into his creation. Green energy erupted from the pole, tripling its width and increasing its length by 4 inches. The staff-blade was now a broad-bladed sword.

"Wind chakra is sharper than any steel, and can be just as strong," the Genin concluded. He released the power, and the sharpened extension faded away. He turned to Hinata, and held the staff-blade horizontally in front of his chest.

"Hinata, can you do me a favor?" he asked.

"Of course," she said quickly, then paused, "What can I do for you?"

He grabbed the end of the rod to brace, and told her, "I want you to hit Kitsune with your Rasengan."

She blinked, and let her confusion show through.

"Kitsune is the blade's name," the boy explained, misunderstanding her hesitation.

"Alright," she sounded unsure.

"As strong as you can," he prompted.

Hinata placed both of her hands in front of her, fingers spread, forming a five-inch cage. Sakura felt a twinge of jealousy as the other Kunoichi's chakra began to twist in the air between her palms. With the spiraling sphere complete, the daughter of the Hyuga looked up at Uzumaki, still worried.

"Are you ready?"

He nodded in response. Still obviously uncertain, Hinata stepped forward, and struck the staff-blade with her Rasengan. Though there was a slight keening whine, the expected grinding noise was not heard. Emboldened, the reserved Chunin pushed harder, and the hyperactive Genin's muscles strained to keep his weapon in place. Finally, the Rasengan slipped, and Hinata's arm passed over the Kitsune, aiming right for Naruto's head. The boy release the pole with his left hand, and pushed the girl's arm higher with the blade, even as he leaned back. The deadly orb missed Naruto's uncovered forehead by less than an inch.

"Are you alright?" Hinata asked, quickly unraveling the jutsu. But Uzumaki was already examining the metal, which bore not even a scratch.

"Oh… Yeah, I'm fine Hinata, thanks," he suddenly recognized her question. Sakura fumed silently, partly for the risky test, but mostly for being ignored. Oblivious, Naruto retrieved his jacket from the dust, and slid it back on.

"One last thing," his voice sounded worried. He bit his thumb, and spread the blood to his other fingers.

"Summoning Jutsu!"

Smoke billowed outwards, and a familiar orange toad appeared.

"Naruto?" Gamakichi seemed surprised by his summoner, and instantly tensed, looking around for an attack.

"'Kichi," Naruto let out his held breath, "Thank goodness you're OK."

"Yeah, looks like you managed to win without me," the amphibian continued to rotate his head, not convinced.

"I didn't win," Naruto's relief faded, and he pointed his thumb at his forehead, "She took my Leaf and left me for dead."

"So, what are you going to do?" Gamakichi's eyes narrowed as he considered the human.

"I'm gonna go get it back of course!"

"I coulda guessed," 'Kicha waved his hand at Naruto, "Well, if you need any help… Summon Gamatatsu, I've had enough."

The toad disappeared in a burst of smoke.

"Alright, a quick nap and I'm going after the Reaper."

"You idiot," Sakura whalloped him in the back of the head, "Did you forget we're in the middle of a mission? A time sensitive mission?"

"Oh, yeah," Naruto grinned sheepishly as he straightened.

"Naruto, after we finish the mission, Sakura and I will both help you get back your headband," Hinata offered. Sakura sighed, but nodded her agreement.

"Get on the back, and hold on tight, old man," Naruto told the merchant as he ran to the front of the cart.

"OK," he frowned as he complied. Once he was secure, Naruto took off like a shot. Surprised, the two Kunoichi required a few seconds to catch up. As they ran down the path, Sakura noticed a sad, nostalgic look on Hinata's face.

"What is it?"

"I used to envy Naruto's boundless energy," Hinata said quietly, "Until I learned its source, and what it has cost him."


	21. Round 2: Naruto versus the Reaper

**Chapter 21: Round 2: Naruto Vs. the Reaper**

With Naruto setting the pace, instead of their aging client, they made to last leg of their journey in four hours instead of the expected nine. The town was a small farming community; a tavern & inn, a general store, and a few houses. As the quartet raced passed the chicken pen the marked the edge of the village, more than a few heads turned to look at them, surprised and yet hopeful.

"Good, you guys made it," Shizune greeted them eagerly as she exited the inn, "And you're early. Sakura, I'll need you to help me with the treatments. Hinata, you can run crowd control. And Naruto…"

"Grab something to eat and take a nap," Sakura interrupted. The Jonin doctor turned her attention back to her junior, surprised. But the Chunin shot her look that said she would explain later, and Shizune let it pass.

"Ok, then Hinata, would you help unload the supplies?" Tsunade's first apprentice altered her plan slightly.

"Naruto, I have the room on the second floor. Feel free to use it," Shizune offered, as the healthy villagers started to swarm around the cart. The healer started to direct them, putting them to work so they wouldn't interfere.

* * *

A few hours later, Shizune slid silently into the room, to check on her self-appointed younger brother. But her stealth was unnecessary; Naruto was not sleeping. He was sitting in the room's only chair, staring out the window, pensive.

"You are supposed to be resting," she admonished gently.

"Oh, hi, Shizune-neesan," he said, turning to look at her. As he did, she noticed his staff-blade resting across his knees.

"I couldn't sleep," he added.

"You look worried, Naruto," she offered, "That isn't like you."

"Yeah, well," he broke off, thinking again, "That Reaper woman beat me pretty thoroughly last time. I'm not sure I can back my headband, even with Kitsune."

"Why go to the risk, then?" she asked, "Go back to the Konohagakure, and let the Hokage send a team of Jonin after this killer. You can get another headband."

"Not like that," he countered, "Maybe you already know this, but the Fourth Hokage used to retire his headbands after major turning points in his life. After each new ninja rank, and a couple after major battles. That one he gave to the old pervert after he made Jonin. When the headband Iruka-sensei gave me fell apart, Master Jiraiya entrusted this one to me. He said the Fourth would have wanted me to have it, both for mastering the Rasengan, and to make up for what he… did to me."

'That is not the only reason Minato Namikaze would want you to wear his Leaf,' Shizune thought, but did not say. Instead she suggested, "Then tell me about the fight. Maybe I can help you think of something."

Naruto nodded. He took a deep breath, and then relayed the details of the battle. Shizune listened carefully, her face slowly reflecting a growing concern.

"This is troubling," the experienced Kunoichi offered, "The fact that she was stronger and faster could be a matter of chakra expenditure. You know the technique, but do not use it very much, correct?"

He nodded, not sure what was 'troubling', other than how he was defeated.

"But you said she used eight jutsu without hand signs…"

"Wait, I thought it was nine," he interrupted.

"No, the Negative Chakra Jutsu is like your Rasengan, it doesn't use hand signs to begin with," she explained, "but I'll get into that later."

"OK, then seven. So what?"

"It is very difficult to use a jutsu without the proper seals," Shizune concealed her amusement. Naruto could master expert level jutsu faster than any shinobi she had even known, but could never seem to remember the basics of the ninja arts.

"A shinobi uses hand signs to craft chakra into the form needed for the jutsu. But a skilled ninja, who is familiar enough with a particular jutsu, can mold the chakra into the proper shape, even without the shaping gestures. It is the mark of a master."

"And?"

"And Master Jiraiya can only use five jutsu above D level without hand signs, and Lady Tsunade can only use four," she told him, "If this woman is stronger and faster than you, and correctly used eight high rank jutsu without hand signs, than she could be stronger than any of the Sannin."

"But?" Naruto detected something in her tone.

"As I said, using jutsu without seals is difficult, not impossible. Your description of her fighting style sounds haphazard, if effective. As if instead of formal Taijutsu training, she learned a civilian martial art, and added some ninja techniques here and there," she suggested, "So instead of being a master of jutsu, maybe she just doesn't know any better."

"And?" Naruto parroted himself.

"And using jutsu that way takes lots of extra chakra. So if she is expending chakra to enhance her physical abilities, and wasting it with her jutsu…"

"Maybe I can run her out of chakra," Naruto suddenly brightened, then he frowned, "So what about this Neglected Chakra thing?"

"The Negative Chakra Jutsu," she rolled her eyes, "is just that. It turns a user's regular chakra into an unnatural anti-chakra. It can counter almost any jutsu, and as you said, make you feel weak if it hits you. It used to be common in the Kirigakure and the Iwagakure, but fell into disuse because it takes a lot of chakra, and leaves the user weakened like their target."

"Also," she smiled slightly as if amused by what she was about to say, "it can be defeated by a D Rank jutsu."

"A D Rank jutsu?" he was surprised, "Which one?"

"It's another uncommon jutsu. It hasn't been part of the Leaf curriculum since before I started in the academy. I only know it because Lady Tsunade finds it occasionally useful during medical procedures. It is called 'Oshi'."

"Oshi? You mean it's the Push Jutsu?" his surprised had expanded into incredulity, "The jutsu that applies two pounds force at a speed of 1 foot per second?"

"That's close enough to correct. So you know it?' Tsunade's assistant asked.

"No, but the pervy sage told me about it."

"Well, it should only take a few minutes to teach it to you," she sat down on the bed across from him. He half-stood, and turned the chair to face her, before watching her intently.

"The seals are Ushi, Uma," she said, "And then you point your index and middle fingers at what you want to move. The only trick is to keep a steady, even flow of chakra. That's why it can counter the Negative Chakra Jutsu."

"Now watch," she said, "Ushi, Uma, Oshi Jutsu."

She pointed her fingers at the right side of his chest, and Naruto felt a slight pressure.

"Of course, you're too heavy for this to move you," she told him, not letting up the flow, "But if you need to shift a blood vessel, or push a metal fragment gently out of a wound, it works wonders."

"Now you try," she stopped her 'attack'.

"Ushi, Uma, Oshi Jutsu."

"Not bad," she told him, "But you need to keep the pressure more consistent. Again."

He kept trying, and by the fourth attempt, he had mastered the simple technique. She drilled him three more times; just to be sure it would stick. Then she stood up to leave.

"Now you really do need to get some rest," she told him, "And I want you to promise you won't leave. Otherwise, I'll send Hinata up here to keep an eye on you."

"Why would I…" but his protest faded under her knowing stare.

"Alright, I promise, big sis."

* * *

The next morning the four shinobi and the merchant gathered outside the inn. Naruto, finally rested, had wanted to leave the previous evening. But both Hinata and Sakura were too tired, and he had bowed to the pressure to stay behind.

"Are you going to come back with us, Shizune-neesan?" Naruto asked.

"No," she shook her head, "I'm staying here two more days, to make sure no-one relapses."

"And what about you, sir?" Hinata asked the merchant.

"No, I'm going to go back with Shizune," their client answered, "I am going to do some trading. Besides, if you're gonna take that detour, I don't want to be there."

He turned to Naruto, and said seriously, "Good luck, kid."

The blond teen nodded, and then the three youths left the town.

* * *

Naruto was encouraged when they easily found the Reaper's trail. It reinforced Shizune's theory that his opponent was not a master ninja. Not long after they entered the forest, the Reaper's tracks met up with those of the fleeing bandits. The woods grew thicker, but the Konoha warriors did not slow. The deepening shadows and thinning brush could not hide the path from Hinata's brilliant white eyes. In time they encountered a cliff, but did not pause, using their chakra to cling to the steep rock face. Finally they decelerated, when Hinata caught sight of a thin plume of smoke rising from the tree line in before them.

As the trio slowed, they switched naturally from speed to stealth. Soon, even without enhanced eyesight, they could see an artificially expanded clearing in the forest. The man-made break contained a handful of poor wooden huts, and many more tents. The teens saw a small number of rough looking men, milling around one of the campfires.

"One thing," Naruto suddenly whispered, "I need to do this myself."

Sakura looked dubious, but it was Hinata who rebelled.

"No," she said quietly, yet firmly, shaking her head 'no'.

"Hinata, I want you to promise you won't interfere."

"I won't," she refused, then offered, "I won't step unless it is necessary. But I will not let her kill you. That is what I promise."

Naruto tried to gain support from Sakura, but his teammate just smirked.

"Sorry, but this time I agree with Hinata," she shrugged. Naruto sighed, but inside he felt a warm glow. The Kyubi just groaned.

Before the bandits realized they were under attack, one had been killed and three more disabled. Sakura's powerful punch turned one of the thieves' ribs inwards, puncturing his heart and left lung. Naruto's Kitsune shattered two wrists, and then knocked the man out with a blow to the back of the head. Hinata had knocked out two of the rogues with the combination of the Gentle Fist and the Ranshinsho. But as the first raiders fell, the alarm spread through the camp, and more bandits emerged from the shelters.

"Mistress, ninja!" one of the thugs shouted, and the Reaper emerged from the nicest of the huts. She was partially unwrapped, showing her purple, left eye, and stringy, dirty blond hair. Though her hair was unkempt, her skin was smooth and bright, and she appeared to be in her late twenties or early thirties.

"You?" her visible eye widened when she saw Naruto. Her eye narrowed, and she brought her hands to her right breast. She untied one of the headbands covering it, and threw it to the ground.

"I have not earned this yet," she said coldly.

She laced her fingers, and pointed the hammer fist at Naruto.

"Burn." Her minions scrambled to get out of the way, as she sent three spears of fire towards the Genin. He avoided one, and destroyed the other two with his new weapon. The Reaper's gaze fell on the staff-blade, and her visible eye displayed curiosity. She quickly summoned her own weapon, charging toward the teen.

Hinata and Sakura herded the bandits, drawing them away, to give their friend room to fight. Naruto stopped her first overhead chop, catching the glaive's blade on Kitsune's pole. There was a dull scraping noise, but when they separated, neither weapon was damaged. This shocked and angered the Reaper, who launched a series of attacks directed against the staff-blade instead of its wielder. But Naruto's creation weathered the barrage without so much as a mark.

Now that he was fighting her on closer to equal terms, Naruto could see the flaws in her fighting style. He was able to boost his speed for a second; sliding past her defenses and scoring a solid hit on her left shoulder. Though most of the force of the blow was absorbed by the metal and cloth wrapping her, there was still enough impact to cause her to lose her grip on her pole-arm. She leapt back, gaining the chance to secure her weapon. Then she pointed the axe-like blade at him, and proclaimed, "Die."

Once again, a bolt of lightning shot at the boy. Again, he stopped the jutsu simply by intercepting it with his blade.

"Interesting toy," she offered. The teen darted forward, batting the point of her weapon wide, and then aiming her left fist at her uncovered eye. As she twisted out of the way, she transferred her momentum to her glaive, and the shinobi was barely able to avoid being disemboweled. He rolled back, sheathing Kitsune between his belt and his pants. The Genin thought, 'Ok, Shizune-neesan, lets give it a try.'

"Ushi, Uma, Oshi Jutsu," he said, and then pointed the fingers of his left hand at the ground. Her eye narrowed, unsure of what he was plotting. Naruto raised his right hand, and streams of chakra began to circle above it. As expected, she release her glaive, putting her hands together before her sternum, her fingers spread wide. As Naruto complete assembling the Fourth's jutsu, she started to move her hands forward.

'Now!' Naruto shouted to himself. He quickly brought his left hand up, focusing the flow of chakra at her palms. As predicted, the wave of negative energy broke on the simple, steady stream of force; and the Reaper's shoulders slumped while Naruto's strength and Rasengan remained intact. He continued his charge, thrusting the deadly sphere towards her midsection. The shinobi killer recovered her weapon in time to retain the advantage of reach, and she blocked the chakra orb with the tip of her spear.

"Die," she repeated, discharging the lightning directly into the Rasengan. His jutsu splintered hers; put enough of the power got through to numb his arm. With a low cracking sound, the combatants flew apart.

Naruto released the Rasengan and drew Kitsune again. He ran towards her again, but as he got close, she touched her glaive to the ground, and said, "Mire."

The dirt around him turned into a thin, grasping mud-pool. Before he became stuck, he leapt forward, expelling chakra from his feet to both break free and to clear the trap. He reached her, and his first swing found her reaction slightly slowed. Still, she blocked the attack, and countered by rotating the pole to sweep Naruto's knees with the back end. He leapt to avoid the strike, and launched a snap kick at her head. Her avoidance was awkward, and he clipped the Sand shield covering her right ear.

"Split," she announced. Naruto was swinging overhand at her head, but she divided, one of her going left, and the other going right. The split Reaper stabbed both high and low, but the ninja was already rolling out of her reach. He regained his feet with a smirk.

"You picked the wrong ninja to play that game with," he informed her, then put his hands together.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!'

Instantly, there were four of the blond youth, and they copied the Reaper. Two teens swung their Kitsune at one the duplicated killer's heads, while the others stabbed towards her stomachs. One of the women avoided both attacks, but the other took the attacks, in exchange for the chance to stab one of the copies in the chest. The shadow clone exploded, but the Reaper's version remained, though she was bleeding from the blow to her head, and gasping from having the wind knocked out of her.

The three remaining Narutos converged on the other Reaper, determined to eliminate the duplicate while the original was reeling. Two aimed for her head, while the third struck at her left thigh to make it harder for her to dodge the other attacks. But the Reaper dropped, allowing the attack on her leg to hit her belly to avoid the blows to the skull. This attack was not enough to destroy the clone, and she spun her glaive up, forcing all three of the blondes to step back.

"Tornado Lock," the ignored original Reaper cast. She nearly caught both Naruto and one of the clones, but the original squeaked out of the cyclone. The shadow was dispersed by the tornado, and the less injured Reaper used distraction to finally eliminate the last clone with another use of her lightning jutsu.

Staggering, the two Reapers reunited, and as Naruto watched, recombined, almost as if zipping herself back together. In the process all her injuries vanished, except the original hit to her left shoulder. As their shoulders met, the right copy lifted her arm, and threw her poleaxe at Naruto like a spear. Not expecting this move, the teen did not dodge completely, and took a deep cut to his left side. He was almost hit again when the glaive was pulled back to merge with its mate.

"I have been underestimating you," she said, shaking her head to clear out the cobwebs of the now healed wound to her uncovered temple, "You might be worth the third marker after all."

"As if!" Naruto shouted, "There's no way I'm losing this time!"

"I have taken your measure, boy."

Naruto didn't answer, he just channeled his chakra into Kitsune, creating the wind chakra blade. The Reaper frowned, not expecting that move.

"How do I measure up now?" the boy took a second to enjoy her reaction, before rushing forward. He was faster than before, channeling his chakra to increase his speed. She thought she had intercepted his attempt to impale her, but Naruto changed his strike at the last instant, cutting into her left forearm, sending a Rain headband and a splash of blood to the earth. The Reaper attempted a counter attack, but he relinquished his two-handed grip, and caught the center point of her glaive with his left hand. She struggled to break free, but thanks to the side effect of the Negative Chakra, she was no longer stronger than Naruto. However, she also refused to give up her weapon. Naruto aimed his now bladed weapon for her neck, but she was able to arc her body to the right, avoiding the attack, and almost twisting her glaive out of Naruto's grip. She stomped his foot, and he finally let go.

Naruto returned his left hand to Kitsune's grip, and swung the air sword diagonally. The Reaper stopped the attack, catching the sword with the staff where Naruto had just been holding. They strained, neither gaining ground. Naruto switched the direction of his force, and the wind charka blade began to scrape along the glaive, towards her right hand. She released, and spun away, turning the dodge into an attack at Naruto's back. He caught the attack, but not before the axe-head cut through the skin and muscle over his right shoulder blade. He pushed her away, and the pair ended up ten feet apart, their weapons pointed at one another.

"Time for level two," Naruto announced, attracting Hinata's attention, even as her kunai severed the tendons in the left elbow of the bandit she was battling. Naruto placed his left hand where Kitsune's blade met its hilt. He slid his hand towards the point, and as he did the extension changed. The solid green wind chakra began to twist and roil, becoming a mass of constantly moving threads.

"Rasenblade!" Naruto proclaimed.

'That was why he had me test it with my Rasengan,' the Hyuga shinobi realized, as she avoided a quarterstaff to the stomach.

Naruto took a step forward, and the Reaper quickly brought up her hands. Cradling her spear against her left arm and breast, she put her hands together to send out another stream of anti-chakra. The teen did not have time to react, but it did not matter. The form of the Rasenblade was permanently imprinted in the Kitsune, making the jutsu more resilient, and so long as he kept up the stream of chakra, the swirling sword remained. And even though the Rasenblade prevented the attack from hitting him, he got the impression it was weaker than her previous uses of the technique.

'Shizune was right,' his confidence grew at the realization.

He completed the gap, swinging Kitsune horizontally. She caught up her glaive, and spun it up, catching the enhanced staff-blade just under the polearm's blade. Her arms shuddered from the effort to keep him in place. Naruto let out a quick roar, and channeled more power into his arms. The blue metal groaned from Naruto's strength and the vibration of the Rasengan weapon. The Reaper brought up her right knee to apply more strength and leverage. Her eye betrayed confidence as she started to push him back.

With the sound of a clear ringing bell, the Rasenblade cleaved thought the glaive, sending the head of the axe-like pole flying. Her defense gone, the turbulent sword lightly bit into her, just below her collarbone, shoulder to shoulder. Bleeding profusely, she tumbled back. She extended her hands, and with a touch of desperation, intoned, "Die."

But the jutsu fizzled. She stumbled back, not understanding. Naruto walked over to her slowly. He stopped just before her, aiming death at the Reaper's heaving chest. But he paused, not able to kill an unarmed and helpless enemy.

"Do it," she ordered, loathing his pity, "Finish what your kind started."

Naruto's pity became tainted with confusion, and the Reaper snarled.

"You killed my fiancé, my family, my friends, and most of my village," she snapped, leaning closer to the glowing blade, "You beat me, raped me, and left me to die in that snow bank."

Naruto lowered his staff-blade, and looked away.

"NARUTO!" Hinata screamed, snapping him out of it. The Reaper had recovered the blade of her broken weapon, and was stabbing straight for his neck. Naruto batted her attack away, and easily slid Kitsune into the killer's chest.

The Reaper of Ninja exploded, and when the smoke cleared, it was one of her outlaws that had been run through. Naruto quickly spun to find her, but to his amazement, all of the eight other people in the camp were the Reaper. Two of them were locked in battle; one was starring at him, hatefully. The remaining five all turned and ran, each taking a different route into the forest.

"Naruto," the Reaper who was staring at him snarled his name, and stalked closer. Naruto raised Kitsune to intercept her; and she froze raising her hands in surrender.

"Naruto, it's me," her angry tone was at odds with the reassuring phase. Similarly, the look in her eye said she wished him death, while her posture said she was worried for him. Then she slowly raised her right hand, and traces of chakra began to circle her palm. Even before the Rasengan had finished forming, Naruto had finally started to understand.

"Hinata?" he asked, and she nodded. Full comprehension hit him like a fist to the gut, and he placed his hands together.

"Release," he said. When nothing happened, he pushed his hands together tighter, and shouted, "RELEASE!"

For an instant, the Reaper's form went hazy, but it quickly returned.

"I can help," the Hinata/Reaper offered, stretching out her now empty right hand. Naruto took it with his left hand, and Hinata laced her fingers with his. Of course, the technique did not require physical contact, but she saw no reason to mention that right now.

"Suigin Byakugan," she incanted, "Absorb."

The shadow left Naruto's eyes, and flew towards Hinata's. But when the Genjutsu struck her mirrored corneas, it shattered and faded away. Naruto could once again see Hinata, and that Sakura was battling the last of the bandits. Sakura finished her opponent with a blow that diverted his sternum into his spinal column. When she turned, and saw two more Reapers, she blinked. Without any difficulties, she released the Genjutsu.

"Where is she?" the lead Kunoichi demanded.

"I saw five of her leaving," Naruto answered.

"They got outside my range before I could activate my Suigin Byakugan," Hinata apologized, "I'm sorry, but I don't know which one was the real one…"

"We should split up and go after her!" Naruto insisted, "If we each take a different path, we have like a fifty-fifty chance of finding the real one."

"No way," Sakura shock her head, "We are not splitting up, period. Besides we have what we came for."

Hinata now extended her left hand, offering him the Leaf headband the Reaper had dropped.

"Thanks, Hinata," he took the artifact back reverently.

"What am I? Chopped liver?" his teammate complained.

"Of course not," he grinned at her, "Thank you both."

When he turned the headband over to tie it on, he saw that a large section of the cloth behind the metal plate had been cut away.

"Now I'll have to have this remounted," he noted, annoyed. When he looked closer, he realized his name had been carved into the back.

"So she wouldn't forget it," he whispered, then more loudly, "Hey, Hinata, how did you know she was going to attack me at the end?"

"During her sob story," Hinata recalled, "She didn't show any sizes of recalling tragic memories. Her breathing and heart rate didn't change. Her outrage was a contrivance. And she started to build up what was left of her chakra."

"I'm sure we'll have to go over this with Lady Tsunade," Sakura interrupted, "So can we just go home now?"

The training partners blanched at the reminder of what awaited them.

* * *

As expected, when the trio reached the wall surrounding the Konohagakure, there was someone waiting for them. Anko and Iruka quickly and wordlessly escorted them to the Hokage's office.

After they were seated, Tsunade began to pace angrily in front of them.

"I take it from your late return and that," she stopped, and none to gently flicked the shield on Naruto's forehead, "that you took a little detour on your way back."

They did not speak, but all nodded their heads to indicate she was correct.

"Tell me," she ordered. Naruto and Sakura both started to speak rapidly. As their words ran together, the female Sannin's anger grew, and they managed to take turns.

Tsunade listened as they relayed the events of the last three days. She had already learned the first part from Shizune's missive, but still wanted to hear their version. When they finished, she continued to glare at them.

"Alright," she finally sighed. Her pride had overcome her anger, but she kept her face and tone even, "I suppose you technically have not done anything wrong. And you have probably solved a number of mysterious deaths and failed missions over the last ten years. But you all took an incredible risk, and you should know better. Especially you two."

She pointed at the two Kunoichi, both of whom looked chastised.

"I have the perfect punishment for you two," she grinned, "I've been needing to free up some Jonin for missions. So for the next week or two, you two will be escorting Genin teams on D-Rank missions. Weeding, dog-walking, _baby-sitting_… I'm sure you both remember those sorts of jobs."

Sakura groaned, and Hinata nodded sadly.

"As for you," the Hokage returned her focus to Naruto, "I'm torn. This was your fault. I'm tempted to forbid you from taking the Chunin exam in September."

Naruto almost leapt from his chair. He had almost forgotten he only had less than two weeks to prepare, but now it might be taken away.

"But you actually listened to Shizune's advice, and were able to overcome an enemy who had previously defeated you."

Her smirk was particularly nasty, "I told Anko and Iruka about your new toy, and they seemed quite interested. So instead of keeping you out of the exam, I'm turning you over to Anko."

Naruto groaned at the thought. After they were dismissed, he found Iruka and Anko were waiting for him. The hard Kunoichi had a disturbingly happy look on her face.

* * *

As Naruto dragged himself away from the drubbing, Anko finally allowed herself to wince.

"The little punk is getting really good," she admitted to Iruka. He nodded, jumping down from the tree branch where he had been watching.

"And he's crafted quite the weapon," she recalled its heft and balance.

Mitarashi took a step, but paused with a pain from the shot she taken to the knee. Umino hurried over to her, putting his arm around her to support her. Her face hardened, but when she realized no one was watching, accepted his help.

"I think Hizashi-sensei would be happy with the one who has offered to inherit his weapon style," Iruka suggested.

"Yeah, he would at that," Anko agreed.


	22. The Ninja Cram School, Part I

**Chapter 22: The Ninja Cram School (Part I)**

Naruto was playing with his food, which Hinata had come to recognize as a sign he was worried about something.

After spending all of his second day of punishment with Anko, their Taijutsu session with Tsunade that morning had been like a mini vacation. Having grown tired of ramen, Hinata had suggested one of her favorite places for lunch, and Naruto agreed. They walked across the village, slowly for the sore Genin, to a café that specialized in Land of Earth cuisine. The boy tore through his cheeseburger, while the girl savored her roast beef sandwich slowly. But after finishing the entrée, he began poking around the fried potatos

"Naruto, what is it?" she prodded, setting down the remains of her meal. He dropped the fries, and looked at her.

"The Chunin exam is in eleven days," he proclaimed, "And I don't have a team!"

Hinata considered that. The Chunin exams were not given to individuals. Groups of three were preferred, but occasionally pairs or quartets were given permission to participate.

"The only other Genin I know are Konhamaru, Moegi, and, um, runny nose…"

"Udon," she supplied.

"Right," he nodded, "They aren't going to participate. If I can't find anyone to partner with, I won't be able to compete."

"Well, I have been working with the Genin teams. Maybe I can help you find someone," Hinata offered.

"I had hoped I could do it myself," he admitted, "Chunin are supposed to show leadership and all that."

The Kunoichi nodded.

* * *

"I want to do something to help him," Hinata said, "But I also want to respect his wishes."

Normally, when her sister started talking about Naruto, Hanabi only half-listened, devoting her main focus to her own thoughts. But this time, she was paying close attention.

"Naruto-san needs a partner for the Chunin exam?" Hanabi looked at her sister hard.

"Yes," Hinata was confused, "Why?"

"Because my own teammates do not feel they are ready for the exam," the younger girl explained, "But I think I am up to the challenge."

"You have not been complimentary of Naruto in the past," Hinata was dubious.

"Naruto has changed recently," the Genin countered, "I would not have thought he could stand up to our father, or defeat him so thoroughly."

Hinata's face tightened at the reminder of Hiashi's attack, and for a moment Hanabi thought she had made a mistake.

"We can talk to Naruto tomorrow," Hinata's voice was strained. She stood quickly, and left the dining room, her dinner only half-eaten. Hanabi was silently glad her father was at a clan meeting.

* * *

"No way," Naruto shook his head violently.

"I'm sorry I went behind your back, Naruto," Hinata blanched, "Hanabi and I were just talking, and…"

"It's not that," he said gently, obviously unhappy he had upset her. After she settled, his ire returned, "It's just… She's ten!"

Hanabi bristled, but Hinata stepped in, "Only two years younger than we were when we first took the exam, and more skilled than either of us were at the time. And a year older than when the Fourth Hokage attained the rank."

"I… um," Naruto's next argument already countered, he stammered. After recovering, he turned to Hanabi, "You realize how dangerous this is? My entire team almost died last time I took the exam."

"I doubt anyone as powerful as the Serpent Sannin, or the Fifth Kazekage with appear in this tournament," Hanabi pointed out, "And you are much stronger now, Uzumaki-san."

"Buttering me up won't work," he grumbled, unconvincingly. He continued to stare at her, but she met his gaze with determination.

"Alright," he finally relented, "On two conditions."

Hinata smiled, but Hanabi's reaction was guarded curiosity.

"First," he raised one finger, "It's Naruto. Not Uzumaki, and no honorifics. I don't stand on ceremony and I'm not that important, yet."

Hanabi glanced at her sister, waiting for the love-struck Kunoichi to disagree. But Hinata just smirked, not unlike Naruto's common grin.

"I can agree to that, Naruto-sa…" she stopped short of adding the salute, and he nodded.

"Second we need to practice hard, until we leave for the Hidden Mist Village. We only have ten days to make sure we are ready, and can work as a team."

The girl nodded, that should have gone without saying.

"I don't think you need to worry, Naruto," Hinata said, "My second time taking the exam was much easier."

Naruto looked at Hinata in amazement, and the young woman dropped her head and blushed. During all their time together, she had purposely avoided mentioning her second exam, she knew the difference in their ranks would be a sore spot.

"Hinata, you're a Chunin!" he suddenly shouted, "Of course you took the exam a second time. I can't believe I never thought to ask you about it!"

Hanabi's eyes went wide, and Hinata nearly fell over. The younger Hyuga was starting to wonder if she had made the right choice.

"So what was it like?" he demanded.

"It was in the Hidden Sand Village," she remembered, "The basic layout was the same. The first test was about observation and information gathering. They showed a number of slides, some for a few seconds, but most very quickly. Then they gave us a test on what we saw."

"I got a perfect score," she boasted nervously.

"Good for you, Hinata," he congratulated honestly.

"The second part was also a survival test. They sent us into the desert for two weeks. Each team was given a map. There were seven outposts in the desert. Each outpost gave the team a talisman. And each map showed four of the outposts. The trick was, you needed five of the different talismans to pass. And each talisman was marked for the team that earned it, so stealing the talismans didn't help you, but it did hurt the other team. You had to steal a map, follow another team, or get lucky enough to find a fifth outpost."

"We managed to steal the map from a Cloud Ninja team," she was happy about that, "And it showed all three of the outposts that weren't on our map. So Shino suggested we get all seven talismans."

"Wow, you guys did really great," the hyperactive blond seemed surprised.

"Yes, that is part of the reason why Shino and I made Chunin, despite the tournament," she agreed, "Kiba lost in the first round to Neji. I was able to beat Ino in the first round, and another Cloud shinobi in the second round."

"But in the third round," Hinata quieted as she recalled, "I was paired against Shino. We both agreed to not use Ninjutsu, and he beat me."

Hanabi suddenly raised her hand.

"Sister, you have told me that before, but never explained why you made that offer."

"Protection of the Eight Trigrams Sixty Four Palms," Naruto answered for her, "If Shino had used his bugs, you could have destroyed them as easily as you did those bees."

Hinata nodded, "It was not worth crippling my teammate to advance. Shino understood that too, which is why he agreed."

"But maybe that is also why they made you a Chunin," Naruto mused, "After all, they promoted Shikamaru first for knowing when to quit."

"I had thought of that, but in the end it didn't matter. Though I would have liked to have won, and had my rematch with Neji, it was better to do the right thing," the she brightened again, "And I made Chunin anyway."

"Hanabi," her temporary teammate started, after digesting his friend's story, "We're gonna need a teacher, to help get us ready for the test. And I can only think of one person up to the task..."

* * *

Kakashi Hatake opened the door to his apartment, saying "What is it Naru…"

He had been expecting his student from the loud, familiar knock. But the Jonin was set off guard by the presence of the Hyuga sisters.

"Oh, hello, Hinata, Hanabi."

The Copy-Ninja appeared to have been sleeping before their arrival. His normally upright hair hung limp around his face. He wore only a pair of knee-length pajama shorts. Though uncovered, his scarred left eye was clenched tightly shut. And he was unmasked. Finally seeing his face, Naruto thought it unremarkable; but Hanabi's expression said she did not agree. A strange weight gripped his chest, and he glanced sideways. He was relieved Hinata's reaction did not mirror that of her sister, or that of Ayame three years earlier.

"What can I do for you three?" he asked.

"Hanabi and I are pairing for the Chunin exam," Naruto was as direct as usual, "And we want you to train us, Kakashi-sensei. Make sure we are ready, and can work as a team."

"Naruto, I can't just…" Hatake started to protest, when his cell phone rang. He recognized the ring tone, and turned away.

"Just a moment." He left them at standing in the doorway, not inviting them in. Hinata thought she caught a glimpse of something purple moving in his room, and hid a smile.

Kakashi picked up the cell phone with a look of annoyance. Ever since some tech ninja determined how to encode a jutsu on a microchip, to create an 'unbreakable' encryption, the portables had become standard issue for Leaf shinobi. But the Sharingan bearer did not trust that the code could not be cracked, and more to the point, hated the intrusive device.

"Moshi-moshi?" for a brief moment, Kakashi wondered if Naruto could offer that greeting. He was tempted to call the kid some time to find out. Before he could continue that train of thought, the expected voice emerged from the speaker.

"I'm guessing the knucklehead is already there?" Tsunade didn't bother to greet him.

"So he covered his bases this time," the silver-haired Jonin sighed, "They already gained your approval."

"I think it's a good idea," the Hokage said brusquely, "You are still recovering, and this should be easier than a real mission. Besides that, Naruto seems to want your respect, so he works harder when you are the teacher. And I don't want to listen to him whine, if he fails again."

Then she let out her own sigh, "But the real reason I agreed to this is Hanabi. I may not be fond of Hiashi, but he does command political power, and it would not do for his favorite daughter to die during the exam. And I don't want the twerp to get hurt either."

"Wait, does that mean…"

"I don't think the girl is ready, and the risk is greater for a pair," the Sannin anticipated his question, "But I don't have any personal knowledge of her skills. And Naruto will protect her. So that's part of your job."

Now, her voice was all business, "You have seven days to whip them into shape. At the end of the week, if you think Hanabi is not ready or they can't work together, I will prevent her from participating. Also, because you supposed to be taking it easy, I'm giving you some help. Sakura, of course, and since Kurenai is on maternity leave, and Shino is on clan business, I'm also giving you the rest of Team 8."

"Alright, I guess I am up for a challenge," Kakashi directed this at his 'guests', "But they might not be."

Both Genin stared at him angrily.

"Good, I'll leave them to you," the Konoha leader said, before hanging up. Kakashi closed the phone, and dropped it back on his dresser. He looked over the three younger ninja, and then addressed them.

"I'll meet all of you at the monument at seven AM. Naruto and Hanabi, make sure to bring full mission gear," then he paused, "And can you guys let Sakura and Kiba know."

"Wait, what about Sakura and Kiba?" Naruto asked, his face screwing up in confusion.

"All of us?" Hanabi looked at her sister in surprise.

Kakashi put his hand to his head exasperated, "Did she just not tell you, or did she decide after you left?"

None of the three understood what he was asking, so he explained, "Lady Tsunade has assigned Hinata, Kiba, and Sakura, to help me in your training, since I am on recovery."

Naruto's eyes fell on the new, vivid red scar on the back of Hatake's hand. Two weeks ago, Kakashi had been seriously poisoned on a mission. Though he had been released from the hospital a few days ago, the medics were still monitoring him.

"Naruto, you can tell Haruno-san," Hanabi said, "Hinata and I will go see Kiba-san."

The trio left, and Kakashi closed door, thankfully.

"They're gone," he said. A shapely, unclothed shadow detached from the wall. She raised her right hand, and crooked her index finger in invitation.

* * *

The Hyuga sisters were surprised the next morning. When they arrived at the monument at 6:49 AM, Naruto was not already there. Kiba and Akamaru showed up just before seven, and were just as astonished as the girls.

Naruto finally appeared at 7:15, and immediately noticed Kiba's annoyance, Hanabi's disdain, and Hinata's shock.

"You're late," Inuzuka growled. Naruto did not seem to understand, and looked up at the sun.

"What are you talking about?" he asked, "I'm at least twenty minutes early."

"Naruto, Kakashi-sensei said seven," Hanabi's light voice dripped with condescension.

"If Kakashi-sensei is the one setting the schedule, he's always at least forty five minutes late, usually closer to an hour and a half," he told them, "The only time I've ever seen him early was one time when his watch got set two hours ahead."

"I wonder how that happened," Kiba read Naruto's grin at the end. The blond teen just smiled wider. Sakura walked up at that point.

"What's so funny?" she asked.

"I was just telling them about how Kakashi-sensei's scheduling works."

"Oh?" another voice asked, "And just how is that?"

"Ah! Kakashi-sensei," for a second Naruto looked embarrassed, but by the time he turned to face the Jonin, his face and voice were accusatory, "You're early."

"Well, we'll need all the time we have," he offered sheepishly, well aware of his track record, "which is why you two won't be coming back to the village this whole week. So, lets get moving."

* * *

After a short march Kakashi stopped them in a clearing, about ten miles from the village. Their teacher dumped the bag he had been carrying onto the ground, and Naruto goggled. Hinata was less obvious about it, but was just as surprised. Spread across the ground were dozens red, yellow, and blue wrist weights.

"Hanabi, I want you to put on a set of the blue weights," Kakashi said, "And Naruto, lets start with a set of the red and a set of the yellow."

"Red and yellow?" the blond boy moaned.

Hanabi leaned down, and grasped one of the blue straps. She tried to lift it, but was surprised by its heft. She had to use both hands.

"You want me to wear four of these?" she asked, "This must weigh…"

"Twenty-five pounds," Hinata said.

"These are chakra weights," Kakashi explained, "By channeling your chakra, you can reduce their weight by a factor of five. But these are greedy things. They will take as much energy as you give them. And if you don't give them enough, you won't get the full weight reduction. So you have to find and maintain the right balance."

Naruto had finished securing the last weight with a grunt.

"How much do those weigh?" The younger Genin asked.

"The yellow weigh twice as much as the blue, and the red are double the yellow," Hinata answered, almost instinctively attaching a set of red weights to her joints.

Hanabi glanced from her sister, to Naruto, and back. Finally, she secured the tool around her left wrist, and picked up another.

"So what are we going to work on first?" Naruto asked, only mildly slowed by the thirty extra pounds on each limb.

"I want to talk my assistants about that first," he answered, leading the three Chunin a short distance away. After a brief conversation, they returned. Kakashi indicated Hinata, who stepped forward.

"First I will teach Hanabi Kariname Jutsu, so that you can practice utilizing that technique," she told them.

"That cannot happen," Hanabi countered. They all turned to her.

"May I ask why?" Kakashi asked blandly.

"It is not allowed," she said firmly "That technique is only taught to Chunin, and my sister is not supposed to teach me it. We will have to do something else."

"Alright," the Jonin sighed, "You two can start with a jog, while we come up with another plan. Start by heading to the river."

"That's two miles!" Hanabi complained, her drooping arms indicating she was still having trouble with the weights.

"Go slow," Kakashi agreed, "So we have some time."

Naruto took off, trotting at half speed. Hanabi reluctantly followed. When the Genin pair returned, the four ranking ninja were all waiting.

"Ok, we have come up with a way to test your observation and teamwork," Kakashi informed them lightly.

"Some of the weights are missing," Naruto noted. Hinata smiled proudly, and Kiba groaned. He extended his hand, and Sakura claimed the 50 Ryo bill.

"That is correct. We have hidden one set of each collar in the forest. They are all within one mile of this clearing. You two have to find them. The rules are as follows. You must each bring back two weights of each color. You are not allowed to speak, or to write. Other than that, anything goes."

"Oh," he suddenly remembered, "You only have two hours."

Hanabi took off towards the trees, but Naruto just stood there, thinking. She turned and stared at him. When he noticed her appraisal, he held up his hand, palm out. The girl started tapping her foot. Then he grinned. He put his hands on either side of his face, his fingers splayed. She cocked her head, not understanding. Naruto pointed at her emphatically, and then made the same finger spread gesture. Finally, and just after Hinata, Hanabi figured it out, and activated her Byakugan. The teen Genin nodded, and grabbed one of the extra blue weights. He carried it over and set it on the ground between them. Hinata activated her own Dojutsu to observe, and all four of their teachers drew closer. The demon-bound ninja tensed in concentration, and then began to radiate chakra. Under their enhanced vision, the sisters could see the energy field he was creating, and that it warped and weakened as the armband absorbed the chakra. Hinata whispered in Kakashi's ear, and the Jonin nodded. The trainees took off into the forest.

"What was all that about?" Kiba asked.

"The weights absorb chakra. So if Naruto emits a steady cloud of chakra, Hanabi's Byakugan can see where it is being absorbed," Kakashi explained.

"Not bad," the dog-trainer announced, "They should be able to make short work of this."

As predicted, the students returned well before their first allotted hour had passed. Naruto smirked proudly as he dumped the six weights on the ground. But Hanabi just looked annoyed as she dropped her trophies.

* * *

The first three days passed painfully slow for the four teachers. Naruto worked hard, doing whatever he was asked, though occasionally grumbling about some tasks. It was Hanabi who truly tried them. She was arrogant, dismissive, and gave minimal effort to any task. Any time their assignments focused on Naruto, she pouted.

"Man, I've never seen this side of Hanabi before," Kiba told the others, while the Genin were out hunting for food, "She is usually so… nice… polite."

"Our father might push her hard," Hinata explained, "But he is always complimentary, and dotes on her. She is his only focus. And they work mainly on our clan's techniques. Choza-sensei said he has a hard time convincing her to work on other sorts of Taijutsu and Ninjutsu, and that she sulks if he spends too much time with her teammates."

"Unfortunately for Naruto," Kakashi said, "It doesn't look like I'll be able to recommend Hanabi for the Chunin Exam."

Sakura and Kiba both looked disappointed, but Hinata got angry.

"I will have a talk with her," the Hyuga heir stated harshly.

* * *

When Hanabi entered the girl's tent that evening, Hinata was waiting for her.

"This has been a waste of time," the younger girl said, pulling a leaf out of her long hair, "I should just return home, and train on my own until the exam."

Hinata swept Hanabi's legs. Even as the younger girl hit the ground, Hinata straddled her, pinning her to the dirt and glaring fiercely.


	23. The Ninja Cram School, Part II

**Chapter 23: The Ninja Cram School Part II**

Hanabi's eyes went wide.

"Sister, what are you doing?" she gasped. Hinata had raised her hand as if to slap the younger girl. But she lowered it, still almost shaking with rage.

"I knew the arrogance of our clan ran deep in you," Hinata's voice was as close to a growl as it had ever been, "But to let it evolve to this level of stupidity is unbelievable."

Hanabi wanted to react, but the force of Hinata's rage kept her still, silent.

"There is not a Genin or Chunin in this village who would not drop everything to train with Kakashi Hatake for one week. Even many of the Jonin feel the same. But you have been nothing but disrespectful and dismissive."

Hinata leaned in harder, putting more of her weight onto her sister's shoulders. Hanabi grimaced.

"Kiba, Sakura, and I all have other things we could be doing," the normally reserved Chunin bit off each word, "We could be on missions, or working on our own training, instead of having you 'waste' our time."

"And Naruto…" she paused, concentrating to keep her fury, "Naruto has the least reason to be here. He is already stronger than most Chunin, and even some Jonin. Both Kakashi-sensei and Lady Tsunade have said that if it were not for the team requirement, Naruto would almost certainly be able to complete the exam on his own."

What she did not say is that both of the ranking shinobi had expressed a belief that without a partner, Naruto might outsmart himself in the first trial, depending on its exact configuration.

But Hinata's last statement, and her pause afterwards, gave Hanabi a small boost. The Genin pushed back, asking condescendingly, "If that is so, why is he working so hard? Even after he complains, he still drives himself to the point of exhaustion."

"Because that's who he is," she hissed, driving a chakra-laced finger into her sister's side, expelling both the girl's breath and any thoughts of resistance, "Experience has taught him that the simplest of mission, the most mundane of tasks, can suddenly become something unique or deadly. And even if it does not, as long as he gives his all, he might get a tiny bit stronger or faster."

Then her voice softened with admiration, "And as long as he tries his hardest, he'll have no regrets."

"I don't understand," Hanabi croaked, on the verge of crying in frustration, "What's the point of all of this?"

"You. Just this once, the world really does revolve around you," her anger flared again, fueled by years of resentment, not yet fully mended, "Lady Tsunade doesn't think you are ready to even attempt the Chunin exam. She doesn't want you to get killed, or drag Naruto down with you. So she gave Kakashi-sensei this week to see if you are ready, and if not, try to get you there. But if he decides you are too unskilled, you will be forbidden to take the exam. And then Naruto will have to find another team or wait until the Land of Lightning exam in six months."

"So that is the real reason Naruto is working so hard," the younger girl sneered, realizing the mistake almost as the words escaped. This time, Hinata did not stop herself. She slapped Hanabi full in the face, putting all of her weight, and even a little chakra into the open hand strike.

"Naruto doesn't know," Hinata was now more disappointed than angry, "Kakashi-sensei told us what the Hokage instructed, but asked us to keep it from Naruto. Even if he did know, what good would pushing himself do? You are the one who is too weak."

She stood, leaving the stunned Genin on the ground.

"Go home, Hanabi," Hinata Hyuga ordered, "Back to our clan's little illusionary world. Give Naruto at least some time to try and find another group, and learn to work as a team with them."

She strode out of the tent, but once she was beyond her sister's hearing, she allowed the tears to come, and took off running.

"Hinata?" Naruto was confused when he saw her leave the campsite.

* * *

She watched the stars, shimmering in the slow moving river. She was emotionally drained, even more than when she confronted her father about Naruto. She had not cried hard, but the all the anger and hurt had wet her cheeks.

"Hinata?"

Her heart lifted when she heard his voice. Naruto walked quietly to her and sat down beside to her.

"What's wrong?" he asked gently, not knowing that made it worse. She was crying in earnest now, and latched onto his arm with both of hers. Her tears wet the sleeve of his jacket, and he blushed from the tender firmness of her breast against his arm.

"I'm so sorry, Naruto," she said, "I thought… I thought I was getting through to her, this last year. I hoped she was beginning to see beyond what our father taught her."

"Strange thing about Dojutsu," he remarked, "is how sometimes it can block your vision. Neji told me something like that."

She nodded, trying to regain control, "Hanabi is too wrapped up in our clan."

She hiccupped, and then told him regretfully, "I don't think this is going to work. She isn't going to be ready."

"Yeah, I noticed how frustrated you guys have been, and that Hanabi doesn't seem to be taking the training seriously."

"I'm sorry," she said again, "It's all my fault."

"Of course it is," he agreed, "You set up this little team, and I never would have agreed, if Hanabi wasn't your sister."

Hinata's eyes went blank. Despair wrapped around her heart, and she could feel the sobs rising again. And then Naruto reached up and lightly flicked the tip of her nose. She looked up and saw him grinning widely.

"I'm kidding!" he told her, "There is plenty of blame here, and none of it goes to you. Actually, I think it's Neji's fault, mainly because he's not here to defend himself."

She chuckled, and his grin shrank, but became even happier.

"Are you're feeling a little better?"

"Yes. Thank you, Naruto."

"Good," he stood up, and offered her his hand. She took it, and he lifted her back to her feet.

"Let's get back," he suggested, "It's starting to get a little chilly."

* * *

"Kakashi-sensei? May I speak with you?" Hanabi's voice carried softly from outside the gate. The Jonin was surprised, not by her appearance at his tent, but by being address as her teacher. He unzipped the flap, and waved his hand to indicate she could step inside.

"What can I do for you Hanabi?" he asked, guardedly.

"I need to apologize," she said, "I have been disrespectful, and a poor student. Everyone is here for me…"

The Copy Ninja held up his hand to stop her. He was not convinced of her sincerity, nor was he ready to let her off the hook.

"Just to be clear, we aren't here for you. We are here for Naruto."

"But Hinata said…."

"I'm guessing Hinata told about Lady Tsunade's worries," he interrupted her again, "The purpose of our mission is to make you ready for the Chunin exam. But I could have probably pawned this off on Iruka, or even your sensei, Choza. After all, I'm still recovering from a severe poisoning. The reason I agreed to do this, is for Naruto."

Her face showed she did not understand, and the Sharingan user sighed.

"Listen, I don't have anything against you Hanabi," he explained, "But I also don't know you, and I don't have any responsibility to you. N,aruto, on the other hand is my student. And more than that, he has become like that annoying younger sibling you never asked for, but care about anyway."

Hanabi did not miss the barb.

"And knowing Naruto like I do, I suspect if the Hokage were to forbid you from entering the Chunin Exam, Naruto would not enter either. He is loyal to his own cost. So I agreed to teach you, but for him."

The girl nodded. Her ego was stinging, but she also felt a little better.

"Can I ask you two things, Kakashi-sensei?" she restarted the conversation after a brief pause.

"You can ask. I can't say for sure I will answer."

"Hinata said Naruto is stronger than most Chunin and some Jonin," she told him, "Do you agree with that?"

"Well," he tried to decide what to tell her, "I will just say that I would consider myself lucky to beat Naruto in a stand-up fight forty percent of the time."

Her white eyes managed to conceal most of her surprise at the admission.

"Then why not simply make him a Chunin?" she pondered aloud. Then she quickly qualified, "That was not my second question."

"I'll answer it anyways," he smiled, "While it is true that the Hokage, the Jonin Council, and the Elders together have the power to promote anyone to Chunin, it is very rarely used outside the auspices of the Exam. This is to preserve the value of the Exam; to prevent Genin from trying to circumvent it, and so it is not devalued."

She frowned at the end, and he explained further, "The purpose of the Chunin Exam is not only to promote Genin. It is also to compare power with the other Hidden Villages, and to exhibit our talent for powerful customers. If we start promoting any qualified ninja, then we potentially lose the rest of the exam."

"Besides that," he continued knowingly, "Being a Chunin isn't just about combat strength. It's also about leadership and experience."

"I understand," the youngest Hyuga nodded.

"My second question is," she said awkwardly, "what is your opinion of the Hyuga Clan?"

Kakashi exhaled sharply, and his uncovered eye regarded the girl intently.

* * *

After she separated from Naruto to return to the girls' tent, a small dread infringed on Hinata's mood. She did not know how to act towards Hanabi. She could not apologize, or be too kind, or she would ruin any impact she might have made. But she also did not want to destroy her relationship with her sibling.

And how would Hanabi act? Would she try to strike back, cry, or give her sister the silent treatment? Would she even be there?

Hinata was surprised to find Hanabi kneeling on her bedroll, staring forlorn at the flap. The girl looked even smaller, as if someone had further deflated her ego. When Hanabi realized she was no longer alone, she suddenly looked up at her sister's face. She took a deep breath, to brace herself.

"Sister… No, Hinata-sensei," she leaned forward, putting her face close to the ground, "Will you please teach me the Kariname Jutsu?"

"Are you sure?" Hinata hid her happiness, and countered brusquely, "You could get in trouble with father."

"A Chunin must know when to take risks," she said carefully, "And I do not believe anyone here will be running to tell our father."

Hinata smiled, but not kindly or happily, and said, "I will teach you."

"Thank you, Hinata-sensei," the younger girl raised her head, "And sister… I am sorry."

"That remains to be seen," the Chunin did not gave her 'student' an inch. Hanabi nodded.

* * *

The next morning, Kakashi was only mildly surprised to be the last one into the clearing. Naruto was wearing his headband over his eyes, and dodging rocks thrown at him by Sakura and Kiba. The Hyuga sisters were off to the side, and a cord extended from Hanabi's wrist to Naruto's ankle. The Jonin also noticed that while the blond Genin was again wearing a set of red and yellow weights, the darker haired novice had upgraded to a set of yellow bands.

"Why wasn't I invited?" he asked, affecting hurt.

"Hey, Kakashi-sensei," Naruto turned to 'look' at him, "We're working on Hanabi's Kariname Jutsu."

"So I gathered," the ranking shinobi's tone was blasé. Secretly, he was impressed that the girl had been able to master the B-rank Genjutsu overnight. Though master might have been a slight overstatement, given the strain on Hanabi's face, and the dirt on Naruto's clothes and bruises on his face.

"Well, we might work on that more later," the Copy Ninja told them, "For now, I think we need to work on Hanabi's Taijutsu."

"Given your build and physical abilities," he addressed the girl, "I think we should work on throws. You don't have the reach to reliably hit most enemies with Gentle Fist attacks. But you can draw them in, and combine your damage to the chakra network with the ability to disrupt an opponent's natural flow. That should allow you to defeat larger, stronger shinobi."

"Hey, what about me Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto insisted.

"Well, from what I hear, you still need to work on falling correctly," the Jonin said.

"You'd think he had enough experience by now," Sakura commented. Kiba chuckled, and Hinata looked torn between amusement and annoyance.

"So, this is the plan," Kakashi instructed, "You four will take turns charging at Hanabi. Naruto, Sakura, Naruto, Hinata, Naruto, and then Kiba."

Then he looked at Hanabi, "Just before they reach you, I will call out a type of throw, and you will execute it. If your skills are up to par, we will move on to some more advanced throws, and adding Gentle Fist jabs to the mix."

* * *

"Ow, ow, ow." Naruto grunted as he lowered himself to the ground.

"It's your own fault," Sakura told him, "For telling Hanabi she could use actual Gentle Fist attacks on you."

"But it was helpful to try the combination for real," Hanabi said, handing her teammate the pouch of fruit and nuts she had gathered for lunch, "Thank you, Naruto."

"Don't mention it, Hanabi," he laughed it off, "And you didn't have to go find lunch all by yourself."

Sakura gently slapped his back, and a shudder of pain shot up and down his spine.

"Hanabi has sure done a one-eighty," Kiba remarked to Hinata, as he took one of the skewers off the fire.

"I hope so," Hinata said quietly.

"What do you mean?"

"This is like the mask she wears around our father," Hinata whispered, "So he will still think… how did she put it… 'she is his polite, obedient doll'."

"Hanabi said that?" the dog trainer was amazed.

"She lost a great deal of respect for our father after Naruto's match with Neji in the Chunin finals," she explained, "Both from learning some of our clan's secrets, and from seeing our father's personal failings. After all, he taught her that only strength matters. She is keeping up the act to make sure he continues to instruct her."

"You make her sound like a sociopath," Inuzuka struggled to keep his voice down.

"Not quite that bad, yet, but if something doesn't change…" Hinata smiled sadly and shrugged, "That is part of why I agreed to help my sister work with Naruto. He helped Neji, and Gaara, and even that rogue Zabuza, at the end. I'm hoping he will rub off on Hanabi too."

"Sit down," Naruto prompted, "You did all the work this morning."

Hanabi looked mildly surprised, but complied. The older Genin reached into the bag, and handed her the largest apple.

"Not a bad idea," Kiba nodded.

* * *

The next four days passed with considerably more ease than the first three. Hanabi submitted to all tasks put to her, only expressing displeasure once, and always trying hard. She learned a handful of new Ninjutsu and Genjutsu, though her Taijutsu did not improve as much as Kakashi would have liked.

At the end of their seventh allotted day, the underage shinobi started to pack up their camp to head back.

"You guys can stop," their leader interrupted their demolition, "We aren't going back to the village tonight."

"But I thought the Hokage only gave us seven days," Hanabi protested carefully.

"I'm bending the rules," he smirked under his mask, "I trained you for seven days, but tomorrow morning will be a test of your skills."

"So get some sleep," the Sharingan user's tone unsettled them, "You'll want to be well rested."

* * *

"I've marked off a one mile radius circle, centered here," he told them. Even his three assistants seemed apprehensive, "That's the area of operations for this contest. I won't leave it, and if you leave, you will be disqualified."

"What if we can force you out?" Naruto interrupted. His teacher considered that.

"If that happens… I guess I will give you one of the two."

Naruto groaned when he realized the implication of the statement.

"One of the two what?" the youngest Kunoichi asked. As expected, the Jonin held up two small bells.

"You two have to take these two bells from me, before noon," he informed them. "Sakura, Hinata, and Kiba will not be involved. Oh, and Naruto, I've finished reading the book, so that tactic won't work."

"I know the outlines for the next three," Naruto countered, scaring his instructor, "So you better be ready to cover your ears."

"Well, then," Kakashi stammered slightly, "For the sake of your training, not to mention Hanabi's ears, let's just make that a disqualifying offense this time. One last note, each of you has to get one of the two bells. Hanabi can't get both of them and give one to Naruto."

No one missed the hint of irony in his final statement. Kakashi reached down deliberately, and tied one bell to each side of his belt.

"Alright, you two can begin any time."

Hanabi immediately charged, but was forced to stop when Naruto threw a kunai into her path.

"Naruto, what…" she squealed, but he cut her off verbally, saying "Look down."

She looked to the earth, and saw a severed lasso around her feet.

"Part of the reason he limited us to the 2 mile circle, is because that's where he prepared all of his traps. There's probably snares and pits all over the place."

She nodded, realizing she had been foolish to rush in.

"What do you suggest, then?" she asked.

"Hold very still," he said, placing his hands together, "Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu."

Naruto after Naruto appeared, until they filled the clearing, and continued to appear in the forest. Some triggered traps as soon as they appeared, disappearing into the ground or yanked into the trees. After he had finished his summoning, the copies spread out, intentionally blundering around to set off the traps. After he was relatively sure he had sprung all the snares, he grinned at his teacher.

"Now, we can start," the older Genin told his teammate. Before she could move, he was already past her, circling around to pin Kakashi between them. The younger Hyuga was surprised by Naruto's speed, he appeared almost twice as fast as he had been during the previous week. It took her a second to recognize that he was no longer wearing the chakra weights.

As he moved, Naruto signed, and Kitsune appeared in his hands.

"What the?" Kiba's jaw dropped, "That's a staff-blade."

He looked over at the girls for confirmation, but Hinata was smiling, and Sakura met his eye and shook her head 'no'.

Kakashi was interested in the weapon his student had forged. He had heard about it from Iruka and the Hokage, but both seemed to think there was more to it than they had seen or heard.

"Rasenblade!" Naruto did not hesitate to form the advanced chakra sword, and charged his teacher. The Jonin was shocked to see tendrils of red creeping into his student's blue eyes. The Genin's speed increased as he closed the gap, and Hatake started to worry. As a result he was only mildly surprised when Naruto swung at his neck. He ducked away, and tried to sweep his student's legs. But Naruto nimbly hopped over the attack, and swung overhand again.

"Naruto what are you doing?" Sakura screamed.

"He told us the only way to get the bells was to come at him with lethal force," Naruto growled, slashing again. He released the blade with his left hand, and formed a Rasengan.

"And you are willing to kill me to get one?" Kakashi asked, not sure he wanted to know the answer.

"You're an S-Class Jonin, and I'm just a Genin," those who knew could hear the Kyubi in his voice, "I figure I'll probably just maim you."

The master ninja was forced to do all he could to dodge the teen's attack. He created a Lightning Blade, and tapped the metal pole of the Naruto's weapon. But the boy did not react.

"Sorry, sensei," he smirked, "I made Kitsune so the blade wouldn't transmit electricity, heat, or cold to the handle."

Kakashi started to reach for the headband covering his eye, thinking he might need to use the Sharingan to survive. But he was too late.

Kakashi felt a sudden pressure in his lower back, and lost control of his legs. He threw his weight to the side, cartwheeling away. He saw what had hit him. It was Hanabi, and she was holding one of the bells. Kakashi forced his chakra 'down', and managed to recover in time to skid to a stop. He looked for Naruto's next attack, but the teen had stopped, and was grinning. Kitsune's extension was gone, and his eyes were normal.

"That was an act?" Kiba was amazed.

"Like I'd really try to kill Kakashi-sensei," Naruto scoffed, "But I figured if I came at him hard enough, he might just forget about Hanabi long enough to give her an opening."

Hatake shook his head.

"Ok, this game is over," he said ironically, "Naruto knows me too well to make this a valid test. But I have another idea."

He was instantly beside Hanabi, and took back the bell before she could react. He took out a third bell, and walked over to the three Chunin.

"Instead, how about a little Capture the Flag," he made it sound like a question, but none of the younger shinobi made the mistake of taking it as one. He handed one bell to each of the Chunin.

"The rules are simple. Same area of engagement. You three," he indicated his assistants, "Are not allowed to hold more than one bell at a time. So long as you don't, you can drop, hide, or trade the bells. At noon, whichever team has the most bells, wins."

* * *

"Alright, take it," Kiba panted, extending the third and final bell. Naruto snatched it from his hand.

"You didn't need it," the feral Chunin yelped, "You could have been satisfied with the two you have."

"This way there are no doubts," Uzumaki looked at their observer, and Kakashi nodded.

"You two pass," he declared.


	24. The Brothers' War, Part I

**Chapter 24: The Brothers' War Part I**

"Are you sure?" Suigetsu sounded dubious as he observed the ruined mansion. Karin snarled, and threw a kunai at him. Out of deference to Sasuke and his plans, she missed on purpose.

"Are you sure, Karin?" Sasuke asked, his voice more neutral.

"Of course, Sasuke-sama," she smiled confidently, "That first stop was just to get his scent. Tracking by chakra isn't easy, and your brother's traces are still strongest around the Hidden Leaf Village. But the trail is strong here, and recent. If he isn't here now, he was in the last two days."

"Good," Uchiha reached out and squeezed her shoulder familiarly. Her smile turned lecherous, and she reached back to grab his thigh. He gave her a slightly annoyed look, and whispered, "Not now."

Regretfully, she stopped short

"If you two are done..." the shark-toothed swordsman grimaced. Karin shot him another murderous look, but considering what was coming, did not waste any more weapons.

The trio crept towards the home, keeping to the tree line as long as they could. When they could no longer hide, they darted to the broken doorway at their top speed. Karin and Sasuke passed the portal first, and had to wait a quarter of a second for Suigetsu.

"What the f…?" the swordsman's outburst was cut off by a look from Sasuke. The ruined outside was a front, concealing a slightly smaller, heavily fortified building.

"An Akatsuki hidey-hole?" the Mist Rogue whispered.

"Not Akatsuki," Karin was quiet, but for a different reason. She pointed to the symbol on the wall. It was a fan, red on the top and white on the bottom.

"Uchiha," she concluded. Sasuke walked slowly over to the wall, activating his Sharingan. He touched the hidden triggers, invisible to normal eyes. There was a loud rumbling, and a portion of the wall slid inwards.

"No way they didn't hear that," the shark-tooth shinobi drew Zabuza's massive sword with his right hand, and one of Raiga's hooked blades with his left. Sasuke continued in, but Suigetsu hesitated, and Karin pushed him into the dimly lit antechamber. After their eyes adjusted, Uchiha's companions saw an imposing figure, blocking the hallway leading further into the shelter.

"Heh," Kisame's grunt was almost like a laugh, "I didn't think you'd be this stupid, but I should have known better than to bet against Itachi."

"So, I have to go through you to get to my brother," Sasuke said.

"No," the shark-skinned renegade stepped aside, "You are free to go. I'm here for them."

He pointed to Suigetsu, and leered at Karin.

"Though if Itachi is right again, it's ironically redundant, because they are here for me."

Sasuke nodded, and walked forward.

"What, that's it?" Suigetsu groused.

"This was the plan," their cold leader shot back, "What more do you want?"

"Well," the Mist ninja was put off balance, "Just don't get yourself killed. That's my pleasure."

"I don't think you'll have to worry about that," Kisame told his former ally smugly, "One way or the other."

Sasuke snorted derisively, and continued. Then he stopped, for a reason he did not understand, and looked back at Karin. She was surprised by this, but waved him on as if annoyed. The last Uchiha tread down the narrow corridor, and disappeared into the darkness.

"Now those blades look familiar," Kisame remarked, "But I don't think you've earned them, boy."

* * *

Sasuke passed the empty rooms, ignoring all of the potential history around him. He could sense his enemy before him, and would not be delayed. He dimly recognized the layout of the building as a he turned a corner, and knew where Itachi was leading him.

"Hello, little brother," the Uchiha traitor greeted, as Sasuke entered the dojo. Like the rest of the fortress, the spacious room was old, yet well cared for.

"I thought this setting was more appropriate than a hotel," Itachi said, "When I heard you had killed Orochimaru, I knew it was only a matter of time before you found me."

Sasuke did not say anything. His emotionless face creased with rage, and his Sharingan reappeared. He slowly drew out eight kunai, and Itachi raised an eyebrow at his sibling's deliberate action.

Sasuke tossed the weapons gently at his opponent, further increasing the Akatsuki warrior's confusion. But as Itachi raised his hand to block, Sasuke was moving again. He quickly drew out an equal number of shuriken, and threw them hard. The stars struck the daggers, diverting them. They dug into the wooden floor, surrounding the older Uchiha. Only then did Itachi recognize the paper bombs wrapped around the handles. The explosion filled the room with smoke and splinters, and shook the entire complex.

"Did you really expect that to work?" Itachi asked, suddenly behind the teenager. Sasuke hopped away, turning to face his brother.

"Or are you just showing off your mastery of the deflection technique? Because I am not impressed."

Itachi threw his own kunai, directly at his brother, and hard. Then he released three other daggers. Sasuke tried to dodge, but the first kunai bounced off all three of the others. As if Itachi had known how he would dodge, the first kunai cut a light line across his brow, while two of the secondary blades each sliced one of his thighs.

"You still have a long way to go."

But Sasuke, oddly, smiled, some of his rage abated. The three injuries were already closing.

"That is new," the elder Sharingan user noted, "Is that a jutsu, a new element of the Cursed Seal, or something else?"

"I got rid of that," Sasuke tilted his head to show his unmarked neck, "I found a greater source of power."

Sasuke signed quickly, and released three one-inch teardrop shaped orbs of lightning. The sparks darted towards the Akatsuki member, but the adult shinobi nimbly dodged. Instead of splashing on the wall, the energy turned in mid-air, homing in on Itachi. He retreated again, but the darts followed again. Sasuke launched a second set, and then a third. Finally, the lightning tears had Itachi trapped, and they struck him. His form went rigid, but only for an instant.

"I see," the literally shocked ninja announced, "Those little comets are attracted to the metal in my weapons. And you create a mild electric field around yourself, so they don't attack you. Too bad they are too weak to injure me. What is next, the Fireball Jutsu?"

"How about this?" the younger ninja gestured again, "Water Style, Snake Pit Jutsu."

Dozens of vipers and cobras erupted from his fingertips. They wrapped tightly around Itachi, burying their fangs into his flesh. The Akatsuki member was completely enveloped. After the last serpent appeared, a cloud of black flame expanded from around the older Uchiha, incinerating all of the reptiles. Itachi was pale and unbalanced, from the variety of venoms coursing through his body, but he did not appear worried.

"You have been bitten by a dozen different types of fatal snakes. You will be dead in minutes," Sasuke frowned, "Aren't you concerned?"

"One of our scientists created a universal antivenin," the former ANBU member drew a small container from his robe, and before his brother could stop him, swallowed a pair of pills, one yellow and one orange. He straightened, and color returned to his skin. But he was still bleeding from many tiny punctures across his body. Despite failing to prevent Itachi's detoxification, Sasuke continued has charge, aiming a kick at his brother's left ear. The murderer blocked easily, grabbing his brother's leg and tossing him towards the wall. Sasuke controlled his path, landing foot first on the wood covered stone, and propelling himself back. Before he had finished pushing off, he completed a Lightning Cannon Jutsu, sending the orb rocketing towards his brother. He then signed a second jutsu, and four arcs of lightning circled around his brother.

Itachi simply stepped forward, causing the second jutsu to converge behind him. He raised a flame wrapped hand and caught the lightning sphere.

"Interesting technique," he observed before tossing the Lightning Cannon away, "But, little brother, the Uchiha are supposed to be masters of _Fire _Jutsu."

Sasuke landed, as Itachi complete his hand seals, and announced, "Fire Style: Nova Jutsu."

Flames erupted from Itachi, expanding in a perfect sphere. Sasuke surrounded himself with a quick water barrier, and after the dome of fire passed him, darted forward. Unfortunately, he was not expecting the second wave of flame, and his weakened shield failed. The younger Uchiha was thrown back, and his left sleeve ignited.

"The sun may explode three times," Itachi smirked, "But I chose to limit it to two bursts. The third would have been overkill."

The self-proclaimed avenger tore the smoldering cloth away from his shirt, and dropped it unceremoniously.

"Katon: Fire Trace Jutsu!" Sasuke chanted as he signed, and four streams of fire sped across the floor toward Itachi. The elder brother simply leapt over inferno, but this time his opponent had anticipated.

"CHIDORI!!" Sasuke roared, plunging his fingers into Itachi's stomach. But instead of blood, flames engulfed his hand, and his brother detonated. Even as his charred fingers started to regrow, the Akatsuki shinobi was again behind him.

"Fire Clone Jutsu, one of the Uchiha Clan's secret techniques. But I suppose there was no one to teach it to you…"

Itachi's voice was now mocking, and Sasuke decided his brother was playing with him. The angry teen howled again, aiming a left cross at twenty-year old ninja's chest and then a Chidori enhanced stab at his target's neck. His first swing missed, but his jutsu attack scratched Itachi's shoulder. Itachi placed a single hand on Sasuke's chest, and pushed gently, knocking his brother to the other side of the faded training mat.

"Stop toying with me and fight!" the last Uchiha shouted.

"Foolish little brother, this is how a master of the Sharingan fights. Observe your opponent. If he has any jutsu worth learning, copy them. And once you know how everything about your enemy, and he has exhausted himself, finish it with a single blow," He smirked cruelly, "Aggressively flailing about is only useful if your opponent has a power you cannot duplicate, or is physically superior. Even then, it is a desperate choice."

Sasuke snarled at the insult. He launched another series of Taijutsu attacks, but was again deflected.

"So, I think this must be your limit," Itachi looked sad, "Thank you for the Lightning Cannon. You have grown much stronger over the last three years… Maybe next time you will be a challenge."

The tomoe in his eyes expanded, forming a black pinwheel in each. Sasuke's world turned over, white became black, red became blue.

Sasuke recognized the stark vision surrounding him. Unlike last time, he did not see his brother. Instead, there was a low rumbling. Desiccated hands ripped out of the dirt. The bodies pulled themselves free, and he recognized the remains of his parents' faces. Behind them, his aunt rose up.

"Welcome home, Sasuke," Itachi appeared behind the advancing corpses. Even as his father's claws tore into his chest, Sasuke smiled.

"It took you long enough."

Sasuke's Sharingan changed. The circling dots expanded, stabbing inwards. Three tiny daggers met in the center of his eye.

"Mangekyo Sharingan, Tsukiyomi."


	25. The Brothers' War, Part II

**Chapter 25: The Brothers' War Part II**

Itachi's eyes showed surprised, and maybe a little fear, as his Genjutsu shattered, then reformed around him. The zombies attacking Sasuke turned, and began to advance on their killer. More of his victims excised themselves from the ground.

Mikoto Uchiha reached her son first. Though she was not originally from the Uchiha clan, that fact had not spared her. With the soft tissue stripped from her distal phalanges, her finger bones tore into his skin and muscle like dull knives. She ripped chunks of flesh from his left arm, discarding them like offal. His body regenerated as quickly as it was wounded, giving the betrayed matriarch the ability to continue tormenting her offspring.

Though he knew the zombies were illusions, Itachi could not deny the pain. He attempted to break free of the Tsukiyomi, but found he could not. Sasuke's hate-fueled vision was too strong.

Only a handful of seconds passed in the real world, but Itachi felt as if he had been flayed alive continuously for two full days. He was breathing hard, and could not stand up straight. He even had some minor cuts and bruises.

"How did you do that? How did you reverse the Tsukiyomi?" the elder traitor panted, "How did you stop me from breaking free?"

"Research, and bit of luck," the younger Uchiha answered glibly. His color had drained, and he had a drop of blood in the corner of his left eye. But he was not breathing hard, and was moving almost normally. He was waiting for his brother to collapse, but despite his sore health, Itachi did not appear to be ready to become comatose.

"I won't be fainting like you or Kakashi," Itachi exhaled roughly, "You may have found an interesting variation of the Tsukiyomi, but have not sufficiently mastered the technique to do serious mental damage to the target."

"It doesn't matter," Sasuke dropped into a stance, "You are in no shape to fight me."

"Not yet…" Itachi's mouth twitched ever so slightly upwards. The Mangekyo Sharingan began to rotate, and Itachi steadied. Beginning on his hands and feet, all of his injuries began to move up his body. When they met his eyes, the bites, cuts and bruises vanished, as if sucked down a drain. In the brief second it Sasuke to recover from his surprise, his brother was fully healed. The Akatsuki ninja stretched, cracking his elbows.

His chakra nearly exhausted, Sasuke physically attacked again. This time his attacks were more precise, and Itachi was forced to actively block instead of simply dodging. Orochimaru's student aimed a double snap kick, stabbing his right foot at his enemy's stomach and then neck. The adult shinobi deflected the first shot with his hand, and leaned back to avoid the second. Sasuke threw his body back into a side aerial, and his left foot connected with Itachi's chin. But the weak attack did not deter the former ANBU leader, and while his brother was still upside-down, Itachi's right fist struck the teen's left temple. His head ringing and his acrobatics disrupted, Sasuke barely managed to land on his feet. The first-born sibling stepped in, slamming his elbow into his opponent's solar plexus. His hand snapped up, and the back of his knuckles struck Sasuke's nose, nearly breaking it. Sasuke attempted to grab his brother's wrist, to flip him into the wall. But Itachi turned grip around, using the pressure point on the back of Sasuke's hand to immobilize the youth long enough to land a hard side thrust kick to the younger man's lower spine. The avenger felt his legs going numb, but managed to score a moderate blow to Itachi's retreating knee.

Forced to admit his brother's reach and strength gave him an edge in Taijutsu, Sasuke spent a small amount of his remaining chakra, and summoned a very specific serpent. The python wrapped around his arm, and opened its mouth wide. It disgorged a familiar long sword into Sasuke's waiting hand.

"So, you have even claimed the Kusanagi from Orochimaru," Itachi noted, "I wonder how this one will fair?"

He reached back and drew his ANBU katana from its shoulder holster, hidden under his Akatsuki robe...

"I'm going to let you in on a little secret," Itachi said, conspiratorially, "The blades of the ANBU Black Ops carry are copies of a sword made, by the Murasame clan, for the first leader of the ANBU squad, the man who would later become the second Hokage. Since then, that sword has been passed down to each new leader. That is until I took it with me when I left…"

"An infamous legendary sword, versus a secret one. I am interested to see which will win…"

Itachi slashed at his brother's chest, but Sasuke blocked the simple attack with his blade. He slid Kusanagi along the ANBU blade, trying to angle for a stab into his target's stomach. Itachi simply stepped back, and frowned when the weak dodge worked. He tested it, keeping his distance, but leaving himself open. Sasuke continued to attempt to get close enough to cut his brother.

"You don't even know how to use that, do you?" Itachi sighed, "Just like the Mangekyo, a tool you acquired, but cannot use properly. Where as I know how to use this katana."

He reached out, and almost gently tapped Sasuke's left shoulder with the flat of his blade. A vibration spread out from the point of contact, causing him great pain and weakness.

"The Ashura sends out a sonic pulse, causing the victim's cells to tear themselves apart. With your new regenerative powers, it probably won't be as damaging to you as it is to most people."

He swung again, knocking aside Kusanagi, slicing the left side of his brother's chest shallowly. The shockwave struck Sasuke's heart, and he dropped to his knees. The younger ninja rolled back, keeping Orochimaru's sword between himself and Itachi.

"That would have killed most people."

Itachi pressed his assault, repeatedly striking the other rogue's limbs. Sasuke's stolen healing abilities were not able to keep up, and along the way he lost his grip on the Grass Cutter. Finally, Itachi kicked him hard in the ribs, knocking him on his back.

"It seems like Kisame is finished. I guess that means I have to get back to work," he stepped next to his younger sibling, aiming Ashura at his forehead, "But you have become stronger. Maybe next time, you will be a challenge. If you are foolish enough to come after me again. If you can find someone to teach you, having forsaken the Leaf and killed Orochimaru…"

Itachi stabbed, and Sasuke's world went black.

"Happy?" Kisame asked, as Itachi exited the dojo.

"Satisfied," Itachi countered, "His growth is impressive. He might one day be powerful enough to justify this effort."

He moved deftly around the splatters of blood and water in the entry room, and opened the sealed portal. But as he stepped outside, he stumbled. His shark-like ally was surprised as a number of punctures appeared on Itachi's body. After that, the cuts and bruises caused by the Tsukiyomi returned.

"Itachi, those injuries…" the Mist rogue looks mildly concerned as the Leaf traitor leaned against the wall for support.

"Sasuke managed to surprised me. I was forced to use Suseri to send my wounds into the future," Itachi grinned ironically, "If he hadn't wasted so much chakra in the beginning of the fight, he might have been able to kill me."

Kisame looked surprised.

"Help me," Itachi instructed, "We must be gone before he awakens. He cannot know how close he came to winning. He must continue to strive, or he won't be worthy."

Kisame gave his superior a shoulder to lean on, and the two quickly left.

* * *

By the time he returned to reality, all of the cuts Itachi had inflicted were gone. But his body was still sore. He stood slowly, though he was not sure why he bothered. He trudged out of the dojo, not even seeing where he was going.

The foyer was a mess. Blood spattered the floor, walls, and ceiling. He recognized parts of Suigetsu, but barely half of the swordsman remained. And both of the stolen swords were gone, presumably taken by Kisame. Karin was almost intact, but her right leg had been severed above the hip, and the wound no longer bled.

As he made his way to the entrance, a weak, hollow cough caught his attention. He turned, and saw a shallow rise and fall in Karin's breast. With speed he would not have thought he still possessed, he crossed to the girl. He knelt beside her. Her left eye socket was a mess, but her remaining eye fell on him.

"Sasuke-chan," she gasped, "So, you won."

"No," his voice was flat, "I was merely spared. Again."

"Oh," she was saddened. Then her broken face brightened, "But we can try…" her statement was broken by a bloody cough, "again."

Sasuke was silent, and the red-haired Kunoichi correctly read his silence.

"Not we," she offered, "I'm not going to make it, am I."

He shook his head 'no'. Maybe if those two were here, they could work another miracle. But if they were here…

"Sasuke-chan?" Karin's voice was even weaker. He looked back at her again, "Can you do one thing for me?"

"Yes," his voice almost cracked.

"In all the times you shared my bed, you never kissed me above the neck."

He nodded, it was his way to avoid intimacy, even while he used her for his own needs, and lead her on to ensure her loyalty.

"Can you, just once, kiss my cheek? Or my forehead?" she asked.

He reached down, and shifted her hair to cover her ruined eye. Then he moved slightly, hovering over her face. Then he bent down low, and pressed his lips to hers. Her blood tasted salty. After a few tender seconds, he pulled away.

"See," she mixed coughing and laughing, "I knew you lov…"

The taunt caught in her throat, rattling around with her final breath. Sasuke gently closed her eye, and stood again. He withdrew a flask of oil and dashed it on the floor. He walked unevenly to the door, and exited the compound. Before the barrier closed, he used his chakra to send a small spark back. As he reached the edge of the forest the ancient Uchiha stronghold was engulfed in fire. Sasuke did not look back.


	26. The Night Out

**Chapter 26: The Night Out**

"Alright, I need to go report to the Hokage," Kakashi said after they passed the main gates of the Konohagakure. He took off in the direction of the Ninja Operations Building.

"I don't know about the rest of you, but I need a real shower," Sakura complained, "I'll see you all later."

The other two girls nodded, and they started to disperse.

"Hinata," Naruto stopped her. She turned back to look at him, and Kiba and Hanabi also stopped. With the audience, the blond teen suddenly became nervous.

"Um, if you're not busy, I was wondering…" he paused, glancing sideways at the girl's sister and teammate. Both pretended they were not listening.

"Well, I was wondering if you wanted to do something tonight?"

"What?" Hinata turned bright red, and began tapping her fingers.

"But, uh, don't you need to k…keep practicing," she cursed herself silently, internally; she had thought she was past stammering in front of him.

"No, I think Hanabi would agree that we both need a little rest after the last four days."

"Oh, then," she steadied herself, "Of course. I'd be happy to."

"OK, I'll pick you up at six."

"I will see you then," the elder Hyuga nodded. Naruto started to run in the direction of his apartment. As his back receded, Hinata gave in to the weakness in her knees and sloughed slightly.

"Congratulations, big sister," Hanabi sounded genuinely happy for the shy Kunoichi.

"OH, HINATA!" Naruto had stopped, and shouted for her attention. She looked at him.

"Wear something nice, but that you can still move around in, OK?" he yelled. She colored again, but gave him an exaggerated nod.

"I wonder what he meant by that?" Kiba chuckled, needling his friend slightly.

* * *

Naruto arrived outside the Hyuga Manor at two minutes to six. He was wearing a light blue button down shirt, knee-length khaki shorts, and white and blue sneakers. The Genin paused, unsure if he should knock, or just wait. Before he could decide, the door slid open, and Hanabi greeted him. The girl wore a sly look.

"My sister will be out in a minute," she told him, holding back a grin. He nodded, confused by her demeanor. It wasn't like he hadn't been over there often enough before.

A few seconds later, the elder Hyuga girl appeared. Her hair was braided again, and her lips looked pinker than usual. She wore a sheath dress in a deep navy blue. It was held up by three straps on either side, and was tight across her ample bosom and toned stomach. At her hips, it flared just enough to allow the Kunoichi to take a full stride. Her feet were covered by pumps of a matching blue, with a slight rise in the heel. Naruto stared at her, blushing slightly, which in turn caused her to turn red.

"Naruto?" she prompted him.

"Oh, sorry, Hinata. It's just…" he took a deep breath and steadied himself.

"You are beautiful, Hinata," he said, intensely and formally. Her blush deepened and she murmured a quiet thanks. When she reached back to close the door, she saw Hanabi smirking at her. Hinata slammed the door in her face.

"Shall we?"

"Yes," she nodded happily. He extended his left hand, and she took it.

* * *

Hinata was not sure if Naruto was trying to obfuscate their destination, or if he was simply lost. They passed Ichiraku Raman twice. Finally, he stopped them at an intersection just off the village square.

"We're here," he announced. She looked around, but none of the four buildings seemed particularly likely. A bookstore, a clothing shop, a bakery, and the Golden Shoe, a fancy restaurant and dance hall. She started towards the bakery, but he tugged her hand gently.

"Not there," he smiled broadly, turned her gently towards the Golden Shoe, "Hinata Hyuga, will you join me for a night of dinner and dancing?"

She was surprised by the invitation.

"I thought you hated dancing," she protested lightly, "In the academy, you always skipped infiltration class, when we had dance lessons."

"I'd like to think I'm a little more mature than back then," he remembered, "I always told myself dancing wasn't macho, or important. But to be honest, I was also afraid no one would be my partner."

"I would have," she said quietly.

"Well, you can be my partner now," he offered, but then paused in doubt, "Unless you don't want to?"

"Oh, no," she said quickly, "I love dancing, and I'd be happy to be your partner."

As they turned towards the club, she asked, "So how did you learn to dance?"

"Well…"

* * *

"The ability to fit in at a party is only one facet of learning to dance," Jiraiya told the boy, "Dancing is all about rhythm, precise movement, and depending on the style of dance, strength and agility. A ninja who can master dancing will be a stronger warrior."

Naruto nodded, considering how dancing could help with Taijutsu, or in controlling the flow of battle.

"But most importantly," the Sannin's teacher face changed into his lecherous face, "The ladies love a man who can dance."

* * *

"When the old pervert found out I couldn't dance, he stopped all the rest of my training until I learned. I found myself enjoying it, a lot more than I thought I would," he answered, "I haven't much of a chance, since I got back to the village. I decided if I wanted to go dancing, I would have to take the initiative. And I couldn't think of anyone I'd rather cut a rug with."

She nodded, not entirely sure how to take the comment, or how it reflected on his intentions for the evening. Then she forced herself to relax; whether this was a first date or just two friends going out, she was going to enjoy the evening, and the chance to spend more time with him. And this was something he had not shared with anyone else, and that made her happy.

"Is that Naruto and Hinata?" Ino noticed, as she and Choji exited the bakery, "Going into the Golden Shoe? We should follow them…"

She started to cross the street, until she noticed he was no longer beside her. She turned back, and he had a disappointed look on his face.

"First," he said, "I doubt the two of us together can afford that place. I'm surprised Naruto can. And second, if you are going to spy on Naruto and Hinata, you don't need me."

She froze at that. It had taken her months of pressuring and pleading to get him to agree to this date. And he had a point; there was no need to throw this away over those two.

"Right, the movie," the confident blonde girl smiled at her sturdy paramour, "We don't want to be late."

* * *

Naruto had obviously prepared, because as soon as they entered, a hostess lead them to a table. After they were seated, a waitress dropped off a pitcher of water, two glasses, and menus. Hinata opened the fancy, leather-bound pamphlet, and her white eyes went wide.

"Naruto, it's so expensive," she whispered.

He looked at his own menu, and nodded, "It is a little pricey. But you gotta splurge every once in a while, right."

She nodded back, mildly amazed. But she trusted him, and if she was honest with herself, she was flattered. After looking over the list of meals briefly, Naruto set down his menu, and Hinata hurried to make her decision.

"I'll have the twelve ounce sirloin, medium, with the sautéed mushrooms and baby red potatos," Naruto said swiftly, once their server returned, "And can I also get a small bowl of pear juice."

The order taker looked surprised by the final request, but took it down, warning him, "I'm not sure, but I'll ask."

She turned her attention to Hinata, "And for the young lady?"

"What?" she jumped, slightly, "Oh, I'll have the eight ounce sirloin, medium-well, garlic mashed potatos, and the steamed peapods."

"Anything to drink?" their attendant prompted.

"Yeah, a small glass of skim milk with the meal," Naruto ordered. The waitress cocked an eyebrow, and looked over to Hinata.

"I'll have the same."

She left to place their order, and the pair started talking quietly while they waited. He asked her for more details about her second Chunin exam, and she wanted to know about his dance lessons. The two teens did not realize they were being watched.

"Oh, shit!" the purple haired Jonin hissed, sliding further into her chair, "What are _they _doing here?"

"Who?" her partner started to turn, but she grabbed his arm to stop him.

"They'll see," she countered.

"Anko, who is it?" he asked again, not looking but a touch more firmly.

"Naruto and Hinata," she answered, suddenly holding her menu in front of her face.

"And?" he sounded hurt, "I thought we were done hiding. Isn't that why we came here tonight?"

"There's a difference between going out in public, and being caught on a date by that loudmouth," she said, apologetically, "Besides, if he catches me here, he'll lose all respect for me."

"You mean, he'll be harder to intimidate," he smiled at her.

"Isn't that what I said?" Anko was annoyed that he found this humorous. The male Jonin sighed at his lover.

"Do you want to leave, then?"

"No," she said suddenly. The snake summoner blushed a tiny bit and admitted, "I've been looking forward to this."

"If not, that really doesn't leave us many options. We can either go on with our date, hope that he's too absorbed to notice us, and take the consequences if he does see us. Or, we can use the Transformation Jutsu to disguise ourselves."

Though he had not been serious at the end but she latched onto the idea.

"That's perfect," she smirked, "We'll pick disguises that there's no way that numbskull could see through."

"I was joking," he protested.

"Come on," she purred sexily, "If we pull this off, I'll reward you later."

"Alright, I'll hold you to that," he chuckled at his date, "Or to me as the case may be."

"I knew you just loved me for my body," she teased.

"I love you for your direct, aggressive, mildly self-loathing mind," he leaned in close to whisper, "Your killer body is just a side benefit."

He kissed her quickly, and she squeezed his hand in affection, and in thanks. After informing their waiter of their intent, the two shinobi went to the restrooms, and emerged as a slightly younger, civilian couple.

* * *

The waitress dropped off their meals twenty minutes later. She had managed to fulfill Naruto's odd request, and set a finger bowl of pear juice next to his plate. He made a mental note to give her a better tip. After setting out their dishes and drinks, she walked back to the kitchen. One of the chefs stepped out of the door, and both observed the blond teen.

Naruto picked up his fork, and dipped it in the thin, yellow liquid. He tasted the juice, and smiled.

"Perfect," he said. He sliced a thin strip of the beef, and dunked it quickly in the pear extract. He bit into the steak and his grin broadened. The chef looked fascinated, and hurried back into the kitchen, while the server returned to her rounds. Hinata looked at him in confusion, and he slid the bowl in between them.

"Try it," he statement was both an offer and a hearty suggestion. She looked down at her own entrée, dubious. She cut off a small corner of the sirloin, and touched it gently to the pool of liquid. She touched the beef to her tongue, and then began to chew on it thoughtfully. Her eye went wide from surprise. The sweet flavor of the pear juice complimented the rich taste of the beef perfectly.

"Naruto, that is great," she told him, "How did you discover this?"

"Just experimenting in the kitchen," he answered.

"Experimenting in the kitchen?" she was even more confused.

"Yeah, I kinda know how to cook," he was a little anxious to admit that, "Jiraiya wouldn't just train me. He made me cook and clean to earn my lessons. And ramen wasn't good enough for him."

"So, you like to cook?"

"No," he shook his head, "I hate cooking. But I can, if I have to…"

"Oh," she looked down, "That's too bad."

He took another bite, considering as he ground the potato between his molars.

"Well, maybe I could make a meal for you some time," he offered tentatively.

She blushed, and dipped her next bite of steak in the pear juice, "I'd like that."

* * *

They ate the rest of their meal in relative silence, enjoying the excellent food. As Naruto was finishing his potatos, and Hinata her vegetable, the house band started tuning up on stage. They both finished their steaks at roughly the same time, and Naruto turned his attention to the dance floor. A few couples had trickled onto the hardwood deck, and were swaying in time to the slow, opening tunes. Naruto quickly drank the last of his milk, and stood. He extended a hand to his companion.

"Shall we?"

She wrapped her fingers in his, and rose to stand beside him. They walked to the edge of the dance floor, and waited for the current song to end, their hands still clasped. As the tune wound down, they stepped on to the platform. A slow waltz began to emerge from the instruments, and Naruto wrapped his arm around Hinata. He placed his fingers in the small of her back. He remembered the feel of her spine from when he spread suntan lotion on her back. He almost regretted he could not feel her soft skin through the satin dress. She placed her left hand on his shoulder, and untangled their hands, so they could have a more traditional grip. The couple started to rotate around the dance floor, keeping perfect time with the gentle music.

For the first forty minutes, the ninja pair blended in with the crowd, turning and stepping in pace with the orchestra. Then, Naruto leaned into Hinata's ear, and whispered something. She nodded with a tiny grin, and he regretfully disconnected from her. He slid through the other dancers, quickly reaching the stage, where he flagged down the conductor. The musician walked to the edge of the bandstand, and crouched down. Naruto presented his case, and the director nodded.

"Well," the bandleader announced, "We've had a request to pick up the pace for the next song, so I hope you are all _in the mood_."

Naruto quickly made his way back to Hinata, whose eyes were sparkling with anticipation. He took her hands lightly. As the up-tempo music started, he pulled her quickly to him, and they separated just as fast. They stepped in again, but this time Naruto moved his right hand subtly outwards. Hinata caught the signal perfectly releasing his left hand with her right, and twirling away instead of simply hopping back. When they closed the gap, their free hands again linked. Naruto was impressed by her skill, and a mischievous twinkle formed in his eye.

"Ready?" he mouthed, and she nodded, slightly nervous.

"'Here we go."

Naruto brought their hands together, and on cue, the pair each rotated in place; their hands still connected, so their arms formed an arch on the back beat. Naruto gave her the next direction, and they dropped one set of hands again. This time they twisted in different directions, so the both faced the same way. They continued the rotation, and ended up back to back. They finally let go, and each sidestepped to the left, their right arms trailing along one another until their hands caught like hooks. Naruto tugged Hinata, spinning her back, finally placing her right hand back in his left.

As the two teens' moves increased in complexity, the rest of the crowd stopped dancing, instead forming a parameter to watch them.

"He's pretty good," commented the fictional brunette to her equally disguised boyfriend, "They both are."

"Hinata doesn't surprise me," he told her, "I heard she took some private lessons after the academy, to work on her footwork. But Naruto… He still can throw me a curve sometimes."

Naruto pulled slightly on her hands, and Hinata jumped closer. His hands shifted to her hips, and hers to his shoulder, and he lifted her lightly, swinging her first to his left, and then to his right. He set her down smoothly, and the restored their grips as the music demanded they step apart. His next prompt made her blush slightly, but she executed the step, releasing his hands so they could bump their right hips, and then left hips.

As the melody began to reach its apex, Naruto crossed their hands, and turned Hinata so her back was to him. They hopped apart, and together like that, then he turned her back. Then he spun her clockwise, then counter-clockwise. The song ended, and on the final note, Naruto dipped Hinata low, only inches from the floor. His face was perilously close to hers. They straightened, and the other patrons started to applaud, as did some of the band and wait staff.

Seeing Hinata was breathing a little heavy, he led her back to the table. She sat thankfully.

"What can I get you?" he asked.

"Oh, a root beer, please," she said gratefully, "Thank you, Naruto."

The boy made his way over to the bar. The crowd was getting thicker, as people entered the club strictly to dance.

"A large root beer, and a large apple juice," the Genin ordered. As he lingered while the drink mixer poured, he noticed an unfamiliar man at the end of the bar, glaring at him. Uzumaki dismissed the minor intrusion, and carried the beverages back to his date.

"Sorry it took so long," he set the glass before her, "It's starting to get a little busy."

"No, thank you, Naruto," she told him again. She lifted the cup, and sipped the soda lightly.

"You are very good, Naruto," she complimented him.

"You're no slouch, yourself," he answered back, "You knew every single move I threw at you."

She turned red again, but her face also showed pride.

"Like I said, I love dancing," she explained, "So I took some extra courses."

They talked about dancing while they rested and rehydrated. The watched the other couples, occasionally commenting, and both trying to pick up some new moves. By the time they were ready to return to the deck, the crowd had started to thin. Many of the couples who had arrived early had reached their limit, and left. And due to atmosphere and cost, the Golden Shoe did not draw a casual crowd, so there were fewer replacements.

The young friends returned to the dance floor, and were given a wide berth. But this was not needed, this time they did not show off, but just danced gently within the rest of the patrons. After another twenty minutes, Hinata suddenly stepped back.

"Naruto, I…" she kept glancing anxiously towards the back corner of the restaurant, unable to voice her need. Naruto managed not to grin, though only just, when he realized she was looking at the restrooms.

"Go ahead," he said carefully, "I'll be at our table."

"I suppose I shouldn't have given her so much to drink," he chuckled after she left, making his way back to their 'base of operations'. He poured himself another glass of water, and pretended he wasn't watching for her return.

"Why don' you jush ged outta here?" an angry voice slurred behind him. Uzumaki looked back, and recognized the man who had been glaring at him at the bar.

"You frellin' monster," he continued, poking Naruto in the shoulder, "You gotta lotta nerve, pretendin' you'll normal. Mixin' with good people, makin' us smell your stink. Ged outta here, before I t'row you out."

"That will be enough," the bartender was suddenly standing behind the drunk, pulling him out of Naruto's face.

"Wha? Don'shu know what dis ish?" the inebriated troublemaker growled.

"You mean the kid who saved the village from the one-tailed Shukaku?" the retired ninja shot back, "Or maybe the one who convinced Lady Tsunade to become the Hokage?"

"NO! He'sh da…"

"If you finish that statement," the mix-master said darkly, "You'll be facing a lot more than one night in the drunk tank."

The intoxicated man blanched, but forced a snarl.

"Wha'ever. If he'sh not leavin', I am." He slammed a handful of bills into the bartender's chest, and swaggered towards the door.

"I'm sorry about that, Naruto-kun," the bartender offered.

"Don't worry about it," he hid his pain behind a grin, "It's not your fault, and I'm used to it."

When Hinata got back, she found Naruto staring into the water glass, a slightly melancholy look on his whiskered face.

"Naruto, what is wrong?" she asked.

"What? Oh, hey Hinata, nothing's wrong," he answered unconvincingly.

"Are you not having a good time?" she looked down.

"No I wa… am having a great time," he told her. Not wanting her to get the wrong impression, he decided to tell her, "Look it's not a big deal, and I didn't want to spoil your night. But while you were gone, some guy was hassling me about… my tenant. It used to happen all the time, before the invasion. I guess I've gotten a little soft, if I'm letting it bother me."

She looked at him with sympathy, "Do you want to leave?"

"No," he said quickly, then he settled, "No. It's nothing really. A little exercise will get it out of my system."

He stood, and grabbed her hand. She allowed him to drag her back to the dance floor, and tried to help him forget the hatred again.

* * *

Naruto's bad mood faded quickly. Hinata's arms, wrapped around him, made the disdain of one stranger unimportant. The training partners danced and danced, until, at five minutes to midnight, the bandleader announced the next song would be the last.

"Can we end this on a high note? So to speak…" the blond Genin asked. The finale number was another fast piece, and Naruto and Hinata again gave the remaining patrons an impressive display. Afterwards, Naruto settled their bill, leaving ample tips for both the waitress and bartender.

As they exited the club, they saw almost two-dozen people moving down the street towards them. The two shinobi paused, wary of such a large group at this time of night. But when the procession got closer, they recognized the leaders of the troop. Naruto broke out in a goofy grin.

"Gaara, Temari, Kankuro, what are you guys doing here?" he asked, running over to them.

"Hey, kid," Kankuro waved slightly.

"We are stopping for the night on our way to the Hidden Mist Village," Gaara indicated the young looking Genin trailing behind them, "We will travel with the Hidden Leaf contingent tomorrow."

"What are you doing out so late?" Temari asked, looking at Hinata pointedly. Naruto could tell she was looking to make him pay for asking if she and Shikamaru were on a date, right after he returned to the village.

"I took Hinata dancing," the teen answered directly. Kankuro smirked, and Gaara gave them his own version of a big smile.

"I assume you will be joining us?" Gaara suggested.

"Yup," he nodded, "In fact, I should probably get Hinata home, we're leaving pretty early."

"It was nice to see you all," Hinata sketched a bow, and the two Leaf ninja walked towards the Hyuga Manor.

* * *

When the pair reached the girl's home they just stood there, not quite looking at one another.

"Naruto," Hinata finally forced out, "I had a wonderful time."

"Yeah, me too. Thank you for coming, Hinata."

"You're welcome."

They lapsed back into the uncomfortable silence.

"I should get going," he told, and then repeated, "We're leaving tomorrow morning."

"Yes," she nodded. They both started to slowly lean closer, each fixated on the other's eyes.

"Good night, Hinata."

"Good night, Naruto."

Less than an inch before their lips touched, a loud rattling occurred above them. Both teens looked up, to see Hiashi Hyuga staring down at them.

"I'm sorry," he said, unconvincingly, "I was just trying to get a cross breeze. It is a little stuffy in here."

He drew back, and then stuck his head out again.

"By the way, Hinata, Kiba stopped by after dinner. He said something about going to see Kurenai and the baby."

She nodded up at him. He moved away, but both teens could still sense his presence.

"Good night, Hinata," he said again, turning away. He started to walk back towards his apartment.

"Good night, Naruto," she said sadly. She reached for the door handle. Before her fingers met the grip, she felt two hands take hers. As she realized what was happening, two slightly rough lips pressed gently to her right cheek. And then, he was running away.

Hinata barely made it inside, before she collapsed to her knees; her face bright red, and tears running down her cheeks.


	27. The Truth in Silence

**Chapter 27: The Truth in Silence**

"Lord Kazekage," another voice called to him softly, just after Naruto and Hinata disappeared. Gaara recognized the Hokage's caretaker, and raised his hand to stop his troop.

"Thank goodness I found you," Shizune told them as she jogged over, "The Hokage needs to talk to you, and Lord Kankuro and Lady Temari right away."

"Hear that," the puppet user said, "_Lord_ Kankuro."

Temari rolled her eyes at her younger brother.

"Can this wait until morning?" the blond Kunoichi yawned. But medical Jonin shook her head.

"She said to tell you this is an X-Rank situation."

Gaara raised an eyebrow, and then addressed his confused siblings.

"Take the others to our hotel, and join us as quickly as you can," he instructed them, then asked of Shizune, "We will be at your headquarters, correct?"

She nodded.

"Then lets go," he began to move, but she interrupted him.

"I found you by accident. I am here to bring back someone else," she countered regretfully, "Although if Lady Tsunade is correct, she should be here shortly."

Before she finished the statement, a young couple emerged from the Golden Shoe. The woman had waist length brown hair and dark, and almost navy blue eyes. The man was slightly taller with short blond hair and green eyes. The man jumped slightly when he saw the crowd in the street, but his girl just pulled him along.

"Anko Mitarashi," Shizune said, and the woman froze. Then she took another step.

"Give it up, Anko," the dark eyed doctor smirked, "I know it's you. The Hokage wants to see you, right now."

"Damn it," the serpentine shinobi dismissed her jutsu. Her normal appearance returned, though her red and purple gown remained, "Come on, Shizune."

"No Anko, now," the ranking Jonin said sharply.

"Alright," she groused, then whispered to her companion, "Sorry."

"You coming with us, dusty?" she asked Gaara. Though most of the Sand Ninja were shocked by her impertinence, the Kazekage was amused. He nodded.

"Then hurry up," Anko ordered, "And maybe I can get back before he falls asleep."

* * *

When they reached Konoha Ninja Ops, Shizune did not lead them up to the Hokage's office. Instead she led them down, underground. Three floors beneath the earth, they followed her into a small, darkened room. The first thing they noticed, before their eyes adjusted, was the large two-way mirror, and the four lit computer monitors. After they became accustomed to their dim surroundings, the Kazekage and Anko realized they were not alone. The Hokage and Kakashi Hatake were waiting for them.

Anko looked through the glass, curious as to what was going on. In the stark room on the other side were Ibiki Morino, and a young man she did not recognize. Probably eighteen or nineteen years old, he was wearing typical, if somewhat shabby ninja clothes, and a headband she could not quite make out due to the glare. His hands were in ninja manacles, and her wrists chained to the chair. Numerous ninja scrolls were wrapped around his arms and chest, connected to laptops. The whole setup was in the middle of an advanced Genjutsu seal.

"Why have you summoned me here?" Gaara asked. The minor rise in his normally flat voice indicated his intrigue.

"I'm not going to say," Tsunade told him. Anko started to protest but the Sannin cut her off.

"I don't want to color your opinions before you hear this. And I think we should wait for the Kazekage's advisors.

Both of the newcomers accepted this, Gaara graciously and Anko not so much. Shizune excused herself to wait for the other Sand Siblings.

* * *

"Alright, your audience is here," Ibiki told the young man, "Let's take it again, from the top."

"My name is Shin Busata, and I am a Genin of the True Hidden Sound Village," the youth shifted his head, and they could all see his headband now. It was an inverted half-note with a sharp symbol beside it.

"I have come here to request that the Hidden Leaf Village assist in the liberation of our village."

"What the hell is he talking about?" Kankuro demanded, just before Anko could express a similar sentiment. Though Shin could not hear them in the interrogation room, Ibiki received the question through his earpiece. The scarred ninja relayed it to the petitioner, though more politely.

"I suppose it will be easier to understand if I explain the history of the Hidden Sound," the self-proclaimed Sound Ninja offered, "Because, you see, the Otogakure was not originally the brain child of Orochimaru. Though he helped them to build it, that village was the dream of two other shinobi. My parents."

"My mother was born in the Village Hidden in the Mist, the daughter of a wealthy textile magnate. She became a ninja, against her father's wishes. Though he could not prevent her from becoming a Genin, he blocked her attempts to find a teacher after graduation. She was eventually able to find a Jonin who was above her father's influence or bribery. But it was not enough, because my grandfather was able to use his power over the tenth Mizukage to thwart her attempts to take the Chunin Exam. In time she grew frustrated, and plotted to leave her home. She was able to make use of some less scrupulous Jonin, and faked a decommissioning. Thus, she was able to leave the Kirigakure with all of her abilities, but without being labeled a rogue Ninja."

"My father would be known to you. Jiro Busata was a Chunin from this village," the young man continued, "He was a medical specialist, and thought Shinobi should be researching more simple and mundane jutsu to help civilians in everyday life. His team was sent on a mission to remove a bandit clan from the Land of Rice. But either the feudal lord lied, or he simply undervalued the rogues, because my father's two teammates were killed, and he was left for dead, with a wakizashi broken off in his right lung."

"That was when my mother found him. Though she was not an expert healer, she knew enough to keep him alive, long enough for him to teach her the techniques she needed to save him. It was very close, and she spent months nursing him back to health. They fell in love, and shared their mutual desire for a more open spread of knowledge. That was the genesis of the Village Hidden in the Sound. Not a military outpost, but instead a ninja college. A place where any jutsu would be taught to any person who offered equal compensation in knowledge or money."

"Soon after my father recovered, and they were married; my parents met Orochimaru. They did not know he was exiled, they just knew that he was a living legend. And he shared their love of knowledge. So they entrusted him with their vision, and he offered to help them. Emboldened by their new ally, my parents began to gather scrolls and books of Ninjutsu, and to consult with retired ninja and honorable rogues. But they still lacked for two things…"

"Soon after I was born my grandfather died, leaving everything to his only surviving family member. My mother returned to the Hidden Mist for the time in years. But she only remained long enough to empty her bank accounts, and sell off her companies. Now my parents had the money they needed. When they met up with Orochimaru again, he had acquired the other resource they lacked, a location."

"As they began to build their village, they were blinded to the Serpent's darkness. While they recruited learned masters, and talented beginners, Orochimaru recruited anyone who would agree to follow him. While my parents followed the edicts of the Council of Shadows, Orochimaru readily practiced forbidden jutsu. While they focused on gaining knowledge, he accepted any mission that was offered."

"Seven years ago, they could no longer deny what was happening. Orochimaru had joined with the Akatsuki, a group known to them. Sound Ninja had been accused of assassinations in the Lands of Earth and Fire. They went to confront Orochimaru, even though they were no match for him. And he killed them."

He paused for a second, "My mother knew they would die. She warned me, never to oppose Orochimaru. She said I should keep our people safe, and to wait."

"And now the time I have waited for is come. Orochimaru is dead, and Kabuto Yakushi has taken control of my parent's village. But many of those who remained neutral out of out of fear of Orochimaru now side with the True Sound. And some of those who were loyal to the Serpent will not follow his apprentice."

"However, we are not strong enough on our own. Orochimaru taught his followers more advanced killing techniques, and would not send us on missions. So even though our numbers are now equal, or even greater, we are in general weaker and less experienced. But with the help of the Hidden Leaf Village, we can defeat our mutual enemy."

"What does he suggest?" Gaara asked. Again, Morino relayed the question.

"We wish to hire Leaf Shinobi to eliminate Kabuto and his strongest soldiers," the Shin explained, "Though we may not have all of the funds needed to pay for such a mission, we are also willing to offer access to our libraries, for free, for one year, once the mission is complete."

"Well?" Tsunade asked Anko and the Sand Ninja.

"It's a trap," Anko insisted incredulously, "I can't believe you're buying this load of bullshit."

"With the Honesty Genjutsu, plus all those detection scrolls, it is unlikely he could lie," Temari countered, "In such a long speech, he should have tripped up at some point."

"Also, this fits with some of the of the questions and inconsistencies we had noticed about the Hidden Sound Village. Why would Orochimaru build a village? It's not in his character," Kakashi pointed out, "And where did he get the money?"

"We investigated his story," Shizune added, "His mother, Hana Aino, was a Hidden Mist ninja, until she retired at age sixteen. And she did inherit a substantial fortune when her father died. And as for his father…"

"I knew Jiro Busata," Tsunade interrupted, "He was always going on about how we should teach civilians simple jutsu to make their lives easier. The kid looks a lot like him. Of course, it would be nice if we could do a DNA test, but the blood types match up."

"Fine," the purple-haired Kunoichi snapped, "So maybe that part of it is true. But that doesn't change the fact that the most important part is a lie, and that makes this a trap."

"What do you mean?" Gaara's tone was, as always, even.

"OROCHIMARU ISN"T DEAD," she shouted. She down the zipper of her gown, and nearly ripped the fabric as she yanked it down. She did not care that she was exposing herself to them, as she turned to show them the livid black mark where her neck met her shoulder.

"If Orochimaru were dead, I would finally be free of him, free of this curse!" she told them, "I was told the only way this seal would go away was if Orochimaru removed it, or if he died. It's still there, still burning every second of every day. So that bastard can't be dead."

"Anko," Shizune said softly, "We don't know for sure that Orochimaru's death will remove the curse mark. That's just speculation. We don't know enough to be sure."

"More likely," the Hokage interrupted, "Even after the snake dies, it will take weeks, or even months to fade away."

Anko glared at Kankuro, who was staring at her mostly uncovered chest. Only after he noticed her, and looked away, did she put her dress back into place.

"I don't buy it," she said, slightly less vehemently.

"We have reports to support that," Kakashi handed her a dossier, "During the incident with the vampire, Naruto told Sasuke about Orochimaru and Itachi's past. Afterwards, Sasuke took almost ten days to make a journey that should have taken two. He was in the Sound hideout for just over three hours, and left with two of Orochimaru's strongest young recruits. Orochimaru has not been seen since, and Kabuto has been issuing orders that are contrary to Orochimaru's previous plans."

"All part of the plot," Anko's voice told them she knew she was reaching.

"Then why involve us," Temari asked, ignoring the Leaf Jonin's argument.

"Two reasons," the Hokage smirked, "The first is simple survival."

"I have considered the possibility that this is a trap. That kid's plan calls for eight teams, give or take," she told them, "But if instead the Leaf and Sand each send six teams, we'll have fifty percent more people on the ground, with less risk to either village. That gives us a better chance either to escape if it is a trap, or to win if this is real. Plus for the second part of his plan, with shinobi from both of our villages making use of their facilities, they will have better support to solidify their control of the village."

Kankuro and Anko both displayed a small surprise, not having realized the full reason for Busata's offer.

"That is why you called this an X-Rank mission," Gaara observed.

"That term again," Kankuro frowned, "What's an X-Rank mission?"

The Kazekage looked at the Hokage, who shrugged back.

"It is a special designation of the Council of Shadows," he explained to his siblings, "A level beyond S-Rank. X-Rank missions are missions that require the direct action of one of the five Kage, or the combined power of two or more Hidden Villages."

Temari nodded her understanding.

"The second reason," Tsunade resumed, growing somber, "Is the intelligence Gaara provided me with; the fact that Orochimaru, Kimimaro, and Kabuto were present in the Sunagakure when the fourth Kazekage and his advisors were murdered. Kimimaro is long dead, and now it seems Orochimaru is gone."

She looked directly at Gaara, "Kabuto is your last chance at any kind of justice or revenge."

Gaara nodded, and his sister shuddered, recognizing the dark, hateful gleam in his pale blue eyes.

"I presume the intent is to mask the attack behind the Chunin Exam," the leader of the Hidden Sand said evenly.

"Yeah, with their participating teams in the Land of Water, it gives us that much more of an advantage."

"Then we had better start planning," Gaara stated.

"Ibiki, bring our guest to Map Room number one," Tsunade instructed over the microphone, so Shin could hear her, "but for now, let's leave the manacles on."

The Tokubetsu Jonin nodded, and began to disconnect the lie detectors.


	28. Bearing the Noise

**Chapter 28: Bearing the Noise**

Naruto looked over at the clock when a knock at his door woke him. 3:27 AM. Whoever it was knocked again.

"Jus' a minute…" he groaned, pulling a white tank top over his bare chest, as he swung his feet off the bed. His first attempt to stand failed, but he managed on the second try. The Genin trudged over to the door, and pulled it open.

"Gramma Tsunade," his head cleared slightly when he saw who was waiting, "Uh, what's going on?"

"I'm sorry to wake you, Naruto," the Hokage seemed apprehensive, "But I needed to speak with you right away."

"Sure," he murmured, confused by her unusual attitude, "Come in."

The doctor looked at her young charge's room, unable to hide her disapproval at its fairly dismal condition. She sat down in the chair sitting beside his tiny table, and indicated he should sit too. Stifling a yawn, the teenager complied, dropping onto the edge of his so very inviting mattress.

"Naruto, there is a mission," Tsunade started hesitantly, "A very important mission. And one of the team leaders has requested you personally…"

"A mission?" Naruto jumped up and started towards his armoire with a broad grin, "It must be really cool for you to wake me up… like this…"

He trailed off as his brain caught up with the rest of him.

"Wait, a mission now?" he turned back to her, looking confused, "But I'm leaving for the Chunin Exam in a couple of hours."

The leader of the Hidden Leaf Village sighed. She started to say something, but Uzumaki got there first.

"That's why you came here at three AM," he deduced, no small feat for him, "You're gonna order me to skip the Chunin Exam and go on this mission."

"No," she said gently, "I'm going to _ask_ you to skip the Chunin Exam and go on this mission. You have waited long enough for this second chance, and you have more than earned it. We can find a way to do this job without you. So I'm giving you a choice.

"Besides," she forced a smirk, not willing to give him too much, "If I force you to do this against your will, you'll be distracted, and worth less than usual."

Naruto let the jab pass, considering what she had said.

"Can you at least tell me what this mission is?"

"No," the Hokage shook her head again, "This is need-to-know only. If you choose to go on to the Hidden Mist Village, I cannot risk you knowing."

He digested that, adding it to the rest.

"Is it really that important?" he asked quietly.

"If we succeed, it could change the world," she said firmly, leaving him no doubt as to her earnestness, "And in the worst possible failure scenario, we will be in almost the same dire straights we faced when I took over."

Naruto sat back down on his bed, looking at the floor. She waited, unable to see his face.

"Alright," he whispered, then he looked up, determined, "Alright I'll do it."

"Naruto, are you sure?"

"Yup. I mean my mom stayed a Genin, and she won your respect. Besides, there'll be another exam in six months."

He forced a chuckle, "It's the sort of choice a Chunin would make, right?"

She smiled slightly, and nodded.

"Naruto, I promise that whatever it takes, I will see that you participate in the Hidden Cloud exam next spring. Even if I have to bust Hinata, Sakura, or Shikamaru back to Genin so they can be your partners."

"Partner…" he suddenly remembered, "Hey, what about Hanabi?"

Tsunade realized she had forgotten his temporary teammate as well. She shrugged, and told him, "Hanabi Hyuga was being allowed to participate as your partner. If you don't go, then she can't either. Does that change your decision?"

"No," he answered, "I don't want to let Hanabi down, but I have to do what I think is right."

"If you want, I can tell her I'm forcing you to go."

"No, I don't want to lie to her," he smiled ruefully, "I'll tell her."

Tsunade stood, impressed by his integrity.

"The briefing will most likely be after lunch. We have some last details to hash out, and then I need some sleep. I'll send Genma or Raido around later with the details."

She saw herself out, but Naruto did not go back to bed. Instead he dressed slowly, and then left his apartment.

* * *

Naruto stood outside the Hyuga Manor, not sure what he should do. He couldn't just sneak in. He didn't know where Hanabi's room was, and if he got caught… He didn't want to think about what Hiashi Hyuga might do given an excuse. But he also didn't want to wake up the whole house.

He decided to go with the old cliché. He walked around the house to Hinata's room, collecting pebbles along the way. After he found the right window, he began to bounce the small stones off it, trying to wake the occupant. After the fourth rock nearly struck his face on the rebound, the lights went on in the room. The window opened, and Uzumaki realized he had the wrong room.

"What do you want, Naruto?" Hiashi's tone was dry, but held just a hint of danger, "Attempting to arrange a late night rendezvous with my daughter?"

"Actually, sir," Naruto played it polite as a matter of self preservation, "I'm trying to find Hanabi. I need to talk to her about the Chunin Exam."

"Can't it wait until after sunrise?" his anger abated, the clan leader was just annoyed, "You'll be leaving together then."

"No," Naruto said pointedly, "We won't."

Hiashi did not need the Byakugan to see how serious Naruto was.

"I'll wake her," he told the boy, "And then I will meet you at the main gate."

Naruto nodded and trotted back to the front of the house.

The elder Genin told father and daughter about the Hokage's visit, and what she had said, leaving off only her grandiose statements about how the mission could end.

"You're going, aren't you?" Hanabi stabbed while he was trying to find the words to tell her, "After all, if you had turned her down, you wouldn't have dragged me out of bed at four in the morning."

"Hanabi, I'm sorry," Naruto bowed his head, "But she said if this fails, it could hurt the village. I couldn't say no."

"Nor should you," Hiashi affirmed, letting his relief show, "That is a very responsible decision, Naruto, putting the village before your own advancement."

The possessed blond was not fooled by the sudden support, but was not about to turn down an ally, either. Hanabi did not appear to agree with them.

"Listen, Hanabi, I'll make it up to you. The next exam, we'll compete together, no matter what."

"You assume I'll still be that desperate in six months," she said coldly. She refused to look at him, and after a minute, Naruto stood.

"I really am sorry, Hanabi."

Hiashi showed Naruto out, and Hinata slipped into the room.

"He made the right choice," Hinata insisted.

"That's a matter of opinion," the younger girl countered bluntly.

"Would you have chosen the other way?" the fifth master of the Rasengan pressed.

"Yes. One Genin is not going to make a difference."

Hinata considered pointing out the contradiction in that statement, but instead just shook her head sadly.

"If you always put yourself before others," the elder sibling counseled as she left, "One day you will look around and find you are all alone."

* * *

Naruto looked around at the crowd gathered in the arena. Though he recognized all of the more than twenty Leaf Shinobi, he was the only Genin. There were almost as many Sand Ninja, and the only ones he knew by name were Gaara and Temari, though he had seen a few of the others before. And there was someone else; wearing a headband he had never seen before, standing with the leaders of the two villages.

Though the Kazekage was standing beside her, the Hokage did most of the talking. She introduced their guest, and explained quickly that he was part of a splinter group of the Hidden Sound Village that wanted peace and friendly relations with the other villages. She told them that, except for the two medical support teams, their job was to kill or otherwise neutralize Kabuto's most powerful supporters.

"Given that we can't guarantee the location of any of the targets, we're not going to try to assign specific tasks," she informed them, "With a single exception. The Kazekage's team will be going after Kabuto Yakushi personally. If any of the other teams find him, do not engage; just report back his position."

She then went through the individual Sound Shinobi they were seeking, providing them with all of the information gathered by both villages, and supplied to them by Shin Busata. The others studied the sketches or photos intently, but Naruto was distracted by what Tsunade had said about Gaara.

"Alright, we will be leaving tomorrow, so our arrival coincides with the start of the Chunin Exam," the leader concluded, "Everyone get some rest, and make sure you have all the equipment you need. Leaf Teams seven, eight, and ten, I need to speak with you before you go."

Iruka turned to leave, and found Anko and Yugao together. The Uzuki looked uncomfortable, while Mitarashi was just pissed off.

"Well, it looks like Team Hizashi is back together," he tried to sound light. Anko turned her glare on him, and Umino barely stopped himself from cringing. And Yugao went from merely awkward to sad.

"Look, we are professionals, right," the teacher decided he would have to be the adult here, "Regardless of what your personal feelings are, we can work together, can't we?"

The former ANBU Kunoichi looked from him, back to Anko. The snake user just rolled her eyes.

"I'm not the one who broke up the team," the Curse Marked woman stated, pointedly. And then she stalked away, throwing back, "See you two tomorrow."

* * *

"OK, what's up?" Naruto asked. The three teams had crowded into Tsunade's office, along with Gaara and Temari.

"You heard me say that the Kazekage's team would be going after Kabuto, right?" She asked back.

"Yeah, I was surprised a Kage would be going on a mission," he told her.

"Well, Gaara has a special request." She looked over to her counterpart, who took over.

"Naruto, you have the most combat experience, both with Kabuto and against him. That is why I requested you be on my team. You work well with Hinata Hyuga and Sakura Haruno, and their abilities as a scout and a medic round out the team, so I have also requested them."

"Unless any of you three can offer me a valid reason to the contrary," the Hokage told her soldiers, "I'll grant the Kazekage's request. You three will work with the Kazekage, with Gaara as the team leader. Any objections?"

She looked at Sakura, who was still somewhat uncomfortable around Gaara, and Hinata, who had an issue with Kabuto since learning he had saved her life. But neither girl protested.

"OK, since that leaves teams seven and eight shorthanded, Kiba and Shino, you two will be with Kakashi and Sai."

Shino nodded, and Kiba eyed Sai suspiciously.

"And you three," the Sannin addressed Ino-Shika-Cho, "Each team will have at least one Jonin. With Asuma's death, you need a team leader."

"Here it comes," Shikamaru groaned.

"Temari has generously offered to be your squad leader," she informed them, "And in the interest of cooperation, I've accepted."

"There it is," the genius put his hand to his hand as if the news pained him. Temari smirked at him.

"Nice to work with you," Ino winked at the older blonde.

"That's it," the Hokage concluded, "Like I said before, get some rest and make sure you are ready."

"Hey, Gaara," Naruto ran up to his high ranking friend, "Where's Kankuro?"

"He left this morning," the Kazekage answered, "He is leading our contingent to the Hidden Mist for the exam. We must keep up appearances. Besides we cannot disappoint our Genin."

Naruto nodded, "I didn't think of that. OK, I'll see you tomorrow."

* * *

"Naruto," Hinata caught up with him as they left.

"I was going to give this to you after you became a Chunin," she extended the package she had held sandwiched between her body and her left arm, "But I thought you might need it on the mission."

He took the wrapped present, and tore off the paper. But after he removed the masking, he suddenly became apprehensive. He slowly opened the box, and set aside the lid.

Inside was black leather scabbard for a broadsword. It had a steel inlay of the Konoha Leaf, with a line of the metal running from the tip of the symbol to the tip of the scabbard. It had a bandolier harness. He turn the box over to spill it out, and saw that the shape was a cover, instead of a slot for a sword, there was a perfect circle to hold a staff-blade.

"I thought it would be better than simply sticking Kitsune in your belt," she offered, unable to read his expression, "and you don't want to have to spend time and chakra to summon it."

"Hinata, this is incredible, but I can't…" he started to protest, but she subtly shifted her left arm, setting off a slight clinking on her left wrist. Naruto saw the bracelet he had given her.

"Right," he grinned, "Thank you, Hinata."

He threw the sheath over his shoulder, summoned Kitsune, and slid the weapon into its new container. It was a perfect fit.

"I enhanced the scabbard," she told him, "so it will hide Kitsune's chakra signature. So it won't be detectable by jutsu or Kekkei Genkai."

"That's great," he was impressed. Then he sobered.

"Are you ready for this? This is more than any other mission. I mean, we're basically going to war."

"I'll be OK," she was happy for his concern, "What about you?"

"I'm gonna get to kick Kabuto's ass. That's more than enough."

She was amused, but not surprised by his answer.

* * *

"There is one thing the Hokage did not mention," Shin Busata told the forty-eight assembled ninja the next morning.

"The only way to reach the valley, where the main Hidden Sound Village is located, is to pass through a series of caves. And the only way to navigate these caves with the key and the song," he took a necklace out from under his shirt. It consisted of five different, small tuning forks. He flicked one, and they all heard a clear tone.

"So when we reach the cavern, you will all need to follow me very carefully."

"Is everyone ready?" Gaara asked. A quick murmur of ascent passed over the assembled legion.

"Good, then move out."


	29. Deafening

**Chapter 29: Deafening**

"Stop," Hinata whispered, and the warning spread back through the winding chain of ninja. Gaara's team was at the front of the procession, with Shin Busata, and the girl's Byakugan was active.

"I see four, no five, people in the tunnel, about two hundred fifty feet ahead," she told them. The caves were dark, absorbing the illumination of their flashlights, leaving barely enough behind to see the ground under their feet. And the wind moving through the stones produced a constant low hum that made it difficult to concentrate. Their guide led them by using the tuning forks to modulate the hum, and determine which path to take. Even with the Kekkei Genkai, the two Hyuga shinobi would have been lost.

"Lights out," the Kazekage ordered quietly. The soldiers complied, except for Shin Busata, who their leader urged forward. The True Sound teen crept forward, and Gaara's team followed just beyond the edge of his light.

"Who is that?" a harsh voice said. The invaders moved to the edge of the cavern, while their guide stepped into the light of the patrol's lantern.

"Well, well, well," the Sound Kunoichi holding the lamp mocked, "If it isn't the little renegade."

"Master Kabuto did not think you would return, Busata," the tall, pale ninja, who had first spoken, added.

"but he did give orders to kill on sight," the third warrior in the line said, talking quietly, more to himself than to Shin or his companions, "it could be fun, never taken a note before."

"You want to kill me, Kaja?" Shin asked the jittery, blue-haired Chunin.

"he speaks to me. he knows only our leader may speak to me."

"It's alright, Kaja," the Kunoichi told him, "He's not one of us, anymore. Probably never was."

The second Kunoichi, at the back of the line of Sound ninja, quietly drew a trio of needle in her right hand.

"So you follow Kabuto now, Misaki?" Busata asked the talkative girl, "I thought you hated him, for working against Orochimaru."

The lavender haired woman shrugged, "Times change. You haven't seen what he did to… for Gokki and Yuko."

"Nor will he," the leader said, turning back, "Kaja, have your fun."

Before the soldier could attack, the sand that had been quietly pooling around his feet leapt upwards, wrapping his body. Gaara closed his fist, and the Sound ninja named Kaja died. Naruto, Sakura, and Hinata were more mundane, burying a total of seven kunai in Misaki and the pallid guard. The last two Sound shinobi started to move, but the darkly wrapped fourth ninja was surprised when the Kunoichi behind him buried her spikes in his neck. The Leaf and Sand tensed, but the Kunoichi did not. She leapt forward, embracing their guide.

"Shin, thank the gods," she squeezed him tightly, "I thought… Well, I thought the worst."

"Everything is fine, Chiasa," he wheezed, "Can I please have my lungs back?"

She released him, and stepped back, her green hair swaying slightly.

"How did you know?" Shin asked his companions.

"She was the only one you didn't look at," Sakura said, "Like you did not want to draw their attention to her."

"Shin, that's Naruto Uzumaki. And the Kazekage, Gaara," the girl suddenly expressed amazement as she studied his group. The Leaf warriors reclaimed their blades, and Sakura dropped one that was damaged.

"As I said," Shin looked at her, obviously proud of himself, "Everything is fine."

"Chiasa is one of the True Sound Shinobi," he told the Sand and Leaf shinobi, "And a good friend."

"We had better keep moving," Gaara's normally impassive voice was somewhat touched by urgency.

* * *

"Stop," Shin held up his hand as they reached the entrance to the cave, "There is a one hundred meter gap between the opening of the cave, and the forest. We will need to move quickly, to avoid being spotted."

"There is a safer way," Gaara said, then he called softly back, "Temari."

The blond Jonin made her way to the front of the line.

"We need cover," he told her, "I was thinking of the Obscuring Sands."

She nodded, and began to sign. Gaara lifted his hands, and an arch of sand began to spread out from the rocky alcove towards the tree line.

"And they won't see that?" Naruto was incredulous.

"Temari is creating an illusion on the outside of the barrier. Anyone watching will see only the ground underneath the barrier."

"Whoa, that's pretty cool teamwork."

"Move," the leader of the Sunagakure told him, "I do not have to spend any more chakra on this than is absolutely necessary."

The invaders darted under the canopy, into the forest. Once all the others had passed, the two Sand Siblings followed, dissolving the blind as they went. They continued to follow their client, and Shin Busata led them to a small shaded pond, about halfway between the cliffs they had exited, and the main stronghold of the Otogakure. As soon as they reached the planned staging area, the two medical support teams began to set up their equipment.

"How long do we have until that patrol is missed?" Kakashi asked, joining up with Gaara's team and the two True Sound Ninja.

"Two hours," Shin answered, but Chiasa shook her head.

"Twenty minutes," she told them, to her lover's surprise. Seeing the look on Busata's face, she explained, "Kabuto changed the rotation schedules."

"Do you know how they will get to the passage?" a Sand Kunoichi asked. Naruto did not recognize her; she was in her late thirties with shoulder length blue-black hair, and light brown eyes.

"Has that changed?" Shin asked, and Chiasa shook her head.

"No, the path is still the same."

"Chiasa, take Kakashi's team and Natsuki's team," Gaara instructed, "Point out any members of the resistance, and kill the rest. Shin, return to the village, and get your people ready. We will move in after the True Sound rebels begin the attack. But you need to start within thirty minutes. We have to strike before the returning patrol is missed."

Shin nodded quickly, and ran off towards the Sound Village. Chiasa watched him leave for a second, and then lead the two invading teams into the woods. .

"Make sure you are all ready," Gaara instructed the remaining teams.

"If anyone needs to go to the bathroom, now would be the time," Shikamaru added sarcastically.

"We will head out as soon as the others return," Gaara continued as if he had not heard the remark.

"Wait," Naruto protested, "I thought we were waiting for Shin to start the attack."

"We are, just not here," the Kazekage told him, "There is still a good chance this is a trap. So we prepare for both possibilities."

* * *

The Sound Kunoichi led the Leaf and Sand teams to a concealed, yet well traveled path. The Shinobi took positions on either side of the trail, such that they could see Chiasa. The renegade had removed and discarded her eighth note headband, replacing it with the sharp, half note version Shin wore.

While most readied shuriken or kunai, Shino and Kakashi both remained empty handed; while Sai took out a brush and scroll, and one of the Sand Ninja unwrapped out a barbed whip. While they waited, the former member of Root began to put ink to the page, preparing a feline form.

They did not have to wait long. The gentle crunch of their unmasked footfalls revealed the illusion of security they felt. As the five replacement guards meandered into view, their informant briefly observed the warriors, and the quickly indicated the second and third ninja, a stocky boy of around ten, and a slender, one-armed man in his fifties, respectively. Their secret allies revealed; the liberators struck.

Sai flicked out the last two strokes, and a pair of black and white tigers sprung to life. The first of the large cats sank its fangs into the trailing ninja's neck, and the second beast grasped his leg. The ink animals dragged the unfortunate human into the forest.

The lead Sound shinobi started to move, but a whip wrapped around his wrist, and when lash was pulled back, the shards of metal flayed the soft tissue from his limb, exposing the bone underneath. The wounded man reached down with he left hand, to try and stop the blood loss. But the whip flew out again, this time surrounding his left bicep. More flesh was stripped away by the second attack. Three more strikes, and the blood loss was too great for him to stand.

Lightning began to form around Kakashi's hand, as he stepped towards the man near the end of the line. But a step ahead of him, the Sand Jonin, Natsuki hit his target. Tendrils of blue and white cold wrapped her feet. Her first kick transformed the Sound Chunin's chest into a block of ice, and her second blow shattered that ice. His arms and head tumbled to the ground, without a torso to support them. Natsuki looked back at Kakashi and winked. Hatake dismissed his half formed Chidori with a chuckle.

The remaining two Sound Ninja prepared to fight their attackers, until Chiasa leapt down from her perch.

"Chiasa, what…" the older ninja stopped his question when he saw what was on her forehead. The boy was already removing his shield.

"So, it's finally time," the dismembered warrior was relieved, and a tiny but afraid, "But it may be too late."

"What do you mean by that?" Kiba demanded.

"Kabuto has moved from testing his theories on the True Sound, to upgrading those loyal to him. Some of the holdouts are going over to that butcher, for the promise of greater power.

"What do you mean, 'testing his theories on the True Sound'?" the whip user asked.

"We were his lab rats," he indicated his missing arm, "This was a failed attempt to give me a bear's arm. I have a niece who was 'lucky'; Kabuto was able to successfully add a second heart to her circulatory system. He subjected us to new, untested chemicals, bizarre transplants, and experimental DNA altering jutsu. And he didn't care if they failed, just so long as he learned something new."

"Let's get back, the other are waiting," Kakashi insisted.

* * *

An explosion in the town shocked the Leaf and Sand soldiers, still waiting for the ambushers to return.

"Gaara," Naruto yelled at their leader.

"Tell Kakashi and Natsuki to catch up," Gaara told Shizune, the leader of the two teams of doctors.

"Move it," the Kazekage ordered, his voice harsh with uncommon worry.


	30. Muted Time

**Chapter 30: Muted Time**

"Comin' through," Naruto shouted, cracking the Sound ninja in the head with Kitsune. The scarred man fell, and would not be getting soon, if ever. A True Sound Kunoichi, of maybe sixty years, had been fighting two opponents, and gave him a short grateful glance. Hinata tapped the second enemy in the back with her Gentle Fist, giving their ally the opening to stab him in the stomach.

"Thank you," she said, then shouted, "Look out!"

A third man was leaping towards Naruto, but a giant hand of sand intercepted him, and crushed him against a wall.

"Thank you," she said again. Gaara held her gaze.

"Where is Kabuto Yakushi?" he demanded.

"He was in his lab," she shuddered slightly from his intensity, "It's on the third floor of the citadel, takes up half the level. I don't know if he's still there."

"Let's go," the Kazekage ordered.

* * *

"What a drag," Shikamaru groaned; sidestepping the short, slight man attempting to stab him. He tripped the opposing ninja, and as he fell, Shikamaru casually slit his throat.

"I know," Choji agreed, pounding another Sound Ninja into the ground, "What's with all the small fry?"

Then Temari groaned, "You would have had to put it that way."

"What?" the larger Chunin was confused, and she pointed. A True Sound Ninja was catapulted through the air.

"Target number 6," Ino confirmed, "Yama."

* * *

"Target number 6 is called Yama," Tsunade said. She flashed a pair of blurry photos on the screen, showing a bald man, probably in his twenties or thirties, and almost nine feet tall.

"He was recruited by Orochimaru eleven months ago. We don't have any record of him before that," she paused, "But he quickly gain a rep as being extremely deadly, and loyal to a fault. Unfortunately, that loyalty transferred to Kabuto."

"He is a mystery, even to us," Shin added, "He never speaks, to anyone. He might be mute. Only one True Sound ninja has ever gone on a mission with him. She said he used mostly Taijutsu, and he was stronger and a lot faster than she would have expected. The only Ninjutsu she saw was a wind chakra shield. We have heard rumors saying that he has used other wind jutsu."

"We have also heard that he has been hit, but never injured," Busata told them dubiously. Then he paused, as if remembering, "And one last thing. There has been a young girl sighted in his room, with similar facial features. He might have a daughter or younger sister."

"Which could be part of why he is so loyal to Kabuto," Temari considered aloud.

* * *

"Let's find someone else," Shikamaru whispered, "Someone we have an idea how to beat."

The apathetic suggestion came too late. Yama saw them, and his already small eyes narrowed. He dug his fingers into the wall beside him, and tore out a large chunk. He threw the brickwork at them horizontally.

"Partial Expansion Jutsu," Choji's enlarged right arm knocked the projectile away, but he grimaced from the painful effort.

"Akimichi, down," Temari ordered. The stocky youth fell to the dirt as their team leader swung her fan, proclaiming, "Wind Scythe Jutsu!"

Three blades of sharpened air passed between Ino and Shikamaru, and over Choji. They stuck Yama squarely, two in the chest, and one on his right bicep. But the cutting blades merely dimpled his skin, before continuing on to cut a trio of deep furrows in the damaged wall behind the Sound strongman.

"So that's why he's never been injured," Ino gulped.

"He can't be that tough," Choji grunted. He crossed the gap, and aimed his left fist at Yama's face, greatly increasing its size and power again. But the blow did not hurt him; it didn't even budge him a tiny bit. Akimichi kicked out, placing an expanded foot in Yama's stomach. But Kabuto's henchman didn't even exhale from the attack. Yama grabbed Choji's head, faster than the boy could dodge. He lifted the Leaf Shinobi with ease, and threw him at Temari like a rag doll.

"Choji," the eldest Sand Sibling helped him up, "Do you think you can hold him long enough for Shadow Possession or Mind Destruction?"

"I can try," he groaned slightly, shaking his head to work out the kink in his neck. He stepped forward, and pronounced, "Limited Expansion Jutsu."

Akimichi took another step forward, as his height, width, and depth all doubled. Nearly twelve feet tall, he was head and shoulders above the Sound Ninja. He grappled with Yama, but despite his increased size and strength, Choji could barely hold their enemy in place.

"Why the Shadow Possession Jutsu?" Shikamaru asked, as Choji was growing, "Why not use the Shadow Strangulation Jutsu?"

"Physical attacks don't seem to be working, and the Shadow Possession takes less of your chakra," she explained.

"He still needs to breath."

"Fine," she sighed, "Do what you want."

"No, no," he winked at her, "You're in charge."

She tried to glare at him, but couldn't.

"Mind Destruction Jutsu," Ino stared at Yama's face through her laced fingers. But she quickly took her hands apart.

"It didn't work," the Chunin blonde whined.

"What? Why not?"

"I don't know," Ino snapped, "Maybe Orochimaru put his brain in a jar somewhere."

"Hurry it up," Choji's voice was strained from the effort.

"Shadow Possession Jutsu," Shikamaru incanted. His shadow extended, touching the shadow around Yama's feet. But it did not connect, and Yama pushed Choji back a step.

"This isn't working either?" Shikamaru sounded confused, "Fine… Shadow Strangulation Jutsu."

The silhouette darted forward again, but once more it failed to connect with Yama's shadow. It stayed flat on the ground, until Shikamaru ended the technique. Choji could no longer hold Yama, and was thrown back. He hit a building, and shrunk back to normal size.

"Is this guy immune to all our jutsu?" Ino sounded worried.

"No way," Choji protested. Shikamaru leapt back, and the crouched down. He placed his fingertips together, forming a sort of inverted cage; and then he closed his eyes.

"You better think of something, Shika," Temari ordered, rolled forward, and stabbing the end of her fan into Yama's stomach.

"Let's try to buy him some time," the Sand Jonin instructed.

'Nothing is working,' Shikamaru thought, 'But why?'

"Temari, can I get a breeze," Ino drew out a small pouch.

'Physical attacks are one thing,' he considered.

The Sand Kunoichi waved her fan, and Leaf Kunoichi dumped out the set of paper bombs.

'Ino's attack didn't work, which means there's no mind,' he decided, 'No physical injury and no mind could mean a puppet. But Choji didn't say he felt strange to the touch.'

The talismans that struck Yama clung to him, while the rest remained on the ground around him.

'And I couldn't connect with his shadow. That shouldn't matter if it's real or a puppet.'

"Try this, INO BLIZZARD JUTSU," Ino tossed a kunai wrapped with her last paper bomb. The explosion set off the other bombs, tearing up the street around Yama.

'Why wouldn't the Shadow Possession Jutsu work?' he pondered.

Yama emerged from the barrage, unscathed.

'Unless his shadow isn't real either,' he had a revelation, 'some sort of Genjutsu? That would explain a lot. Let's try it.'

The Nara Chunin placed his hands together, and said, "Release!"

Shikamaru's face reflected confusion as the illusion was dispelled. Noticing his action, and his reaction, his three teammates also countered the mirage.

In the place where Yama had stood, there was instead a young girl, no more than six years of age. She was floating in the middle of a translucent, human-shaped bubble of Wind Chakra. The girl was wearing shinobi garb, but did not appear to have a headband.

"That's why nothing hurt him," Choji realized, "There was nothing to hurt."

The child was surprised and frightened, when they started to look at her. Her projection of hardened air began to lash out more aggressively than before.

"Ino, stop her," Temari commanded. Yamanaka placed intertwined her fingers again.

"Mind Transfer Jutsu."

In the physical plane, Ino had barely been able to see the girl through the translucent shell. In her mind, the girl wore a simple slip dress, faded and stained; and no shoes. The Leaf Kunoichi could see that the girl did share the face of her illusion. The girl's hair was black and grey, and thickly layer, almost like feathers. The domain of her mind was mostly empty, but a lone hawk circled overhead.

"Who are you?" the girl asked.

"My name is Ino, Ino Yamanaka," the Chunin kneeled, so she was on eye level with the girl, "And what's your name?"

"Yori," the child was not reassured by Ino's words or actions, "Of the Nochi Clan. Are you going to kill me?"

"What?" though she had to concede it was a fair question, Ino was never the less shocked by the girl's directness.

"I don't want to kill you," Ino sidestepped the question.

"But Orochi-dono said the Leaf People would try to kill me, like the rest of my family," Yori said quickly, "And you _are_ fighting me."

"Well," Ino thought about it. The girl's mentioning of Orochimaru was troublesome, but the Kunoichi had to gain her trust, "We thought we were fighting Yama, a mean old man. And you _did_ attack us first."

"Yeah," Yori considered that, "But Orochi-dono said the Leaf People know my secret. He said that anyone who knows my secret would want to kill me. That's why he showed me how to make Yama. So I can stop the people who know about me."

"I'm sorry, Yori, but I don't know who you are, or what your secret is," the blonde told her earnestly. Then a thought occurred to her.

"Did a lot of people find out about your secret, Yori?"

"Uh-huh," she nodded, warming slightly, "But when they did, Orochi-dono would find them, and tell me where they were."

"And then you killed them?"

"No," the girl seemed a little frightened, "Roc-chan did it for me."

The girl suddenly froze, looking scared of Ino again.

"I wasn't supposed to tell you that."

Ino could feel the girl trying to take control of her body again, and gently rebuked her.

"Ino, what's going on?" Shikamaru demanded, as the wind making up Yama's form started to stir.

"Hold on," she made the girl's tiny voice shout, "I'm talking to Yori."

"Is that the girl's name," Temari asked.

"Yes. Yori of the Nochi clan."

"Why does that sound familiar?" the Sand Kunoichi pondered.

"Yori, what do you mean Roc-chan did it for you?" Ino was thinking of her encounter in Sakura's mind, three years prior.

"I would fight them, but if I had to… to finish them, I would let Roc-chan do it.

"Who is Roc-chan?" the Leaf shinobi was confused.

"You really don't know my secret," the girl sounded surprised, looking up. Ino followed her gaze up to the raptor, now descending slowly.

"Roc-chan?" Choji repeated, and Ino realized she had spoken out loud as well.

"Ino, be careful," Temari suddenly yelled, "I know where I've heard that name before. The Nochi clan lived on the border of the Land of Wind and the Land of Birds. To protect the Land of Birds, centuries again, they sealed away a demon, the Shadow Roc. It is said the Roc was less powerful than any of the Bijuu, but was so huge that all nine Tailed Beasts could rest on its back without touching."

"You don't say…" Ino commented blandly as the circling hawk grew larger and larger in the girl's mind. The Roc landed, and the weight of its chakra forced Yamanaka out of Yori's mind. Her head lifted, and the child's dark brown eyes began to glow from within.

"I _should_ thank you," the girl's voice was now tainted by an odd screeching. The wind body around her grew larger, until it was just over ten feet tall.

"You interfered with her mind, giving me a chance to take total control," the demon said, "For two hundred eight years, I have been passed from mother to daughter, waiting for a chance to break free. But I'm not really the thanking type, so I'll just kill you."

"You knew, didn't you?" Shikamaru asked, "That Orochimaru was just using her?"

"Of course," the monster snorted, "We made a deal. He taught the girl how to release me, and I killed for him. You see, with each generation the Nochi clan daughters grew stronger, as did the seal. I never could have broken out without the serpent's aid. But now I will absorb the girl's body and power, becoming stronger than ever."

"Look at me, being silent so long has made me chatty," the possessed girl chuckled, "time for you to die."

The fist of Yama punched out, and in a cruel mockery, the translucent fist expanded. The imitation Partial Expansion Jutsu struck Choji, hurtling him through the outer wall of a house. Inside the domicile, Choji tried to pull himself from the table he had landed in, but failed.

"Shadow Possession Jutsu!" Now that the lazy genius could see the girl's real shadow, he was able to connect with it. The stolen body froze in place, but the limbs of the wind form did not.

"Fool, I control the wind chakra directly with my mind. I don't need to use my body to attack you with it."

"Just like Gaara with the sand," Temari added, leaping in front of Shikamaru to block an air kick with her fan.

"Shika, strangle her," their squad leader directed.

"You want me to kill a kid?"

"It's our only option," she yelled sadly, "Nothing else the four of us can do will get through that barrier."

"I can go back into her mind," Ino groaned, finally recovering from her ejection, "Try to break the demon's hold on her."

"Do you think you can?" Temari asked, catching another punch with her weapon. The blow still knocked her back. Choji finally regained his feet.

"No way," her enlarging paramour protested, clutching his left side, "It's too dangerous."

"We have two choices here," the Sand Sibling snapped back, "Ino attacks their mind, or Shikamaru kills Yori's body. I don't want Ino to get hurt, but Yori is just a kid."

"She's not Gaara," Shikamaru said gently, skipping back out of range. The girl's body jumped back in mirror action, and the demon's attack missed.

"No," she said angrily, "Gaara started out a monster, and Naruto redeemed him. This girl started out innocent, and we just completed Orochimaru's process of turning her into a monster."

"I'm not suggesting Ino sacrifice herself needlessly," their leader added more gently, "But she can go back in, and if it is too gnarly, escape and we go back to the Shadow Strangulation. Okay?"

Shikamaru shrugged, "Sounds good to me."

Choji look back and forth from Temari to Ino; and then lowered his head in agreement.

"Good. We'll have to keep Ino's body safe."

Akimichi nodded, and expanded his whole body again. He stopped an attack on Shikamaru, so the Shadow Possession could continue to hold Yori steady for Ino. He absorbed two strong blows, grimacing in pain, but not backing down.

"Mind Transfer Jutsu."

Ino saw the form of a hawk; so large its wings would have covered the entire Konohagakure. Its fierce green eyes focused on her, and somehow, its beak grinned viciously. Ino found herself back in her own body, staring at the same grin on the face of Yori.

"No you don't," she growled, "Mind Transfer Jutsu!"

She struck the monster's psyche again, but this time she was able to force her way through.

Inside the girl's mental plane had changed. The smooth, featureless ground was now rocky, and uneven. The giant avian dominated the landscape.

"Yori," Ino whispered loudly, trying to find the girl. The Kunoichi heard a restrained cry, and hurried towards it. She realized she was running towards the Roc, but did not slow. She found the girl, pinned under the demon's talon, one of its claws tearing all the way through her left leg.

"Yori, are you alright?"

"Ino, I tried to stop Roc-Cha… no, the Shadow Roc," she whimpered, "But he was stronger than before. He hurt me."

The girl looked down at her leg. What was leaking from the wound was not blood, but memories, spirit, the girl's very soul. Ino did not know how to heal the wound. Maybe if they could stop the monster, Yori's mind could restore itself.

"Yori, how do I stop it?" Yamanaka asked gently, "How do I stop the Shadow Roc?"

"The seal is on his forehead. If I touch it, he will be trapped again."

"So I just have to get up to its head," Ino struggled to keep her annoyance from showing, "No problem."

"Not you," Yori shook her head wearily, "it has to be me. The seal is mine. I have to be the one to activate it."

"Of course," Ino grimaced, just a little, "I'll get you free, and then I'll get you up to the seal."

Ino took out one of her kunai, and jabbed it into the base of the claw in Yori's leg. The Roc cawed in pain, and lifted its leg to try to see what was causing is discomfort.

"You," its harsh voiced shrieked, as it saw Ino lifting Yori, "I will shred your soul and consume the scraps."

Ino put the girl on her back, and dodged around to the demon's tail. It tried to spin, but its size kept it from getting close to the speedy human.

"This is not the real world," the monster told her, and began to reduce in size, "You cannot use my size against me here, as the Nochi did."

"Ino," Yori whispered into her neck, "Those people I killed, they didn't know my secret, did they? They weren't trying to hurt me."

"You didn't do that, the Roc did," Ino tried to comfort her. The bird was circling much faster now, and she was finding it hard to stay behind the avian.

"I trusted Orochi-dono," she denied Ino's claim, "I attacked those people, and I let the Roc out."

"If you feel that way, take responsibility," Yamanaka prompted, "Help me stop the Roc, and then we can talk about how you can make it up to all those people."

"OK," the injured child tried to sound determined.

"Hold on tight," Ino instructed, and she jumped onto the raptor's back. She started towards the creature's neck, but the demon hopped, flapping its wings and rolling to the side. Without any sort hold, the Kunoichi was forced to jump clear. The Roc flew higher, and then dove at them. With the extra weight, Yamanaka found it harder to avoid the attack, but she managed. The teen shifted the child, and drew a kunai again. When the shrunken Roc strafed them again, Ino blocked its beak with her blade, but was knocked down by the claws. She twisted as she fell, so she hit the ground on her side, instead of landing on Yori. The Roc's head darted towards Ino, its razor sharp beak wide open. Before it hit, Yori grabbed Ino's spiritual kunai, and pushed off with her good leg, stabbing the avian in the neck. The spirit swung its bill back, cleaving into Yori's neck.

"No," Ino scrambled up, but she was too late. The Roc tore out Yori's heart. It tilted its head back, and swallowed the girl's core.

"Next," the demon crowed in triumph, but the mentalist vanished from his mind.

"Do it, Shikamaru," Ino was already crying as she opened her eyes.

"Ino, what happened?" Temari asked, worried.

"That monster… It killed Yori. It destroyed her soul. You have to kill it quickly, before it finishes taking over her body."

The normally apathetic genius looked upset. He released his controlling jutsu, and quickly signed the more powerful attack technique. His shadow wrapped around the girl's body, crushing her chest and neck.

"Ino, stop," the girl's eyes returned to normal, as did her voice. She looked at the Leaf Kunoichi, pleading.

"You don't fool me," Ino hissed, "I saw what you did to Yori."

"Fine," the glow returned, but it was lessened, and the stolen body coughed, "But I'm not going alone."

Its airy arms extended, grabbing Choji by the shoulders. Before they could wonder what it had planned, Akimichi began to gasp, as if he could not breath.

"My breath for his," the demon croaked. Ino surged to her feet, and stumbled over to Choji. She began to beat on the wind limbs, but to no effect. Temari joined her, slashing with her fan and her wind jutsu. The stolen body began to shudder, from the demon's effort to resist the silhouette throttling it. But in the end, Yori's body was not strong enough. With one final surge, Nara snapped the girl's neck.

Instantly the hardened chakra dissipated, and Choji and Yori both fell to the ground. Always suspicious, Shikamaru checked to make sure their enemy was dead.

"He has a pulse," Ino quickly put her medical training to work on Choji, "But he's not breathing."

She tilted his head back, and pinched his nose. She put her lips to his, and pushed air into his lungs. And again. Then a third time.

"Come on, Choji, breath," she pleaded, hitting him lightly on the chest. She placed her lips to his for the fourth round, but halfway through her breath, she felt a return pressure. Choji coughed, and started to take in air on his own again. He sat up slowly, and Ino threw her arms around him.

"This really isn't the time for that," Choji forced out, "I'm trying to catch my breath."

"Idiot," she loosened her grip slightly but did not let go. Instead, she helped him to stand. Her relief was dulled, when Shikamaru waked over, carrying Yori's body. She looked so small, in his arms.

"Is that the fate of all Jinchuriki?" Temari asked quietly. Shikamaru looked at her sharply. She caught his gaze, and took control of her emotions.

"Ino, take Choji back to the medics. And Yori too," the Jonin ordered, "Shikamaru and I will continue to assist the True Sound."

"I can stand," Choji told her. Ino disengaged, and took the girl's remains. With a nod and a look of thanks to Temari, she began to skulk back out of the Otogakure, along side her injured teammate. Shikamaru and Temari turned, and headed deeper into the Hidden Village.


	31. Conducting Souls

**Chapter 31: Conducting Souls**

They headed for the reinforced tower in the center of the village, occasionally intervening in battles between Shin's forces and Kabuto's warriors. Each time, Gaara asked their allies, or surviving enemies, about Kabuto's whereabouts. But no one had seen the new leader of the Hidden Sound Village. So they kept on their path, until they reached the fortress. The huge steel doors were closed tight.

"Sakura," though Gaara only said her name, the instruction was obvious. The pink-hair Kunoichi stepped forward, and with a single blow, punched one of the reinforced barriers in. The door flew a short distance, before striking a column and spiraling into the wall. A handful of Sound shinobi, standing on the other side of the portal, readied weapons.

* * *

"This is where we split up," Kakashi told Natsuki and Chiasa. After the hearing explosion, instead of returning to the staging point, at Hatake's order they went directly into the village. The Sand team and True Sound team each split off, heading in different directions.

"Where to now, Kakashi-sensei?" Shino asked quietly.

"No clue," the Jonin sounded unperturbed. He looked over the teenagers, and added, "Let's look for some pockets of battle, and see if we can find one of the targets."

Sai sighed, and Kakashi's face turned serious in response.

"Kiba, Akamaru, see if you can smell anything," he directed, "Shino dispatch your scouts. We'll head towards the village core for now."

The four shinobi started to move north, towards the open square near the middle of the town. But before they could reach top speed, Akamaru dug in his claws to quickly stop. The humans all followed suit.

"What is it?" Sai asked impatiently, "Does he need to go to the bathroom?"

The ninja hound growled at him, and then yipped at Kiba.

"He says he smells something, something thick and dangerous. That way," he pointed down an ally heading east. As they stalled, beetles flew in from all directions.

"I also sense something in that direction," the insect master informed them, "An odd chakra signature."

"I suppose," the copy-ninja conceded, "that's as good a direction as any."

Sai snorted, but followed nevertheless

* * *

"A theater?" Sai was surprised, and incredulous. But no more so than the other three humans.

"Are you sure?" Kiba asked his dog. Akamaru barked firmly. Kakashi grasped the ornate handle, and pulled the door open. A strong smell of perfume wafted from the box office. The Jonin swept his hand, and the three Chunin slunk inside.

The first thing they noticed was a fallen True Sound Kunoichi. Shino knelt down, and examined her.

"She is alive," he said simply, "She appears to have been drugged."

"Looks like Akamaru was right," Kiba needled Sai.

"I never said he was not," the former ANBU agent was not roused, "I merely think it is foolish to follow a lesser beast."

Kakashi and Shino both caught Kiba before he could lunge at Sai.

"Not exactly the crowd to say that around," Kakashi advised. Sai nodded, still not provoked. The four men moved to the inner doors, preparing to enter the auditorium. Inside, they could hear music, and lyrical voices. Kiba signaled for Akamaru to back away, and Shino silently opened the door a crack. The intoxicating scent grew more powerful, and Kakashi peeked through the gap.

"I see two men with True Sound headbands, in the back row," he told his team, "They look like they are hypnotized."

"Why do you think that?" Kiba whispered.

"Both are just staring at the stage. And one of them is drooling."

Aburame pulled the door open a little further, and Hatake shifted his view.

"Three more," he added, "the same as the first two."

"But what are they looking at?" Sai probed insistently.

"Hold on a second," Kakashi shot back. He took a small mirror from his pocket, and extended it to the opening. But when he looked into the room, he found he was staring right into the face of a beautiful young woman.

"Like what you see?" she asked, both amused and suggestive. He scrambled back in surprise, drawing a kunai. The Kunoichi pushed the door wide, and sauntered through. Her outfit amounted little more than a translucent armored ribbon, wrapped multiple times around her not insubstantial breasts, then once down her belly, and again repeatedly wound around her hips.

"Target 4," Sai observed her cautiously, "Aika Kouin. But where is the other one?"

* * *

"Target 4 is a bit of a misnomer," Tsunade explained, "As the target is two individuals."

The image appeared, and a number of the shinobi vocalized surprise or approval.

"Aika and Aimi Kouin are identical twins," Shin explained, "though Aimi swapped her hair and eye color so they can be told apart. Aika has the green hair and blue eyes, Aimi the blue hair and green eyes. As you might suspect, their specialty is seduction, using Ninjutsu and Genjutsu to enhance their own natural… talents."

"I'll bet," one of the Sand Ninja shouted. Both of the Kage glared at him, in their respective ways. The Chunin blanched under the scrutiny.

"They never go on missions with anyone else, but they have been known to practice on the men of the Hidden Sound. No one ever is able to recall any specific jutsu, but no one ever complains, either."

* * *

"My sister is inside," the seductress simpered, "Do you want to see her, too?"

The scent was becoming deeper, more layered; but not unpleasantly so. The Leaf warriors where finding it hard to concentrate.

"Put that nasty thing away," she grabbed Kakashi's arm, "I'm not armed."

The Jonin complied, sliding the weapon back into his belt pouch.

"Come inside, watch the show," Kouin urged. Their eyes going blank, the four men followed her into the theater.

* * *

"I don't know, sister," the blue-haired vixen sounded dubious, "Kabuto-senpai only wanted True Sound Shinobi."

The men of the Konohagakure had been seated in the front row, and watched, mesmerized, as their captors debated on the stage.

"But he didn't say anything about Leaf Ninja, one way or another," the blue-eyed beauty argued, "He might not have known they were coming."

"Maybe," Aimi conceded, "But I would feel safer with just the rebels."

"You do know who that is, don't you?" Aika argued, "Kakashi Hatake. With Sasuke-kohai gone, this might be Kabuto-senpai's last chance to study the Sharingan. And a transplanted one, no less. Think of what he will do to us if we give him the Copy Ninja."

Aimi shuddered in anticipation. Then she nodded.

"Fine, let's kill the other three, and keep Kakashi."

The green-haired vixen pouted, "It seems like such a waste. Three strapping young men…"

The green-eyed woman pondered that, and her eyes dipped towards the laps of the Leaf Chunin.

"I suppose we could see what they have to offer, first," Aimi decided, with a lecherous look.

"I think that will be enough," a soft voice said evenly. Shino stood, not taking his eyes off the sisters.

"How…" Aimi was amazed.

"How did you break free?" Aika was less surprised, but more concerned.

Shino held up his hand, showing the insects crawling between his digits. Both of the Kunoichi looked mildly repulsed.

"Once I was entranced by your perfume, it took my friends only a few seconds to adapt and begin filtering it," he offered, "After that, I pretended in order to find out what you were doing with these men."

"Well, you never had me fooled for a second," Kiba boasted, "Those cheap, artificial pheromones could never fool a nose like this. I was just following Shino and Kakashi's lead."

"And you?" the green-haired blue-eyed enchantress asked Sai pointedly.

"I…" the artist started.

"He has the emotional range of dried sponge cake," Kiba interrupted, "He wouldn't know sexual attraction or romantic interest if they stabbed him through the heart with a kunai."

Sai looked mildly annoyed, but let the comment pass.

"Ready Kakashi-sensei?" Kiba asked. When the Jonin didn't answer, the 'ladies' smirked and the other three members of his team turned to look at him. Kakashi was still staring at the Sound Ninja in rapture. A darker spot appeared on the left side of his mask, wet at the corner of his mouth.

"Jeez, Naruto said he was a pervert, but this?" Kiba commented.

"We will just have to handle them ourselves," Shino told them.

Sai snorted, and took out his scroll and paint. Kiba whistled, and Akamaru burst into the room, tearing the doors off their hinges. Bug began to swarm around Shino, and he leapt lightly onto the stage.

"It's still four on two," Kiba told them, as he and Akamaru joined Shino, "And we already beat your main weapon."

"Silly boy," Aimi slid swiftly behind him, stabbing towards his neck with a needle, "That little bit of pheromone Genjutsu was hardly our best technique."

A black and white eagle nearly struck her, but she slid out of the way, blurring slightly as she did. Though Sai's attack missed, it had the intended effect of saving Kiba.

"See, sister," Aika said as her wind Jutsu swept Shino's beetles away from her, "You wanted to destroy such a wonderful painter."

"It's not like we can keep him," Aimi countered, "Not now that he's awake."

"I suppose not," she moped slightly. Aburame's chakra caused the bugs to link limbs like chain, overcoming the air current scattering them. Before they could connect with the lecherous beauty, she sidestepped, her form becoming soft around the edges.

"Hall of Echoes Jutsu," Aimi completed her hand signs while ducking under Akamaru's paw. The ninja hound dropped to the ground from the painful sound in his ears, as did his master.

"Release," Kiba attempted to cancel the Genjutsu, and touched Akamaru to free him too. But the spell was not completely disrupted; an annoying buzz remained.

"My Genjutsu are highly resistant to such weak techniques," she taunted, when he tugged on his earlobe to try and clear his head.

"Well," Inuzuka grimaced, "If I take you out, your technique goes with you. Akamaru!"

The large dog barked once, and moved closer.

"Paired Transformation, Canine Sapiens Jutsu!" Each of the partners transformed, Akamaru's muzzle flattened, and his forelegs became arms. Kiba sprouted fur and hunched forward, his nails becoming claws and his teeth lengthening. Akamaru dove forward, nearly clipping her with his claws. But the sharpened nail passed through her ill-defined edge.

"Water Style: Bubble Burst Jutsu," the Kunoichi exploded a sphere of water between herself and the two were-dogs, and both were thrown painfully back.

"High level Ninjutsu and Genjutsu?" Sai was skeptical, "How powerful are these two?"

The former ANBU member sent wolves to attack both siblings, but the sister fighting Shino broke away long enough to bury a single needle in the 'skull' of each ink beast, destroying them. Aburame tried to take advantage of the distraction, but once again, the attack just barely missed her. She prepared to strike back, but was interrupted.

"So that's the trick," Kakashi Hatake said, stretching as he stood languidly. The five fighters all paused to look at him.

"You see, ever since Shin told us you altered your appearances to look different," he continued, walking slowly up to the stage, "I've been wondering why. After all, it would be to your advantage, if your opponents couldn't be sure which sister they were fighting."

"Unless," he hopped lightly up on the stage, "The idea was for your enemies to think they know who they are fighting. Each of the three of you mastered a different skill set. Then in battle, you substitute for one another, switching your hair and eye color. That way the 'twins' appear impossible to hit, and masters of a large variety of jutsu. Plus, whichever of you is hiding maintains your pheromone jutsu, to keep your opponents distracted."

"Three?" Shino asked what the other two Chunin were thinking.

"Yup, three," Kakashi nodded.

"One," he pointed to Aika.

"Two," the Leaf Jonin indicated Aimi.

"Three," he quickly turned, and flung a kunai into the balcony. Two needles emerged from empty air, knocking the blade off course. The Genjutsu vanished, and a third sister was revealed, with blue hair and eyes, but otherwise the same as the two on stage.

"You were never really under our control, were you?" Aisa Kouin asked, looking down on him with anger.

"Sorry," Kakashi sounded sincere, "You're all pretty enough, but you're not really my type. My tastes go for more slender, and a darker hair color."

"We can do that too," Aika offered.

"It's too late for that, sister," Aimi shouted.

"Kiba, the one on the balcony is the weapons master. Shino, green eyes uses most of the Genjutsu; Sai, green hair is the Ninjutsu expert," Kakashi's words were both warning and direction, "Keep your eyes open so they don't switch on you again."

"What are you going to do?" Kiba growled as he and Akamaru leapt off the stage, on the backs of the second row of seats.

"I've double duty, clean-up and rescue."

The Copy Ninja lifted his hands, and formed a Chidori around each. Keeping his palms flat and parallel, he darted up the aisle, across the back row, and then returned to the stage. He repeated the circuit, and this time the air was noticeably fresher.

"You're using a killing technique to clean the air," Sai's tone was dismissive, even as he unleashed a pair of attackers on Aimi. This time, his illustrated animations were a double mockery, pin-up versions Sakura and Ino struck at the seductress.

"It's called electro-static air purification. Now that they aren't maintaining the perfume levels, I can get rid of it," the teacher explained, "And you'll find many deadly techniques have alternate uses. Just ask Naruto about the Rasengan some time."

The two canine hybrids jumped up to the balcony, surrounding her. Whenever the third sister attempted to attack one of them, the other would stalk closer.

"Illusion Art: Reflect Me Jutsu," Aika yelled, and to Shino's surprise every other person in the room took on her appearance. But he did not blink, did not give her a chance to switch with any of her duplicates.

"Ninja Art: Compound Eyes Jutsu," Shino countered, connecting with the bugs perched on his shoulders, to enhance his vision. He sent out a small swarm, his tiny allies unaffected by the mirage. Unable to substitute, the enchantress was not able to avoid all of the insects, and they began to consume her chakra supply.

The True Sound Ninja captives began to recover from their fascination. Aimi was struck hard by the black and white painting of Sakura, and the copy of Ino caught her arms, spreading ink onto her skin as she pinned the sound Kunoichi. Without their swapping trick, the sisters realized they were ill prepared for a direct battle.

"I surrender," Aisa pragmatically dropped her needles and put up her hands.

"Aisa," Aika yelled at her sibling this time.

"In another minute it will go from the three of us against the five of them, to the three of us against the fifteen of them," the oldest sister responded, "And Kabuto-senpai isn't worth dying for. He's not even worth risking a scar for. You are far too enamored with him for our own good, Aika."

Aimi stayed out of the argument, but subtly stopped resisting Sai's creations. One of the rebel captives groaned, and the youngest triplet's resolve weakened. She raised her hands in submission too, and could not hide her relief when the beetles on her skin withdrew.


	32. Singing Blades

**Chapter 32: Singing Blades**

The last of the Sound guards finished, team Gaara headed up to the second floor. The next level was Orochimaru's audience chamber. It was a large empty room, lined with columns, a throne in the center two thirds of the way back, and a set of three doors on the opposite end. The edges of the room where dark, and the four invading Shinobi were not alone.

"This is mildly unexpected," Kabuto Yakushi announced, walking calmly into the light, "I figured Shin Busata was up to something, but I didn't expect him to have the guts, or the resources, to hire a group and Leaf and Sand ninja to assassinate me. And my old friends Gaara and Naruto Uzumaki no less."

He looked away, and as if considering something, "But still, four on one doesn't seem exactly fair. Gokki, Yuko, can you assist me?"

"Of course, Master," an oddly gentle, feminine voice emerged from the shadows. Two more Sound Shinobi moved forward enough that their outlines could be seen, but not their precise features. The woman who had spoken was taller than Hinata, Sakura, or Gaara, though not as tall as Naruto. She had a medium build, but the shape of her right arm was disparately large. Her male companion was short and compact. Though under five feet tall, he looked to be made of three hundred pounds of solid muscle. His head was completely devoid of hair, not even the hint of eyebrows or lashes.

"I will deal with Kabuto," Gaara's voice was oddly touched, "The three of you eliminate his followers."

"That is fine by me," Kabuto smirked, "Gokki, Yuko, you may kill Sakura Haruno, but I want Naruto Uzumaki and Hinata Hyuga alive."

Kabuto darted back behind the throne, as Gaara tried, and failed, to get behind the rogue doctor. The two lieutenants ran forward, to prevent the Leaf warriors from interfering.

"What do you want with Naruto and Hinata?" Gaara asked menacingly, sending three darts of dust after Kabuto.

"Isn't it obvious," the answer was mocking, as he nimbly dodged the sand shuriken, "I will examine Hinata's DNA, dissect one of her still living eyes, and then extract her ovum to create my own army of Byakugan soldiers."

"As for Naruto," he rolled forward, trying to cut the Kazekage with his chakra scalpel, "Though I am interested in testing the limits of his regeneration, and attempting to duplicate it, his greatest value is as a bargaining chip with the Akatsuki."

"You will have to survive that long first," the Sand leader countered, his voice colder and harder than usual. His sand lashed out at Kabuto like a whip.

* * *

"Naruto Uzumaki," contrary to the blond Genin's expectation, densely built shinobi's voice was of medium tone, and his accent was clean and educated, "Leaf village Ninja, Genin rank. Age fifteen. Orphan son of Yukihana Uzumaki, father unknown. Preferred techniques: Low to mid level Taijutsu, Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu, Rasengan. Possesses advanced regenerative ability and extremely high chakra level, due to the Nine-tailed fox demon sealed in his body."

He separated the boy from his female teammates.

"Yeah, so what's your story?" Naruto was unnerved by the frank and knowledgeable dissertation.

"I see no wisdom in sharing that with you at this time. Your level of emotion discomfort is currently adequate."

"Well, then how about I make your level of physical discomfort match?" Naruto drew Kitsune, and jumped, attempting to strike his opponent over the head.

"Ah yes," Gokki deflected the weapon with his forearm, "Recent intelligence indicated training with the staff-blade by Iruka Umino and Anko Mitarashi. Your weapon has not been reported, I will need to make note of it."

Faster than Naruto expected for his size and build, Gokki moved beside him, and pulled Kitsune from his grip.

"What exquisite craftsmanship," the Sound soldier commented, looking over the implement, "Konoha Leaf and Kyubi motifs, highly dense construction…"

He trailed off as Naruto summoned the weapon back to his hand.

"The Weapon Summoning jutsu intrinsically built into the weapon; straightforward enough, but not easy to implement, and undeniably useful," the academic sounded impressed. He stepped again, and before Naruto saw what was happening, he was knocked to the ground.

* * *

As the light finally fell on Yuko, Sakura and Hinata could finally see why her right arm looked deformed. Instead of one right arm, she had three limbs, each slightly different, extending from her shoulder. Initially the triplicate arms were held tightly together, but as she advanced, they separated.

"What are you?" Sakura asked rudely.

"Kabuto-sama has improved my original design," she answered, her soft voice full of pride, "Using knowledge gleaned from his autopsy of Kidomaru, he was able to augment my nervous and skeletal structure to support two additional limbs. It goes perfectly with one of the advanced Konohagakure techniques Orochimaru taught me."

Yuko drew shuriken from her pouch, holding eight in each of her right hands. She flicked her wrists in unison, while also intoning, "Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu."

Each of the twenty-four throwing blades split into five, and Sakura went pale as the cloud of knives bore down on them. But Hinata calmly took a half step in front of her rival. Chakra began to radiate out from the Hyuga heiress, and a Ninjutsu seal appeared on the floor around her.

"Byakugan Art: Protection of the Eight Trigrams, One Hundred Twenty Eight Palms," she announced. Moving with immense speed and precision, Hinata sent out a cutting edge of chakra to each of the incoming shuriken. The real blades were sliced in half and fell away, while the clone blades exploded. Not a single one of Yuko's weapons came within ten feet of either Leaf Kunoichi.

"I guess it doesn't fit quite that well after all," Sakura taunted, but Hinata just watched their opponent warily.

* * *

A wave of sand crashed over Kabuto, but the new leader of the Hidden Sound carved through it with a wind enhanced chakra scalpel. He drove through the gap, stabbing at the Kazekage. Gaara sent up more silicate to block. Yakushi shifted his surgical blade from air chakra to fire chakra. Though the barrier stopped the attack, the heat fused the sand into glass. The lumps of crystal crashed to the ground, now outside Gaara's control. The traitorous doctor sliced again, and this time the intercepting dust aimed for his wrist. He pulled back before his hand was caught, or worse.

"I must say, I am less than impressed," Kabuto's tone was even, though his intent was obviously mocking. He cut again, this time using lightning to disrupt the wall of sand.

"You aren't half the man you once were," he continued, then he smirked, "Or is it that you are more of a 'man' than you were before."

The Sand Shinobi did not respond, but a lance of sand shot out, and his enemy dodged enough to only take a light cut on the arm. But the particles infiltrated the wound, and when the former Jinchuriki ripped them back free, numerous small holes perforated Kabuto's skin.

The medical ninja retreated long enough to close the wounds on his arm. The Kazekage followed closely, and before the healing jutsu had fully taken effect, he was sidestepping another spear of sand.

"I might have been underestimating you," Kabuto conceded.

"Or I was overestimating you," the reformed villain suggested. The sand spread out further, starting to surround Kabuto.

* * *

Naruto rolled forward, regaining his feet facing Gokki once more.

"You're fast," the boy noted.

"Faster than you know," the bald shinobi was instantly beside him. When Naruto tried to turn to face him, Kabuto's second moved behind the Leaf Shinobi again. Naruto continued his rotation, swinging Kitsune at full extension. But even with his extended reach, he was unable to hit his enemy.

"You're weapon is too slow," Gokki instructed him, "And from my research, your Rasengan will be much the same."

"OK," Naruto growled, sheathing his staff-blade, "Try this."

He signed quickly, "Doton: Stone Claws Jutsu."

Four rocky hands grasped for the Sound warrior, but he evaded easily. He disappeared, and reappeared behind Naruto again. He planted his foot in the teen's back, and pushed him to the ground, again. Uzumaki stood quickly, eyeing his opponent.

"Well, then, how about my favorite? Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu."

A dozen copies surrounded Kabuto's follower. Half jumped, while the other six charged on the ground. Gokki quickly grabbed one of the grounded clones, and threw him into two of the airborne duplicates. All three exploded. Before the others could recover, the Sound Shinobi had punched four of them in the throat, destroying the fragile facsimiles. The last five tried to attack him in unison, but he easily exited their circle, destroying two in the process. The three remaining clones tried to regroup, but Gokki flashed past them faster than they could follow, and Naruto's jutsu ended.

The real Uzumaki had just finished a Cyclone Spikes Jutsu, but the intellectual slid in between them easily.

"How are you so fast?" Naruto tried to move away as Gokki closed in again, but he could not avoid Kabuto's minion.

"Young Kabuto upgraded me. Binary circulatory system and modified legs."

"So your power isn't even real," Naruto mocked.

"Real enough to capture you," Gokki seemed annoyed by that jab. He punched Naruto in the gut, just hard enough to make the teen exhale hard. Then he was behind the Leaf Ninja, cutting off his breath and circulation with a sleeper hold, crushing Naruto's neck and pinning his right arm tightly against his right ear.

* * *

Sakura ran straight towards Yuko, swinging. The modified Kunoichi caught Sakura's right hand with all three of hers. Even three hands on one, she was no match for Sakura's raw strength. The four-limbed warrior kicked at the Leaf Ninja's ribs, but Sakura caught her foot, and hoisted her into the air. Haruno threw the unbalanced warrior, and Yuko tumbled unevenly through the air. Nevertheless, she was able to right her self just in time, and lightly landed on one of the pillars; clinging by the chakra in her feet. She took out eight more shuriken and threw four each at Hinata and Sakura. Sakura jumped out of the way, but Hinata knocked them aside as she reached the base of the column and started up.

The Sound Shinobi ran down to meet her. She fired off two punches, one each at Hinata's face and chest. But Hinata was able to knock both away with her left hand, sending chakra into the other woman's wrist with each blow. Yuko's hands spasmed, and she launched her left hand at Hinata's face again while she tried to recover feeling in her stunned appendages.

Sakura started towards the stone support to assist. Hinata saw her coming with the Byakugan, and shook her head 'no'.

"Go help Naruto," Hinata said, "I can handle her."

Sakura looked, finally noticing Naruto's trouble. She nodded at her rival and changed directions.

"You think you can handle me?" Yuko sounded dubious, "Just because you blocked my opening salvos? I will crush you, capture you for Kabuto-sama. Water Style: Arm Distention Jutsu."

Yuko's arms extended, her upper arms increasing in length by half, while the distance from her wrist to elbow doubled. This also served to heighten the differences in her triplicate limb; her middle right arm was now noticeable longer than the other two. All four of the enhanced Kunoichi's arms lashed out at once; a knife hand to Hinata's neck, a punch to her solar plexus, another punch to her stomach, and a grab for the Byakugan user's right ankle. Hinata did not bother to block with her hands.

"Eight Trigrams Palms Holy Cyclone," Naruto's training partner created the large sphere of chakra. Despite her increased reach, Yuko was struck. The Sound Kunoichi was pushed higher, and her chakra grip on the stone dislodged. She started to fall, but two of her hands snagged the pillar, and she reconnected with her feet. Yuko snarled at Hinata, who again waited for her opponent.

* * *

Spots were beginning to form before Naruto's eyes. He struggled to escape, but with his right arm trapped, he could not sign for any jutsu. And Gokki matched him, sending any chakra to his muscles only caused the Sound soldier to do the same. He felt the fox's annoyance building, but it had not yet reached the point of breaking free. Uzumaki finally remembered his kunai, and managed to extract one of the holdouts with his left hand, however by that point he was growing weak, and his slashes at Gokki's arm barely broke the strongman's skin.

Suddenly, Gokki grunted in pain, and his arms loosened around Naruto's neck. Even stronger hands wrapped his wrists, peeling him away from the Genin. The blond ninja gasped fro breath, as Sakura hurtled the Sound shinobi across the room.

"Thanks, Sakura," he grunted, wobbling slightly.

"Darn it, Naruto, what are you doing?" she scolded lightly.

"Hey," he protested, "That guy is faster than Lee, and knows all my moves. He kept getting behind me. Look out."

The bald warrior darted behind Sakura, but as he swung his fist towards the back of her head, Naruto grabbed the girl's wrist, pulling her down and rolling them both a short distance away. Naruto landed on top of Sakura, but jumped back to his feet before he could notice her blush.

"See what I mean?" he prompted. She shook off her embarrassment, and stood quickly.

"Yeah… Back to back, then?"

Naruto spun, and aligned his spine to Sakura's.

* * *

Gaara was starting to run short on sand. After Kabuto had realized Gaara could not control glass, he had created a fiery scalpel in each hand, cutting away at the Kazekage's ammo. The former host of Shikaku began to mill the stone floor, but it was slowing going, and he was losing dust faster than he was creating it. He adjusted his tactics as well; carefully avoiding Yakushi's blades on both attack and defense.

"Maybe you should surrender now," Kabuto counseled, mockingly, "With out your sand, you are defenseless. Perhaps we can come to a deal, as former allies and leaders of our respective villages."

"Could you honestly say you had no part in the death of the fourth Kazekage?" Gaara probed. Kabuto did not answer, but glanced down at his left hand briefly.

"I thought not. Not that it matters; the Hidden Sand Village has a contract with the True Sound, and we keep our commitments. As for me being 'defenseless'…"

Gaara went through a quick series of hand seals, and then quietly projected, "Wind Scythe Jutsu."

A sharpened blade of air crossed the room, parallel to the floor, and aimed for Kabuto's chest. The doctor quickly raised his left arm, absorbing the blow with the back of his rest. Gaara displayed mild surprise, when he caught a glimpse of the traitor's skin though the slice in his sleeve.

* * *

"Say something, already," Yuko shouted at Hinata, aggressively throwing her arms wide. The Hyuga scion's silent, Byakugan enhanced appraisal was unnerving.

"Stop this," Hinata finally answered, "Run away. Give your support to the True Sound."

"As if I would ever betray Master Kabuto," Yuko snorted in amusement, "I was always loyal to him, even when Orochimaru was around."

"Kabuto is our target, if you stand with him, you will fall," Hinata prodded kindly.

"Don't you owe Master Kabuto your life?"

Hinata froze up at that, her hands dropping slightly. Yuko smirked, but before she could act, Hinata suddenly twirled around.

"Eight Trigrams, two Palms," she proclaimed, striking the air behind her. But instead of empty space, she struck flesh, and the Yuko who had been distracting her disappeared.

"Four palms, eight palms, sixteen palms, thirty-two palms," at this point Yuko's second Genjutsu also failed, and Hinata concluded, "Sixty-four palms!"

Though most of her chakra network was blocked, and she could barely stand; the half-spider Kunoichi was still able to cling to the post by the chakra points in the bottom of her feet.

"Kabuto may have saved me, but I will not know if I owe him anything until I find out why he saved me," Hinata countered, and then added more firmly, "And that does not apply to you."

"Cute," Yuko countered, her arms jerking oddly, "But your little technique won't work on me. In order to control these arms, Master Kabuto gave specially enhanced control over my chakra network."

She snapped out her left arm, and Hinata was amazed as her normal chakra flow was restored. Her technique was much more efficient than the Chakra Pulse. But only her chakra was fixed, the physical damage from the Eight Trigrams Sixty-four Palms remained, and Yuko's movements were slowed. Despite that she charged Hinata again, and the kind-hearted Leaf Ninja did not have the heart to blast her with the Heavenly Spin or Holy Cyclone. Instead she simply blocked her enemy's strikes, waiting for her to give up. The Sound Kunoichi had other plans.

"Earth Release: Quicksand Jutsu." In the midst of her attacks, Yuko was able to secret mix in hand signs, thanks to her additional limbs. The stone pillar became soft around Hinata. Thanks to the pull of the chakra on her feet, she was pulled in. The column hardened, trapping Hinata up to her knees. Afterwards, Yuko walked calmly around Hinata, smirking at her back.

"I know you can still see me back here, but you can't really attack or defend adequately from this angle, especially with your legs stuck. Master Kabuto can surely fulfill his desires without both of your arms. If I remove your right arm, you should be much easier to manage."

Yuko darted forward, aiming for Hinata's right shoulder. Before she reached Hinata, the Hyuga heiress bent over backwards, her head nearly touching the ground, and supporting herself with her left hand. And to Yuko's unexpected horror, a sphere of pure blue chakra hovered over Hinata's left hand.

"Rasengan," her incantation sounded almost regretful. Her hand snaked easily past all four of Yuko's and she pushed the ball hard into her opponent's breastbone. The Rasengan shredded through her flesh and bone, before propelling her away. Yuko's body spiraled upwards, bounced off the ceiling, and then plummeted to the floor. With a sad sigh, Hinata turned the orb on the rock, starting to carefully free her legs.

* * *

Naruto drew Kitsune again, and Sakura brandished a pair of kunai. The Sound ninja circled them, looking for an opening.

"Brace yourself," Sakura whispered, and then began to sign.

"Doton: Epicenter Jutsu," the medical Kunoichi dropped to one knee, and punched the stone floor, hard. The entire room shook, a circular wave of spread outwards through the rock, and Naruto barely managed to keep his feet.

"Darn it, Sakura," Uzumaki shouted, "We're on the second floor!"

The swell spread, and Gokki retreated outside the range of the attack. As he focused on dodging the attack, Sakura threw her two blades at their opponent. Only one of the daggers clipped him, and just barely. He turned back towards the two teens, but the aftershock rolled under his feet, and he nearly tripped. He recovered before the Leaf Ninja could act, and rode out the third, smallest wave. Suddenly, Gokki smirked at Sakura.

"Sakura Haruno, medical specialist, apprentice of Tsunade," he rattled off, "I almost forgot, I don't have to keep you alive. Katon: Comet Strike Jutsu."

Flames surrounded his body, and he charged the Kunoichi at full speed. She threw four more kunai at him, diverting him briefly. When he was in range, she hit his chin with backhand, burning her knuckles and knocking him away.

"Nifty trick, but it slows you down," she mocked.

"I'll take note of that," he said seriously, ending the technique and darting forward again. Naruto swept Sakura aside trying to make the speedy shinobi strike him again. But the modified ninja changed course, and was able to strike Sakura, creating a gap between her and Naruto. He pushed the Genin away, and withdrew a kukri from his belt pouch. As he started to swing the curved back at the Kunoichi's back, Kitsune's wind chakra edge carved into his forearm. Gokki jerked his hand away before too much damage was done, and then put distance between himself and the Leaf Shinobi.

"His arms aren't as fast as his legs," Naruto told Sakura.

"I noticed," she agreed, "But that's not all. He doesn't hit as hard as he should for that kind of muscle mass. And he hasn't attacked with his legs once. I think he is still adjusting to whatever Kabuto did to him."

It was Gokki's turn to be unnerved.

"I'm still too fast for either of you. I can wear you down," he bluffed.

"Not with two hearts, and that wound," Tsunade's apprentice countered, "You'll bleed out before you can defeat us by attrition."

"Then I will have to kill you both," he started running again, signing as he moved.

"Fire Style: Grand Fireball Jutsu," he circled them, blowing a cloud of fire inwards. He slowly narrowed the loop, bringing the flames ever closer.

"Sakura," he whispered as they moved back-to-back again, "I think I have a way to slow this guy down, but you'll have to be ready to move."

"Ok, but hurry up," she pressured. Naruto nodded and put his hands together in front of his chest, his fingers spread as wide as possible. He watched Gokki carefully, and when the Sound ninja passed the centerline between Sakura and himself, he pushed his hands out. The fire jutsu died, and Gokki stumbled, as he passed through the Negative Chakra Jutsu. He tried to start running again, but did not have the strength or the Chakra to reach his previous speed. As Naruto slumped, Sakura flipped over him, driving her fist into Gokki's knee. The joint crumbled with a sickening crack. The enhanced shinobi fell, rolling painfully over his broken leg. When he came to stop, he began to crawl away. But Naruto blocked his path.

"I didn't think someone your age would know that technique," the academic pulled himself up on one knee; facing Naruto with all the pride he could muster.

"Your mistake," Naruto said, knocking him out cold with an uppercut to the jaw. Then he looked over at Sakura with a forced grin.

"Shizune was right," he took a deep breath, stretching, "that technique is draining."

"Anyone else would be on his butt from trying something like that," she answered.

"Are you alright, Naruto?" Hinata asked, running over to them.

"I'm fine," he told her, "You know I've got energy to spare. Let's help Gaara."

"Who would have thought, the same hand that killed the Fourth Kazekage would also kill the Fifth?" the three Leaf warrior heard Kabuto ridicule Gaara. The doctor pulled his left hand back, and the Sand ninja slumped to the ground, bleeding profusely. When Yakushi realized his two lieutenants were done, he smirked at them.

"Seems like a fair trade," he commented, before turning tail and running. His three allies rushed to the side of their fallen leader. Sakura turned him over carefully, and immediately began treating his wounds.

"How is he?" Hinata asked in abundant concern.

"Pretty bad," Sakura answered, "Not as bad as…"

Her eyes drifted to Hinata's side, "…well you know. But pretty bad. We need to get him back to the medics."

"No," Gaara croaked, "Kabuto is mine. All of you leave, I will finish him."

The Kunoichi exchanged looks of worried surprise, but Naruto jumped up, looking angry.

"No way," he forced himself not to shout at his injured comrade, "You're in no shape to fight anyone."

Gaara did not answer, and the blond sparkplug continued.

"You dragged me away from the Chunin Exams to fight Kabuto, and that's what I'm gonna do!"

He shifted his gaze to his female friends.

"You two, take Gaara back to Shizune-neesan," he instructed, "I'll go after Kabuto."

"Naruto, you can't…" Hinata started, until Sakura interrupted her.

"Who are you to give orders?" Haruno snapped. Then she softened, "Hinata should go with you."

"No," he shook his head firmly, "You're gonna be carrying Gaara, and keeping him stable. You'll need Hinata's eyes."

"Medic, scout, guy who beats up Kabuto," he pointed to each of them in turn, "We each have our role to play here."

They both looked ready to protest, so he added, "I'll be fine."

Then before they could dissuade him, he ran after the traitor, slamming the doors behind him.

"Come on," Sakura growled, lifting the Sand leader gently, "The sooner we get Gaara to safety, the sooner we can come back and teach that idiot a lesson."

Hyuga nodded, smiling slightly. Both girls jogged back to the stairs leading down.


	33. The Ringing Palms

**Chapter 33: The Ringing Palm**

Ino and Choji moved carefully into the perimeter of the base camp, not wanting to be mistaken for attacker. One of the Sand medics spotted them, and the larger Chunin signed the password.

"Ino, Choji, what's wrong" Shizune trotted over. When she saw the body in Yamanaka's arms she slowed.

"Who is that?" the doctor asked, also taking note of Choji's uneven stance.

"Target number six, Yama," Ino answered, sadly, "Her real name is Yori, of the Nochi clan."

"That sounds familiar," Tsunade's assistant pondered. Ino told her the rest of the story while Shizune finished treating Choji.

"How is everything else going?" Akimichi asked.

"So far, pretty good," the lead medic answered, "Your dads killed target number one, though Akimichi-san was hurt in the process. We patched him up, and he is resting. And Kakashi's team captured target four. No casualties on our side so far, but it we've lost fourteen True Sound ninja. It sounds like Kabuto's side is getting hit harder."

"Any news on the traitor?" Ino's question dripped with venom.

"Supposedly, he's in the fortress," one of the Sand healers answered, "The Kazekage and his team were headed there."

* * *

"Gai-sensei!" Tenten and Lee shouted in unison, as their leader was struck. He fell backwards, away from the open palm that had impacted his neck. The ninja connected to the hand stepped out from the alley, into the open square. He looked to be at least forty; his light brown hair was thinning and starting to go grey around the temples. He had sharp brown eyes; and his nose had been repeatedly broken, and imperfectly set. He was taller than any of the Leaf Shinobi, now that Gai was down. He was also bulkier than the teens, but not to the degree he was slowed by his musculature. He turned to face the three warriors, and his visage brightened.

"The gods have smiled on me this day," he told them, "A Hyuga has fallen into my lap."

He assumed an unfamiliar fighting stance, raising his hands, his palms pointed towards them.

"Tadashi Suzuhira," Rock Lee said angrily, "It appears we have found one of the targets."

* * *

"Tadashi is one of the last survivors of the Suzuhira clan," Tsunade explained, "We have designated him target number three. The Suzuhira clan was once famous for their Ringing Palms Taijutsu, but over the last few decades have shown a sharp decline. The Ringing Palms is a very powerful and efficient technique. Do not let him strike you with his palm, whether it is a slap or an open hand strike."

* * *

"The Hyuga betrayed the Suzuhira," Tadashi berated Neji, "A long time ago, our clans were allies, and friendly rivals. Only the Ringing Palm could match the Gentle Fist, and vice versa. But when Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha offered the Uchiha a place in their new Hidden Village, the Hyuga abandoned us without a second thought. Your family took a position of power and prestige in the Konohagakure, while the Suzuhira clan was forced to take ever more demeaning and dangerous missions, just to stay alive."

"That isn't true," Tenten announced vehemently. Tadashi snorted in derision, but Neji shook his head.

"We cannot be sure, Tenten," he told her, "But you are right, that is not how our history records it."

"What?" Tadashi looked suspicious, and on the verge of a rage.

"According to the records of the Hidden Leaf," Neji explained, "But the Hyuga and Suzuhira clans were approached together. The Hyuga decided to join the new village, but the Suzuhira refused. Your leader believed the Konoha was doomed to fail. And then, twenty-one years later, my great-grandfather asked your clan to unite with the Hidden Leaf Village. This time the head of your clan not only rejected the offer, he violently attacked his former friend. Needless to say, we did not try again."

"That's garbage," after hearing Neji's version, his anger turned to amusement, and Tadashi shock his head ruefully, "You're trying to make me give up, instead of crushing you."

He took a half step forward, "But even if your story were true, it would not matter. By defeating the now legendary Gentle Fist, I can restore the Ringing Palm to its rightful place."

Suzuhira jumped forward, aiming the heel of his left hand at Neji's headband. The Hyuga Jonin slid out of the way, and aimed his glowing finger at Tadashi's extended wrist. But the older ninja interposed his right hand. Neji's first two digits struck Tadashi's lifeline, and the teen Jonin yanked back his hand with a look of pain. A loud, deep note reached all their ears, and Neji shook his hand out. Suzuhira leveled his open hand, pointing it at Hyuga's heart.

Lee darted around Neji, then dropped to a crouch.

"Leaf Gale," he swept the Sound shinobi's legs, and continued his spin into a, "Leaf Whirlwind."

His second kick failed to connect, as Tadashi pushed Lee's foot down, before flipping back to his feet. Lee tried to regain his stance, but his right foot landed oddly, and he nearly fell. Lee ended up standing on one leg, staring at their opponent.

"What did you do to me?" the Taijutsu master demanded.

"The Gentle Fist targets soft tissue; muscles and organs. The Ringing Palm splinters bone," Neji explained, "And like the our technique, the Suzuhira style also impacts the chakra network, though without the Byakugan, they don't have the same level of precision. They make up for it by striking a larger area with their palm."

"Can you keep going, Lee?" Tenten asked in concern.

"Of course," Lee grinned, "I'm fi… yi… yi… ine…"

He tried to place weight on his right foot, and nearly fainted from the pain.

"Your ankle is broken in six places," Neji looked through his teammates skin with the Byakugan, "I would suggest you sit down for now."

The chakra-stunted youth looked ready to rebel, but Tenten lightly tapped his ankle with her toe. A shiver of agony shot up Rock Lee's spine, and he finally complied.

"Tenten," Neji took control, "See if you can begin to patch up Lee. I will deal with Tadashi."

"Just as I want it," the vengeful warrior agreed, "I have no issue with your partners. So long as they stay out of this, I will not attack them."

The younger Jonin stepped in, aiming his Gentle Fist strikes for Tasashi's neck and lungs. The Ringing Palm master leaned back to avoid the attack at his throat, and his left palm stopped the blow to his lungs, again without ill effect to himself and reverberating tone. Neji attempted a kick to his opponent's gut, but Tadashi's right hand lowered, and Hyuga was forced to abort his attack.

"_Branching_ out from the pure Gentle Fist?" Suzuhira emphasized the first word. He jabbed his palm at Neji's face and shoulders, and the Leaf Ninja fell back.

"Eight Trigrams Palms, Heavenly Spin."

As the chakra dome expanded, Tadashi did not even try to dodge. Instead he extended both his hands, and caught the sphere. The attack continued to spread to its full size, but it could no longer move forward, so its formation became uneven. Neji was no longer the center of the now elliptical shell, and the back of the Heavenly Spin came perilously close to Lee and Tenten.

"I always found the name of that attack ironic, and a little insulting." Tadashi pressed, his palm grazing the right side of Neji's chest. Though the contact was incidental, Neji felt one of his ribs crack from the deadly touch.

"Neji," Tenten appeared next to him, "Are you OK?"

"I will be fine," he exaggerated slightly, "How is Lee?"

"He's good," she told him, "He can't walk because of the breaks, and they are beyond my ability to heal. But the fractures are clean, and it doesn't even hurt if he stays still. I think you'll be able to fix it. I could hold this guy off…"

Tadashi struck at Neji again, but the Hyuga Jonin was able to evade. Tenten withdrew her weapons scroll.

"You don't want to get involved," Tadashi warned her again.

"No," Neji told the young woman, "I don't think any of us can defeat him alone, but you and I together…"

"You would put her at risk?" Suzuhira overextended, and nearly took a Gentle Fist tap to his wrist. He darted his hand away at the last possible instant.

"She and I are teammates, and friends," he answered, "To try to protect her by telling her not to fight, it would be insulting."

Tenten smiled at that, and unfurled her parchment.

"Weapon Recall, Shuriken String Jutsu," she incanted, reaching into the chakra-bound scroll. She snapped her hand, and a ten-foot cord uncoiled from the text. Hundreds of shuriken were threaded on the cable, and when the end cleared the scroll, Tenten flicked her wrist again. The throwing stars separated from the string, and whipped at Tadashi like a swarm of riled insects. He intercept most with the flats of his hands, allowing a handful of minor hits to his upper arms and lower legs, in order to protect his core. And each shuriken he touched crumbled.

But Tenten was not done. She brandished the cord like a lash, striking his face before wrapping the metallic thread around his left wrist. The Kunoichi reeled the line in, trying to pull him off balance. Tadashi grabbed the cable with his free hand, and it began to vibrate. The thread snapped, before Neji could capitalize, but not before the pulsing cord cut slightly into Tenten's hand. Neji's ally did not react to the injury, but instead thrust her hand into the scroll again, withdrawing a shortspear.

"You are talented, girl," Tadashi offered sadly, "But you should have stayed out of this."

Suzuhira changed course, and stabbed the heel of his right hand at Tenten's chest. She blocked with her weapon, but the wooden pole snapped, and Tadashi's fist was not even slowed. Except suddenly Tenten was not there. She dropped into a crouch and swung both parts of her broken tool at his right leg. The blunt end struck his knee, while the spearhead impaled his thigh. He redirected his palm to the top of her head, and Tenten dived away, rolling to land on her knees facing him.

"Neji, now!"

"Eight Trigrams, Sixty-Four Palms," the oldest active Hyuga had closed in on his newly discovered rival. His fingertips began to rapidly shoot at Tadashi's back, but before the first struck, Suzuhira had managed to turn and stopped the strike with his palm. His speed matched Neji's and each Gentle Fist attack was met with a Ringing Palm. When Neji's attack ended, Tadashi had been struck only seven times. And Neji's fingers were broken and bloodied, his nails eroded away. Neji looked to want to cradle his hands, but neither one could hold the other.

"Thus the Gentle Fist fails," Tadashi seemed to tower over Neji, grinning darkly. He drew back his right arm threateningly, aiming for the Hyuga teen's forehead. But before he could finish the battle, he was jerked away from Neji. He glanced down and saw a scarf wrapped around his right elbow. He reached for it, but unlike the metal cord, the cloth did not echo the sound in his palm, nor did it snap.

"Did you forget about me?" Tenten asked, annoyed. She tugged again, pulling Tadashi further away from Neji.

"Your little sonic technique works great against hard things, like metal and bone," she observed, "But when you broke my spear; it just broke even, it didn't disintegrate or splinter. The Ringing Palm doesn't seem to do so well against softer materials, does it?"

She flicked her wrist, and the cloth unwrapped from his arm, the weight striking his chest. She faced him, the four-meter tapestry in both her hands. He charged her, but she caught his hand in the scarf; sidestepping him. She twisted his trapped arm, putting all of her minimal weight on his shoulder. His arm was nearly torn from the socket, but he managed to free himself just before the dislocation. She threw out the end again, and he tried to destroy the weight with his left hand. Only this mass took no notice of his technique, and his wrist was nearly broken from the impact.

"The cloth is a special composite, soft and stretchy, but unbelievably strong, even before being enhanced by chakra binding," she told him sternly, drawing back the cloth, "And the weights on the end are loose sand. There is nothing in this weapon for you to break."

"Then I will just break the wielder," he countered. He ran towards the Kunoichi, but she threw one of the weights at him with her right hand. He dodged the attack, but Tenten had planned for this. She hurtled the other mass with her left hand, letting the scarf drag across her injured left palm as the first weight was drawn back. Tadashi stepped directly into the path of her second projectile, which struck his already injured right knee. The adult shinobi crashed to the cobblestones. Tenten ready her weapon for another strike, watching him carefully.

"Why?" he sounded on the verge of tears, "I finally had this chance. I have worked all my life for it."

"That is precisely why," Neji joined Tenten; still holding his arms oddly, "You have been too focused on defeating the Gentle Fist, a short range technique. You counted on your Ringing Palm's ability to stop metal weapons and most sorts of energy attacks. But that tunnel vision left you vulnerable. Have you ever fought an opponent who specializes in water jutsu?"

"No," Tadashi considered that, propping himself up on his left knee and right arm.

"I suspect you would have the same problem with them," Lee agreed with his rival, "You cannot shatter water."

"But I have to defeat you, Hyuga."

"Is it so important you kill me?" Neji asked, pity touching his impassive voice.

"I never intended to kill you," Tadashi seemed insulted, "But I must overwhelm the Gentle Fist."

"Why?"

"What do you mean, 'why'? I need to restore my clan's place, their honor," Suzuhira was almost pleading, "If I cannot win against you what good am I?"

"But you found a place, in the Village Hidden in the Sound," Neji argued, "I have little doubt Shin Busata would accept your clan."

Then he showed his hands, "And you did defeat the Gentle Fist. This will take months to heal. I can no longer effectively fight you. The fact that you almost took down an entire four-man squad, alone, is even more impressive."

Tadashi collapsed forward, laughing.

"And yet in the end I am the loser, beaten by Hyuga words."

"I was once sunk in hatred too," Neji confided, "Until a friend pointed out the errors in my logic, and the futility of my anger. I suppose it is only fair I do the same for you."

"Neji, if you can help Lee, I will carry Gai-sensei," Tenten told him, returning the weighted tapestry to her weapon scroll, "We should get the three of you back to medics."

Neji nodded, and helped the Taijutsu user to his feet. Tenten collected their leader, placing him over her shoulder like a sack.

"Hyuga boy," Tadashi Suzuhira dragged himself back to his feet, as they started to move off. They all paused, and turned back to look at him.

"Maybe, if the gods permit, we can fight again. Without all the angst."

"I would enjoy that," Neji smiled.

"And if you see Busata or his girlfriend," Tadashi added, "Tell them I would like to speak with them."

"We will."


	34. Hissing anger

**Chapter 34: Hissing Anger**

Iruka Umino felt as if he were being crushed by the weight of Anko Mitarashi's seething disdain. He knew it was his own fault, for choosing to take position between Anko and Yugao, but he felt it was the best course for the success of their mission.

"Can't you two get past this?" he asked carefully, "Like when we first met?"

* * *

_"Yugao, Iruka," Hizashi Hyuga told his students, "We have a new teammate. I would like you both to meet Anko Mitarashi."_

_Yugao bowed deeply, and Iruka blushed, as the girl stepped out from behind Hizashi._

_"Anko, this is Yugao Uzuki and Iruka Umino," he informed her. She took another pace forward, and regarded her new partners warily._

_"Nice to meet you," Yugao extended her hand. Anko shook it, settling slightly._

_"Umm, hi, I'm Iruka," the oldest of the Genin mumbled. He clasped hands with her as well, and Mitarashi smirked at them._

_"So Hizashi-sensei said," she commented dryly._

* * *

"You were so worried," Iruka needled Anko lightly.

"Not really," she told him, "I was just embarrassed because of how and why I was assigned to your team."

* * *

_"So, what do we do with her, Lord Hokage?" Tsunade asked the Third Hokage. In the center of the room, a girl of thirteen years sat, clutching her head, and sobbing. The simple wooden chair sat at the apex of a complex, powerful Ninjutsu seal, one designed to stimulate memory and prevent dishonesty. Despite the jutsu, and a seemingly honest desire to help, Anko Mitarashi had been unable to answer their questions. Even the attempt to remember caused her mental anguish, and sent flares through the evil mark on her neck._

_"That in part is up to Anko," Sarutobi answered carefully, "But if she desires, I am preparing a place for her among the Genin teams."_

_Tsunade's legendary temper flared, but she forced it under control, both to avoid berating her sensei, and so Anko would not hear._

_"She left with that damn snake, and now she just comes waltzing back," she snipped quietly, "And you are going to trust her with other Genin? She's probably some mole."_

_"I believe that Anko did not know about her sensei's crimes when she left with him," the leader of the Konohagakure lectured his former student gently, "And that Orochimaru discarded her when she refused to help him. She has no loyalty to him."_

_"He could have set up some other way to use her against us," the leader of the medical corps countered harshly, "That strange seal could be a means to control her. And even if she really was a reject, that doesn't mean that anyone will trust her. She'll be lucky to be treated any better than Yukihana's son."_

_"What would you have me do?" the Hokage snapped, "Imprison her? Execute her?"_

_"No," she faltered, "Of course not… It's just…"_

_"I have found a perfect spot for her," Sarutobi explained, "Jun has not recovered from his mental trauma. He is resigning his post. That leaves Inoichi short handed. Genma and Raido might be cousins, but they act like brothers. If I move Genma from Hizashi's team to Inoichi's team, I can place Anko on Hizashi's team."_

_"Why there?"_

_"Hizashi is familiar with being unfairly marked. I trust him to take care of the girl," he told her his reasoning, "Iruka has become a firm believer in second chances, so I expect him to treat Anko fairly. And Yugao is so polite and quiet that she gets along with everyone. I think this team can accept Anko, be her haven."_

_"In the end, it is up to her," Tsunade looked back at the teen, "Do you think she can handle it?"_

_"Anko was strong enough to attract Orochimaru's attention in the first place," the teacher of the Sannin sounded sure of himself, "And she escaped from him. She will persevere."_

* * *

"I heard everything they said, so I figured you two would hate me as the intruder who broke up your team," Anko grumbled, "Of course, I ended up being wrong about that."

Yugao's eyes narrowed, and she said, "That is why you made it so hard to get close to you."

"She didn't make it that hard," Iruka defended her.

* * *

_"Hizashi-sensei, will you teach me the staff-blade?" Anko asked sweetly._

_"Of course, Anko," the Hyuga Jonin was surprised by the Genin's request. Though he had grown to love it, his choice of the under-appreciated weapon was to thumb his nose at the clan. He was not sure why Anko would want to learn it. She could not want to set herself further apart. He decided it didn't matter, he was happy to pass on his skills._

_"Me too," Iruka suddenly jumped in. Unlike Anko, Hizashi knew exactly why Iruka wanted to study the blunted sword._

_"OK, I will teach you both," he smiled indulgently at they energetic teens._

* * *

_Iruka tumbled to the ground. Anko set aside her practice weapon, and leaned over her practice partner._

_"I'm sorry," she said, her sincerity suspect due to the smug chuckle she could not quite hide. Still, she extended her hand and helped him up._

_"Are you OK?" she asked. He shook his head ruefully._

_"Yeah, but I can't seem to keep up with you."_

_"You're leaving yourself open, on purpose" Hizashi comment was more for Anko than for Iruka, "You don't go full out against her."_

_The male Genin shrugged with a sheepish look, and their weapons master sighed._

_"Fine, then both of you come at me."_

_Later, after their lesson finished, Anko confronted him._

_"You didn't hold back against Hizashi-sensei," she told him, "I could tell. So why hold back against me."_

_"You're my teammate."_

_"And sensei isn't," she sounded confused._

_"Back at the academy, my class had a saying, 'Sensei is a polite way to say enemy.'," he explained, "I mean, he's stronger, has a longer reach, and is more skilled. The only way I stand a chance against him is to be serious. With you, I can test new techniques. If they don't work, at least I don't get drubbed to badly."_

_"Are you saying I'm not as good as sensei?" she seemed affronted._

_"Are you saying you are?" he was surprised and confused._

_"Probably not," she agreed, discarding her false anger. With a twinkle in her eye she added, "Yet."_

* * *

"Says the man who took repeated beatings just to get close to her," Yugao taunted, but kindly. Iruka blushed, and grinned; and even Anko smirked at him, before remembering she was supposed to be mad.

"You know, neither one of you ever told me how you became friends instead of just teammates," Iruka mused. But neither woman looked happy at the reminder.

* * *

_"Come on, give me a kiss," the blond-haired Genin said mockingly, stepping closer. His redhead friend grinned darkly._

_"Buzz off," Anko hissed, but there was an undercurrent of worry in her voice. She tried to maneuver past them, but the older boys cut her off._

_"I keep hearing that you aren't a traitor like your boss," he insinuated, "and you're cute enough. So why don't you show a little loyalty, and give me some action."_

_"As if," she tried to evade them again, but they would not let her escape. She pushed off the darker haired youth, and nearly slipped through. But the blond grabbed her shoulders, and forced her into the wall._

_"So you're not really one of us," his cruel smile turned even more vicious, "Then maybe we should teach you a lesson."_

_"Leave her alone," a gentle, but stern, voice said behind them. They both looked back, and between them Anko saw the slender form of Yugao Uzuki. Mitarashi had never seen her teammate angry before. The younger Kunoichi's eyes were tight, and her mouth was set in a firm line. _

_"So you're with the spy?" the red haired boy glared at her._

_"She's not a spy," Yugao argued._

_"Yugao, stay out of this," Anko managed to sound annoyed with her ally._

_"Yeah, Yugao," the older boy sneered, "Run along. It's not like you could make us do anything."_

_"I don't have to," she said, just a hint of smugness in her voice, "Do I Kakashi-senpai?"_

_"Kakashi?" both of the boys blanched, as they turned further. To her right, another teen stood, taller than any of them, his height exaggerated by his upright shock of silvery hair. His left eye was covered, but his right eye was fixed on the younger shinobi._

_"You two need to come with me," he ordered. The Genin looked like they wanted to run away, but Kakashi's expression turned nasty, and they could not flee. _

_"Now," he told them, and they followed him with obvious fright._

_"Yugao, Anko," Hatake nodded to them, before he escorted the bullies away._

_"I didn't need your help," Anko protested, "I could have handled them."_

_"Probably," Yugao agreed, "But you should not _have_ to."_

_Uzuki smiled at her, and after a second, Mitarashi returned the smile tentatively._

* * *

"That doesn't matter," Yugao said quickly. For the first time since they had been reconvened, Anko was in complete agreement.

"What does matter," the slimmer, quieter Kunoichi continued, "is that you wouldn't leave the two of us alone."

"I…uh," the male shinobi stammered for a response.

"Just when did you two finally hook up?" Yugao asked. Anko glared at her again, but Iruka answered.

"About over two years ago…" he started.

* * *

_Iruka lifted the noodles slowly to his lips. After Naruto had left Jiraiya, the boy's first mentor had decided it was time to try for Jonin rank. After a hard day of training, Umino had stopped at Ichiraku for dinner. Though his sore arms made it tough to eat, he savored the rich flavor._

_The flap rose again, and Anko's head poked in. She wore her typical self-satisfied smirk, and opened her mouth to address Teuchi._

_"Hey, old man," her mode of address was eerily familiar to Iruka's ears, "Gimme a diet beef ramen."_

_Then she looked to the left and saw her former teammate._

_"Err, never mind," she said quickly. She dropped the tarp as she quickly exited. For a second, Iruka allowed himself to stare at were she had stood, regret filling his eyes. Then his face hardened, and he stood, all thoughts of pain and exhaustion gone._

_"Keep the change," he told Ayame, dropping a handful of coins that covered the bill twice over. He quickly left the stand, glancing around until he saw her again._

_"Anko," he called to her. He could see the muscles in her back tense, and she increased her walking speed. _

_"Anko, wait!" he shout a little louder, not caring it was after sunset. He started jogging to catch up, and she suddenly turned, ducking into a random alley. He broke into a run, determined not to let her get away. He turned into the narrow side street, and found she was not that far ahead of him. He put on a final burst of speed, and caught her right arm._

_"Anko, stop," he pleaded. The Kunoichi gave up her escape and looked back at him. Her expression was one of obviously fake surprise._

_"Iruka," she said through the forced grin, twisting her arm slightly to try and free herself, "I'd love to catch up, but I'm really busy."_

_"Bull," he countered, fiercely maintaining his gentle grip, "You were all ready for a meal at Ichiraku, and when you saw me, you ran. Why are you avoiding me?"  
_

_"I'm not avoiding you," she tried to lie, but neither of them was convinced._

_"You have been avoiding me for almost seven years," he told her, "In that time, you haven't said ten words to me that weren't business related. Whenever you see me, you turn and go a different way."_

_"It not as if you kept in touch," she argued._

_"I used to try to talk to you all the time," he growled, "After three years, I got the hint. And I still send you a card every year on your birthday and at yuletide."_

_"Yugao is out of the ANBU," she countered, "Why don't you go back to bothering her?"_

_"It was never about Yugao," Iruka shouted at her, "The reason I followed you two was you. I was in love with you! I suppose I still am."_

_Anko looked like she had been hit. She had not been expecting that, but the moment he said it, it seemed so obvious. He followed her in learning the staff-blade. He asked her to come with him when Yugao left. He had always kept trying, no matter what she did._

_Anko suddenly leaned in and kissed him. Iruka almost pulled away in surprise. Despite his confusion and uncertainty at her sudden changed, he forced himself to stay in that moment. When she finally stepped back, he released her arm. But she grabbed him, and dragged him back to her apartment._

* * *

"Of course, after she had her way with me," Iruka teased, "She tried to kick me out."

"But you wouldn't go," Anko was not yet sure if this was a fond or a sad memory, but she gave her boyfriend the benefit of the doubt. Suddenly she froze, looking up at the roofline.

"Come on out, Sunekujin," Anko announced, "Even after all these years, I still remember your stink.

A tall, mildly skinny Sound shinobi slithered into view. He wore a snakeskin coat and breaches. He stared mockingly at Anko.

"It has been a long time, Anko," he purred.

"Is that…" Iruka asked.

"Kerai Sunekujin," she answered, "The other survivor of Orochimaru's second Genin team."

* * *

"Kerai Sunekujin will be target number two," Tsunade instructed, "He is a former Leaf Shinobi. He was one of Orochimaru's Genin apprentices. Unlike the other two, he was not subject to the Curse Mark treatment, and did not leave when he learned of Orochimaru's treachery."

Anko felt mildly self-conscious as the eyes of many shifted to her.

"He was the snake's primary student until Kabuto appeared. Why he serves Kabuto, after being previously supplanted, is not entirely clear.

* * *

"Unlike Kimihiro or me, this guy never got the Curse Mark," vented Mitarashi, "And when Kimihiro died, and the snake started to show his true scales, this guy didn't leave like me."

"Unlike her," Kerai's voice was like the hissing of a serpent, "I didn't get scared and disgusted, and run home. I was happy to have a chance for real power."

His posture changed, relaxing, "But don't let me interrupt this little trip down memory lane. I want to hear all about little Anko's life. Plus, given the way these two girls are acting now, we must be building to one hell of a catfight. Tell me about it slowly, and you might get to live a little longer."

"Like I'd tell you anything," Anko hissed, biting her thumb, "Summoning Art: Torpedo Boa Jutsu."

An eight-foot long constrictor emerged from her hand, and shot at Kerai like a missile. But he caught the snake easily, and crushed its neck with one hand.

"You'd try to summon snakes against me?" he mocked. The Sound warrior started to tense, until Yugao started talking softly.

"I was the one who broke up our team," she started, "It was around nine years ago..."

* * *

_"I can NOT believe this," Anko barked. Yugao did not back down from her teammate, but also could not meet her eyes._

_"Hizashi-sensei has been dead for less than a month," Mitarashi continued, "And you're breaking up the team for some guy!"_

_"That's not true," Uzuki's protest was soft but firm, "Joining the ANBU Black Ops is a great opportunity, and a privilege."_

_"Please," the snake user snorted, "If mister tall, pale, and coughing hadn't enlisted, you never would have considered it."_

_"Don't talk about Hayate that way," Yugao snapped back, "Say what you will about me, but leave him out of this."_

_"I'll say what I want about either one of you," Orochimaru's apprentice was almost happy that Yugao was fighting back, taking it a justification. _

_"Like you have no…" _

_Whatever insult Anko had prepared, it was cut off when Iruka stepped between them._

_"Anko, don't say anything you might regret," he counseled sadly, "anything you can't take back later."_

_"So you're going to take her side?" Mitarashi growled at him, "I always knew you preferred…"_

_"This isn't about sides," he cut her off, "We are teammates, friends. Do you really want to hurt Yugao, just because you are sad and disappointed?"_

_Anko turned away see he could not see the truth in his words reflected in her face. Instead, she bluffed, "That's not the point at all! We… we are team Hizashi. We should stay together for him; to honor our teacher. Not abandon our comrades for someone who barely notices you."_

_The last barb seemed to hurt both her teammates. Iruka was pained by the statement, but Yugao's temporarily abated anger returned._

_"Goodbye, Iruka," the younger Kunoichi said pointedly. And then she turned and walked away. She paused briefly to look back, but Anko was still facing the other way. With a defeated sigh, she returned to the village._

* * *

"I suppose I better tell the rest," Anko sighed, "before Iruka tattles on me."

"You weren't the only one who left that day," the former proctor admitted.

* * *

_"What about you, Iruka?" Anko asked quietly, not facing Umino, "Are you going to leave me too?"_

_"Well…"_

_She spun around, her face shocked and hurt._

_"I don't intend to 'leave you'," Iruka said quickly, "But ever since Yugao told us she was thinking about applying for the openings in the ANBU, I've been thinking about my life."_

_"I mean, we're Chunin now. And missions are great, but without Yugao, we'd have to find a new third. So I was wondering if there was some other way, a better way to serve the village. So I was thinking, we could go back to the academy. We could become teachers…"_

_Anko's shock was replaced by incredulity._

_"Teaching?" she goggled, "Me? But I have no patience, and I don't like kids."_

_"So you could teach the highest level classes, the eleven to thirteen years olds who are in their last year. You could even run the graduation exams; breaking hearts, and dispensing barbed but well meaning wisdom."_

_Anko looked away again, hiding her saddened face. Her voice was harsh, however._

_"That's just stupid," she told him, "Even if that didn't sound boring, there's no way that I could ever be an instructor. I'd probably end up beating the kids."_

_Then she allowed her voice to reflect her true mood. _

_"But don't let me stop you. You'll probably be a great mentor to some kid."_

_"What about you?" he asked softly._

_"We're not a team anymore, so what does it matter?" she grew angry at his pity, "It's not like I need you, dragging me down. Go, pursue your mediocre dreams and leave me in peace."_

_He continued to stand there, staring her back._

_"Fine," her sigh was pure annoyance, "If you got some reason to stay here, I'm leaving. See you around."_

_She strode away from him, and forced herself not to look back._

* * *

Iruka swung his staff-blade sideways at Sunekujin's head. But Orochimaru's student dissolved into mass of snakes, some of which wrapped around the Leaf Ninja's arms, needle fangs piercing cloth and skin.

"Did you really think I would be fooled by that distraction?" their enemy asked, suddenly behind the Kunoichi. He punched at the back of Yugao's neck, his fist concealed under a mass of vipers. Before he connected the smaller woman disappeared. She reappeared beside him, slashing with a light wrapped knife hand. He caught the attack, and one of the reptiles around his arm vanished in a puff of poisonous smoke. Yugao could not avoid the fumes completely, and the toxin caused a coughing fit, from the stinging in her lungs. Unable to block or dodge, Yugao was clipped by Kerai, and bitten by the cobra on his wrist. At nearly the same instant, Iruka crashed to the street, unable to stand due to the venom in his blood.

"Now, my lovely, let's see what you have to offer." He grabbed the front of Uzuki's shozoku and began to tear at the material.

"Hands off," Anko's pole weapon slammed onto his wrist, dislodging his grip. Yugao collapsed, paler than usual.

"Leave her alone, sicko," his former teammate growled, stabbing out again with the weapon she inherited from Hizashi Hyuga.

"You never used to talk to me like that," he scolded her, taking the second hit like it was nothing, "I think I'll have to punish you. Maybe I should give your little friends the antidote, so I can play with them more."

"You don't have to worry about that," she barked, signing, and then quickly pressing her hand to the ground. A quintet of cobras appeared, but oddly colored, with blue and red stripes. Anko pointed to Iruka and Yugao, and one of the meter long serpents slithered to each of her allies, proceeding to bite them. The remaining three maneuvered up her body, coiling around her neck and arms.

"Giving your teammates a quick death?" he jeered, "How stupidly noble of you."

"Try again," she shook her head, gently petting one of the cobra's hoods, "These are my own special breed. Though deadly enough on its own, their special venom acts as an anti-toxin for most reptile poisons. Based on the lethality of the pit vipers you had bite Yugao and Iruka, they should both be fine in a matter of minutes."

"A new sub-species," the lust he had aimed towards Yugao was nothing compared to the desire he aimed at the serpents wrapping the Leaf Kunoichi, "I must have them."

"Over my dead body."

"That is the plan."

Sunekujin leapt forward again, absorbing a blow to the ribs in order to land his own blow on Anko's left breast. The one of his vipers also managed to tag Anko, but one of her cobras bit the same spot, allowing the venoms to mix and cancel each other almost instantly. The other two cobras struck at Kerai, one biting the small anaconda surrounding his left bicep, and the other barely missing his uncovered face.

"You can't beat me," he told her as they pushed apart, "my Armor of Living Scales jutsu can absorb anything you throw at me. In fact, I might have more snakes than I need here."

He waved his arm, and a number of the serpents detached. They shimmied quickly towards Anko's teammates. Her loyal cobras rose up to defend the injured Leaf ninja, but both were hopelessly outnumbered. Mitarashi quickly sent two of her own guardians to protect her friends. She attempted to summon more snakes of her own to even the odds, but Sunekujin cut her off before she could finish the hand signs. One of the vipers slipped past, and bit Yugao again, forcing the cobra to give her another dose off its unique toxin.

"What now?" he mocked, as she carefully dodged, "Snakes can only produce a limited amount of venom at a time. Your little creations will run out soon, and then I will capture them, and kill your mammalian partners. And you can't even let me touch you, or you will be poisoned too."

Anko's answer was a feral snarl. When Kerai punched her again, she caught his wrist. The vipers darted out to bite her, but before they could touch her skin, they started to burn away. Her opponent's expression changed to one of profound terror as a pattern of black flames spread outwards from her neck, covering her skin. He yanked his hand back, and jumped away.

"No, you can't use the Curse Mark," he sputtered, "Orochimaru told me so himself."

"Maybe you shouldn't have threatened the people I love," she hissed in his ear, suddenly behind him. And then she stabbed her staff-blade through his chest. A handful of the surviving serpents trade to bite her again, but again they were burned away by the powerful aura of the Curse Mark before they could touch her. She followed up with a spinning kick to the head, forcibly ejecting his body from her weapon. Anko started to pursue, but a burning pain in her legs and stomach stopped her. She found herself panting slightly.

'This is the cost of the Cursed Mark?' she pondered silently, while Kerai slowly drew himself upright.

"That hurt," he conceded, "But my loyal shell was able to divert that attack so you didn't hit anything vital. And it looks like you are having trouble controlling that power."

Despite his calm, Sunekujin was bleeding heavily. But he could see the agony she bore, and smiled.

"The others were able to go at least five minutes. You're falling apart after less than one."

Then he gestured again and one the remaining snakes launched itself at her. But before it could strike, a hawk intercepted it. It tore the reptile apart with its talons, before flying back.

"That bird… It's…"

"Anko, stop," Iruka grabbed her shoulder. A single red and blue cobra looked remarkably snug, wrapped around his neck. The summoned hawk and the other three cobras were making quick work of the vipers around Yugao. The former ANBU Kunoichi was in the process of slowly standing.

"You don't need to use that thing," he told her, "We can help you. You don't have to do everything yourself."

"Anko, you were right," Uzuki told her, "But I was too proud to tell you that. Please stop this. We can go back or start over. But I don't want to lose you."

"I was right?" Mitarashi's Curse tattoo began to recede.

* * *

_"Are you sure about this?" Tsunade asked, staring at the Jonin over folded hands, "You are the best infiltrator we have. And once you sever ties with the Black Ops Squad, you can't go back."_

_"I am sure," Yugao told her, "You say I am the best, but I haven't been use to my team since…"_

_She steeled herself, and forced the admission, "Since Hayate died. I think it is best if I leave the ANBU, and return to regular shinobi service."_

_"Alright," the Hokage sighed. She pushed off her desk as she stood._

_"Do you want something for the pain?" the medic asked, as she approached Uzuki._

_"No," Yugao answered stoically. She unbuttoned her shirt halfway, and slid it down to uncover her right shoulder and bicep. Tsunade looked at the tattoo, and began the string of hand seals._

_"I release you," she said regretfully, touching her left pointer, middle, and ring fingers to the mark. A sizzling noise filled the room, and Uzuki began to cry from the pain. But three seconds later, the Hokage removed her hand, and Yugao's skin was not burned. Instead only the loyalty ink was missing._

_"I will add you into the rotation," Tsunade told the younger woman, "You'll probably get a mission soon."_

_"Thank you, Lady Hokage," Yugao bowed deeply._

* * *

_"So, you quit," a soft voice wafted to her ears._

_"Kakashi-senpai…" Yugao was surprised to find him outside the Ninja Operations, waiting for her. Though there was nothing angry or accusing in his tone, she felt embarrassed nevertheless._

_"Yes, I left the ANBU," she said quietly._

_"Because of Hayate?" _

_Her head snapped up. Even though she had admitted as much to the Hokage, it upset her to hear someone else so it out loud._

_"Like you were any better. They say you only entered the Black Ops to run away from Rin's death, and as soon as you could deal with it, you quit," she snapped, without raising her voice. But Kakashi merely continued to regard her carefully with his uncovered eye. She blushed, and looked down._

_"I'm sorry."_

_"You're not wrong," he shrugged, "I promised Obito I would look after Rin. In keeping my word, I finally came to return her feelings for me. When she died, I lost her and betrayed him. And the way she died only made it worse. I joined the ANBU, hoping it would kill me. It took a long time, and a number of near death experiences to realize that was not what they would have wanted."_

_"Then that's where we are different," she looked down, "Hayate never wanted me in the ANBU. When I first joined, he barely knew I was alive. Even after I knew he was interested, it was almost a year before he asked me out. And when he proposed, he told me he was not happy dating another ANBU member. I had planned to resign my Black Ops commission after our wedding. But that never happened."_

_"Why am I telling you all this?" she asked, wiping a stray tear from her eye. He did not answered, and she continued talking anyway._

_"After the invasion, I started seeing him in every other ANBU shinobi. Part of me knew the truth, but another part expected him to take off the mask, and tell me it was all a lie, part of some elaborate mission. It interfered with my work. In the end, the only reason I stayed this long was for Anko."_

_"Anko Mitarashi?" Kakashi sounded confused._

_"When I told her and Iruka that I was leaving our team to join the ANBU, she said I was only doing it to follow Hayate," she smiled ruefully, "Part of me is still angry her, and wants to prove her wrong."_

_"Why?_

_"Because that's what she'd do…"_

_"Yeah," he smiled at that, "She probably would."_

_"Besides, she's not one hundred percent correct," she added softly. He looked curious, and she continued._

_"Hayate was the main reason I joined the Black Ops," she informed him, "But the other reason was that I wanted to learn from you, Kakashi-senpai…"_

* * *

"Ha, I knew it," Anko laughed hollowly, as Yugao joined them. Then her eyes grew wet.

"I'm so sorry Yugao," she forced out, "For pushing you away. For not making an effort when Hayate died. For… for everything."

"Me too," Yugao was crying gently too, "I forgot about everything you had been through. I should have broken it to you better, or asked you to come with…"

"How touching…" Sunekujin laughed, "I think I better kill you three before you drown me with your tears."

He signed again, and as he touched the ground, a fifty-foot long python appeared under his feet lifting them into the air. But at the same time all of the other snakes composing his 'armor' vanished.

"Mistress, are we still needed?" the cobra on Iruka asked. Anko shook her head, and the quintet disappeared.

"You too, Harrier," Iruka told the avian. The raptor nodded, and was gone in a plume of smoke.

"Let's show this guy what it means to mess with Team Hizashi," Iruka proclaimed.

"You aren't even worth molesting anymore," Kerai sneered, "Just die already!"

The giant snake dove at them its fangs extended.

"Weapon Art: Invincible Block," Iruka and Anko proclaimed in unison. Each blocked one of the snake's teeth with their respective staff-blades. Though each struggled slightly, together they were able to stop the reptile. Yugao dropped her right hand, and electricity began to crackle around it. She kept her pointer and middle fingers together, and her ring and pinky tight, but otherwise spread her fingers wide.

"Chidori, Uzuki Style: Lightning Trident Jutsu!"

She jumped up, and the three spikes of lightning carved through the python's skull, and the traitor beyond. Both collapsed to the ground, equally dead.

"What happened to the Abyssal Flare?" Anko asked, as she surveyed the remains of their opponent.

"Without the Sharingan, I can only use the Chidori under limited circumstances," she grinned sheepishly, "And what better time then during our old double trap combo?"

"What now?" Iruka asked.

"We start over," Anko told Yugao. The other woman nodded, her smile growing.

"Great. But I meant should we keep going or head back for medical treatment?"

"Head back?" both women protested.

"Alright," he chuckled, "Team Hizashi, move out."

As they darted towards the sound of battle, Anko groused, "Who put you in charge?"


	35. Funeral Dirge

**Chapter 35: Funeral Dirge**

Naruto ran fearlessly up the darkened stairs. His feet crunched on the glass shells of the shattered light bulbs. But the Genin was not fooled, he was following his nose, not his eyes or ears. Kabuto's odor, a blend of his pheromones, blood, and antiseptic, was faded yet detectable. The broken lights were a desperate gambit to buy more time.

A few more steps and Uzumaki reached the third floor. The right side of the hallway featured four doors, while the left side had a single door. The scent trail lead to the left door, which matched with what the elder True Sound Kunoichi had told them about the traitor's lab. The ninja padded quickly over to the wooden portal, and tested the knob. As soon as he touched the handle, the door swung inwards. Never one to refuse an invitation, Naruto slipped into the room. He was not surprised when the mechanically controlled barriers slammed shut behind him.

Kabuto's lab held little illumination. There were a handful of computer screens, displaying images that held no meaning to the teen. Against one wall were three glowing, green tubes, five feet in diameter, and eight feet tall. There appeared to be something floating inside them, and his curiosity was peaked. His mission temporarily forgotten he approached the tubes. He almost vomited when he saw what was inside them. Each cylinder contained chunks of organ, muscle, bone, and skin, suspended in a more or less human shape. Except that each form was missing its 'left arm'.

"Like them?" Kabuto asked from the shadows, "They are my greatest treasure."

"What the hell is this?" Naruto faced the voice, disgusted.

"You are looking at the remains of Orochimaru's last three hosts," the doctor explained, "After he cast them off, I gathered the parts, to study. They have been most informative."

"I suppose that is how you made those two freaks downstairs," the blond Genin probed the room for his opponent.

"It was certainly a major source of inspiration," Yakushi agreed, then he added, "It's to bad Sasuke killed Orochimaru. I was looking forward to studying the remains of an Uchiha."

Naruto growled at that, and smashed the monitor nearest to him. Kabuto chuckled.

"Struck a nerve, did I? Of course, you're so stupid you probably think breaking those displays will accomplish something."

But instead of pushing Naruto further, the taunt settled him. He tilted almost casually, and kicked out one of the legs of the table. The remaining two monitors, and the three desktops all slid to the floor with a dramatic crash. The assault left Kabuto oddly silent, and Naruto drew Kitsune. He smashed the first desktop beyond repair.

"That data is all backed up, and the machines can be replaced. You aren't really accomplishing anything," Kabuto finally said, a slight current of worry in his now closer voice.

"What about this?" Naruto lifted his staff-blade, and tapped the nearest tube, "You can't replace these, can you?"

Kabuto leapt out of the darkness, his chakra scalpel now surrounding a real surgical knife. He swung at Naruto's neck, but the younger Shinobi parried with Kitsune.

"Gotcha," Naruto grinned. A shadow clone flicked the switch he had found, and the overhead lamps filled the room with a bright, sterile light. Kabuto was surrounded by five clones, all of who charged him. But when they struck, the traitor exploded. One of the Naruto copies suddenly lashed out, popping two duplicates like bubbles, and scoring a light cut on Naruto's cheek. The real Leaf warrior fell back, and the disguised doctor quickly finished the remaining clones.

"You didn't think I'd really fall for that?" Kabuto taunted, dropping the illusion.

"Fall for what?" Naruto shot back, pointing with Kitsune. Kabuto looked back, and the tube Naruto had threatened was cracked, the thick green liquid slowly bubbling out. Yakushi barely hid his dismay, and darted towards Naruto again. He aimed his knife for Naruto's heart, but the teen easily batted the blade away, and then tapped Kabuto's right shoulder with his left palm. The Sound leader's arm jerked, and he lost the physical scalpel he had been using. The medic ninja tried to shake out his arm, but found it was acting contrary to his wishes. He hopped back, and grabbed his afflicted shoulder with his left hand.

"The Ranshinsho," Kabuto noted, sending chakra into his shoulder, "The old witch taught you her trick. Too bad I have an antidote now."

He flexed again, his arm moving normally. Kabuto then focused fully one Naruto, crafting three chakra scalpels in his right hand.

"And of course, she's not here to save you this time," he concluded, throwing one of the blades, and following it in. The teen knocked away the projectile, but that left him open for a duo of long cuts on his left arm. The Genin slashed out in return, but his opponent was able to dodge. Naruto noticed something odd about the cuts he had taken. The wound on his face was still there, and all three hurt more than they should. He looked down at his injured bicep, confused.

"Finally noticed? My improved scalpels slow down the healing in any wound they make. Against normal people, that makes them far more lethal, as they don't stop bleeding. Of course, you aren't normal, but it should still be enough to even the score."

"Is that what you did to Gaara?" Uzumaki snarled. But Kabuto shook his head 'no'.

"No, his defense was ultimately too strong for even these knives. The Kazekage was strong enough to become the first victim of the ultimate outcome of my research."

"Oh yeah, what's that?"

Kabuto smirked, "There's no need for me to use that against a third rate Genin like you."

"I may still be a Genin, but I'm seven times the ninja you could have been," Naruto would not be baited this time. Instead, he sent his chakra into Kitsune to create the wind sword. He closed the gap, chopping at Kabuto with both hands on Kitsune's grip. Orochimaru's apprentice attempted to block with his two scalpels, but the chakra blade carved right though them, and Kabuto was forced to dive away. Naruto followed, dropping an axe kick on Kabuto's shoulder. Orochimaru's apprentice took the blow with only a grimace, and Naruto was surprised by how sturdy his opponent was.

Kabuto formed another blade, and stabbed at Naruto's exposed crotch. With a look of utter terror, the teen arced his body oddly to avoid the attack, allowing Kabuto to sweep his legs. The doctor rolled in top of Naruto, pinning his opponent's right arm and slashing at the blond's neck. Before he connected, Naruto kicked him in the back of the head, sending him tumbling away. When he turned back, Naruto now held a Rasengan in his left hand, retaining Kitsune in his right. Kabuto was mildly unnerved that the boy had formed the jutsu that quickly, and with only one hand.

* * *

"Shizune," Sakura shouted as they ran into the camp. On the way into the camp, they passed Ino, Tenten, and Gai, who were heading out again. Hinata gave the passcode, and seeing who Sakura was carrying, Tsunade's assistant gave over Neji's treatment to another of the medics.

"What happened?" Shizune queried, leading them to one of the workstations.

"Stabbed in the stomach with a semi blunt object," Haruno offered, placing the Kazekage on the indicated table without releasing her Life Sustain jutsu.

"We did not see what Kabuto stabbed him with," Hinata added.

"Where is Naruto?" the doctor asked, as she examined her patient.

"He went after Kabuto," Hinata answered. Shizune was not surprised.

"OK, I'm gonna need help from both of you," the medic told the younger girls, "Sakura, you'll assist me with the healing. And Hinata, I need your eyes."

Though reluctant, both Kunoichi nodded.

* * *

Kabuto dodged narrowly behind one of the reinforced, stone operating tables. The boy was exhibiting far greater control of the Rasengan. In addition, the combination of the enhanced staff-blade and the roiling chakra sphere was making his short-range attacks ineffective. Even when he managed to get past the sword, the Rasengan was waiting. Kabuto retreated to one of his cabinets, quickly extracting a dozen surgical blades. He threw the first six at Naruto, to distract the youth and buy him some time. He slipped three others back into the hidden sheath in his right sleeve. He grasped the remaining three between the fingers of his right hand, lace one each with fire, lightning, and earth chakra.

Naruto hopped over the table, and swung at Kabuto's head. The Sound shinobi blocked, and as he hoped, his earth chakra knife stopped the wind chakra blade of Kitsune. Naruto continued his assault by jabbing the Rasengan at his foe's face. Kabuto caught the teen's left wrist with his own left hand, and forced the Rasengan into the wall. The reinforced stone broke away under the sphere, but was strong enough to disrupt the orb in turn. The doctor slipped past the sword, his trio of daggers aiming for the younger ninja's heart.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Naruto created a single copy, without hand seals. The scalpels bit into the duplicate, and the teen escaped in the smokescreen. The Genin bounced off the stone table, removing the green edge to strike out with the blunt pole. This made the impact more jarring on the doctor, and he nearly lost his daggers. Naruto reverted to the two-handed grip, focusing all his strength on the medical blades. Rather than fight him on power, Kabuto kept his opponent tied up with the three blades in his right hand, and retrieved the three he had previously stored with his left hand. He swung his hand, scoring a trio of moderate cuts across Naruto's chest. The teen hopped away, bringing back the chakra blade for its additional width in blocking the scalpels.

* * *

"Chiasa, when I give you the signal, run," Shin whispered to his partner. The couple was surrounded by more than a dozen identical, animated statues. They knew that amongst the stone clones was their controller, using an armor jutsu, but they had not been able to find him. Even when they defeated a clone, it would quickly reassemble itself. Both True Sound Shinobi were tired, and low on chakra; and Chiasa's right shoulder was broken.

"You expect me to leave you?" she shot back quietly.

"I expect you to follow orders," he answered gently. She grumbled at that, but could not argue. He began to craft his potentially suicidal attack, but was interrupted before he could enact his plan.

"Lightning Blade!"

"Lightning Trident!"

"Wind Scythe Jutsu!"

"Steel Cyclone Jutsu!"

Kakashi, Yugao, Temari, and Anko struck in unison, each destroying three of the rocky attackers. Iruka and Shino quickly moved in to treat their allies, while Shikamaru and Sai took up defensive positions between the Sound and True Sound shinobi.

"Be careful, they are self-repairing," Busata shouted to them. Kakashi raised his headband, watching the duplicates carefully with the Sharingan.

"Each one has a quartz crystal in its head," he told his teammates, "That's where the jutsu is focused. I'll take out the source."

Led by his transplanted eye, the Copy Ninja wove quickly through the statuary. Shikamaru used his Shadow Possession to trap the three copies at Kakashi's destination, while the other three attackers started smashing the clones for good.

"Rasengan!" Kakashi drilled through the chest of the real shinobi with the Fourth's technique.

"Target number nine is down," Iruka took out his radio and reported their progress.

"Thank you…" Shin started to speak, but was interrupted when a young True Sound Kunoichi ran up.

"Busata-san, Kabuto's forces are attempting to retake the armory!"

He nodded, and the girl kept running.

"Will you assist us?" he asked the Leaf and Sand shinobi.

"Isn't that why we're here?" Anko asked sarcastically.

* * *

Kabuto slashed repeatedly with the three blades in each hand. His attacks were quick and precise; and he drove his opponent back towards the wall. Naruto was barely able to make any counter attacks, and his blows were easily defeated. Fortunately for him, he was able to keep Kabuto's attacks from inflicting any major damage. But as predicted his wounds were not closing as quickly as normal. With each bleeding cut, his anger grew.

When his back hit the stone, he felt his tenant's annoyance flare. His eyes flashed red, and Kabuto swung quickly again, realizing what that heralded.

'What are you doing, brat?' the Kyubi asked him. The demon was snarling through the bars of her cage, and Naruto's irritation expanded to match.

'Shut up,' Naruto shouted back, 'I'm trying to fight here!'

'It doesn't look like it from where I'm sitting,' the vixen growled, 'If you tapped into my power, you'd make short work of this guy.'

'Don't overestimate yourself, you stupid furball,' the Genin countered, 'besides I don't want to kill him. I need him to tell me where Sasuke is.'

'If he knows,' the fox sounded dubious, 'and he won't be telling you anything if you're dead.'

"ENOUGH ALREADY!" Naruto roared at both of his antagonists, a single tail of red chakra erupting from the base of his spine. The energy plume blocked Kabuto's jab, charring the edges of the scalpels in the medical ninja's left hand. Kitsune's smooth green blade became red and serrated, and the teen's next swing was much faster and stronger than before. He pushed Kabuto away, and followed through with a heel to the Sound Leader's stomach. Yakushi allowed himself to be kicked away, and rolled to his feet, signing.

"Summoning Jutsu," Kabuto called out a three-meter long python, but before the serpent could move, Naruto had beheaded it, and was again within reach of his target. He slashed overhand, and Kabuto was forced to block with both sets of scalpels to avoid having his head split. Even enhanced by his jutsu, the surgical blades shattered under the force of the Kyubi's chakra. Yakushi fell backwards, discarding his broken tools. He tried to tuck and roll away and aimed a kick at the teen's knee simultaneously.

Naruto was quicker, sidestepping as he brought down the enhanced staff-blade. With no other option, Kabuto blocked with his left forearm. The Leaf soldier was shocked when his blade did not sever his opponent's limb. When he broke off, he saw Kabuto's arm was not skin, but rather a mass of bone. His skeleton retracted under his flesh, and he glared at the boy.

"It looks like you get to see my new toy after all," he said darkly, tearing off the sleeve covering his limb.


	36. Broken Song

**Chapter 36: Broken Song**

Kabuto's left limb was longer than his right, and for the most part it was paler and skinnier. However, at five seemingly random spots across the surface, bulbous lumps of differently colored and textured flesh had been attached to the arm.

"Digital Shrapnel," Kabuto extended his bizarre hand, and a pellet of bone shot from each of his five fingers. Naruto blocked four of the bullets, but the last tagged his right shoulder.

"That's move," Uzumaki straightened, staring suspiciously at his opponent's modified arm, "Lee and Gaara told me about it. That bone guy used it on them. What was his name? Kumi… Kumimura?"

"Kimimaro," Kabuto growled, annoyed that his crowning moment was co-opted by Naruto's notoriously short attention span and poor memory, "I must admit the idea came from your precious teacher. After all, if a simple ocular transplant could give Kakashi Hatake the Sharingan, why couldn't I could gain the Shikotsumyaku in a similar manner?"

"Shikotsumyaku?" Naruto scratched his face, utterly lost.

"The Kekkei Genkai to control bones."

"So wait, you got bone powers from an eye transplant?"

Kabuto looked ready to explode, but instead he just sighed. He decided to fight the battle he could win. He grew a pair of bony spikes out of his left arm, and he slashed at Naruto. The red chakra blade moved to intercept, but Kabuto caught Kitsune between the two spines. With a slight strain, he twisted the staff-blade out of the boy's hand. He attempted to follow up by beheading the boy, but Naruto caught his wrist. Kabuto extruded spikes of bone into Naruto's palm. The crimson-eyed Genin snarled, and his tail of chakra batted the doctor away. Unlike the earlier wounds, this one healed almost instantly.

"So you attached a dead man's arm to your body," Naruto barked with two voices, struggling lightly to keep the fox at bay, "But what's with those weird bumps?"

"Pretending to be stupider than you normally are…" the Sound leader smirked as he regained his feet, "All you need to know, is that the 'bumps' are for enhancement and control."

The Kyubi jerked her head, and Naruto glanced where she indicated. He briefly studied the three green tubes again.

"You used those arms," the Leaf Genin suddenly recognized, "The left arms of Orochimaru's hosts. You're adding their powers to Kimi-whatsit's arm. But now you have to hide your arm."

"That is temporary," Kabuto waved it off, "A few more months and the integration will be complete."

"So you're not done yet?" the teen grinned wickedly.

"Not at all," Kabuto shook his head ruefully, "How can I explain this… It's like squeezing an orange into a river. The color might change but the course of the river will not."

"But wouldn't the river taste different?" Naruto pondered out loud.

"Argh," Yakushi grunted, "Ok then… It's like the fourth Princess Gale movie, when the villain broke the Spear of Storms. Gale could still use it to animate lightning, because it wasn't a real weapon, the spearhead was a jutsu focus."

"I get it," Naruto nodded, glaring again, "So even though it looks messed up, it works fine."

"Precisely," Kabuto agreed, growing spears of bone above and below his left hand, "And in a few weeks, it will even look normal."

"You ain't got that long," Naruto darted forward, his chakra tail wrapping Kimimaro's arm. He started to punch at Kabuto's jaw, but the spears spread wider, loosening his grip, and allowing the Sound Leader to stab a third bony blade into the knucklehead's right side. The skeletal projection also pushed Naruto back, just far enough that his fist failed to connect.

Kabuto wrenched his arm back, free of Naruto's grasp. He combined the spikes around his wrists into a single large axe blade covering his whole hand. He slashed diagonally and, as he expected, the fox tail intercepted. The doctor put his weight into the weapon, and after a few angry sparks, the bone blade tore through the energy barrier, cutting deep into Naruto's right bicep. Uzumaki again let the Kyubi's power defend him against the next carving blow, but was able to dodge when the strike again cleaved through his shield. He tried to strike back, aiming a punch at Kabuto's chest. Yakushi stopped the attack with his axe, faster than the Genin expected. Naruto was left shaking his hand from striking the empowered bone.

The teen dove away from the next attack, remembering Gaara's description of how the Shukaku Defense had nearly been beaten. He could not hope to stop the Shikotsumyaku with only one tail. He reached inside, and dredged up more of the Kyubi's power, manifesting as a second red, translucent, fox tail.

Kabuto swung again, and this time the boy dodged with much greater speed. Naruto punched quickly in response, and when Kabuto tried to block with his right forearm, the Genin's demon fueled strength prevented the doctor from fully deflecting the attack. Naruto's fist, now surrounded by the fox's fiery power, scorched Kabuto's shoulder where it nicked him. The possessed teen fired again, and only by both blocking and dodging was Kabuto able to avoid the blow to his jaw. The two powerful strikes roused the Sound leader from his brief bout of complacency. He allowed Naruto to clip his chest in order to get in close enough to launch an attack with his axe that the boy could not dodge. He almost smirked as the chakra tails moved to intercept.

Rather than blocking like a shield, the twin extensions caught the skeletal blade between them, holding it fast. Kabuto could not force the weapon forward, nor pull it back. Naruto grinned viciously, and the tails began to bend to the side. The axe resisted at first, and Kabuto tried to kick Naruto's knee out. The Leaf Genin caught the offered leg between his left elbow and thigh. The pressure on the axe increased, and Kabuto was shocked when the bone started to crack. Swallowing his panic, he unmade the weapon, pulling back as much of the component as he could. To his own credit, he was able to surprise Naruto in turn by kicking at the teen's throat with his still free left leg. Uzumaki was forced to release him, and Yakushi fell back.

"Well, is that all you got?" the whiskered warrior snarled the question.

"Not yet," Kabuto shook his head, "But you are pushing me farther than I expected."

His composure recovered, his touched his right hand to his left wrist, unsheathing a bone scalpel. A two-foot long, chakra-wrapped bone scalpel. A second exaggerated medical blade emerged from his left palm, and Kabuto caught it in his left hand. The medical expert spiraled forward, swinging both of his scalpels in parallel at Naruto, one for his neck and the other for his elbow. The two tails tried to block the blades, but unlike the axe, the scalpels carved right though the barrier without slowing. Uzumaki twisted back, still slightly faster, but the scalpel aiming as his neck cut deep into his chest. Kabuto threw his arm out, trying to impale his opponent with the blade. The Genin caught the knife with his hand, unable to break it or wrench it free from Kabuto's grasp. Instead, the doctor yanked the weapon back, cutting deep into Naruto's palm. As before, the scalpel attacks continued to bleed freely.

Kabuto continued his dance. Though different from Kimimaro's technique, it still had a precision and flow Naruto was forced to grudgingly envy. Even focusing solely on defense with both arms and both tails, the Genin could not quite keep the former Akatsuki agent at bay. He quickly took another dozen cuts, mostly defensive wounds on his forearms. Uzumaki fought to stave off desperation as he tried to cook up a new strategy.

"Take more of my chakra,' the demon urged. But Naruto saw through her pretense and ignored her. He could barely control four tails in the best of circumstances. Using three now would be like inviting the Kyubi to take control of his body. He cast about, looking for Kitsune, not wanting to give away that he could summon the staff-blade until he had no other option.

'I gotta figure out something,' the blond shinobi thought, 'before I lose so much blood I pass out…'

"Wait, that's it," he suddenly proclaimed, "blood."

"Getting lightheaded?" Kabuto mocked.

"I'm gonna make you sorry you found a way to keep me from healing," Naruto growled back. He leapt away, signing quickly.

"Ninja Art," he concluded, "Blood Clone Jutsu!'

The red liquid seeping from his injuries joined with some already staining the floor, swirling in front of him. Kabuto stabbed through the cloud, but his attacks where stopped as two copies emerged from the crimson mist, one holding each of his arms. The remaining blood clotted into a third clone, already in the process of launching a side snap kick at Yakushi's right ear. The attack hit, sending the doctor reeling. He maintained just enough composure to send a trio of bony spikes into the clone on his left. Kabuto was fascinated when the copy was injured, not killed. With his left arm freed, he was able to dislodge the duplicate on his right limb, and he retreated to the other side of a table to give his head time to clear.

The four Narutos regrouped. The original took advantage of the break; using the techniques Tsunade had taught him to accelerate healing. He could feel Kabuto's jutsu resist, but between the minor medical art and his own regenerative powers, he was able to stop the worst of the bleeding. His three copies all followed suit.

Kabuto grimaced when he saw the Narutos' injuries start to fade. He had been interested if the Hokage had taught the kid anything beyond her stunning technique, and it looked like he had his answer. Determined not to let Uzumaki recover too much, he tensed for another lunge. Before he could act, he found himself under attack from all quarters.

The doppelgangers moved as one. One caught Kabuto's right hand scalpel with both hands and tails, hold it steady so the second clone could hammer the Sound ninja's elbow. The third went low, aiming a Rasengan at their opponent's ankle, while the fourth fired the Cyclone Spikes Jutsu at the surgeon's left shoulder.

Kabuto leaned into the attack on his right arm, diminishing its impact while avoiding the Rasengan and all but one of the wind chakra darts. And the last spike he was able to negate by forcing out a bone spur at the same location.

"Digital Shrapnel," Yakushi took a swipe at the clone holding him with his left scalpel, while loosening his grip on the right blade to aim his fingers at the duplicate close to the ground. Both Narutos took moderate hits, but again, neither vanished.

"These clones are tougher than your normal Shadow Clone," the scientist commented.

"Believe it! My Blood Clones are almost as strong as the original!"

"No one likes a braggart."

Two of the Narutos darted forward, one punching at Kabuto's neck, the other kicking for his gut. He easily swept them away with his giant scalpels, but the diversionary attackers absorbed the blows with little damage, clearing the way for the other two versions of the Genin. The real assault came in the form of an Odama Rasengan held by the other duplicates. They charged, thrusting the three-foot spiraling sphere at Yakushi's chest with a roar. The doctor brought his knives up, stabbing both into the chakra orb, to keep it at bay. After a few seconds of struggle, the Rasengan burst, throwing all three combatants away. Kabuto was dismayed to see the tips of his bone blades had been ground away. The four teens looked at him with fierce smugness, but the doctor only sighed.

"So it has really come to this," he placed both scalpels against his left forearm, re-absorbing the material. He reached into a pouch on his belt, and withdrew two blue-white capsules, each the size of a thumb joint. He put both on his tongue, and swallowed with obvious discomfort. Narutos' expression of confidence changed to one of confusion, and their tails whipped behind them in nervousness.

"Periosteum pills," Kabuto explained, taking pleasure in his opponent's bewilderment, "Like plasma pills replace lost blood, these encourage damaged bones to heal. Except that mine are five times more concentrated, and I can put the components to better use."

"Armor of Bone Jutsu," Kabuto intoned, signing quickly. A sharp, craggy layer of bone engulfed his entire left arm. The covering spread across his chest, up his neck to cover his face, and down to his right elbow and both knees. Only the furthest extension of his three original limbs remained uncovered.

"Like that's gonna stop me!" Two of the Naruto copies said. Three charged, rapidly pummeling the traitor's armor. Kabuto did not flinch or dodge, and the punches and kicks had no effect. Growing bored, he knocked them away with a light flick of his arm. The final Naruto moved in, pressing a Rasengan into Kabuto's chest. Again, the doctor did not move, and the roiling sphere had no impact on the skeletal plating. Yakushi smirked as he tossed the attacker into the other versions.

"Ok," Naruto mumbled, annoyed, "Well all that extra weight is slowing him down. We just need to play to our speed. Hit, and then get out of range."

The others nodded, and the copy that had spoken started to move, but suddenly Kabuto was in front of him. The teen hopped back, however he was not quick enough, and the bone encrusted left fist buried itself in his gut. As he was launched away, the transplanted soldier flash-stepped behind the blond, and dropped a heel on the Leaf warrior's skull. Kabuto landed between the fallen copy and the other three Narutos.

"My mind and chakra control this bone," he offered, "So the Armor of Bone enhances my speed and strength."

He darted forward again with a vicious grin. He stabbed for one of the clones, but the other two acted in concert to block the attack. One of them lost a large chunk of his left bicep for the effort. Even working together, the three copies could barely keep Kabuto at bay. The fourth version finally regained his feet, and watched his selves desperately fight for their lives. He contemplated the melee for a second, watching all of his counterparts' attacks deal no damage.

'Gotta be something,' he thought. Then his red eye blazed as he both remembered and decided.

"Hey, Kabuto!" he shouted, leaping almost to the ceiling. Yakushi turned to face the boy, curious.

"Try this! Kitsune!" With a slight pop of displaced air, the staff-blade returned to his hand. He quickly ran his hand up the length of the metal pipe.

"RASENBLADE," he roared bringing down the turbulent sword. Kimimaro's arm reached up leisurely, and caught the sword. The enhanced Rasengan dug into the bone armor, throwing a cloud of white powder into the air. But the defending exoskeleton regenerated underneath, as quickly as it was damaged. One of the other clones kicked Kabuto in the back, but still had no effect. Kabuto grabbed the Kitsune more tightly, and swung its wielder like a club into the other three. Then he released the staff-blade, dropping the four Genin into a pile.

"The grafting was indeed a success," Kabuto said to himself, but obviously intending to taunt Naruto, "And it was good to have a real combat test. I can proceed with the next phase with confidence. I can trade this prize to the Akatsuki for their research. And since Gokki and Yuko failed, I guess I will have to capture Hinata Hyuga for myself."

The four Narutos helped one another to stand. Their eyes were all glowing with rage again, and Kabuto looked amused.

"You don't like that idea?" he mocked them, "Too bad you can't do anything about it."

Naruto considered that.

'He's too fast and strong for me, even split in four,' the boy thought, 'and even the Rasenblade didn't work on that armor of his. Maybe if I could put more strength and chakra behind it… But there's no way I can control the three-tails form right now. And none of my other jutsu are strong enough.'

Then he looked at Kitsune's blade again, still wrapped in the Rasenblade.

'Wait,' a figurative light bulb lit up in his head, 'There is that technique. But I can't use it. Grandma Tsunade said it would mess up my arm too bad. But I have come a long way, thanks to Hinata. My Rasengan is stronger, and I have a lot more control, both in general, and of the Rasengan in particular. And I really don't have anything else…'

"Alright, bastard," he snarled. Naruto sheathed Kitsune. He signaled, and his clones moved into position, "This is my last technique. My ohgi. Beat this, and you win."

Kabuto smirked superiorly, and indicated the boy should continue. Naruto raised his right hand, forming a Rasengan above it. Kabuto raised an eyebrow. One of the clones extended its arms, and the Rasengan turned green. The other two clones reached for the sphere, and moved their arms in a wave pattern, as if to spin the Rasengan faster. Tiny cuts appeared on Naruto's hand, opening from the inside out. The Rasengan flattened into a disc. Blood began to soak his sleeve, as larger gashes opened on his forearm. The edges of the Rasengan split, giving it the form of an oversized windmill shuriken.

"FUUTON: RASENSHURIKEN!!" All four Narutos shouted, as the original brought his arm forward, firing the jutsu star at Kabuto. Still confident the doctor lazily lifted his left hand to catch the projectile.

With only the slightest pause, the Rasenshuriken carved straight through Kabuto's stolen palm, scattering his fingers across the room. Suddenly desperate to evade, Yakushi flung himself to the right, but not soon enough. The spiraling blade severed his left arm, both above and below the shoulder. It ground through the bone helmet, and also claimed Kabuto's left ear. It engulfed the stone behind Kabuto, slicing it apart at the molecular level, but also slamming a handful of fist sized chunks of the wall into the Sound shinobi's back and legs.

No longer connected to Kimimaro's arm, the bone protecting Kabuto began to crack and flake. It fell away from him like a gory snow. Kabuto staggered way from Naruto, desperately clutching the left side of his body to stave off blood loss. He wound up next to the tubes hold Orochimaru's remains. Against his will, he trembled, as the three clones closed in on him. The original Naruto held back slightly, blood running down his right arm.

"It's over," Naruto proclaimed, "But if you tell me where Sasuke is, maybe I can arrange for you to stand trial in the Leaf Village, instead of turning you over to the True Sound. I understand they aren't too happy with you."

"There's three problems with that offer," Kabuto snorted despite his pain and fear, "First, you don't have the authority to offer me that kind of deal. Second, I don't have any idea where Uchiha went. Probably off trying to kill Itachi again."

Yakushi withdrew his hand. His shoulder had been cauterized by fire chakra.

"Third, you assume you can capture me." His hand darted to his belt, withdrawing a small single button remote. As the Narutos started to react, he jammed down the trigger.

The green gel in the cylinders quickly turned red, and the smell of burning flesh filled the room. One of the clones lunged for Yakushi, but it was too late. The tubes exploded. The clone, who had been moving forward, was caught fully by the blast, and died instantly from the flame and shrapnel glass. He disintegrated into a sphere of blood, which was quickly engulfed. The other three were far enough back, that they were only flung violently to the opposite side of the room. As they jumped to their feet, smoke filled the room, and the inferno was spreading quickly towards them.

"Kabuto," Naruto shouted, probing the burning lab. The clones grabbed him, and he tried to shake them off.

"We have to leave," one of the clones hissed, "before this whole place comes down on us!"

Reluctantly, he nodded, and the identical trio exited through the hole created by the Rasenshuriken. They did not pause until they had passed through both levels, and were a full hundred feet away from the fortress. As the flames spread outwards, they finally stopped to look back.

"Do you think he's dead?" one of the clones asked rhetorically.

"Probably not," Naruto answered anyways, with a shallow sigh, "That guy probably had some jutsu or escape route all set up for this. Why else have a self-destruct ready?"

The other clone nodded, looking down.

"Anyway," Uzumaki sighed again, reverting from his two-tailed form to his more usual appearance, "I better head back. Thanks for the good work you guys."

He pressed his hands together and said, "Release."

One of the clones disappeared instantly, spilling its component liquid on the sand. But the other duplicate remained.

"Release," Naruto announced more firmly. The clone lifted its head, grinning at him, its eyes still glowing like blood.

"That isn't going to work, kit," the copy's voice was layered with that of the Nine-tailed Fox Demon.


	37. A Small Freedom

**Chapter 37: A Small Freedom**

Naruto looked at his right hand, flexing his fingers. It hurt like hell, but there was no numbness or tingling. And the digits all moved like he told them. The teen wasn't sure if it was the adjustments he made to the technique, his personal growth, the extra clone, or some combination of the three. But this time the Rasenshuriken had only damaged his skin, not his nervous system.

"Thanks for the good work you guys," he told the clones. He pressed his palms gingerly together, and canceled the Blood Clone Jutsu.

"Release."

To Naruto's bewilderment, only one of the two remaining clones vanished. The other one lingered, not looking at him. He pushed his hands together more firmly, grimacing from the pain in his right hand and forearm. He tried to connect more deeply with the clone's supply of chakra, and ended the technique again.

"Release!"

"That isn't going to work, kit."

Naruto was surprised by the growl in the duplicate's voice. The clone met his gaze, and its eyes were still red.

"What the heck?" he stammered, "Get out of there you damn fox."

"I don't think so," the Kyubi chuckled darkly, "For the first time in almost sixteen years, I have a body. Not exactly one I would have chosen, but a body nevertheless. Although, I suppose there is one way to improve on it."

The stolen hands came together, and the demon incanted, "Sexy Jutsu."

Unlike Naruto's normal use of the technique, the Kyubi's version of Naruko was almost modestly dressed. She wore armor of orange silk and steel scales, though the configuration resembled Sakura's beach attire more than any functional battle costume. In the process of transforming, all of the injuries to the Blood Clone's body also vanished. The human bound spirit stretched languidly, pronouncing, "Much better," in her echoing voice.

Naruto's eyes goggled; he had never seen his own Sexy Jutsu from the outside before.

"Bu… Wha… How?" he stuttered in amazement.

The demon girl chuckled suggestively.

"That technique was mine to began with," she purred, "I have long enjoyed the power to become a beautiful, human female. You somehow absorbed the jutsu from me, even though you didn't know I was there…"

Naruto shook his head, trying to steady himself. He could not afford to be distracted now. He exhaled, and glared at the fox again.

"How did you take control of that clone?" Naruto tried to move subtly, to block off his tenant's escape.

"I had control the instant you created it," she admitted, mockingly, "It was easy, what with you borrowing so much of my power."

"But … wait…" Naruto was confused again, "That means you fought Kabuto with me."

"I could hardly let you fight him alone," she shrugged, her voice condescending, "If you die, I die. Besides, I _was_ hoping to kill him myself."

"So, what are you going to do now?" he asked, pointedly, "That body won't last forever. The longest I've been able to maintain a Blood Clone was ninety-two minutes."

"I know that," she snapped, "I was there."

Then she added softer, with an odd tremor, "I'm always there."

She quickly brightened again, evilly suggesting, "But I can still have plenty of fun in just over an hour. I haven't felt blood cool on my fangs for far, far too long. And there are so many targets here, targets with both combat strength and emotional ties that make them very interesting. Shikamaru, Shizune, Iruka, Kakashi; they are all here. Or especially Sakura or Hinata."

"Leave them alone," Naruto growled, "If you want someone to fight, fight me."

"You know I can't do that, kit," she shook her head, "You and I are linked. I'll just have to hurt you emotionally."

"You'll have to get through me, first!"

"In your current state, that's hardly a challenge," the demon sounded almost disappointed, "Stone Claws Jutsu."

Without warning, and without hand signs, she invoked the earth chakra jutsu. Seven stony hands erupted from the ground, gently grabbing Naruto's arms and legs.

"Later, kit," she waved as she turned and ran in the direction of their camp.

Tenten caught her opponent's spear between her hatchet and mace. Though the Sound shinobi was not one of the assigned targets, he was still proving a tough foe. Behind her, Ino and Gai were handling the other three members of her opponent's squad. She wrenched the pike's blade to the side, but the Sound ninja used her momentum against her, and struck the side of her neck with the butt end of his spear. Tenten went down, waving her axe vaguely at the shinobi as she struggled to stay conscious.

A streak of yellow, orange, and silver slowed as it struck the Sound ninja, just before he could impale the Leaf Kunoichi. Though her vision was still blurred, Tenten could hear a sickly grinding noise, and was able to recognize as her opponent's head separated from his body. As the corpse collapse, she rubbed her eyes gently to clear them. Her sight restored, Tenten saw Naruto, or rather his female form, Naruko, standing over her, contemplating her. The Chunin was unnerved by the cold, frank quality of her savior's eyes.

"Tenten!" Ino rushed over to help her, as Gai dispatched the lost of their foes. She glanced back at the other Kunoichi despite her discomfort. And when she faced front again, Naruko was gone.

"Are you all right?" Gai asked extravagantly, helping her stand.

"Was that Naruto?" Ino asked.

"Yeah," Tenten shivered, thinking of those eyes.

"Why did he run off like that?" Yamanaka huffed, "We could have used his help."

"I don't know," Tenten admitted, "He was acting strange."

The other two Leaf Ninja frowned, and she qualified the statement, "Stranger than usual."

Unable to break free of the Stone Claws Jutsu, Naruto quickly grew desperate. He had to catch up with the fox before she could hurt someone he cared about. He generated an unstable Rasengan, and dropped it. The sphere exploded on its way to the ground, delivering a few more minor injuries to the boy, but also damaging the rock sufficiently for him to break free.

Naruto sniffed intently, searching for Naruko's scent, like his own natural odor, but softer and cleaner. It was difficult to find amongst all the smells of the battle, but he found it. He headed south, following her trail. He doggedly ignored the battles round him. Until someone called for him.

"Naruto," he slowed when Tenten shouted his name.

"I didn't get a chance to thank you for saving me earlier," she said, trotting along side him. Then she frowned, "But weren't you heading back to the camp?"

"I was? Great, thanks Tenten."

Glad to have another confirmation, but worried about the demon's intent, Naruto picked up speed again, leaving the Kunoichi behind.

"You're welcome?" Gai's student mumbled in confusion.

As Naruto neared the camp, the fox's trail lead not towards the base, but instead to his left, to the southeast into the forest. At first he was surprised, but then an idea made him worry. Had the demon found someone on patrol, or used some sort of trick to pull one of his friends away from the group? He increased his speed, hopping between the old growth branches.

The scent trail lead higher, confusing him further. Still, he did not hesitate to follow, and before long he had broken through the canopy of the trees. The sun was more than half fallen, and the sky was painted in red and purple. He tensed when he saw the stolen clone, perched on one of the thickest of the branches. The spirit did not seem to have noticed him; she was gazing intently at the horizon.

"Relax," the Kyubi finally spoke as he drew closer, "In fact, why don't you join me?"

"What are you playing?" he countered carefully, his hand drifting slowly towards Kitsune's grip.

"Watching the sunset," she answered, as if instructing an oblivious child, "I was just thinking, even before that bastard Namikaze locked me in you, it had been a while since I had seen a twilight this beautiful."

Her relaxation set him further on edge, and he demanded, "What did you do?"

She smirked at him and answered, "Nothing."

He did not look convinced, and she chuckled under her breath, adding, "I swear, I haven't done anything else since I reached the forest."

"But why?" now the slightly dense teen was totally lost, "I thought you wanted to kill someone."

"Oh, I do," she agreed, "Lots of someones. I came up here to spy on the camp, find a target. But I realized my time was more limited than I initially thought. Maintaining the Sexy Jutsu is burning my chakra faster. And my supply was limited to start. This facsimile doesn't appear to recover energy naturally, like a real body. And separated from the seal, I can't draw in my own chakra. When the power runs out, this body goes with it."

"Which meant I had a choice," the demon sighed, "I could go into the camp, maybe kill one of your friends. But that would shorten my time, if they didn't destroy me outright. Or I could stay here, watch the sun, feel the wind in my fur, smell the smoke of the burning buildings, and squeeze out every instant of life I have at this point."

"But you're a demon, the disaster made flesh," he didn't understand.

"I'm going to teach you something, Naruto," she said intently, "There is no such thing as absolute evil."

"I am evil, and proud of it," she told him, "I don't try to convince myself I'm in the right or have an excuse, that's just weakness. I hunt down powerful shinobi and other demons, and kill them for fun. When I'm not indulging in murder, I like to use this Sexy Jutsu to seduce men to leave their wives, and to cheat at cards and dice. I enjoy watching humans' despair."

"But I also like to watch the sunset, the deepening colors and slow appearance of the stars. I don't kill children or the infirm, because it is boring and beneath me. And once or twice I've let married men off the hook if they satisfied me in bed."

Naruto blushed, but then shook his head 'no'.

"You destroyed the entire Hidden Lakes Village," he countered, "And you would have done the same to the Leaf Village."

"But that was not of my own free will," she looked down, "There are techniques that can compel me. I am still not happy about what I was forced to do to the Kosuigakure. And there are times when I'm almost thankful the Fourth Hokage stopped me from doing the same thing to your village. Almost."

She suddenly turned back to him, her expression fierce, "If there is ultimate evil, some of you humans come a lot closer than any demon or spirit."

"Maybe you're getting soft," he offered, slightly sarcastic, "You did save Tenten."

"I killed an opponent," the fox did not let him bait her, "I considered killing the panda girl, but decided it wasn't worth it. Sure you get along with her, and have gone on missions together. And she is sleeping with your buddy Neji."

"What? Tenten and Neji are…" he turned bright red again.

"Grow up," she chided, "Anyway, she isn't that special to you. Plus the princess and the doofus were there too, so they might have stopped me, or spread the word when they couldn't. And then I would have had no chance to get near your real friends down there."

"So what now?" he asked, finally sitting beside her.

"We watch the sunset," she said. Then she brought her face close to his.

"Unless you can think of a better way to spend the time," she purred lecherously. Naruto ducked back, almost falling as his chakra control was disrupted. He caught a branch below, and glared up at her.

"You are too easy, kit," she laughed at him, "You better get back up here and watch me, so I don't do something wasteful."

He scrambled back up to the perch, the nine-tailed spirit still laughing it him. They sat in silence, until the sun finally passed behind to mountains.

"Ouch," Naruto cried out, as the clone jammed a single Cyclone Spike into the back of his hand.

"I will break that seal, some day," she told him fiercely, "So you better make sure you are strong enough to provide a challenge when I do."

Before he could argue, the clone dissolved, wetting the leaves with his blood. Naruto suddenly felt a weight in his stomach, where he had not realized something was missing.

* * *

"Naruto!" Hinata's head jerked up, and Shizune felt nauseous from the sudden, unexpected shift in her borrowed vision. Sakura cast about, but without the Byakugan, she could not see their teammate.

"You two can go," Shizune told them, "We've dealt with the worst of Gaara's wounds already, I can finish the rest on my own. Thank you both."

Hinata bowed slightly, and then both girls ran out from behind the curtain. Hinata moved determinedly towards the edge of camp, and Sakura followed close behind. As they swerved past another treatment booth, the pink-haired medic finally saw her friend.

Naruto's jacket was shredded, and a number of his wounds continued to bleed. And he looked more tired than either woman has ever seen him.

"Are you alright, Naruto?" Hinata ran to his left side, and draped his arm around her neck to help him stand.

"Yeah, I'm OK," he said weakly. Sakura moved to his other side to provide her own support.

"You look like hell," she said appraising his injuries.

"I've had worse," he told them, unconvincingly. Then he looked around, and asked, "How is Gaara?"

"He'll live," Sakura answered, "What about Kabuto?"

They sat him down on an empty bed, and as they started to treat his wounds, he told them what had happened.

* * *

Kabuto staggered through the forest, his goal a secret path known only to a handful of Orochimaru's most loyal and powerful soldiers. But he was not sure why he continued. The pain and blood loss were such that he could barely stand, despite plasma pills and a pain dulling jutsu. More than that, his beloved specimens, his data, his ultimate upgrade, they were all gone.

"You tried to take my place, or even surpass me," a soft yet harsh voice emerged from the woods, "But you failed."

"Lord… Lord Orochimaru?" Kabuto looked around in confusion, but he could see nothing. He leaned on a tree, wondering if he was dying, and being called to the underworld.

"I am not done with you yet," the hissing voice told him. Kabuto stared intently ahead, and he saw it. Two crimson eyes, glowing at the edge of his vision. Crimson, but with vertically slit pupils, like a snake.

"Come, Kabuto," the voice encouraged, "we have pressing matters to attend to. We will deal with these traitors in due time."

Kabuto Yakushi pushed himself back upright, and stumbled forward, following the voice away from the Sound.


	38. The Trial of Naruto Uzumaki

**Chapter 38: The Trial of Naruto Uzumaki**

Four days after they had returned from the Hidden Sound, Naruto had been called to stand before a Tribunal, although he had not been told why. Also, instead of one of the smaller meeting rooms in Ninja Ops, he was instead summoned to the enclosed stadium, where the Chunin semi-finals had been held, just over three years prior.

Naruto stepped forward, looking around at those surrounding him. In the center, in front of him, sat Gaara and Tsunade. On the Genin's right were the Konoha elders, Homura, Koharu, and Danzo. And on his left a slightly longer table held Kakashi, Jiraiya, Gai, and Temari. Behind him a huge crowd observed. The Leaf Shinobi currently in the village, the Sand Ninja who had participated in the Sound invasion, and many of the Konoha civilians, all watched with anticipation. He saw Hinata's sorrowful face, and Hanabi's smug look, with Hiashi sandwiched between them, impassive. Sakura caught his eye, and she too looked worried. He recognized Ino clutching Chouji's hand tightly. He also saw mousy Karin from the general store, the old merchant whets-his-name, the waitress from the Golden Shoe, and the entire staff of Ichiraku Ramen.

"Naruto Uzumaki," Tsunade announced harshly, "You have been called before this Ninja Tribunal to answer for your actions during the Liberation of the Hidden Sound Village. Namely, that you disobeyed an order from your squad leader, a higher-ranking Shinobi. More over, you did so in the middle of a battle."

"We need to hear your side of the story, Naruto," Kakashi urged.

"There ain't much to say," the teen answered, "Gaara was seriously hurt by Kabuto. He ordered us to go back, so he could fight Kabuto alone. I told Sakura and Hinata to take Gaara back to the medics, that I would fight Kabuto. When they tried to protest, I left, sealing the door behind me. With no choice, they took Gaara back, and I went after Kabuto. Simple."

"What we need to know, is why you disobeyed your squad leader's order," Koharu prompted, "The Kazekage testified he does not remember what happened after his injury. And your other teammates seem to think that the Kazekage might have been unconscious when he gave that order, or somehow otherwise mentally incapacitated…."

"I don't know about that," Naruto interrupted, shaking his head.

"So they are lying, to cover for you," Danzo asserted quickly, a hungry gleam in his single, dark eye.

"I didn't say that," Uzumaki protested, "Look, I'm not Gaara, I don't know what he was thinking at the time, or what he remembers now. And I don't have Sakura's medical training, or Hinata's Kekkei Genkai. And to top it off, I know a guy who can fight while asleep. So, if those two say Gaara was out of it, they are probably right; especially if he doesn't know what happened. But at the time, I didn't think that was the case."

"Then why did you take matters into your own hands?" Temari asked.

"Just because I didn't know he was giving out orders while unconscious, doesn't mean I didn't think he was wrong," he told them.

"Gaara has developed a really strong desire to protect his friends and allies, and he also has a little bit of a death wish. And he _really_ wanted revenge against Kabuto. I thought that all that baggage might be clouding his judgment, ya know? After all, the whole reason he picked me was for my experience fighting Kabuto, and I was still healthy. He seemed to be putting his own desires above the good of the mission."

"Besides that, Gaara is one of the five Kage, and I'm just some Genin. If I died, some people would be sad, some might be happy or relieved, but life would go on. If Gaara had died, it would have thrown his village into turmoil; probably both our villages, and the Land of Air too."

"Then let me ask you this," Homura presented, "Sakura and Hinata were able to evacuate Gaara without any entanglements. If you knew that when you took charge, would you make the same choice? Or would you have had one of them come with you?"

Naruto considered that for a second, and then said, "No. They might have made it out safe, but they had a couple of close scrapes. If Hinata hadn't been there, Sakura would have probably run into that patrol or one of the fights. And Hinata doesn't have Sakura's strength or medical training, so she might not have gotten Gaara out as quickly or in as good of shape."

"Look," Naruto snapped slightly, even though he knew it was a mistake, "I'm not going to say I made a wrong move. I'm not happy I was forced to disobey orders, but I still think I made the right choice. Everyone here would be happier if we knew for sure that Kabuto was dead, but at the very least I was able to maim him, and drive him out. And every member of my team survived. So if you're gonna bust me back to the academy, or even decommission me, just do it."

Tsunade looked at her counterparts. Each of the other shinobi nodded, except for Danzo. Her gaze settled on him, and his single eye glared back. Finally, he waved his hand in annoyed agreement. She stood, shifting her stare back to the Genin.

"Naruto there seems to be a slight misunderstanding here," she said sternly, "This trial is to judge you, but not to punish you. We all know that things change in the heat of battle. A ninja must be adaptable. A good shinobi follows orders, but a great one needs to know when the orders must be stretched or even disobeyed. It takes wisdom to see what is right, what is needed. And it also takes a special kind of courage to act on that insight. Up until know, there has been some doubt as to whether you had that kind of good sense. But your actions, and your defense of them, have convinced us of your growth."

Her face shifted subtly, from lecturing, to proud.

"Therefore, it is my great honor, in the name of this Tribunal and the Village Hidden in the Leaves, to grant you the rank of Chunin, with all the privileges and responsibilities there unto pertaining."

She smiled warmly at him, "Congratulations, Naruto."

Almost as one, the gallery surged to their feet, shouting. Naruto just stood there, dumbfounded, as his friends swarmed around him. Kiba shouted in his ear, and Choji hit him on the back so hard he nearly fell. The Tribunal also stood, the members of the Jonin Council moving to join the rest of the well-wishers. The two Kage and two of the Elders remained by their seats, but Danzo stalked out of the stadium. But still Uzumaki did not react. The Hokage's words were echoing in his head.

'Wisdom to see, courage to act,' he considered the words. Realizing he was surrounded, he started to look around the crowd. Someone shook his hand, and someone else hugged him, but he did not notice who. There was only one face that he wanted to see.

And then she was there. Her eyes were still wet with tears of fear, but her smile was as radiantly joyful as he had ever seen.

"Congratulations, Naruto," she said, her soft, kind voice full of approval. She blushed, as his right hand reached up, and gently touched her cheek. He cupped her face, marveling at the feel of her soft skin.

"Naruto?" the girl sounded confused, but he was not confused any more. His left hand moved, wrapping around her body. He placed his fingers into the wonderfully familiar small of her back, and pulled her gently towards him. His right hand guided her lips to his. And in that instant, she was all he knew.

He felt her put her arms around him, pulling them together, pressing her lithe body to him, crushing her breasts against his chest. He could smell her skin and hair, and marveled at the gentle plumpness of her lips against his. He moved his hand slightly up her back, and she shuddered in pleasure. He shifted his face, changing the angle of his attack, so not an inch of her lovely mouth went unattended.

Finally, either twenty seconds or one hundred years later, the need to breathe overtook them and they broke apart.

"I love you too, Hinata," Naruto said earnestly, passionately; looking deep into her eyes. Hinata Hyuga, however, could not speak. She wasn't sure she would still be standing, had she not been holding him. Then suddenly, they both became aware.

The tone of the cheers had changed. The shouts of congratulations were covered by wolf-whistles and catcalls. The Elders and the Hokage put on airs of annoyance at the display, but it was an obvious act. No, in the whole of the gallery there where only three faces that were not pleased, amused, or both. Hiashi Hyuga's emotions were still carefully controlled, but there was a strain to his neutral mask. Hanabi Hyuga glared at her sister and Naruto, not bothering to hide her feelings of rage and betrayal.

But Sakura Haruno could not look at her teammate. The medical Kunoichi had turned away; and was looking down at the stone floor, tears running slowly down her face. Her moist eyes spoke of sadness, and disappointment. After a moment, she began to carefully push her way through the crowd. Only one person noticed her leave.

When they realized they had kissed in front of most of the Leaf Village, and a substantial part of the Sand Village, both shinobi turned beet red. Hinata almost lost her balance, despite their embrace.

"Let's get outta here," Naruto suggested.

"OK."

Naruto took a smoke bomb from his belt, and dashed it on the floor next to them. When the obscuring cloud cleared, they were gone. The cheering gave way to laughter, and the assembled friends and allies of Naruto settled down.

"It's about time," Tsunade commented to Gaara and Jiraiya. The Kazekage nodded, with a tiny smile; while the Toad Sage smirked knowingly.

"Oh man," Shikamaru waved his hand in mock annoyance. Somehow, in the crush and flow of the crowd, he had ended up standing next to Temari.

"This is too much. I need some air," he commented, then looked towards her with one eye closed. Catching his obvious invitation, she nodded.

"It is getting crowded. I think I'll join you."

The pair exited the stadium. Shikamaru slumped up against a tree, not quite looking at her. Temari started to ask him a question, but he began venting first.

"You know, I'd count Naruto as one of my best friends, after Choji and Kiba. Not that that was always the case," he admitted to the Sand Kunoichi, "But sometimes, I kinda hate the guy. He keeps pushing me to do things I didn't plan on doing. Sometimes literally."

She looked at him with uncertainty, and he suddenly started to glare at her.

"You are arrogant, pushy, aggressive, and violent. You're a ninja, and worse a ninja from another village," he told her directly, "And you are way too intelligent and beautiful for _my_ own good."

Temari started to prepare a sharp retort at his rant, but it died with his final statement.

"I had a plan," he sighed, "I was going to wait until I was at least twenty to make Chunin, if then. So I could avoid leadership, or really dangerous missions. Then I would find a girl; a nice, quiet girl, pretty but not too pretty. And definitely not a ninja."

"Instead, I was a Chunin before I was a teenager, the first in my class. I keep getting put in charge, and sent on these tough jobs. And now I'm falling for this woman who is the exact opposite of everything I thought I wanted."

She sniffed, sure this was some sort of game. But he looked back at her, dropping his cool persona.

"I like you, Temari. Capital L 'like'. Don't care that your brother is the scariest person I've ever met 'like'."

She smiled at that. Then she realized what he said, and that he was being honest. Her humorous smile changed to a coy smile. She pinned him against the tree, and leaned in close.

"I like you too," she told him back, "Don't care that you're lazy, slightly misogynistic, and too smart for _my_ own good 'like'."

Then she kissed him on the cheek. She drew back blushing, and asked, "So what now?"

"For starters, we could hang out at the party. Maybe dance if they have any decent music," he suggested.

"OK," she agreed. After an instant of thought, she countered, "Wait, what party?"

"That knucklehead gets the first battle-field promotion this village has handed out in like forty years, and you think there isn't going to be a party? If I'm right, and I usually am, " he said immodestly, "old man Jiraiya probably started planning something as soon as the Hokage told him about this. If not I'd guess the others will whip up something."

"Then we need to go back in," she ordered, grabbing his hand. He smiled, but also thought, 'I'm going to make you pay for this, Naruto.'

* * *

The finally official couple sat on the stone head of Minato Namikaze, watching the yellow and orange of the setting sun play off the wispy clouds. Their legs touched, almost entwining, and each clung to the other's hand. Naruto's left hand reached up to Hinata's chin, lifting her face for their fourth kiss, and she responded enthusiastically. When they broke apart again, Hinata sighed sadly.

"What I'm a bad kisser?" Naruto asked with concern.

"Oh no," she answered quickly, tightening her grip as if afraid he would leave, "This was definitely worth the wait."

He relaxed, and she told him, "I was just thinking we should probably go back. Everyone else will want to see you, and it's not fair to keep you to myself. I wouldn't be surprised if everyone is still there, waiting for you."

"Too bad," Naruto smirked, "Those guys should understand that I want to spend time with my new girlfriend."

"Gu… gu… girlfriend?" the word hit Hinata like a Rockslide Jutsu. She was kissing Naruto. She was Naruto's girlfriend. She and Naruto might…

Hinata's eyes glazed over and she started to collapse backwards onto the carved cliff. Naruto caught her with a look of dismay.

"Come on, Hinata," he pleaded, "I thought we were past the whole fainting thing… Is this going to happen every time we make out?"

"Make out…" she mumbled, turning red despite her unconscious state. Naruto set her down gently, then ran a finger tenderly down her cheek. His dismayed look turned to one of fond devotion.

"We'll just have to keep working on it," he said affectionately, "Because you're right, it was worth the wait."

* * *

**The End, _A Growing Affection_, Book 1**

Beginning Sept '08, _A Growing Affection_, Book 2


	39. The Best Laid Plans

**Chapter 39: The Best Laid Plans**

Hinata Hyuga awoke with a smile, for the sixteenth consecutive day. Since that wondrous event, each day had been better than the last. They had been spending just as much time together as before, but now their meetings were not just training and Dutch Treat meals. She was adapting to romantic encounters with Naruto, managing not to faint on any of their last three dates. To his credit, Naruto was still taking it slow, and he never displayed any annoyance or impatience when she became overwhelmed.

She stretched, and gently turned off her alarm. She looked out her window, and the rain did not diminish her grin. She folded back her covers, and her nightclothes fluttered around her. Her white eyes fell on the calendar on the wall, and she realized it was time to turn to the next month. September had come and gone faster than she had expected. But as she flipped the placard up, Hinata was suddenly filled with panic. There it was, something she had noted almost eleven months ago, when she had no inkling of how the year would play out.

"Naruto Uzumaki – 16" was written in her neat script on the 10th of October. When she had marked it in the box, Naruto had been a friend, and not an especially close one. Then she had eavesdropped, and misunderstood, leading to the slowly growing affections that had made them great friends, partners, and finally a romantic couple.

Sixteen was the coming of age year in the Land of Fire, the most conservative of the five great nations. In nine days, Naruto would be a full legal adult, no longer trapped in the semi-adult limbo of an underage shinobi. He would be able to vote in village civilian matters, own commercial property, get married…

Hinata felt weak in the knees when she considered that. But she forcefully recalled her earlier terror. She only had nine days, and she hadn't even started planning. Normally, a sixteen-year old's family would throw them a big party for their graduation to adulthood. But Naruto was alone, and so Hinata felt the privilege, and the burden, fell to her. She was sure Kakashi or Tsunade… or Sakura… would help if she asked, but she wanted to do this for Naruto on her own.

"I need to send out invitations," she muttered to herself, taking pen and paper from her desk, and beginning to write down names. Then she stopped, and set the notebook down.

"But I can't send out invitations until I have a location," she told herself, her anxiety growing, "It has to be some place big enough for everyone. So Naruto's apartment is out. I don't think father will agree to host it here. The Golden Shoe would be great, but it might be too expensive… Maybe just an outdoor party."

Hinata pulled on her summer robe, and wandered downstairs to the dining room, still mumbling to herself. She grabbed a slice of toast, spread some jam on it, and began to absently chew on the morsel, all without acknowledging her father or sister. The Chunin exited while still eating, murmuring, "...and it can't just be ninja tools, not now, and especially not for his sixteenth."

"What was that all about?" Hiashi queried his younger daughter.

"Naruto's birthday is soon," she only slightly sneered when she said the teen's name, "And my guess is she forgot."

The Hyuga clan leader nodded, a thoughtful look on his face.

* * *

Naruto glanced up at the sun again, trying to gauge the time. His teachers would have yelled at him, for still having trouble with such a basic skill. He would have checked his phone, but he had 'accidentally' left it in the charger on his desk, as he often did.

Uzumaki was starting to get worried. Though he did occasionally arrive at their usual spot first, it was very rare for Hinata to make him wait more than a few minutes. By his inexpert evaluation, his partner was either twenty minutes late, or just under two hours past due, depending on whether or not the sun had passed the midpoint.

"I'm sorry, Naruto," the Hyuga heiress was panting slightly as she ran up.

"It's no problem," he answered, leaning in close for a quick peck on her lips, "What kept you?"

"Ah… um…" she stammered, upset by the simple question. She looked away, casting about for an excuse.

"I was talking to Kurenai-sensei about our upcoming mission," she eventually forced out, unevenly, "I wanted her advice. And we lost track of time."

"I guess being on maternity leave must be tough for her," he noted. He could tell she was lying, and though curious, he decided not to force the issue, yet.

"Oh… Yes it is," she agreed, relieved, "She misses our team, and missions, and yet she is more tired than I have ever seen her. But little Saru-chan is so cute."

"Well, should we get started?" he asked, "The same set again?"

"What? Oh…" she looked down at her feet, "But, I thought… I thought maybe you would want to work on your techniques today…"

"No way. You're getting so close to mastering that new move," he argued. Then he adopted a silly grin, "Besides I get to work on my Taijutsu and Chakra control when I help you, so it's all good."

"Alright then," she nodded. She created a clone, and then adopted a fighting stance.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu," he proclaimed, splitting himself in five. Each formed a Rasengan, and they surrounded the girls.

* * *

"Uh, Naruto? Can I… can I ask you something?" Hinata stammered when they took a break from their training. He looked up from his rice ball, made curious by her trepidation.

"Sure, Hinata, what is it?"

"Well, um, is there something you want?"

Naruto blinked at the odd and open-ended question.

"What do you mean, Hinata?" he asked carefully.

The girl struggled for an instant, and then blurted out, "Well, it's just that Yuletide is coming, and now that we are dating, I didn't want to just get you kunai or other ninja equipment, I want to get you something fun, something outside work. Like maybe a television. You don't have a TV in your apartment. And if you had one. you could get a video player, and all the Princess Gale movies…"

She trailed off, realizing she was babbling.

"Nah I don't want a TV," Naruto relaxed slightly now that he understood Hinata's anxiety, "I'm fine with just the radio. Besides, where would I put it?"

"OK, then what about a new radio? Maybe one with a CD player? Is there any music you want? Or what about books? Isn't there a new novel in the Gale Gaiden Series? Or…"

He interrupted her by grabbing her hand.

"Hinata, you don't have to get me anything special for Yuletide," he told her firmly, "You've already given me so much. You helped me grow, both as a person and as a ninja. And you filled an emptiness in me I barely knew was there. Thanks to you, I finally know what it means to really be in love. There's nothing more I could ask for without being way too selfish."

"Besides," he lightened up and grinned, "You already gave me Kitsune's scabbard."

The Kunoichi nodded, blushing. She gently took back her hand and began to nibble at her own snack. After a he finished his mochi, Naruto spoke again.

"So what do you want for Yuletide, Hinata?" he asked, "And your birthday too, since they're so close together."

"What?" she almost jumped at his question. Her eyes narrowed slightly, and her voice rose in confusion as she counter queried, "Are you going to get me something?"

"Of course," Naruto proclaimed, slightly offended, "What kind of boyfriend do you take me for?"

"But… um… you just said…"

"Huh? What did I just say?" Naruto was now the one who was puzzled.

Hinata regarded him in amazement for a moment. Then she realized he could not see that everything he had said also applied for her.

"I don't know," she shook her head, "You'll have to let me think about it."

Hinata finished her rice ball, more determined than ever to make Naruto's birthday perfect. Even if she only had eight days left…

* * *

"Good afternoon, Miss Hyuga," Koji Kintabi, the day manager and part owner of the Golden Shoe, stood up from his desk and bowed as the young woman was shown into his office, "What can I do for you today?"

He offered her a chair, and Hinata sat gingerly.

"I am, umm, throwing a party," she informed him, "And the Golden Shoe was one of the places I was considering."

"It would be an honor if you chose us," Koji grinned broadly, "Are you thinking of renting one of the private rooms or the entire restaurant?"

"Oh," the Kunoichi had not been aware of that possibility, and was flustered by the question, "I hadn't thought about that…"

The manager nodded, his smile becoming more gentle, as he did when handling first time hosts, "Well, part of that will depend on the number of guests. How many attendees?"

She considered that, and then answered, "It should be around thirty, assuming a few cannot make it."

He in turn looked thoughtful, and explained, "The private rooms are generally for groups of ten or so guests. You could reserve both, but then your guests would be split into two groups and it might be a little cramped."

"So the whole building would be best," she followed where he lead, "But how much is it to charter the whole building."

Kintabi slid open a drawer, and handed the teen a pamphlet. When Hinata saw the prices, her eyes widened perilously.

"That does not include food," he offered, sympathetic but honest. Hinata nodded, but did not return the price list.

"I… I guess I should find out if the day I want is open," she suggested, "Before I start making any decisions."

The proprietor opened another drawer, and withdrew an expansive date book.

"What date were you planning on?" he asked, flipping past the first dozen or so pages.

"The tenth," the Hyuga heiress answered.

"Of December?" he flipped back two pages; biting his lip, "Let me check…"

"No, of October."

With a sigh, the co-owner closed the book.

"That is not possible. Whole premises events must be booked at least two months in advance, so we have adequate time to prepare, and to rearrange any reservations. And either way, one of the private rooms is booked for next Friday, so it would not be possible to rent you the entire building."

Hinata smiled sadly, and stood.

"I understand," she said quietly, "Thank you for your time."

"I hope this won't affect your and Mr. Uzumaki's continued patronage," he appeared honestly disappointed and concerned.

"No, it won't" she looked back and shook her head, forcing a larger smile, "I really do understand."

He sat back down as the young woman left, feeling a slight twinge of guilt.

* * *

"Shikamaru," Hinata flagged down the genius Chunin, "Can I talk to you for a second?"

"Hinata," he acknowledged, slowing, "What can I do for you?"

"Are you busy on the 10th?" she asked.

"That would be next Friday, right?"

She nodded.

"Ino, Choji and I have a mission next week," he tried to remember, "We leave Thursday and won't be back until Monday or Tuesday the week after."

"Oh, OK." The girl turned away, crestfallen.

"Why?" he asked, "What's up?"

"Oh, it Naruto's birthday," she admitted, "And I'm trying to throw him a party. But so far, everyone I have talked to will be away on missions or other business."

Then she looked up at him, urgently, "But don't tell him, please? It's supposed to be a secret."

"I won't," he assured her. Then he frowned, "Everyone's booked, huh? I guess the Hokage can't really schedule missions around our birthdays, otherwise we'd always be at half strength."

"You're right," she agreed sadly. She began to walk away, adding, "I'll see you later, Shikamaru."

As she paced back towards her house, he heard her sigh, "Maybe something smaller, then…"

The deer-herder's heart went out to her, but there was nothing he could do.

* * *

Hinata could not help but feel depressed as she looked down the list. Team 10 and Team Hizashi both had missions, which meant Shikamaru, Choji, and Ino were all unavailable, as was Iruka-sensei. Shino had to attend to Aburame clan business. Team Gai was out currently, so she had not been able to ask Neji, Lee, or Tenten She had approached the crew of Ichiraku, but Teuchi did not want to close up shop, even if Naruto was his favorite customer. She had sent a simple invitation to Gaara and his siblings, but she expected they would also be busy. Konohamaru had accepted, until Moegi had reminded him they would be on a training trip. And she had not been able to find Kiba, Shizune, Kakashi-sensei, or Sakura yet.

The Hyuga heiress pushed herself away from her desk. She couldn't fault everyone, especially at this late date. Maybe if she had remembered sooner. At least a smaller group made planning everything easier.

Making up her mind, she circled the names of Kakashi, Sakura, Shizune, and added the names of the two Sannin to the now abbreviated list. Only Naruto's closest friends, his surrogate family.

'Except for Iruka-sensei,' she reflected, 'But I won't take no for an answer from any of the others. And with this small of a group, maybe I can still rent the Shoe's other private room.'

* * *

"No," Tsunade said simply and directly, "I'm sorry to be blunt Hinata, but it's just not possible. We have a dozen teams already in the field, and seven more heading out next week. There's no way I can rearrange my schedule for a party. We are too busy."

Hinata looked to Shizune for support, but the younger medic could only smile sadly and shake her head as well.

"But…" the teen tried to argue, "but it's Naruto's sixteenth. His majority."

"And that is why I have graciously avoided sending out either of you," the Hokage's seemed to be struggling to avoid raising her voice. She let out a harsh breath, and continued more evenly, "Hinata, I understand where you are coming from, but there's nothing more I can do. Other priorities come first. You'll just have to make the most of the day with whoever is available."

Her white eyes grew damp, and she looked down at the floor in defeat.

"Thank you for your time, Lady Hokage, Shizune," she bowed without looking up, and then left the Konoha leader's office. She trudged out of the Operations center, dejected. She had not been able to contact Jiraiya, and now Tsunade and Shizune had flatly refused. That left only Kakashi-sensei and Sakura. Sakura had been avoiding her since the party celebrating Naruto's promotion Even if she could approach them, and both agreed, four people was hardly a party.

Hinata was momentarily distracted from her defeatism, when something warm and squishy pressed against her back. Two muddy arms wrapped around her body, and two lips pecked her cheek.

"Na… Naruto?" she stuttered, hoping no one else would be that forward. The hugging shinobi detached himself, and she turned to look at him. Though his face was more or less clean, thankfully, from the neck down, he was coated dripping, green muck. And now so was the back of her shozoku. When he realized how dirty he had gotten her, he grinned sheepishly.

"Sorry, Hinata," he said, "We just got back, and I kinda forgot I was such a mess. If you wanna come over, I'll throw your clothes in the laundry with mine."

She blushed deeply at the suggestion, and he hastily added, "I mean, I'll lend you something to wear while I do the wash."

Smiling slightly, she shook her head, and told him, "That's alright, Naruto."

He flashed his teeth happily, "At least you look a little less down."

"Wh… What do you mean?" she stuttered a denial.

"I saw you, and you looked pretty sad," he answered, "So I hoped I could cheer you up."

"Oh," she remembered her failure, and her frown returned.

"There you go again," his lips turned down too. Then he grunted, with a determined look.

"Come on," he wrapped his arm around hers, making her even more filthy, and gently dragged her back to his apartment.

* * *

Naruto had quickly showered, and changed into civilian clothes. When he was done, the shinobi set out a t-shirt, shorts, and a towel for her in the bathroom. She removed her uniform, and hand it out to him, hiding behind the door while still in her underwear.

"I'll go put these in the wash," he told her on his way out.

"Thank you," she said, slightly relieved that he was gone. The idea of taking a shower with him in the other room was still too embarrassing. After she finished disrobing, she carefully undid her braid, trying not to spread the sludge all over Naruto's bathroom. She stepped into the shower, and let the water rinse the layer of drying, caking dirt from her left arm and her now loose hair. She gave her locks a light washing with Naruto's off brand shampoo.

After drying her self, she quickly dressed. Fortunately, the tightly woven fabric of her uniform had shielded her underwear from the mess. The shirt Naruto had lent her was deep blue, and though clean, also smelled faintly of him. It fell well past her waist; he was tall enough she could almost have worn it as a short dress. Like the t-shirt, the shorts were too big for her, but she tucked the shirt in, and belted them tight, and they did not fall past the flare of her hips. She left her hair loose, to dry and because she was in a hurry. But as she closed the bathroom door behind her, Hinata was grasped by indecision.

'I should go,' she thought, 'before he comes back and asks about... But it would be rude to just leave. And if someone sees me in his clothes…'

She blushed at the implication. Before she could make up her mind, the door swung inwards, and Naruto walked in, holding an empty, and slightly muddy, basket in front of him. She looked down, unable to meet his eyes. Naruto set the bin down, and crossed the room in three long strides. Before she realized it, he had wrapped his arms around her. He held her gently yet tightly. It was not a romantic embrace, but one of comfort.

"Hinata," he whispered, "You gotta tell me what's going on. First you were acting distant, that last time we had a chance to train. Then I come back from a mission to find you wandering around, looking totally defeated. I haven't seen you like this since… well since Neji tried to run you off during the semifinals. And it doesn't seem like I can just shout at you not to give up this time."

She smiled, just a little, and pressed herself harder against his chest.

"You know I'll do anything I can to help you out, but I can't do anything unless you tell me what's bothering you."

Hinata pondered that. The fact that she was worrying him made her feel worse. But she did not want to tell him about the surprise…

'What surprise?' she said to herself, her mental voice slightly bitter. He continued to gaze at her, kind, yet concerned. She took a deep breath and exhaled, letting out her disappointment and last bit of hope with her breath.

"Do you know what Friday is?" she finally asked. Naruto closed his eyes and frowned as he thought hard about that. She almost giggled at his exaggerated expression, but she wasn't quite there yet.

"Today's the seventh so… So that would make Friday the tenth," he answered.

"Right, the tenth of October," she said pointedly.

"Wait, don't tell me this is about my birthday," it was his turn to be upset. She nodded and he queried "But why?"

"I've been trying to put together a party for you," she felt relieved at the admission, "But nothing is working out. I couldn't find a place, and no-one can come, and you wouldn't tell me what you wanted, and… and…"

She began to cry lightly, and Naruto released her with his right hand so he could brush away her tears.

"Hinata," he admonished affectionately, "You know that my birthday isn't important. It's just another mark on the…"

She pushed away, shaking her head angrily.

"You told me, remember," she argued, "That you had tried to convince yourself that it didn't matter, but it was a façade. That it still hurt to be ignored and forgotten."

"I didn't say that," he countered weakly.

"Not in those words. But I could see how you really felt, underneath your bravado."

She exhaled again, resting her head back against his chest, "And this isn't just another birthday, it's your sixteenth. It should be important. You should get to have a big party just like everyone else. I want you to have that. I want to be the one to give you that."

"Well, it doesn't have to be a big party to be special," he suggested, taking her back into his arms.

"But I can't even seem to manage a small party," the Kunoichi confided, "Every one I have ask so far has had missions, or other plans. Even Lady Tsunade…"

"Work doesn't stop for our birthdays," he noted, "You and Kiba and Shino missed Choji's party because of those bandits. Sakura and I were late to Kiba's party when that escort job ran long."

"But everyone?" she realized she was whining now, but could not stop herself, "It seems like its just the two of us."

"Nothing wrong with that," he squeezed her a little. Then he grinned as if something had occurred to him.

"Why don't we?" he asked.

"Why don't we what?" she tilted her head back, confused.

"Forget everybody else," he explained, "Plan for just the two of us."

"How's that different from a normal date?" she seemed unconvinced.

"That's up to you," he told her, before putting on a front of false annoyance, "You don't expect me to plan my own birthday party do you?"

He struggled to maintain the act, and she giggled as his silliness. Relieved that she was feeling better, Naruto's goofy grin returned. Somewhat reluctantly, he released her.

"I don't know about you, but I'm ready for lunch," he proclaimed.

"Let's go get something to eat," he suggested, remembering the unfortunate state of his refrigerator. Hinata looked down at her, or rather his, clothes and shrank back from the door.

"Or you can hang out here, and I'll go get something. We should probably be here for the laundry anyway. How about pizza? I'm suddenly craving pizza…"

Hinata was only half listening, already starting to think of new plans.


	40. Coming of Age

**Chapter 40: Coming of Age**

Naruto woke up, confused. He felt oddly rested, but at the same time totally out of place. The room was too bright, the smell was tantalizing yet not entirely familiar, and there was a strange crackling noise. He glanced over at the nightstand; half expecting it would not be there. But it was, and his little digital clock read 8:53. He sat bolt upright in bed. He had overslept by almost three hours. He could have sworn he had turned on his alarm. As he started to scramble out of bed, the odor clarified in his mind. Bacon?

"Good morning, Naruto. Happy birthday."

"Hinata?" Uzumaki's head whipped around so fast he almost got a crick in his neck. She was standing before the burner in his kitchenette, fully dressed and fully awake.

"I had hoped I would be able to wake you up," she sounded slightly disappointed. She moved the bacon from the skillet to the plate, and placed the plate on a tray he had not seen before. He presumed she had brought it with her.

"Hinata, what's going on?"

"Breakfast in bed," she said placing the tray over his lap, and then scooting in beside his legs. It held the half-pound of bacon she had fried, a dozen assorted donuts and pastries, and glasses of milk, orange juice, and apple juice.

"I'm not a very good cook," she said, looking over the meal, "But I thought it would be a good start to the day."

"No this is gremmmm," the last word was cut off as he jammed half of a cinnamon roll into his mouth. After choking down the confection, he picked up a couple of slices of bacon; juggling them back and forth between his hands until they were cool enough to eat. After quickly chewing through them, he took a swig of orange juice. Then he paused and put the cup down slowly.

"Wait, how did you get in here?" he asked suddenly, "And did you turn off my alarm?"

Hinata's hand froze on its way to the lemon danish, and she looked down at the sheet covering his knees

"Oh…I umm… thought you should sleep in for a change, and I wanted it to be a surprise, so I picked the lock and turned off your alarm," she answered, flustered, "I didn't think you would mind."

Naruto worriedly waved his hand in front of him, "It's fine. It's great. It's just a little forward for you Hinata."

She actually looked happy to hear that, and picked up the pastry.

"I didn't know you could pick locks," he commented as she took a bite, "That's pretty cool. Where'd you learn that?"

Hinata almost choked as her amazement, desire to answer, and manners warred within her mouth. After a tense moment, she swallowed the tart.

"Al… most all Chunin can pick simple locks," she said, trying to amend the statement as it left.

"Meaning everyone but me."

"No," she denied, "Lee never bother to learn, Tenten told me. And Shino doesn't pick locks; he just has his bugs open the lock. There might be others."

"Oh, I suppose that's not to bad then," he admitted, taking another slice of the pork, "But still… Ah never mind, not today, right?"

He smiled at her broadly, "So what's next, Hinata? Training?"

"No, no training today," she smiled coyly, "I was thinking we could get some exercise another way."

Hinata loosened her uniform, and began to pull it down over her left shoulder. The young man's eyes widened, and he leaned back as far as he could, not looking at her.

"Hinata, you… I… didn't think you would… not that I don't want to…" he stammered rapidly.

"Pervert," she admonished gently, with none of the anger or blunt force trauma that usually accompanied Sakura's use of the word. He finally looked at her, and quickly understood. Underneath her shozoku's top, the Hyuga heiress was not wearing a bra, but instead her two-tone blue swimsuit.

"The weather is pretty warm, but it is still October, so the waterfall lagoon probably won't be in use. I thought we could go for a swim after breakfast."

He just blinked.

"If that's ok," she added slowly.

"Ok?" he grabbed her hand, excited, "It's brilliant, Hinata. I would never have thought of that, but going swimming sounds great."

Then slightly more serious, he added, "You gotta relax, Hinata. I'm sure I'll love anything you planned."

"OK," she nodded. His eyes locked on her face, and her released her hands to reach up and snag a bit of pastry and frosting clinging to her cheek. He popped the crumb in his mouth.

"That's the kinda sugar papa likes," he told her slyly. She knew he was just quoting a song title, but she couldn't help but grin and blush. He smirked back at her, and she leaned towards him. Naruto responded enthusiastically to her uncommon initiative, and kissed her warmly. When they broke apart, the look of glorious contentment on her face filled his heart.

"I don't know what I did to deserve you," he said, slightly hoarse.

"I love you, too, Naruto," she touched his face. They started to meet again, but were interrupted by a loud bubbling rumble in his gut.

"Fine," he growled, reaching for a chocolate glazed ring.

"I guess he wants the other kind of sugar," he told Hinata regretfully. She giggled, and resuming her own meal.

"Mood killer," Uzumaki glared at his belly. His stomach just burbled happily in response.

* * *

On their way back from swimming, the pair had stopped at Ichiraku for a quick lunch. All morning, Naruto had tried to wheedle and weasel details out of her; but Hinata 'stood' her ground, even when writhing on the sandy beach from his tickle attack. After they finished eating, she had instructed him to go home and change into something nice, and that she would rejoin him in an hour.

Though he had thought he knew where they were going, Hinata had again shocked him by taking him to one of the Konohagakure's movie theaters for a matinee of the newly released "Dragon Zone 2". Doubly so, because he knew Hinata did not like police/action dramas as much as he did, preferring instead romantic comedies or fantasy films.

Hinata managed to enjoy the movie, or more accurately, she enjoyed Naruto's enjoyment.

"But why'd you make me get dressed up to go to a movie?" Naruto abruptly asked as they walked away from the movie house.

"Because I knew we wouldn't have time to go change before dinner," she told him.

"Does that mean…"

"Of course," she beamed at him, "Where else? Where better?"

They were obviously expected at the Golden Shoe. A slim man, only a few years older than them, was waiting inside the door.

"Lady Hyuga, Master Uzumaki, right this way," he addressed them without preamble. They followed him to the smaller of the dancehall's two private rooms. Designed for six to ten people, it seemed a little large for the two of them. As per Hinata's instructions, the room was decorated with a large 'Happy Birthday' sign, and numerous streamers. There were only two tables, one set up for eating, and another containing a small cake and three wrapped packages.

"Dancing will start at seven, as per normal," the acting manager told them. Then he indicated a phone and a slightly oversized switch on the outside wall.

"You may use this to call the bar for drinks," he instructed, "And turn this on to signal your server."

"Thank you," Hinata inclined her head. Their host returned the bow, and left, closing the door behind him. Naruto stared around the room, open-mouthed.

"Hinata," he gaped, "This is too much."

"No," she disagreed, but her happy expression did not change, "You deserve much more than this, Naruto. Maybe next year."

"They didn't give us menus," he noted, examining the room in more detail.

"I ordered ahead," she told him, "They will be serving dinner at six o'clock."

She almost asked if that was fine with him, but remembered his earlier admonishment. So she bit her tongue, almost literally.

"So what's on the menu," he asked.

"That's a secret," she said.

"OK," he accepted that, "Then what do we do for the next half hour?"

"Presents," she indicated the table.

"I'm no expert, but don't presents usually come after dinner?"

"Usually," she agreed, bringing over the gifts, "but there is one you need to open first, and it doesn't seem right to give you that one, and make you wait on the other two."

He nodded, and asked, "So which one is that?"

She pointed to the middle box, and Naruto removed it from the stack and set it behind the other two packages. She let her amusement show; he looked at her like a child begging for approval.

"Go ahead," she told him.

Having been given permission, the oft-impatient ninja tore into the first, smallest box. Under the bright orange paper, he recognized the logo of Emporium Karin. He knew it would contain a kunai, but he was only partly right.

"Stealth blades?" he let his wonderment fill his voice as he looked at the trio of kunai in the case. Unlike most kunai, stealth blades were neither mass produced, nor recyclable. Karin could only make three or four sets a year, and they were in high demand. The special knives were crafted to facilitate stealth mission in every way. Their surfaces were matte black, seeming to absorb the light around them. The blades were thinner, the handles shorter, and the loops was smaller; to make them easier to conceal. And most impressively, they were crafted from a secret ceramic, strong than most steel, but resistant to chakra. This made the kunai very difficult to detect with machinery or jutsu. The blades were remarkable, and Naruto touched them with awe.

"You said you wanted to work more on your stealth and tracking skills," she reminded him, "So I thought you might like them."

"Hinata, I… How? You told me you only started thinking about my birthday last week."

"Karin remembers who helped her when she first took over the store. She had a set stashed away for a rainy day."

"Thank you," he told her sincerely.

"Keep going," she urged.

With the middle box set aside, Naruto began to peel the largest present. Inside the violet and grey striped wrapping was a portable stereo. It had a two CD changer, and taped to the outside of the box was the latest Princess Gale radio drama CD.

"I know you said your current radio was fine," she said, "But you didn't say you didn't want an upgrade."

He looked up at her with a teary, yet happy, grin.

"Man, Hinata, you can see right through me, can't you?"

"Open the last one," she struggled to keep herself under control, but could not contain the redness that touched her cheeks.

The last of the boxes was enclosed in green Konoha leaves on a white background. As he removed the concealer, a shoebox became visible. Naruto looked at it gingerly, wondering what she had hidden inside.

The gift turned out to be exactly as advertised. Inside the box was a pair of stylish brown leather shoes. They were certainly more fitting with his outfit than the sneakers he had worn, but nevertheless…

"You got me shoes?" he could not keep the confusion and small disappointment out of his tone. But Hinata was expecting that.

"I got you _dancing_ shoes," she told him, just a tiny of smugness in her soft voice, "Formal enough to fit in at a fancy dance hall or high society party, but designed to be comfortable when spending hours on your feet."

Realization and joy filled his eyes.

"That's why I had to open them now," he pointed out, suddenly loving the gift. He set the gifts all carefully on the table, and was on his feet in a second, hugging her.

"This is way too much, Hinata," he told her, "You shouldn't…"

She silenced him by kissing him for the first time. Though she had been more then happy to accept his kisses, and even had occasionally indicated he should kiss her, this was the first time she had closed the gap instead of letting him.

"If you really feel that way, my birthday isn't that far off," she joked.

"I don't know if I could come up with anything to match this," he confided. She looked past him to her wrist, reading the word 'Strength' off her partially tangled bracelet.

"I'm sure you'll do fine," she told him.

Outside the room, their host and a familiar waitress leaned away from the door. The young woman sighed broadly. The manager looked ready to comment, when a third figure approached.

"What are you two doing?" the co-owner demanded.

"Just checking on our guests," the young woman answered as she scooted away.

"What guests? Room two wasn't booked."

"Well, uncle Koji," the manager looked very self-satisfied, "Room two wasn't booked, but you keep saying I need to take more initiative, so when a chance came to rent it for the night, I did."

"Really," the restaurateur was moderately impressed, "To whom?"

"Hinata Hyuga."

The businessman blanched. He turned on his heel, and moved as quickly as he could back to his office.

* * *

"Well?" Tsunade demanded of Kakashi and Neji as they returned. Both Jonin shook their heads.

"They aren't at Naruto's apartment," his teacher informed the Hokage.

"Nor are they at my family's home," Neji added.

The leader of the Konohagakure had figured as much when the runners returned alone, but her annoyance grew nevertheless. Ichiraku was closed, and all of their other normal hangouts had been told to turn them away. The original plan had been for Sakura and Kakashi to be with the couple, and to guide them to the arena. But Hinata had denied their expectations by never approaching Naruto's teammates. With their regular haunts theoretically closed to them, the organizers of the party were at a loss to the location of the 'birthday boy'.

"What a drag," Shikamaru commented, looking around. Most of the partygoers had realized their guest of honor was missing, with varying degrees of confusion, amusement, and annoyance.

"I warned you that this might happen," Shino said dryly, "Hinata can be very determined and very resourceful."

"We should have included her," Kiba said again, "She could have kept this secret."

"We'll just need to widen our search, then," Tsunade ignored them, "They came back to the village just before noon, and have not been reported as leaving again, so they must…"

The rest of her statement was cut off as her phone rang. Her temper flared further, and she flipped open the device, snapping, "What is it? I'm busy here."

"Ah yes, Lady Hokage," the voice of the frightened man was familiar to her, but she could not place it, "I believe I know why."

"What? Who is this?" she demanded.

"This is Koji Kintabi, at the Golden Shoe," he answered quickly, "You are looking for Naruto Uzumaki, are you not?"

"Kintabi, are you saying…" she couldn't complete the sentence. The Hokage reigned in her anger, "I asked you not to give them a reservation."

"And _I_ did not," the owner of the dancehall bristled slightly, "But it seems my brother did not bother to relay your request to his son. And that ne'er do well finally took some initiative and rented one of our private rooms to Hinata Hyuga. The pair of them should be receiving their meals as we speak."

He paused, waiting for her explosion. When she did not he continued.

"If you would like, I can pull the fire alarm," he offered, cringing inside at the disruption.

"No," the medical Sannin suddenly smiled, "No, I have a better idea. Thank you, Kintabi."

"Sakura," she shouted, even as she closed her phone. The Kunoichi darted over. Like most of the other guests, she wore civilian cloths, a yellow t-shirt and jean skirt.

"What is it, Lady Tsunade?" she asked carefully.

"How quickly can you get home and change into your uniform?"

* * *

Naruto was getting ready to try on his new shoes when there was a knock at the door. Reluctantly, he set the present aside, as Hinata answered the summons. Outside was their waitress, carrying the tray with their meals. She deftly slid into the room with the large platter. The two shinobi sat down in a hurry.

"Two Uzumaki sirloins, medium," she informed them setting the plates before them, then set three bowls in between them, explaining, "Fried shoestring potatos, sautéed mushrooms, and vegetable medley. And, of course, skim milk."

She winked at Hinata, and quickly exited, closing the door behind her.

"Uzumaki sirloin," Naruto eyed the steak suspiciously.

"Just try it," she urged, before cutting off a small piece of the entrée and popping it into her mouth. Naruto sawed through the beef, and began to chew on the morsel slowly. His expression instantly changed to one of pleased amazement. He cut off a larger piece, and consumed it.

"This is just like…" he didn't finish the statement, because he was stuffing his face again.

"…dipping it in pears," she concluded, as she finished her second bite in a more polite way, "It seems one of the head chefs was surprised by your order our first time here, and wanted to see what you did with the pear juice. He tried it, and liked it. They told me it took him the better part of a month to get the flavor balance just right. It just went on the menu last week, and it is proving to be pretty popular. I thought it was fitting for your birthday dinner."

"Huh," the shinobi looked surprised, "I never thought I'd have a dish named after me. That's pretty cool."

He scooped a handful of fries onto his plate, and Hinata reached for the vegetables. But before they could begin their dinner in earnest, the door burst open.

"Naruto, Hinata," Sakura panted, standing in the portal. Behind her, their server looked annoyed, and the assistant manager was concerned.

"Thank goodness I found you. The Hokage has me and Kakashi-sensei looking everywhere for you two," the pink-haired Kunoichi exclaimed, "There's an emergency mission, and we're the only ones available. Come on!"

"We will watch your effects," the restaurant's supervisor offered, "Or we can have them sent to your home."

Naruto took out the stealth kunai, and passed one to Hinata. Sakura noted the blades with shock, and then annoyance.

"Can you just send the rest of this to my apartment?" Naruto requested. The manager nodded.

"Including the leftovers and the cake," the Hyuga Chunin added.

"Of course."

"Let's go, you guys," Sakura urged impatiently. The couple followed her out.

"You got him stealth blades?" Sakura asked Hinata. Naruto had lagged behind, and Sakura took the advantage. Hinata nodded, and the medic asked, "Why?"

"He mentioned he wanted to work more on his espionage skills," the white-eyed beauty answered.

"He mentioned?"

Hinata nodded, and Sakura pressed, "You don't even have any concrete plans?"

The Hyuga heiress shook her head.

"Must be nice to be rich," Haruno said derisively. Hinata bristled at that.

"We achieved the same ranks at the time, Sakura Haruno," her voice was sad, and lecturing at the same time, "And even if I took any money from my clan, I would never use it to buy Naruto a present."

The slightly older Kunoichi looked ready to counter again, but Naruto suddenly caught up.

"Guys?" he tried to get their attention.

"Stay out of this," Sakura snapped at him.

"Man, Sakura, you don't have to bite my head off," he shot back, "I just wanted to ask where we are going."

Hinata suddenly realized they were headed away from the Ops building.

"Lady Tsunade is at the arena," Sakura explained, looking mildly chagrined, "She is working on getting it setup for a demonstration on Monday, for some potential clients. Since she did not know how long it would take to find you, she decided to keep working while we searched."

Then the proverbial light bulb went off over her head.

"That reminds me, I should let Kakashi-sensei know I found you two," as Sakura took out her portable, she shot them both accusing looks for not carrying their own phones.

"Kakashi-sensei? I found them. We are on our way over now. Ok, good. We will see you there."

"He was close to the arena already," the medical Kunoichi explained. Hinata nursed a growing suspicion, but said nothing. Though slowed slightly due to Hinata's dress and shoes, it still took them under a minute to reach the coliseum

"Why is it dark?" Hinata queried.

"Don't know," Sakura sounded confused, "Maybe they blew a fuse, or are testing a night obstacle course. Either way, we need to get to the Hokage."

She led them inside, and as the doors closed behind them, Hinata activated her Byakugan. She was moderately taken aback by what she saw on the stadium floor, but she swallowed her reaction.

"Lady Tsunade?" Sakura called, "Are you still here? I brought Naruto and Hinata."

All of a sudden, the lights flared to life, and dozens of voices roared, "Happy Birthday, Naruto!"

* * *

After the first few hours of revelry, Kakashi and Iruka took to the stage, and called for everyone's attention.

"First off, can we get the birthday boy up here?" Iruka requested. Naruto was pushed and prodded to the stage, and practically lifted on to the stone platform. Umino walked to the other side of the stage, and retrieved a large glass bottle.

"Before we continue," Kakashi cleared his throat, "For our guest who might not be aware, a little explanation might be in order."

The Copy-Ninja was looking at Gaara, Kankuro, Temari, and Matsuri as he said that, but his eyes also darted to Shin and Chiasa Busata, Sasame Fuma, and few of Naruto's other friends and acquaintances from outside the Land of Fire.

"In the Land of Fire, it is customary for a father to give his sixteen year old son a bottle of alcohol on his birthday. Of course, as the legal drinking age is eighteen, the boy cannot drink it. Instead the gift represents a bond of trust, that the boy is now an adult and won't open the bottle until he is allowed. And it is also a promise, that once he is able to drink it, they will share that drink together."

"After the booze has had two extra years to age!" Shikaku Nara shouted from the crowd. This set off scattered chuckles in the group.

"True enough," Hatake nodded.

"Naruto, as your father is no longer with us," Iruka continued, "We hoped you would let your busybody uncles fill in."

He handed the teen the bottle. Naruto took it without complaint, looking a little soft around the eyes.

"Thanks, _Uncle_ Iruka, _Uncle_ Kakashi," despite the mist in the corners of his blue orbs, his voice was mocking as he applied their self-branded familial titles.

"I wanted saké," Iruka told him as Naruto examined the bottle, "But Kakashi wanted whiskey, and he won the coin toss."

"Thank you," this time Naruto was much more sincere.

"Remember, you can't open that for two years," Kakashi instructed.

"I know that, sensei," Naruto groused.

* * *

Hinata finally worked up her nerve, and tracked down the Hokage. As she passed Ino and Tenten, she caught a snippet of conversation…

"So did the Hokage invite Nyoko?" Yamanaka asked.

"Nyoko told me she had been invited," the weapons mistress answered, "But the Daimyo wouldn't let Nyoko come. He told her if she wanted to attend high school, like a normal student, she could not skip school for a birthday party, like a normal student. Even if he does approve of Naruto."

Hinata wondered what that last statement meant; but before she could worry too much, she located the Sannin. She slid in quietly behind the village leader, but before she could pounce, Tsunade spoke.

"I really am sorry, Hinata," the blonde Sannin started without preamble, "But I just wasn't sure you wouldn't let something slip around Naruto."

"I…" the girl started to protest, but then remembered how quickly she had told Naruto about her failed party, "I suppose I sort of understand."

"And I never could have done all this on my own," the Hyuga clan heiress added.

"Neither did I," her boss confided, "I had a lot of help from Kakashi, Shikamaru, and even the old pervert."

She glared at Jiraiya, who was trying to flirt with Gaara's apprentice…

* * *

"Lord Hiashi," Naruto had slipped away from Choji and Kiba, and approached Hinata's father.

"What can I do for you, Naruto?" for once, Hinata's father wore a smile that was open and honest.

"I need to ask you something," Naruto fidgeted slightly, "Sort of a favor."

"What is it?"

"Would you let me help plan Hinata's sixteenth birthday party?" the younger ninja asked.

"That is quite impossible," The Hyuga Lord answered imperiously.

"Look, I know it's normally a family thing, but after everything Hinata tried to do... no, everything she did do for me today," Uzumaki pleaded, "I need to do this for her."

"As I said, it is impossible," the girl's father said again, but then his voice became more gentle, as he explained, "Naruto, we finished planning Hinata's party almost two weeks ago. In fact, I am somewhat dismayed we have not received your RSVP yet."

"RSVP?" Naruto blinked, "But I never got an invite."

"Hmm," Hiashi's gaze shifted, but Naruto did not notice where it fell, "I guess it must have gotten lost in the mail, or perhaps stuck to one of the other envelopes. I will have a replacement sent tomorrow."

Naruto started to wonder if he was getting the brush off, until Hiashi added, "If you have not received it by next Friday, come and see me directly."

Naruto blinked, and stammered, "Thanks, old man."

Hiashi merely inclined his head, to indicate it was of no consequence. But in doing so, he also hid the small grin at the familiar form of address. Naruto started to turn away.

"Oh, and Naruto," Hiashi caught his attention again. The boy looked back, and Hinata's father told him, "Happy Birthday."

Naruto grinned and offered his thanks again. But as soon as he had vanished back into the crowd, Hiashi's eyes began to search for his younger daughter.

* * *

October tenth ended, but the party did not. When the clock struck one, the crowd began to thin. Teuchi and Ayame begged off, claiming the need to open Ichiraku for breakfast in only a few hours. Moegi dragged Konohamaru and Udon away soon after. In the end, all that was left was Naruto, most of the group Hinata had called his family, plus Anko and Gaara. As the party had narrowed, Tsunade had started to withdraw, obviously distracted.

"So, Naruto," Anko asked conspiratorially, "Now that you're an adult, are you going to move out of the barracks?"

The Hokage jumped a little at that. The barracks existed for any Leaf shinobi who, for whatever reason, did not have a house or apartment of their own. It also housed Academy students whose families did not live in the Konohagakure. Naruto had had the choice between the barracks, and the orphanage where he had spent his first five years. Which is to say he had no choice. But to Tsunade, the question might as well have been a kunai, aimed at her heart. She reached into her pocket, almost expecting the small metal object contained therein to burn her fingers.

"I don't know," Uzumaki answered, "It would be nice to have a bigger place, and some privacy. But it's a big change, and not exactly cheap."

"You do have another option," the medical expert said quietly, almost hoping he would not hear.

"Huh?" Naruto grunted curiously, "What does that mean, Gramma Tsunade?"

She sighed, no longer able to avoid the issue. She withdrew her hand, a key clenched between her fingers.

"Yukihana Uzumaki owns… owned a condo," she told him, "It has been maintained by the Hokage's office since her death. But as of midnight yesterday, it is now legally yours."

"My mom had a house?"

"A condo," she corrected, "Didn't Hinata tell you that your parents never lived together?"

"Yeah, but…" he paused, mildly humiliated. But then he got annoyed again, "Wait, why am I just finding out about this now?"

"You didn't legally own it until today," Kakashi explained.

"And it wasn't as if you could live there," Sakura added, "It's not allowed."

"So?"

"Do you really think you could have resisted the temptation?" Iruka interjected, "It would have started with just a look. Then you would have made it a hideout. Eventually you would have all but moved in.

"Also, it was within the Hokage's power to sell the property to cover any expenses you might have incurred," Tsunade lectured.

"You were going to sell my mother's house?"

"Naruto, she didn't say that," Hinata chided him gently, taking his left hand in both of hers. He calmed at her touch.

"I would never have sold Yukihana's home," Tsunade controlled her anger at the suggestion, "And the gods know you gave Sarutobi-sensei more than enough reason to do so."

He could not refute the truth of that statement. His eyes narrowed in thought, and he avoided looking directly at the key.

"What's wrong, take it," the Hokage insisted. He raised his hand, but hesitated.

"I think she would have wanted you to have it," Hinata suggested.

"Yukihana would have wanted you to see it, all least once," Tsunade confirmed, "But if you don't like it, or aren't comfortable, you can sell it. She would be OK with that."

Naruto nodded, and grasped the key.

"Will you come with me, tomorrow?" he asked in a small voice, "Or I guess, later this morning at this point."

"Of course," Hinata squeezed his hand. The Hokage inclined her head in agreement as well.

"All of you?" he turned to the rest. Shizune and Kakashi immediately nodded. Iruka looked back at Anko, who shrugged, but also smiled a little.

"We'd be happy to," Naruto's first teacher added, but Hinata caught Mitarashi mouthing 'we?' at her lover's back.

"I would be honored," the Kazekage appeared flustered at his inclusion.

After Gaara's acceptance, all eyes fell on Sakura, who realized she had not said anything.

"Hmm, Naruto's mom's place. Sounds interesting enough. Count me in," she hid her enthusiasm poorly.

"Thanks, everyone."


	41. A Home Never Known

**Chapter 41: A Home Never Known**

After deciding to meet at ten that morning, they split up to get some rest before the 'open house'. Hinata held Naruto's hand, practically guiding the young man back to his apartment. He was emotionally exhausted, both from the party and from the Hokage's revelation. She was also helping him carry his gifts, which were spread between the single bag each shinobi carried, and the new mission backpack he had received from Anko and Iruka. Many of the guests had only given him a single kunai and a small amount of cash; he suspected someone had been telling tales.

When they reached his place, they found Hinata's cake on his oven, and her gifts on his table. There was a note from the superintendent explain that he had let in the people from the Golden Shoe. Naruto sighed, and sloughed the bag and backpack onto the table.

"Naruto, do you want me to stay over night?" Hinata asked with a touch of concern. Then she blushed furiously, and retracted, "I don't mean to…"

"I know what you mean, Hinata," a ghost of his usual grin crossed his face, "And yes, I would like nothing more than to fall asleep just holding your hand. But at the party, I had a polite conversation with your father. For the first time since our… confrontation, I didn't feel like he resented my very existence. So, for the sake of not fighting with every member of your family, I have to say no."

She nodded, disappointed and happy at the same time.

"But if you don't mind, maybe you could come over at like eight, eight-thirty, and we could eat our steaks and some cake for breakfast, before we head out?" he suggested.

"I would like that," she answered. She leaned in, and kissed his cheek.

"Good night, Naruto. And happy birthday."

* * *

Naruto was restored to his normal good spirits when the group assembled at the appointed address. They all wore casual attire, which shocked Uzumaki, who had never seen Gaara, Tsunade, or Shizune in jeans before. After greeting Iruka and Anko, the last two to arrive, they moved into the complex, with the Hokage leading the way. The blond teen was generally surprised by the property, the condos were nicer than he had been expecting. In the center of the buildings was a small playground area. A few children paused to look as they paraded past. Next to the swings was a medium sized pool, fenced in to keep out the children and discourage unwanted visitors.

"I think Teuchi and Ayame live here," Shizune offered. Kakashi nodded.

"Wow, really?" Naruto was amazed, "I would have thought they lived closer to Ichiraku."

"They used to," Tsunade remembered, "But when Hamako found out she was pregnant, she made Teuchi find a bigger, nicer place. They moved in here just before Ayame was born. Yukihana moved in about a year later."

When they reached the appointed building, their leader led them up a flight of stairs to the second of three floors. Tsunade stopped outside the door and spun about to look at Naruto intensely, blocking his way.

"Before we go in, I want to warn you," her voice was lecturing, but there was an undercurrent of worry, "the Third Hokage removed any reference to your father from here. Not that there were too many to begin with. And when I became Hokage, I gave it another once over, just to be safe. So if you are expecting to…"

"I know, I know," he interrupted, exasperated, "I don't get to know who my dad is until the time is right. It's starting to sound like a prophecy in some lame novel."

"So long as you understand," she confirmed, "Well, then, you have the key, so…"

She stepped aside, sweeping her arm towards the door. Naruto stepped forward, and slid the key into the lock. As he swung the door inwards, a cloud of dust billowed out towards them. The dimly lit entry, a layer of grime, an inch thick, covered the floor and the outline of the kitchen counter.

"What the heck?" Naruto backed away from the door, coughing, "It's such a mess."

"Well, the managers check every so often to make sure the utilities are still working, and that nothing… _unpleasant_ moved in," Tsunade told him, "But I guess sweeping wasn't part of the deal."

"This will take forever to clean up," Yukihana's son complained. Gaara put his hand on Naruto's shoulder, and the blond teen turned to face his former enemy.

"Allow me," the Sand ninja offered. Uzumaki moved aside, and Gaara entered the neglected residence. He raised hands, and then pulled them towards his chest. The dirt flowed towards him, congealing before his feet. After a few seconds of concentration, the entire condo was clean, and a 4-inch sphere of dense sandstone rolled into Gaara's shoe. He picked it up, and slid it into his jacket pocket with a mild smirk.

"Man, Gaara," Naruto gawked, "If this Kazekage gig doesn't work out, you could make a mint as a maid service."

The other stared at Naruto in varying degrees of shock and dismay. But the leader of the Sunagakure only chuckled.

"I'll keep that in mind," Gaara said dryly, moving further into the dwelling so the others could enter.

To the left of the door was a dining area, with a closet against the outside wall. It hosted a table that easily accommodated the eight chairs around it. The table and chairs were covered by white sheets, which were now clear of the dust they were meant to protect against. To the right was the kitchen, a full kitchen with a full sized refrigerator, four-burner stove and oven, dishwasher, and plenty of cabinet and counter space. Tsunade threw open the curtains over the sink, letting more light into the building.

On the other side of the kitchen and dining area was a large living room, almost twice the size of Naruto's current apartment. It was equipped with a sofa and two love seats, with a short table in between them, all covered by sheets. The eastern wall, opposite where they entered, had floor to ceiling curtains. And the northern wall sported a waist height shelf, with two box shaped objects, also obscured by tarps. Between the shelf and the dining area, a hallway extended into darkness, and on the southern wall between the kitchen and the sofa was a closed door.

"This place is huge," Shizune was amazed. The others could not help but agree, especially considering there was more they had not seen.

Anko quickly crossed the room, and pulled open the drapes, flooding the room with the midmorning sun. Behind the curtains were glass doors leading onto the balcony. And beyond that was a clear view of Ninja Ops, and the stone faces of the five Hokages.

"Damn," Anko whistled, "How did she afford this place on a Genin's income?"

Then she looked back at the new owner, "No offense, kid."

"None taken," Naruto shook his head, "I was kinda wondering the same thing."

"She didn't," Tsunade answered, her eyes going unfocused as her mind cast back in time, "Despite her rank, Yukihana was more skilled than most Jonin. As that fact became obvious to our clientele, demand for her skills increased. Eventually, Sarutobi-sensei decided to bump her pay up to Tokubetsu level, to try to cut back the requests."

She smiled sadly, as she remembered, "But that's not how she bought this place. Soun Uzumaki was never a very healthy person, so Yukihana lived at home to help her mom take care of him. That let her save more of her income. But then your grandmother died suddenly of a heart attack. After that, your grandpa seemed to just give up. He died less than a week later. After that, Yuki just couldn't stay in that house. She sold her parent's home, and her dad's stake in the printing company, and used the cash to buy this place."

"So, let's see what we have here," Kakashi seized the sheet covering one of the two-seater, and pulled it off with a flourish. Sakura followed suit with the couch, and dropped the sheet on Hinata. Kakashi apologetically handed his cloth tarp to the white-eyed Kunoichi as well, and the young woman dutifully began to fold them. Naruto quickly moved to help her, and Anko turned away from the window to uncover the last seat.

The three couches where all of the same style and dark grey material. They were of a simple yet plush construction; the sort that was never trendy, but was always attractive after the current fad had become passé or ugly. Iruka pressed into the armrest of the nearest loveseat, and when he withdrew his hand, the cushion immediately sprang back.

"Yukihana had good taste," Umino commented, and unexpectedly, Gaara nodded in agreement.

"Shizune, help me over here," Tsunade requested, and the two doctors revealed the dinner table and chairs. Naruto set the first three folded linens on the table, and took the rest from his surrogate sister. Gaara bared the coffee table, which matched the dinner table. Like the rest of the furniture, they were of a function and timeless design. Anko removed the sheet from the first of the boxes on the shelf; underneath was a twenty-some inch television that might have been cutting edge at the time of its purchase. Kakashi reached for the other sheet covering something on the shelf, but Tsunade stopped him.

"I think Naruto should do that one," she told Copy-Ninja, and Hatake complied, stepping aside for his student. Naruto and Hinata finished their folding, and the young man walked slowly over to the wall unit, curious and apprehensive. He swept the sheet aside, uncovering a number of books between two Konoha leaf bookends.

"What so special about this?" Naruto sounded gypped.

"Look at them," Kakashi urged, having already noticed their meaning.

"_Born in Flames, the Founding of the Land of Fire_," Uzumaki read off the spine of the first tome.

"_Removed from the Shadow: a Biography of the Second Hokage_," he continued to the second volume. He skipped the next two, and resumed with, "_Addition and Deflection, Mathematics of Ninjutsu_, I remember this one from the academy. _A Writer's Guide to Grammar and Style_, I should lend this one to pervy sage."

Again he skipped ahead to announce, "_The Kunoichi and the Priest_, you told me about this series, Hinata. Looks like mom had all three. Maybe I'll finally get a chance to read them. And after that there's seven kid's books."

He looked at his surrogate family, "I don't get it. Four history books, three textbooks, three fantasy novels, and some toddler readers. What's the point, other than my mom had kinda strange taste in reading materials?"

"Look again," Tsunade pressed.

"What for?"

"The author, you knucklehead," Sakura proclaimed after stepping closer to scan the volumes, "Check out who wrote the books."

"Fine," he grumbled, "Born in Flames by… Soun Uzumaki. Removed from the Shadow, author Soun Uzumaki. Addition and Deflection by Soun Uzumaki and Taichi Umino. Wait, my grandpa wrote all these books?"

Tsunade nodded.

"But I thought you said he owned a printing company."

"He owned part of a printing company, Spiral Bound Books. It's a long story, but basically his first publisher tried to screw him, so he went to a smaller group. Spiral Bound couldn't afford to pay him what he deserved, so they offered him part of the business in exchange. That reminds me, we need to talk later about Yuki's savings account and the royalties for Soun's books."

"And that why you wanted me to read those novels," he turned back to Hinata, trying to keep the accusation out of his tone.

"No," her pause told him he had not succeeded completely, "I didn't know he was your grandpa. I thought he might be related, but really I just like them, and hoped you would like them too."

"So my grandpa was a famous writer," his act of normalcy cracked, and the strain he had shown at the end of the party showed through. He looked at his mother's teacher, exhaustion flitting over his blue orbs.

"What's next?" he asked the Sannin, "I mean, which room should I check now?"

"That," Tsunade pointed to the closed door by the kitchen, "is the master suite; bedroom and bathroom. The hallway leads to the other two bedrooms, and the second bathroom."

Naruto looked both directions, struggling. Hinata slid up beside him, and took one of his hands.

"Naruto," Iruka put his hand gently on hid 'nephew's' shoulder, "You don't have to do this all at once. This place isn't going anywhere. I'm sure Yukihana would understand."

Looking around, he saw the same sympathetic look on the faces of all of his friends, except for one. Gaara's expression was curious, and slightly disappointed. He remembered that they were the same. The former Jinchuriki had also never known his mother, and had been forced to depend on other people for information. The Kazekage would never give up a chance to learn more about his past.

"Nah, that's ok, Iruka-sensei," he grinned, "I was just having a hard time making up my mind."

Without releasing Hinata's comforting grip, he made his way to the closed bedroom door. Despite his claim, he still paused at the sealed portal. But after a second of hesitation, he reached up with his free hand, and turned the knob. With a light groan of complaint, the door swung inwards.

Inside the door to the suite, there was a wall, making it look like a hallway. He glanced down the right path, and saw that it was the entrance to the master bathroom. He took half a step inside, taking it in. The bathroom was substantially larger than his own, with a shower stall almost the size of his own bathtub, and a tub that could accommodate two people. But the hygiene facilities didn't interest him, and he turned back.

As he entered the bedroom proper, he realized the 'wall' inside the door was actually the side of the closet. Like the main room, the bedroom was simply appointed. There was an unassuming king-size bed, with a nightstand on either side. Opposite the bed was a dresser with three rows of three drawers. On top of the dresser were two framed photos and a small jewelry case. One of the nightstands held a small digital alarm, its display blinking 12:00. The far wall also had floor to ceiling drapes, which opened onto the same balcony as the living room.

Uzumaki stopped in front of the dresser, and picked up the first picture. The frame contained two matted photos, slowly yellowing with age. He recognized his mother in both, though she appeared to be around ten years old. The first photo showed Yukihana with two people he did not recognize; but the pride and familial resemblance told the tale. These were his grandparents. The other half of the remembrance captured cyan-tressed Kunoichi, two other young shinobi he did not know, and a slightly younger and more slender appearing Tsunade.

"That takes me back," the Hokage said over his shoulder, "The day Yuki graduated from the academy."

"This one too," Hinata showed them the other photo, which featured the young Uzumaki amidst a number of other children, some more familiar.

"That's the original Ino-Shika-Cho," the Hyuga daughter pointed, "and that looks like father."

"That's your uncle, " the medical Sannin countered, "You'll notice his forehead is covered. Hiashi finished a year later."

"My mom is so much shorter than the rest," Naruto commented, "I guess that's where I got those late bloomer genes from."

"No, that's because she's two years younger than most of them."

"My mom graduated at age ten?" Naruto goggled.

"She could have graduated at eight," Tsunade shrugged, "but she dodged the exam to take more classes."

Naruto put the photo back, shaking his head. Hinata followed suit. His attention drifted down to the dresser on which they sat. He opened the first drawer, but it was empty, as were the rest in that column. The second column proved slightly more interesting. The top drawer housed a number of plain colored t-shirts and tank tops. The next drawer down held the same type of tops, but with floral or geometric patterns. The bottom compartment was also shirts, but these had characters or sayings on them. The top part of the last set of drawers held a number of carefully wrapped belts and hair accessories. He opened the next drawer, but quickly closed it when he saw its contents. The last drawer also contained underwear, and he closed it just as fast. When he turned away, both Sakura and Tsunade chuckled at his red face. Hinata managed to contain her mirth.

Ignoring them, the newest Konoha Chunin stalked over to the closet. He flung open the doors recklessly, sending a ripple through the clothes. He ignored the apparel, instead looking on the upper shelf for any treasures. But all he found was blankets and a sewing kit. Masking his disappointment, he ruffled absently through the dresses, skirts, blouses, and pants.

"Even sixteen years old, this stuff is pretty cool," Anko commented. By now, everyone except Iruka and Kakashi had shuffled into the bedroom. But Naruto didn't acknowledge her statement, he had come to the end of the wardrobe, and five nearly identical white, silk shozoku. They were of the longer, short-dress style, and clipped to each hanger was a pair of white bike shorts. After going over them, he selected the second of the group, the most worn of the uniforms. He set it out on the bed, and then faced his friends.

"I don't really have a use for this stuff," he told them, "And I think my mom would be happy if it had a good home. That is off limits," he pointed to the ninja garb on the bed, "as is the jewelry. But anything other clothes or accessories… if you guys want them, go ahead."

Judging by the looks on Anko and Shizune's faces, Yuletide had come early. And unheard, Inner Sakura exclaimed, 'Jackpot.'

"Just… no fighting, please," he suddenly worried, "and try not to make too much of a mess."

The Jonin Kunoichi both nodded, and Naruto headed for the door, not looking entirely convinced. Hinata's face was conflicted, but she followed him.

"Hinata, I'll be ok," he read her, "I'm gonna sit down for a few minutes and relax. So you can stay here. Besides, I want you to have something of my mom's."

His girlfriend looked relieved, and then resolved herself to enter the fray. But before the four Kunoichi could start shopping, Gaara stepped in front of them, and reached into the closet. He withdrew a forest green slip dress, and then pleated black skirt. He set them on the bed, and then went to the dresser. He claimed a tan t-shirt with a red shuriken pattern, and a white halter with the word 'Kunoichi' across the chest in black letters of a font meant to look like it was dripping.

"These are for Temari and Matsuri," his voice was harsh to hide his discomfort at being forced to offer an explanation. Sakura paused in the process of diving into the wardrobe.

"I wonder if we should call Ino and Tenten," she asked no one in particular.

"And Yugao," Anko added, "and maybe Kurenai."

The four women's eyes met with matched expressions of guilt.

"Nah," they decided almost in unison. Giggling, they began scrutinizing the cloths again. Both of the Kage left, but Kakashi slipped silently into the suite.

* * *

After the ladies finished their feeding frenzy, and the remaining scraps were packed for donation, it was coming up on one o'clock, so they decided to break for lunch before checking out the remaining two bedrooms. Iruka and Anko went to get Ichiraku takeout for everyone, while Kakashi left on a beverage run a few minutes later. The others arrayed themselves on the couches and dining room chairs.

"How are you doing, Naruto?" Sakura sat on the corner of the full size sofa, closest to the loveseat occupied by Naruto and Hinata. She tried to make it obvious that she was not ignoring Hinata. Even though she was obviously ignoring her rival.

"It's weird," Uzumaki thought about it, "I mean its pretty normal. Other than the pictures, there isn't anything that stands out as being my mom's. It could be almost anyone's place, ya know. I guess I'm expecting something to jump out and shout at me 'This was your mother's home'."

"We aren't done yet," Tsunade said knowingly. Everyone looked at her in expectation, but before they could question the statement, the front door opened, and the Copy-ninja walked through, carrying two bulging plastic bags. Shizune took one from him, and together they set out the cans of soda, tea, and coffee on the counter. Before they had completed the task, the entrance was again breached as Umino and Mitarashi entered with their food. The Hokage opened the front closet, and drew out one of the two extra chairs within, so that they could all sit at the table.

* * *

After their meal was concluded, and the garbage gathered by the door, the friends of Naruto Uzumaki gathered around the dimly lit hallway leading north. The sunlight from the windows barely reached around the corners, outlining a small alcove on the right with a washer and drier. Those with exceptional eyes could make out three closed doors in the hall, and a small closet at the far end.

"For crying out loud," Tsunade complained, reaching past Naruto to flip on the overhead light, "It isn't like there are any traps down there."

Uzumaki walked forward, stopping at the first door, which was on the western wall. The door was not tightly shut, and opened cleanly from a gentle push. It was the second bathroom, and like the master bath it was a full bathroom with the shower and tub separate. Though not quite so large or ornate as the master bath, it still put his own facilities to shame. Stalling for time, he opened the heavy shade for more light, and tested the faucets on the sink and in the shower and tub. The water flowed free and clear, so the new owner left the room, and proceeded to the end of the hall. The closet was for linens; it contained towels and bedclothes. He closed it and glanced surreptitiously to either side, to the last two doors.

"Go left," the Hokage instructed. Without thinking, Naruto obeyed, opening the door to the third bedroom.

The space was long, and somewhat narrow. Under the window on the northern wall, was a foldout couch for guests. At the far end was a closet. But what stood out about the room was the southern wall. Opposite the sofa and blinds, the wall was covered with over two-dozen different weapons.

The Hokage slipped past Naruto and Iruka as they stared at the implements of battle and opened the closet. Inside the built-in wardrobe rested the rest of Yukihana's ninja tools. There were two more uniforms, the green vest commonly worn by Chunin and Jonin, a wetsuit, a head-to-toe stealth shozoku, and a set of heavy chain-mail shirt and pants. There were posts with stacks of kunai and shurikens, and quivers of needles and arrows. Jugs of poisons and antidotes sat on the floor. Next to the potions were a coil of three hundred meters of high tensile cord and eight grapnels in four different styles. Spread out amongst all that, there were smoke bombs, shackles, blank talisman strips, two backpacks, and a variety of other ninja tools, both common and unusual.

After briefly glancing over the equipment locker, Naruto returned to the displayed weapons. His eyes glided over the swords, spears, axes, and sets of paired weapons.

"Are you disappointed that there isn't a staff-blade?" Iruka asked.

"Not really," he shrugged, "It's just even with everything I've heard, I can't believe she mastered all of these weapons."

He reached out to touch the longbow, as if to affirm its solidity.

"She didn't master all of them," Tsunade said, "Most of them she was only B rank. The only ones Yuki achieved A or S rank with were the long sword, katana, longbow, manriki gusari, and tonfa."

"Still…"

"You can play with the weapons later," the Hokage chided him, "There's only one more room."

"Right," Naruto caught the hidden tone of apprehension in her voice, and moved back to the hall. Gaara and Kakashi cleared the path, and the Copy-ninja walked into Yukihana's armory for a look around.

Naruto opened the door, and before it had finished swinging inwards, his eyes had begun to fill with tears. The room was painted light blue, with a border of orange Konoha leaves at the top. On the wall opposite the door was a changing table, its three and a half foot padded top rising just above the bottom edge of the window. Against the wall the nursery shared with the living room was a white, wooden crib, with a shuriken and kunai diorama spinning gently from the motion of opening the door. As he stepped inside, Naruto noticed the last wall had a framed eight by ten, and a faded spot where a second photo had been removed. He looked into the picture, crying gently yet openly.

The image was of Yukihana Uzumaki, propped up on a hospital bed, wearing a medical gown. Her normally lustrous cyan hair hung limp, and her face was drawn and tired. Despite that, the Kunoichi glowed with a joyous beauty, as she looked down at the bundle in her arms. A small face poked out of the swaddling clothes, his bright blue eyes meeting her green orbs with infant curiosity. A field of golden fuzz crowned his head, and his chubby cheeks were unmarked.

"Is that loud enough for you?" Tsunade asked. Though the question might have been sarcastic, her tone was kind. He nodded, and turned to leave, hiding his face.

As he passed the Kazekage, Gaara said quietly, "Congratulations, Naruto."

"Thanks," the Konoha shinobi answered, "And if you ever find anything, and need any help, I'll be there. Believe it."

The leader of the Hidden Sand nodded, and Uzumaki returned to the main room.

* * *

"So what have we got? Naruto asked. After the initial tour, they had split up to give the place a more thorough inspection.

"You first," Kakashi insisted.

"Alright," the heir shrugged, "The kitchen is fully stocked. Mom had more pots and pans and knives than I'd know what to do with. And there's ten sets of plates, glasses, silverware, and all that stuff. And it's all in really good shape too. No rust or anything. But…"

He looked over at Hinata who nodded and continued.

"I looked inside the appliances," she informed them, "But it's no good. The hoses have deteriorated from disuse, and some of the gears and such have fused together. The refrigerator, stove, and dishwasher all need to be replaced."

"That fits with what we found in the north wing," Kakashi agreed, "The washer and drier are deader than dead."

"The furniture pieces in the nursery are in good repair," Gaara offered evenly, "I also found some baby clothing in the closet and the top drawer of the changing table. You will need to decide what to do with it."

"That armory is pretty impressive," Sakura commented, "But there's nothing really more than what you saw. But you'll probably want to have those potions checked out, some can get weaker or stronger with age."

"Everything is working in the master bath," Shizune sighed with envy, "I'd love to try the jacuzzi in the tub."

"The bed and the dresser look like they're in good shape," the Hokage reported, "But one of the side tables looks a little wobbly. And I tried to set the alarm, but it didn't work."

"The furniture in the living room might as well be new," Anko broke in, "But the TV has some serious snow. Don't know if it's worth fixing."

"So, what do you think, Naruto?" Iruka asked. All eight pairs of eyes fell on him.

"I made up my mind," he offered after a moment's consideration, "I'm gonna live here. It's too nice to give up, and I think my mom would have wanted it."

"Good for you, Naruto" Hinata smiled at him. The rest of his friends all offered congratulations, until he spoke again.

"Now I just need to move…"

It took less than a second for the seven other shinobi to vanish, leaving Naruto and Hinata alone.


	42. Yuletide Mission

**Chapter 42: Yuletide Mission**

October flowed as quickly as September while Naruto moved and got settled in to his new home. Despite having deserted him on Saturday evening, Shizune called Naruto Monday morning to offer her assistance in picking out new appliances. Readily admitting his ignorance on the subject, Naruto eagerly accepted. His decision proved to be fruitful, as Shizune was much more knowledgeable about the household machines. She helped him figure out what he required, and find the pieces to fill said need, within his price range. She also convinced him to buy an older computer, telling him he would need to learn how to use one if he wanted to be Hokage. After they were done shopping, Shizune's bargaining skills left the salesman almost in tears. Her negotiations led to him acquiring an upright refrigerator/freezer, oven with flattop range, dishwasher, microwave, washing machine, dryer, 40-inch widescreen TV, and a late model desktop computer, with delivery, installation, and removal of the old appliances. And all for less than the total listed prices of all the household machines. When he asked her about it, she looked embarrassed as she explained she had acquired her haggling skills settling Tsunade's gambling debts. The young man had just grinned in amusement.

After the appliances were installed, Sakura was able to bribe Ino, Shikamaru, and Choji so they would help Naruto move. Together with Hinata, the six Chunin easily packed most of Naruto's belongings into five medium size boxes. Hinata, Ino, and Shikamaru took the boxes, while Sakura carried Uzumaki's desk, and Choji and Naruto balanced his armoire between them. Between the six of them, and Naruto's general lack of possessions, they got him unpacked and put away quite quickly.

November turned cold, and business increased for the ninja of the Konohagakure. There were many D Rank missions dealing with harvesting crops, and preparing homes for winter. But escort missions also became more important, as bandits grew desperate for food and money. The large number of jobs meant Naruto and Hinata were not able to spend as much time together as either would have liked.

December fell harshly on the Land of Fire. Although there was rarely any snowfall, the final month was generally cold and wet; and this year was proving more so than usual. Though still busy, the new couple began to make their plans for Yuletide.

* * *

"Good morning, Hinata!" Naruto shouted when he saw his girlfriend. Despite the emergency call, he was happy to see her. And her face instantly brightened when she heard his voice. She diverted her course, and they continued running, side-by-side.

"Did the Hokage call you too?" he asked.

"Yes," she answered quietly, "Did she give you any reason for our summons?"

"No," he shook his head. The couple continued in silence, until they reached their destination. They paused outside the Hokage's office, confused. Unlike normal, neither Raido nor Genma were waiting, so they were unsure how to proceed. After waiting for half a minute, Naruto grew impatient, and knocked brashly on the door.

"Come in," Tsunade's exasperated voice carried loudly into the hall. After exchanging worried looks at her tone, they hurriedly entered the room.

"Good, it's you two," the leader of the Leaf shinobi appeared relieved to see them.

"I have a mission for you," she informed them without small talk or her normal banter with Naruto.

"Really?" Hinata attempted to hide her disappointment. Naruto was not so tactful.

"What? But Gramma Tsunade, it's only three days until Yuletide!" he complained loudly, "You're gonna send us out now?"

He expected her to grow angry in return, but she only nodded.

"Why? Can't it wait until later? Or send someone else?"

"This mission comes from a very wealthy and powerful client, so we cannot refuse," the medical Sannin explained, "And the mission requirements say it must be completed before the 21st, so delay isn't an option. And you two were specifically requested."

"Well, then, what is our mission?" Hinata asked, resigned.

"You'll be recovering a stolen item," she said, and both teens nodded, now understanding why the mission needed to be completed before Yuletide, "I don't have any more details, but I do have the address in the capitol where you are to meet the client. The meeting is scheduled for tomorrow at noon. You will receive the rest of the information then."

"The capitol," Naruto boggled, "but that's like a day away, even at our best overland run!"

The Hokage nodded without sympathy, "If you leave by eight, you should get there between six and seven tomorrow morning. I'll alert the Merchant's Quarter safe house; you two can get some breakfast and a few hours sleep before you meet the client."

The Hokage scribed the location of the hideout, as well as a quick note to the caretaker. She handed the paper, and the mission request form to Hinata.

"This probably isn't necessary with you two, but for the sake of protocol and playing it safe, Hinata is in charge of the mission. I trust that won't be an issue," Tsunade fixed a canny eye on Naruto. But he just grinned.

"No problem at all," Uzumaki said honestly.

"Alright, then you two had better get moving," she instructed. Hinata bowed, and then they both ran from the room.

* * *

The location for the appointment turned out to be top-end, traditional restaurant. Even Naruto felt remarkably out of place. The establishment put the Golden Shoe to shame with ease. There were precious metal inlays in much of the ornate woodwork, and the decorative urns and tableware were all antiques. The lunch patrons stared at the two shinobi with disdain over their meager and common apparel. But the greeter, dressed as a traditional geisha, did not appear concerned. After confirming their identities, she slid gracefully away into a side hallway. She returned moments later, and bowed to them.

"If you would please follow me?" she requested softly. Hinata bowed politely in return, and they followed her out of the main dining area. She led them to a smaller, private room, and elegantly opened the door. She dipped her head low as they cautiously entered, and closed the barrier behind them.

The bodyguards were the first things they noticed. Six burly men, each taller than Naruto, and composed of more muscle than the both of them combined, stood at the sides of the room, watching the Konoha agents. The warriors wore ornate breastplates, carried long lances, and had katanas hanging from their left hips.

But the samurai only held their interest for a moment. Their client was seated in the middle of the room. The noblewoman had an expertly painted face, which hid her age and identity. Her kimono was exquisite; with gems woven into the cloth which was an even mixture of silk and silver threads. The sleeves extended well past her wrists, and the long train pooled around her bent legs. Her hair was hidden by an elaborate headdress, composed almost entirely of gold and ebony, and so large Naruto was surprised she could hold her head upright. When she saw the pair of ninja, her grey eyes sparkled and she smiled slightly.

"You may go," the aristocrat instructed her guards. The soldier nearest her turned to face her, while the others struggled visibly not to move.

"Milady, what do you mean?" he demanded. Her shaded orbs became fierce as her attention shifted to him.

"I need to speak with these ninja in private," she stated imperiously, "So you will leave, now."

"But your safety…" he hesitated, but then strengthened his resolve, "We cannot leave."

Hinata expected her to grow angry, but the noble instead displayed calculating amusement.

"You are only supposed to question my instructions to preserve my wellbeing, is that not correct?" she asked innocently.

"Yes, mistress," the lead guard answered cautiously, and his man fidgeted.

"Then let me ask, do you honestly think that the six of you are better protection than two Chunin rank shinobi?"

When he did not answer, she continued, "Or perhaps you are suggesting I cannot trust the ninja of this country?"

The warriors all began to glance at the teens nervously, worried that they felt insulted. But Hinata hid her amusement behind an impassive mask; while Naruto wore his confusion openly.

"Of course not," the sentinel protested.

"Then there should be no issue with you leaving me in the care of these ninja," she concluded. Despite the phrasing, this was definitely an order.

"Of course, milady," he bowed uncertainly. Glaring at the young couple in warning, he directed his men to follow as he exited. Once there were gone, the lady rose smoothly to her feet.

"Will you excuse me for a moment?" she asked. Without waiting for an answer, she glided behind the screen at the back of the room. Hidden from view, but backlit against the barricade, she removed her crown, and placed it gently on the floor. Now free, her hair flowed well past her shoulders. She undid her kimono much less gently, and Naruto boggled as it fell to the floor. Her nude form silhouetted against the painted, paper divider, she collected a basin of water. She dunked her face, and scrubbed away the formal makeup.

"Busybodies," the noblewoman sighed, her tone and speech far more casual, "One little kidnapping attempt, and they get all worried."

She opened some sort of case or trunk, and began to dress.

"It's great to see you both again," their client said warmly after she finished putting on her underclothes and a pair of loose pants. She was already moving back towards the edge of the screen as she pulled the long-sleeved shirt over her head.

"I'm sorry, but have we met before?" Naruto asked, scratching his right temple.

"Naruto, that is…" Hinata started to explain, but the princess cut her off.

"Straightforward and oblivious as always, Naruto," she chuckled. She quickly rounded the barrier, and wrapped her arms around the young man. Her grey eyes flashed lecherously and her now longer orange hair fluttered around her face.

"Nyoko?" Naruto goggled at the Daimyo's daughter.

"I'm sorry I missed your birthday party," under her seductive tone was a current of genuine regret, "But I can give you your gift now."

She pushed herself up onto her tiptoes, aiming her lips for his. But before she connected, Naruto vanished in a puff of smoke, reappearing behind Hinata.

"Nyoko, stop joking, I'm…"

"So it is true," Nyoko's voice cracked from her warring emotions, "You did finally make this guy wake up, Hinata. Congratulations."

She hugged the younger woman too, but then stepped back with a mischievous grin.

"But you better watch out for this guy. He's a bit of a player. He didn't even break things off with me, before he took up with you."

"Nyoko!" Naruto switched between glaring angrily at her, and glancing nervously at Hinata, "You shouldn't say things like that. You'll give Hinata the wrong idea."

"You never did answer my question," she taunted, pointedly.

"You weren't serious," he didn't look at her, and did not sound certain.

"I told you I was," she countered; upset he had not believed her.

"Nyoko," Hinata interrupted; her professionalism strained by her emotions, "You summoned us for a mission. If that truly is the case, we should get down to business."

"There is a mission," Nyoko settled, looking oddly serious, "And you're right, time is of the essence. Please, sit down, and I'll explain."

She kneeled back on her original pad, and Hinata followed suit on one of the other cushions. Naruto was less delicate; he just plopped down, cross-legged.

"Would you like any lunch? Or maybe just some tea?" she offered.

"Won't it be a problem if someone sees you like that?" Naruto asked.

"No. Makoto; that's the girl who brought you in; she's a friend from school," the princess explained, "She's the one who smuggled my clothes in here."

After they ordered some refreshments, Nyoko's expression grew melancholy.

"In this city, there is a toymaker, named Nicholas. He is incredibly talented; his creations of porcelain, wood, and metal are more beautiful and durable than the mass-produced plastic junk most kids play with these days. For almost forty years, he has provided joy to the children here. He is very well loved."

"And he is very generous. Every year, he chooses twelve children, and makes each child a very special toy for Yuletide. He always chooses children who need joy, or have earned a reward. Usually his gifts go to the sick, or kids who have lost their parents. Last year, a boy saved his teacher from an accidental fire; he was one of Nicholas's recipients. And just once, many years ago, he picked a spoiled rich girl, who was also very lonely."

Their client blinked back tears as she said that, and they understood suddenly why this was important to Nyoko.

"But three days ago, he did not open his shop," she continued after a moment to compose herself, "That's not unheard of, sometimes Nicholas gets caught up in his work and does not open until noon. But he never opened his shop at all on Tuesday, and did not open again Wednesday morning. People started to get worried, so the soldiers were sent to check it out. There were signs of a struggle in his workshop, and Nicholas was missing."

"So we need find this guy before Yuletide, or the kids won't get their presents," Naruto concluded.

"No," the princess of the Honokata clan shook her head, "It's more than that. Nicholas is like the heart of Yuletide for the capitol. If his secret gifts, those symbols hope and generosity… if they aren't delivered, everyone's spirits will be crushed. That's why you need to find him."

"You make this guy sound like some kind of saint, Nyoko," Naruto was awed.

"Maybe he is," she smiled again

"Why us?" Hinata asked.

"I know you; I trust you. Hinata, your eyes can see things others might miss. And Naruto, if worse come to worst, you can search the city en masse with your Shadow Clones," and then the high school royal grinned ironically, "And I did want to see the two of you, together. So I killed two birds with one stone."

Hinata nodded, now all business, "We need to see the workshop, Nyoko."

"I'll take you."

* * *

Nyoko lead them quickly through the crowded streets. Contrary to Naruto's expectations, the two ninja received much more attention than the princess. He decided most of the people had never seen Nyoko out of her formal makeup and dress, and could no more recognize her than he had.

The shop was in the Merchant's Quarter; only a few minutes jog from the safe house. It was simple and unassuming, with a plain white facing, and simple blue lettering over the door reading 'Toys'. There was an open/closed sign on the outside of the tightly shut window shades, with the closed side showing. Nyoko did not pause at the door, she turned the handle as soon as she could reach it, and swung the door inwards. Two nervous looking warriors, not nearly so large or well equipped as the young lady's bodyguards, turned to look at them.

"Princess Nyoko," the pair of samurai dropped to their knees. As Naruto closed the door, the older soldier looked up at them.

"Where are your bodyguards, milady?" he asked, his eyes narrowing in concern and suspicion.

"I already went over this with Kentaro," she sighed regally, "I am in the care of these two skilled Leaf Shinobi. If that was good enough for my chief guardian, I don't see where it is any of your business, Ryouma."

"Of course not," he bowed his head again.

"I will take them in back," she informed the soldier-police, "As you were."

But before she could fulfill that action, Naruto darted towards the shelves, looking at the action figures.

"Wow," he exclaimed, "look at this stuff. I would have given anything to have had models like this growing up…"

The warriors tried to hide their amazement at his behavior, but Hinata just smiled sadly.

"We should check out here first," Hinata told the others. Naruto moved on to the shelves holding play weapons, but a subtle shift in his posture told the mission leader that he was hunting more seriously. She activated her Kekkei Genkai, and looked around behind the counter. The cash box was untouched, but there were some odd scrapes on the floor.

"Did you find something?" the princess of the Land of Fire joined her.

"These scratches look new," the Hyuga clan heiress answered, "But I don't know if they mean anything."

Naruto joined them, and as he crouched down, started sniffing at the air.

"Do you two smell that?" he asked. Both girls shook their respective heads.

"What is it?" Hinata queried in response.

"I don't know. It's an slippery, greasy smell," he wrinkled his nose again, leaning forward, "It's kinda familiar, but I don't know where from."

"Alright," Hinata considered that, then looked back to their client "Please show us the backroom, Nyoko-sama."

Nyoko graciously swept aside the curtain, leading them into the workshop. There were three entrances to the room, the one they had just used, a door leading to the alley behind the shop, and a set of stairs leading up to the second floor above the showroom. Except for the three doors, every inch of wall space was covered with shelves. These were the first indicator of the crime; two of the sets of shelves were immaculate, every raw material organized and labeled. The other walls of storage were a mess, pieces of wood and bins of gears shoved haphazardly into place, and some broken parts littering the floor before the ransacked shelves.

"It's stronger in here," Naruto noted, wandering around the room with his nose stuck out.

"Argh," he growled, shaking his head in annoyance, "I wish Kiba and Akamaru were here, they'd be able to tell what this is, and maybe follow it."

Hinata stepped over to the table. Like the shelves, part of the surface was neat and clean, with the tools organized. But the other half of the table was messy, with drops of oil and equipment and parts just throw anywhere. Mingled with the oil were hints of another, redder fluid.

Naruto's foot shattered a fragment of glass on the floor, and both ninja looked down, and then up. There was a skylight in the ceiling above them, with a pair of panes broken inwards. Hinata's eyes tracked from the broken window to the pattern of the broken glass on the floor. She looked over at Naruto and Nyoko, her Byakugan still active.

"They came in through the skylight," she pondered, "Nicholas must have been out front. They dragged him back here. They gathered some of his equipment and supplies, and took him."

"But why?" Nyoko asked plaintively, "Why take a toymaker and his tools of the trade?"

"Maybe someone needs a Yuletide gift," Naruto suggested. Nyoko glared at him, but Hinata considered it.

"Hey, I've met people who think they own the world," he countered the princess's doubt, "The sort of people who would kidnap someone to get something they feel they are entitled to get."

Their client nodded. Hinata's eyes darted over to her partner, suddenly fierce.

"Naruto," she whispered, "I see someone one on the roof. But his clothes are blocking my Byakugan."

"Maybe they needed more materials," Nyoko suggested under her breath.

"I'll go find out," Naruto said at full volume.

"Naru…" before Hinata could finish her protest; Uzumaki had hopped onto the table, and propelled himself through the hole in the skylight.

"Ryouma," Hinata called to the guard whose name Nyoko had used. Both soldiers hustled into the workshop.

"Please, watch the princess," she requested, "and call for backup if you are uncomfortable with just the two of you."

Without waiting for their answer, she jumped skyward. As she landed lightly on the tiles, she quickly spotted her targets. Naruto was two rooftops away, while their mystery intruder was two more ahead of him. Faster and more sure-footed, she quickly caught up to her boyfriend.

"He moves like a ninja," Naruto told her, and she nodded her head. Anyone could buy an imitation stealth shozoku, and many did. But their quarry had the grace of a shinobi. Anxious to get back to Nyoko, the Hyuga Chunin put on another burst of speed, leaving Naruto behind and closing on the fleeing stranger. As she grew closer, the masked shinobi suddenly split in three, and they turned as one to face her. When they saw her, they hesitated. Hinata moved past the duplicates, aiming her chakra laced fingers for the real ninja in the middle.

"Hinata, STOP!" Naruto shouted, and she pulled up short.

"Naruto, why did you…" she started to ask, but he answered before she could finish.

"That's Kankuro."

The Sand Shinobi chuckled, and removed his mask. Underneath, he wore his war paint, but without his usual headpiece, his red hair was showing.

"How'd you know it was me, kid?" the older Jonin asked.

"I recognized Crow and Black Ant," he pointed his thumb at one of the two humanoid puppets, "Because of the sound they make, and their smell."

Kankuro flicked open two scrolls, and the rebuilt puppets vanished.

"What are you doing in the Land of Fire?" Hinata did not appear entirely convinced.

"Yeah," Naruto remembered, "Why were you at the toymaker's shop?"

"A toymaker?" Kankuro's eyes narrowed. When both of the Leaf Shinobi continued to stare at him, he held up his hands in supplication.

"I'm here on an official mission," he told them, handing Hinata a scroll, "Fully authorized by your Hokage and the feudal lord of the Land of Fire. I'm chasing a trio of rogue puppet users from the Sunagakure. Your leaders agreed I was uniquely qualified for this job, so they gave me a pass."

She handed the paperwork back, satisfied; and Naruto relaxed too.

"I almost had them in the Land of Greens," he continued, "I caught two of them, and managed to mess up their marionettes pretty good. But then the third one caught me in some kind of plant jutsu. They wanted to finish me off, but I could still control Crow and Salamander, so they decided to run instead."

"I've been tracking them for the last week, one of their puppets was leaking oil where I hurt it. But in the end it looks like they ran straight here," after concluding his tale, he focused on Naruto, and inquired, "So what are you to doing here?"

"Looking for a missing person," Uzumaki answered without hesitation.

"The toymaker you mentioned?"

"Yup," the blond Chunin nodded. Hinata's lips curled inward and her eyes half closed as she began to suspect something.

"You're thinking the same thing I am," Kankuro told the girl, "That my renegades with the damaged puppets are related to your missing craftsman."

The young woman nodded.

"You mind if I take a look around that shop?" he asked, "Maybe I can spot something you two wouldn't know to look for."

"Yes, I think that is a good idea," she agreed.

* * *

There were still only two guards with the princess, when the three ninjas dropped back into Nicholas's workshop.

"See, I told you it would be fine," Nyoko told them pointedly, and then ordered, "You may return to the store."

With a bow, the two warriors complied. The princess turned her attention to the newcomer.

"Is this our prowler?" she asked her friends

"Yup," Naruto confirmed, stepping between them to broker introductions, "Nyoko, this is…"

"Kankuro, Jonin of the Hidden Sand, and brother of the Kazekage," she interrupted, offering her hand.

"Right," the blond Chunin was shaken by that but recovered, and continued, "Kankuro, this is…"

"Nyoko Honokata, princess of this country," the puppet master concluded for him, "I've seen her file, too."

Nyoko's eyes sparkled with amusement, while Uzumaki sighed in dismay.

"Kankuro is tracking some people who may be our kidnappers," Naruto forced out, determined to add something to the conversation.

"Right, so I better take a look," the Sand Shinobi walked over to the table. He examined the splattered oil on the table.

"That's why the trail went cold," he commented, "They must have done a patch job here."

"A patch job?" Hinata prompted, "Not the complete repair?"

"It's not likely," he told her, "With the amount of damage I did to their automatons, it would probably take close to a week to fix. That's probably why they took him."

Next he moved to the shelves. At first, the Sand puppeteer only looked mildly interested, until his eyes fell on one of the bin. He quickly snatched out one of the small gears it held, and turned to face the other shinobi, his face showing his shock.

"What did you say the victim's name was?" he asked quietly.

"We didn't," Hinata answered, "but it is Nicholas."

"Nicholas?" he sampled the name, "Nicholas…. It couldn't be…"

"Kankuro, what is it?" Nyoko asked.

"This is a torque modification gear," he held up the part, "It was invented by a certain shinobi, and he was the only one to use its full potential."

"Before Granny Chiyo and Sasori, there was a puppet master named Rasu Niko. When he was active, he was nicknamed Monzaemon the second. He was a master of both puppet creation and combat. Some people still say he brought back the art of puppet Ninjutsu from the brink of extinction," Kankuro paused, clearing his throat.

"Sorry, I'm not good at explaining, I got a little off track. Anyway, Rasu Niko, was a great puppet maker and shinobi, until he had a mental breakdown. One day, he just couldn't kill, or even fight, any more. He wanted to be decommissioned, but the third Kazekage did not want to lose his skills in makin' puppets. So instead, he had Rasu swear a bunch of blood oaths so he couldn't betray the Land of Air, or teach our jutsu to other ninjas. After that, Rasu up and vanished. That was forty-three years ago."

"And Nicholas's shop opened around the same time," Nyoko noted.

"So you think our toymaker and your puppet ninja are the same person?" Naruto asked.

"If you reverse the family and given names," Hinata told him, "Rasu Niko becomes Niko Rasu. Nikoras…"

"And then there's these gears," Kankuro tossed the component back in its bin.

"OK, but so what?" Uzumaki asked.

"Remember how I just said that it would take a week to fix the puppets?"

Naruto nodded.

"Rasu Niko could do it in half that. But the real issue isn't repairs," Kankuro's eyes tightened, "Part of the reason I could handle them, even though it was three on one, was because their puppets were third rate. If they can force Rasu to upgrade them, they would be a lot more than I can handle alone. It wouldn't be a stretch to say their combat power would quadruple."

Naruto and Hinata exchanged worried glances.


	43. Play Fighting

**Chapter 43: Play Fighting**

"Twelve oh one," Naruto said dejectedly, "It's now officially Yuletide Eve."

With the oil path Kankuro had followed gone, the three shinobi had been forced to use more traditional methods to try to find their targets. But checking with parts suppliers, and talking to people living and working around Nicholas's shop had proven fruitless. No one had seen anything strange around the toymaker's business, nor had anyone recognized the descriptions of the Sand rogues. After completing their canvassing, the allies regrouped in the shop; where Nyoko was waiting with four guards.

"Now what?" Kankuro asked.

"We could try Nyoko's plan," Naruto suggested.

"Would you know what to look for?" Hinata asked.

"Sort of," he grinned dubiously, "Kankuro described the renegades, and Nyoko can probably tell me what Nicholas looks like."

"That seems like a stretch," Kankuro was unconvinced.

"Besides," Hinata said, "you should save your chakra in case we need to fight."

The blond Chunin was ready to protest, but he shut his mouth.

"Ok," he agreed, "Man, its too bad we can't keep following the oil trail. You must a be good tracker, Kankuro, to follow some oil drips through the forests between the Land of Greens and here."

"I had some help," he admitted with an awkward chuckle. He took a small spray bottle hidden in his belt, and said, "Let me show you."

He took one of the splinters from the floor, and scraped up a drop of the oil. He held it up in front of them, and misted a small amount the blue liquid on to grease. The lubricant began to radiate orange light, and smoke slightly.

"Man, that stinks," Naruto covered his nose, "What is that, some sort of special tracking fluid?"

"It's a cleaner," he wiped off the wooden shard to illustrate, leaving it totally unstained, "I use it for maintenance on my puppets. The glow is just a side effect. Unfortunately, with the trail dried out, it's not any good."

"Maybe," Hinata considered that, "But maybe not. Naruto smelled the oil out front, even though there wasn't any to see. And now your spray amplifies that odor. Lets try it out in the shop. There might be enough particles in the air to react and let us follow them. Even with the patch."

"Worth a try," the Sand Jonin agreed, and they all moved to the front of the store.

"Do you still smell it, Naruto?" Hinata asked worriedly.

"Yeah," he answered after a few sniffs, "It's still there, but it's getting fainter."

"OK, then…" Kankuro squirted blue cleanser near the scratches Hinata had found. Neither he, Nyoko, or the soldiers noticed any change; but Naruto's nose crinkled in disgust.

"Ugh," he grimaced, "I can still smell that. How can you stand it?"

"It doesn't smell that bad to me," the puppet master shrugged.

"And I can see it," Hinata glanced back at them with silvered eyes. Kankuro betrayed a slightly shock, but said nothing.

"Then we can track down Nicholas," Nyoko exclaimed happily.

"Not we," Hinata shook her head, "You have to stay here. Or even better, return to the palace. You have school today."

"No, we have the 19th through the 23rd off for Yuletide," she smirked, "Besides, I'm the client."

"The contract is to find Nicholas, not to indulge your sense of adventure," the mission leader told her.

"But last time!"

"Last time was an exception," Naruto told her gently, "We were alone, so there was no other choice. I've put too many princesses in danger like that. This time we have your guards to keep you safe."

"But…"

"Perhaps we should contact Kentaro-san?" Hinata asked, harshly, "Or the Daimyo?"

"No," Nyoko was practically shaking in anger, but she controlled her voice, "I will remain here."

The three ninja left out the back door. But once they were beyond the portal, Hinata collapsed against the wall. Naruto put a comforting hand on her shoulder, as she exhaled raggedly.

"Heh," Kankuro chuckled once, "I wouldn't have thought you had it in you, girl. To stand up to a princess, especially one that's as strong willed as I've heard Nyoko is."

"I knew you could, Hinata," Naruto said firmly.

"Lady Tsunade put me in charge," she was addressing herself as much as them, "I h…had to do it. It was my responsibility."

"Alright, boss," Kankuro's voice was only slightly mocking, "Shall we see if we can pick up the trail?"

Naruto shot him a mildly nasty look, but Hinata pushed herself back upright, her composure recovered.

"Yes," she answered, again activating the Suigin Byakugan, "Go ahead."

* * *

They were fortunate it was so early in the day, and the streets were still empty. Even with Naruto's nose and Hinata's eyes, it was far from an easy task. The traces of oil grew further apart, and they had to move slowly. And there was the practical limit; Kankuro's supply of the cleaner was limited after the tracking he had already done. After almost five hours, the trail went totally dead, but Kankuro and Hinata agreed that they had probably found the hideout. Naruto, however, remained dubious.

"An abandoned factory?" Naruto protested quietly, on the off chance they were right, "Come on, do you think these guys subscribe to Clichéd Villain's Quarterly?"

"It isn't abandoned," Hinata shook her head, "This company makes summer toys, like beach balls and swimming flippers. It is natural they would be mostly shutdown for the winter. But they might still have designers working on next year's models."

Naruto pondered that, and Kankuro tossed in his two ryo.

"Clichés are cliché for a reason," he told the dubious younger man, "This place has to have workshops, and tools, and supplies; but like Hinata said it's closed down for the winter. If someone came heard some noise or saw some lights, they'd probably just write it off."

"Well, then, let's check it out," Naruto agreed, looking more suspiciously at the large brick structure. The temporary trio had lighted to the roof next door for their debate, and to get the lay of the land. After convincing the rebellious junior, the shinobi leapt silently to the other roof. They prowled soundlessly around the edge of the building, until Hinata signaled for a stop. She stared down at the ground, her face softening. Then she hopped down to the packed earth, three stories below. The boys followed suit, and when they landed, the Hyuga heiress pointed to a dark red spot in the dust, spilling out from one of the large shipping doors.

"Blood?" Kankuro mouth wordlessly, and the brilliant-eyed Kunoichi nodded.

"There are two bodies one the other side of this door," she whispered, "based on their clothes and equipment, I think they may have been guards."

"Damn," Naruto cursed.

"Do you see them?" the Sand ninja pressured.

"No," Hinata stared intently at the building, moving her head from side to side as if scanning, instinctually, even if the Byakugan made the action unnecessary. Then she paused, focusing on the second floor, to the left of where they stood.

"There is something odd up there," she said softly, unsure, "It's a two part office, right next to the second story workshop floor. Something about it looks wrong, but there isn't a Genjutsu. It's almost like a mirage in the desert, but I can't…"

"A Holographic Barrier Ninjutsu," Kankuro said slowly, as if admitting a secret, "Unlike a Genjutsu that effects the target's eyes or mind, this jutsu is much more difficult to pierce because it directly manipulates the light passing through the air. It's also much harder to use."

"In that case," Hinata's eyes squinted, and the surrounding veins pulsed angrily.

"Ah," she cried out quietly, and when Naruto looked into her face, he saw a spot of red spreading in her left cornea. She slumped slightly, as her irises returned to normal.

"Hinata, are you OK?" he asked carefully, taking her hand.

"I think I pushed a little too hard," she admitted, "But I was able to see past the weaving. There are four people in there, three men and one woman. Two of the men are sleeping in the outer room, and the woman is standing guard. The last man appears to be working alone in the inner office. I think that must be Nicholas."

"So what are we waiting for?" Naruto asked. Hinata shook her head.

"I think…" she started cautiously, but then she paused, and started again more firmly, "We need to rescue the hostage first. Once he is safe, we can help Kankuro defeat the renegades. Do you agree?"

Despite his earlier half taunt, Hinata knew she had no authority over the higher ranked Sand ninja, so she sought his approval.

"That will works for me," he told her, "Heck, I might not even need your help, but I'm certainly not going to turn it down either."

"Hinata, do you see any traps?" Naruto asked, and his paramour answered in the negative.

"The Hologram is also an alarm," Kankuro warned, "if we disrupt the altered flow of the light, whoever created the jutsu will know."

"What if we go into the room from above?" their leader asked, and the puppeteer considered that.

* * *

Hinata dug three kunai into the wooden floor, and secured cords to them. Naruto drew Kitsune, and used its wind chakra blade to slice a hole in the floor around the blades. Hinata silently lifted the cutout free, and set it gently beside her. Impatient as always, Naruto popped his head down the hole.

An elderly man sat at a large table. He was slender, and his white hair was thinning. His face was lined with age, and with stress. He also had a purple, partially scabbed gash over his right temple. He pulled back from his task, and Naruto saw defeat and exhaustion in his gentle brown eyes.

On the table was a partially disassembled puppet, basically human shaped, but with three legs. And its hands and feet were replaced by enlarged spearheads.

"That's new," Kankuro's harsh voice was touched with worry, "Before that mannequin just had spears for hands."

"Then we better get him out of there, quick," Naruto whispered back. But this time he waited for Hinata's signal before leaping in. She nodded, and he hopped down. When the toymaker saw him, he started to shout, but quickly closed his mouth instead.

"Nicholas-san?" Naruto whispered. The elder gentleman nodded.

"We were sent to rescue you," Hinata said, landing beside her partner.

"Come on," Uzumaki said, glancing nervously at the door.

"I can't," the craftsman shook his head.

"Why not?" Naruto hissed. Hinata scanned him, looking for some sort of restraints or jutsu. There were none, but she noticed something else.

"Your right leg is severely broken," she told him.

"They broken it when I tried to escape," he agreed, "But that is not the reason. They have a list, a list of a group of children. They said they would kill the children if I did not help them."

Hinata gasped, and Naruto growled, "The kids you're gonna give presents to tonight?"

"So you know about that, too," he looked at them, but his hands continued to work, "Then you must understand. I cannot allow anything to happen to those children. They have promised if I finish the upgrades on their puppets, they will leave the children alone."

"They might," Kankuro agreed, dropping into the room, "But there's no way they're lettin' you live."

"Another Sand ninja?" the toymaker looked hard at Kankuro, "Do you disagree with your comrades, then?"

"Comrades?" Kankuro sniffed, "Hardly. Those three are traitors. And that damage you're repairing? I caused it, Rasu Niko-dono."

The craftsman's eyes went wide, but after a moment he sighed sadly.

"I was afraid that might be the case. But you are also incorrect, Sand Ninja. My name is not Rasu Niko. It is Nicholas, the second. Rasu Niko was my father."

"That is impossible," Kankuro shook his head, "Rasu Niko had no children before leaving the Sunagakure. And you are too old to have been born after he settled here."

Only now did the artist pause in his enhancement. He set down his awl and hammer, and passed his hands before his face. After his fingers slid away, he appeared much younger, with thick brown hair, and smooth skin. He appeared to be in his late twenties or early thirties. But the injury over his temple remained.

"I use a transformation to wear my father's appearance, to keep his legacy alive."

"So he taught you Ninjutsu," Kankuro's eyes had a dangerous shine, not unlike the one that used to possess Gaara.

"Not really," the toymaker resumed his tinkering, not noticing or not caring, "Transformation to look like him, a few stealth techniques to deliver the Yuletide gifts, and, of course, puppet making. Nothing that violated his oaths."

The Sand Shinobi nodded, temporarily mollified.

"We should hurry," Hinata urged.

"I have already told you, I cannot leave," his voice was soft, but determined. He closed up the panels on the puppet.

"No matter happens to me, I will not put those children at risk. Even if it means my own death."

"Oh, you need not worry about that," a deep, gravely voice said behind them. Even as the three teens reacted, the puppet rose from the table and flew back to its owner. The short, bulky Kunoichi looked over her modified marionette with a canny, yet pleased expression on her face. Her narrow eyes were a reddish-orange, and her carefully shaped hair had streaks of green and yellow. Her face was one of sculptured beauty, but there was something unsettling about the way she cocked her head.

"We would never waste a craftsman such as yourself," she told the toymaker and Hinata's team, "After we have dispatched your would be rescuers, we will remove you to a more secure location. There, you can upgrade my brother's undamaged puppets, and then begin to create additional weapons for us. Once that task is complete, we can begin to assemble an army of lesser puppeteers."

"Why do they all want to take over the world?" Kankuro groaned.

"Clichéd Villain's Quarterly," Hinata remembered with a slight grin. Naruto chuckled in agreement.

"Mock if you think it will help you," she shrugged calmly, "Your weakness cannot be hidden by mere words."

"Um, sis?" one of two male rogue's whispered loudly, "You do know who they are, right?"

"Kankuro, we have fought before, and we are stronger now," she glared at her underlings, "His underlings are of no consequence."

She looked back at the Leaf and Sand trio, and addressed them, "Shall we take this out to the main floor? I doubt you want Master Nicholas harmed any more than we do."

"Where they like this before?" Hinata asked as they complied.

"Pretty much," Kankuro answered, "She likes to talk all fancy, and give orders."

"Jonouchi, you will fight the little waif. She relies on ranged attacks, so Dart and Bolt can tie her up in close combat. Honda, you fight the blonde idiot, his brute strength will be worthless against Block's improved defenses. I wish to see how Kankuro's broken down relics compare to the improved Star-chan and Moon-chan."

The two men exchanged worried glances, but never the less moved as instructed. Jonouchi, the one who had tried to warn their leader circled away, focusing his attention on Hinata. He was taller than the Kunoichi, but so painfully thin he appeared to weigh less. He touched the tattoos on forearms, summoning forth his combat puppets. They were a matched set, both shaped likely slightly humanoids cats; four feet long, bipedal, though hunched forwards. Each automaton had three fingered hands at the end of each limb, and a foot long blade at the end of its tail. Hinata allowed him to draw her away, curious how her 'ranged attacks' would work. The former Sand ninja swung his arms forward, and both of the marionettes jerked towards her aggressively.

Honda was only a few inches shorter than Jonouchi, but weighed at least twice as much. Despite his flab, he moved smoothly and quickly as he conjured his puppet out of a spear. Block lived up to its name, with a massive, stone, rectangular body. Its upper arms, legs, and even its head were square. Its lower arms and legs were more rounded, but its hands folded into perfect metal cubes.

Even as Star took up position before her controller, the renegade Kunoichi brought forth her second puppet. Moon was another female humanoid puppet, with a crescent moon sword, and a shield emblazoned with the surface of the moon.

Hinata observed the feline puppets carefully through her Byakugan. She could see their gears and chains, and also the streams of chakra directing their movements. Dart bolted straight for her chest, while Bolt darted around to hamstring her from behind. Hinata easily ducked under the high attack, and just before the low attack struck her, she tapped the clawed hand with her Gentle Fist. The blades retracted as the apparatus holding them in place was dislodged, and the entire hand fell limp as the line of power directing it was severed at the same time. The Hyuga heiress continued her controlled fall, pushing her elbow gently into Dart's chest, dislodging part of its 'spine', and making its back legs spasm. The puppet tumbled over her aimlessly, and its controller struggled to make it stand again. Not willing to let her gain too much initiative, Jonouchi directed Bolt to slash out at her with its razor edged tail. Out of position for a forearm strike, Hinata instead flipped up on to her hands, and spun around with her feet extended.

"Byakugan Art: Eight Trigrams Soles Heavenly Spin," she exclaimed, expelling chakra from her feet, and violently knocking both puppets away from her.

"No one can get past Block," Honda boasted, maneuvering the giant automaton between himself and younger Leaf ninja. But Uzumaki just smirked.

"No 'one', huh?" the blond Chunin put his hands together, "Then how about ten? Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

"Aw, crap."

Five Narutos went to Block and Honda's left, and the other five ran to the right. After an instant of indecision, Honda slung Block at the group to the left. Though it clipped four of the clones, only one was destroyed. Even as the statue-like puppet began to move back to the other set of clones, the four remaining duplicates grabbed on to it, slowing the stone and steel golem down. It managed to reach the closest Naruto, and with a swung that would have impressed Tsunade, slammed the clone on its right arm into the other facsimile, causing both to disappear in matched explosions. The next closest Naruto from the right hand set turned back to help his three comrades hanging on for dear, if temporary, life. But the remaining three Narutos closed the distance, and Honda was forced to both use his talisman spear to defend himself, and keep control of Block. The four versions of the blond Chunin each clung to one of the puppet's limbs, trying to slow it down while at the same time preventing it from eliminating them.

Kankuro noted with dismay that Crow's lower left arm was reacting slowly, even as his first puppet discharged a spray of needles at his enemy. Moon jumped in the way of the attack, and the thin spikes bounced off the doll's shield. He had done his best to repair the massive damage dealt to the trio by Sasori, but feared he had failed to fully restore his mechanical allies. Even if he had done a perfect job, they had taken some knocks in the previous battle, and he had not had the time to fix them. Black Ant moved forward, the saw blades in its six arms aimed at Star from all sides. But the newly enhanced puppet dug one of her spear-like feet into the factory's wooden floor, and while balancing on that post, deflected Ant's attacks with her other four limbs. The traitor's hand darted forward, and her two puppets each discharged a sextet of shuriken at Kankuro. The shape of the blades matched each puppet's name; Star used five-pointed shuriken, while Moon fired crescent shaped blades. Salamander appeared at the last instant, blocking the attack with its armored frills.

Dart flopped like a fish out of water as Jonouchi tried to get its spine back into alignment. At the same time, Bolt sparred with Hinata, trying desperately to keep her away from its controller, and from disabling it as she had its twin. But just as she had a clear shot at the marionette's right shoulder, she was knocked away as Honda and Block barreled into her, one the Shadow Clones still trying to dig a kunai into the puppet's left elbow.

"Joe, switched with me," Honda said softly.

"But sis said…"

"I know what Anzu-san said," the heavier ninja barked, still trying not to be heard by their leader, "But she hasn't been right in the head ever since Sasori-sama kidnapped the Kazekage. I mean, all this stuff about calling her 'sis'? You might think it's kinky; but to me, it's just nuts."

"Maybe…" the taller warrior wavered, fear showing in his voice, "But if we don't follow her orders…"

"If we finish these two, she won't care if _they_ switched on _us_ during the fight."

"Right," realization filled Jonouchi's eyes, and he smirked. Then he pulled his puppets back, having Bolt crack Dart's artificial vertebrae back into place in the process. Then both of the speedy automatons jumped forward to intercept the incoming Narutos. The remaining clones were destroyed in the blink of an eye, and Uzumaki was knocked to the side.

"If that's how you want it, FINE," Jonouchi declared loudly, before winking at his teammate.

"What now, missy?" Honda sneered as Hinata dodged Block's heavy overhand punch. The wooden floor splintered from the attack, showing darkened room underneath.

"Block won't give one wit about your fancy Gentle Fist," he continued. As she observed the massive construct, she was forced to agree. Block's inner workings were buried under thick layers of stone and metal armor, too deep for her specialized Taijutsu to reach. Though she was fast enough to avoid the marionette's attacks, it thwarted her attempt to dodge around. She considered using Shadow Clones, but remembered it had taken Naruto nine clones to get three around Block. Even though she was quicker than her beloved, Hinata knew creating the five or six clones it would take her to get past would be dangerous for her chakra reserves, especially considering how much she had used her Byakugan over the last fifteen hours. She watched carefully for an opening as she pondered her options.

"Go ahead, kid," Jonouchi taunted, "Come after me with your clones. My puppets will take them apart as fast as you can make them."

He sent the felines out, seven of eight sets of claws extended. Naruto slid past most of the slashes, but Dart's left rear leg tagged him, slicing through his jacket and grazing his right arm and side.

"How about I just break your toys, instead," the Leaf shinobi shot back, unconcerned. In one clean motion, he drew Kitsune, and in his left hand, he formed a Rasengan. Without waiting for any kind of answer, he followed Dart, swinging his weapon at the same spot Hinata had previously struck on the puppet's chest. Jonouchi brought Dart's tail up to block, but the staff-blade shattered the cheap steel of the feline's bladed tail, and continued unimpeded to the puppet's chest. As Dart again was thrown to the side, Bolt moved in to cover its partner. However, Naruto was prepared, and caught Bolt's extended hand with his Rasengan, grinding away the marionette's thumb and first finger. The Sand renegade withdrew both puppets, looking for another opening.

"You will be made to pay for what you did to Star-chan before," Anzu informed Kankuro. Moon jumped forward, blocking Crow's knives with her shield, and angling her sword for the second joint in the other puppet's lower left arm. The chakra hardened bronze blade dug into the ridge, carving though one of the gears. Kankuro responded by have Crow wrapped both of his left limbs around Moon's sword and wrist, trapping the celestial marionette. Meanwhile, Black Ant and Salamander attempted to coral Star, so one of the two hollow automatons could trap her. But the multi-legged construct was quick, and continued to fire star shaped shuriken at Kankuro. In return he was forced to use either Ant or Salamander to block, which made it easier for Star to continue evading. When he saw an opening, Kankuro drew a pair of kunai, and threw them both at Anzu directly. But the traitorous Jonin was not surprised, and displayed her prowess by catching the blades in the strings that controlled Star and Moon. The move forced her to withdraw the puppets slightly, and the Kazekage's brother took advantage. He gestured forcefully with his fingers, and Black Ant flew through the air, catching Moon while she was out of position. His six hands forced her into his chest cavity, even as Crow's limbs started to detach.

"Secret Black Art: Iron Maiden," Kankuro proclaimed as Crow's hidden blades stabbed into the slots in Ant's torso. Once all of the blades had pierced the casket, Crow started to reassemble, and Kankuro smirked as his opponent as he started to plan Star's destruction. But before he could attack, Ant's body began to jerk and rumble. The trapping puppet could no longer contain it, and the imperfect sphere burst forth, taking one of Ant's panels with it. The miniature moon had a number of new scratches on the cratered surface, where the shield did not cover. But Moon unfolded herself with only superficial damage.

"I think our toymaker may have surpassed his famous father," Anzu purred, "An incredible prize indeed."

Hinata was in a pinch. Nothing she had tried had made any impact on Block. Even her Rasengan had only marred the surface of the reinforced puppet. She grimaced as Block grazed her with a punch; she knew she was lucky nothing was broken from even the glancing blow.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu," Hinata split in two, hoping one of her could get through to Honda. But Block's arms swung independently, and it hit both of the girls. The copy exploded, and Hinata cried out in pain as she tumbled to the floor.

"Hinata!" Naruto tried to break away to help her, but Dart and Bolt circled around, keeping him at bay.

"I'm OK," Hinata grimaced as she stood, "But nothing is working. Not even the Rasengan."

"Maybe it's time to break out your new jutsu."

"But…. But I've never used it in battle before," she stammered, "And there's no earth here."

"There's gotta be a first time," he shouted, clocking Dart upside the head with Kitsune, "And that guy has all the earth you need."

He pointed, and Hinata realized he was talking about the stone and clay that made up Block. She nodded, her face firm.

"All right, I'll give it a try," she began signing, even as she charged Block.

"Ushi-I-Inu-U-Hitsuji," she announced as she signaled Ox, Boar, Dog, Rabbit, and Ram.

"Byakugan Art: Primordial Chakra Jutsu!"

Hinata landed on Block's chest, and pushed her right palm into the rocky panel. The granite began to glow reddish-purple, and a mass of visible, magenta chakra exploded from the puppet. It traveled back down the control strings, and struck Honda. He howled in agony, and then collapsed to the floor, dropping his spear. At the same instant, Block went limp.

"Wha di you do ta me?" the thick puppeteer mumbled, struggling back up to his knees.

"I combined my chakra with the chakra in the stone, creating an interference wave I can send through the ground, or along a existing chakra path," she told him.

"It's kinda like getting hit with an Eight Trigrams Sixty-four Palms all at once," Naruto confided from experience, "It overwhelms your muscles and chakra points."

Honda grabbed Block's control element, but could not muster the chakra to move the golem, and so ended up just leaning on the spear. Hinata exhaled, forcing the exhaustion from her face as she turned to help Naruto. But there was no need.

Dart could no longer straighten its head after the last blow, and it was missing its right arm from the elbow down. Bolt had faired slightly better, the only major damage was the missing fingers from Naruto's first Rasengan attack. Jonouchi had been starting to look desperate as his enemy dismantled the first of his puppets, but now that Hinata was closing in, his near panic became resigned resolve. He pulled the rings connected to the puppets' thread off his fingers, and raised his hands in defeat. As the six bands hit the ground, his puppets too went slack.

"I give up," he told them, "I didn't sign on for this."

Honda nodded his head.

"What do you mean?" Hinata asked.

"Anzu lied to us," he answered stepping slowly away from his weapons to prove his words, "After the Kazekage returned, and we learned Sasori-sama was dead, she started to get strange. One day, she told us we had a mission and we left the village. But like I said, she lied. Before we figured out what was going on, we had already been declared rogues. Sis told us if we went back, we were dead anyway, so we stayed with her."

"That's why you two convinced her to running instead of trying to finish," Kankuro added, remembering how Jonouchi had caught him with the reeds.

"Yeah," the penitent ninja nodded, "We didn't want to kill a comrade, but we didn't think you would listen to us either."

"Traitors!' Anzu shouted. She broke away from Kankuro. She took off at top speed, and for a moment, they thought she was going to run. But once she was past Naruto, she veered back. She stopped in front of Honda, and snatched the spear from his hands. With a fluid motion, she spun the blade around, and jammed it into his disabled underling's heart. Even as Block sprang back to life, she turned to face the Sand and Leaf allies, blood dripping from the point of the weapon. The puppets closed ranks around her, and she grinned viciously at them.

"I apologize for the interruption," she said evenly, "Shall we continue?"


	44. Playtime is Over: Nicholas's Puppets

**Chapter 44: Playtime is Over: The Puppets of Nicholas**

Hinata stepped defensively in front of Jonouchi, but continued to watch him carefully through her Byakugan. Naruto took up position by Kankuro, who was attempting to determine the extent of the damage to Black Ant without lowering his guard.

"I never expected you two to be such a disappointment," Anzu told her surviving minion, even as she positioned her automatons. Block angled to attack Kankuro, Star faced off against Hinata, while Moon prepared to intercept Naruto.

"But now you will see the full power of Sasori's daughter," her show of elegance was cracking, and she all but cackled her proclaimed lineage. Her fingers twitched around Block's spear, and Star and Moon fired blades at Naruto and Hinata. Hyuga dodged the shuriken, while Naruto knocked them away with Kitsune and a kunai he had drawn in his left hand.

The largest puppet trudged inexorably towards the loyal Sand shinobi. Kankuro caused Crow and Ant to fire needles at the golem, but they bounced off without so much as a scratch. He knew his poison attacks would do nothing to the puppet warrior, leaving him with the dubious option of melee combat. Having caught glimpses of Naruto's fight with Block, he estimated that Crow and Black Ant's constriction powers could similarly slow the large puppet down, he was less sure their blades could inflict enough damage to disable their opponent.

Unlike Kankuro's puppets, Moon made no noise as she raised her exaggerated scimitar to salute Naruto. But the blonde Chunin did not move his staff blade out of position, staring intently at puppet swordswoman. She stepped forward, stabbing directly for his heart. He caught the curved blade with his straight weapon, and used the momentum to launch a spin kick at Moon. The marionette raised her shield, and caught Naruto's foot on the edge. The round guard sliced almost entirely through his open toed sandal, and the teen realized the shield was for more than just defense. He stepped back, thankfully she had only hit his shoe, not his foot. With this new information, he adjusted his style slightly, bringing his kunai up horizontally in front of his chest.

Star danced after Hinata on her right and center legs, while attacking the young woman with her third leg and both arms. Unfortunately, only Star's oversized spearheads were coming close to Hinata, and they contained no mechanisms or chakra streams, so the Hyuga heiress could not use her Gentle Fist to disrupt the puppet. She took a deep gash on the back of her left hand, and fell back a few more steps to think. But Anzu did not give her the chance, pressing the puppet forward.

"Eight Trigrams Empty Palm," Hinata breathed, jabbing her right hand out, palm first. The burst of chakra threw the puppet away, the points of her feet scraping the floor. To keep from falling, Star planted her third foot, and leaned into the attack. In the end, the marionette was forced back only half as far as Hinata had expected, and was still standing.

Kankuro had an idea, one so stupidly inspired, it might have come directly from Naruto.

"When in the Land of Fire," he murmured to himself. Both Crow and Black Ant dove forward, each wrapping their multiple extendable arms around both of Block's legs. The stony puppet continued to try to walk forward, but was held fast. Both of Kankuro's puppets strained against the superior strength of Honda's puppet. Kankuro gestured again, and Salamander barreled forward. It jumped, and instead of simply landing on Block's chest, it jumped again, pushing off with all four feet. With its legs tied, Block could not resist Salamander's weight, and fell backwards. Crow and Ant quickly detached themselves, and the moving statue landed heavily on its back, shaking the whole floor. The clumsy automaton endeavored to stand, but Crow, Ant, and Salamander continued to strike at its limbs, keeping it down.

"Now what?" he asked her tauntingly. While his trio kept Block neutralized, he drew out more kunai, and threw them at his opponent. Anzu snorted, knocking the blades down. She slid her right hand to the middle if the spear. Block vanished, while Moon slashed at Naruto's neck with her sword, and his thighs with her shield. As Uzumaki blocked with his two weapons, she moved her left hand to meet her right. In the process, Block reappeared, one of its feet pinning Salamander. The same move caused Star to put her five limbs together into one large point, and launch at Hinata like a drill.

"Hinata!" Naruto shouted as the puppet tore into her chest. But the expected spray of blood never appeared, instead Hinata exploded in a cloud of smoke, and a splintered desk was left in her place.

"Substitution?" Anzu's head darted from side to side, while Star regained her feet, "Where is she?"

But Hinata did not reappear, and Anzu directed Star to flank Naruto.

* * *

Hinata landed in place of the desk, in the outer office. She quickly padded over to the door, and watched the fight, hoping for some sort of opening. The movement was mostly redundant, thanks to her enhanced vision, but she looked through the gap anyway as a matter of training and instinct.

"Hinata-san," Nicholas called softly to her. She ignored him, worrying as Star stabbed at Naruto. Her beloved caught the spear with his throwing blade, but was pushed closer to Moon.

"Please, Hinata-san, I need to speak to you," the toymaker's voice grew more insistent. Against her better judgment she backed away from the door, and moved closer to the hostage.

"You are Hinata Hyuga, correct?" Nicholas asked, "Of the Hyuga clan? Possessor of the Byakugan?"

She nodded, and he exhaled in relief.

"Then we may be able to help your friends," he told her, "I am not particularly naïve, or stupid. When I was repairing and enhancing Star, Moon, and Block, I gave them a weakness."

Hinata's eyes flared slightly, but she did not speak. The toymaker held up a small copper pin, just over two inches in length.

"Each of those puppets has a keystone pin, jut like this," he explained, "If you can remove, or even break it, those three will no longer function correctly."

Hinata studied the pin for a moment, and then muttered a soft, "Thank you."

"Do not thank me. I should have done more. Or maybe I should have done less."

Though she felt for him, Hinata could not spare him any words. She was already moving closer to the battle, studying the marionettes for this weak spot.

Salamander's chest groaned in protest as Block leaned forward, putting more weight on to the reptilian puppet. Crow and Black Ant had each snared one of Block's arms, and were pulling back as hard as they could, trying to keep the behemoth from crushing their counterpart.

Star jabbed with three of her limbs in a vertical line. Naruto blocked the attack, but the topmost spear was the least deflected and it struck his left shoulder. Uzumaki somersaulted backwards to avoid Moon's sword. He landed behind the lunar puppet, and quickly lashed out with a three quarters complete Rasengan. Moon turned back far enough to catch the attack on her shield. The spiraling orb marred the surface of the disc, and pushed part of the dome inwards, but ultimately unraveled before it could destroy the barrier. Anzu was shocked, and then annoyed when she noticed the damage. She gestured angrily, and Block swung its arm backwards, catching Crow under the jaw, and knocking him into the ceiling. At the same instant, Star and Moon both attacked Naruto from all quarters, left, right, high, and low.

Hinata was moving, even as Naruto ducked down, blocking Moon's shield with Kitsune and sacrificing his right leg to Star. As she zipped towards the battle, she formed a Rasengan. As she reached Naruto and the two automatons facing him, she grabbed Moon's left shoulder with her left hand, and drilled the Rasengan in her right hand into the small of Moon's back. Not as heavily armored as Block, the swordswoman puppet's back armor was shredded away, and when the hole was large enough, Hinata released the Fourth Hokage's jutsu, and the hand that had held the sphere dove inside the puppet. With a slight grunt of effort, she yanked her limb free, clutching a small copper pin between her thumb and first two fingers. As Hinata tossed the pin away, Moon's actions became distorted; and her previously silent workings began to grind and clank.

"What did you do to Moon-chan?" Anzu howled, her ragged eyes turning a deeper red. She gestured broadly, and Star swung wildly at Hinata, but Naruto easily blocked the simplistic attack.

"I found a vulnerability in each of them," Hinata told Naruto, "A place where a number of important parts come together. We need to help Kankuro, but Block's weak spot is on the left side of his head, and I can't get through his armor."

He stepped behind her to cut off the stellar marionette again, and then said, "I think I have a plan."

He whispered a few words in her ear, and Hinata took off towards Block. Naruto tried to follow, but Star cartwheeled in front of the Leaf Chunin, and he had to stop short to avoid losing a foot. Block continued to put its weight on Salamander. The behemoth had also caught one of Crow's arms, and was beginning to swing Crow at Black Ant like a flail. Hinata ducked under the improvised weapon, and ran up Block's left leg, stopping on his chest.

"Ushi-I-Inu-U…" she signaled again, but Anzu cut her off, plunging the spear into the ground and releasing it.

"I won't fall for that trick," she exclaimed regally, "If I'm not connected to Block, then your jutsu won't work."

But Hinata just grinned in satisfaction, as her backpack exploded.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu," Naruto was already incanting as his transformation ended. The duplicate fighting Star let himself get tagged, to return a portion of his chakra to the original Uzumaki. Naruto held back his right hand, and the new copy began to jab at the space above his palm. As he and his clone darted the remainder of the way up Block's chest, a green orb formed.

"Fuuton: RASENGAN!" both Narutos shouted, and he thrust the sphere into the side of Block's head. The wind-enhanced sphere did what none of their other attacks could, ripping past the steel and granite armor like tissue paper, exposing the mechanics underneath. Hinata stepped past Naruto, and extracted Block's keystone as well.

"Look out," Kankuro warned. With neither direction from Anzu, nor the pin locking it in position, Block was no longer putting any force on Salamander, and the reptile puppet pushed behemoth onto its back again. Naruto and Hinata leapt way, landing on either side of the immobile giant.

"You wretched little girl!" Anzu shouted, "Look what you did to Block-kun and Moon-chan! I will make you suffer, just like they did!"

While they had dealt with Block, she had collected Moon's sword and shield. She had also moved Star away, so they could not disable her last puppet. Panting with rage, she charged Hinata, brandishing both weapons. Her mad dash left a single perfect opening, and without a twinge of regret, the Hyuga heiress exploited the weakness. Slipping around the sharpened shield, she plunged her glowing fingers at Anzu's left breast. The Gentle Fist severed a vein in the puppeteer's chakra network, and stopped her heart.

Anzu looked at Hinata with surprised, glassy eyes, and unexpectedly gave a jerk forward. Then a line of blood began to flow out of the right hand corner of her mouth. As she collapsed backward, they could see Star, curled into her drill position, all five spears buried deep in Anzu's back.

"She tried the same trick on me," Kankuro said, "Chargin' in, hiding Star behind her, then duckin' away at the last minute. I guess she didn't count on you being able to stop her cold like that."

The loyal puppeteer disconnected her from the puppet, and laid the body on the floor. He then quickly retrieved Block's spear and Star and Moon's scrolls.

"She wasn't really Sasori's daughter," Jonouchi looked regretful as he walked slowly over to his fallen leader, "I checked it out, she was born eleven months after he left the Sunagakure. And there was no evidence of her mother having any sort of contact with him. I don't know if someone told her that he was her dad, or if she decided it for herself… I wanted to tell her, but I never could. I was too afraid."

Kankuro banished Block, Star, and Moon back to their respective talismans. Then he placed the scrolls and spear, along with Dart and Bolt, into Black Ant's damaged compartment. After recalling the six-armed marionette, he moved Anzu and Honda's bodies into Salamander, before storing that puppet as well.

"Kankuro," Nicholas called for the younger man's attention. While Gaara's brother had been doing the work of a Hunter Ninja, the Leaf Shinobi had collected their target. The toymaker was leaning on Naruto to make up for his damaged leg. The Sand ninja finished putting regular handcuffs on his prisoner, and turned his attention back to the craftsman.

"After you finish your mission, if you can return here, it would be my honor to help you repair your puppets," the injured civilian offered.

"I just might take you up on that," the Kazekage's brother said carefully, and then raised his hand in departure, "Naruto, Hinata, thanks for the help. See ya around."

"Wait," Jonouchi interrupted insistently. The prisoner reached into his pocket, and removed a slip of paper, which he hand to the toymaker.

"Your list," he explained, "I hoped if Anzu didn't have it on her, she might forget about it."

"Thank you," Nicholas said sincerely, grimacing as he bowed slightly.

* * *

"Mr. Nicholas," Nyoko was ecstatic when Naruto help the toymaker through the door. Before they had left the factory, Nicholas had resumed his father's appearance. The two shinobi had wanted to take him to a hospital, but he insisted on returning to his shop first. As soon as they entered Hinata drew Kentaro away, quietly informing him what had occurred. The princess ran over to the two men.

"What's wrong?" she asked, immediately noticing the craftsman could not stand on his own.

"My leg is broken," he told her.

"You mean they broke it," she recognized he was specifically withholding blame. He did not acknowledge that.

"So where are they?" she turned her ire on to Naruto.

"Two of them are dead. The third surrendered, and Kankuro is taking him back to the Hidden Sand," he answered directly.

"Good," she said fiercely. Then her face softened, and she said, "Too bad Kankuro couldn't say goodbye."

"You sure got over me fast," Naruto needled, feeling he was due at least that.

"Eh, I like Hinata," she shrugged, "But if she ever dumps you…."

She smirked at him, and he just shook his head in false dismay. The princess turned her attention back to the toymaker.

"You should be in the hospital," she chided, "What if you have internal injuries?"

"And why didn't you take him to a doctor?" she rounded on Naruto again.

"I am in no immediate danger," Nicholas informed her, "My captors wanted to prevent my escape, but could not risk my life. She was very careful and deliberate about how she injured me. And I told Naruto-san and Hinata-san to bring me here, Nyoko-sama."

"Why?" Nyoko managed a determined look despite her confusion. Nicholas removed the slip of paper from his pocket.

"My deliveries," he answered softly, "I am in no shape to be sneaking around tonight, so I will need to make them this afternoon."

"But…" Nyoko was crestfallen, "but it won't be the same."

"Perhaps, but this is the way it has to be," he told her.

"Unless," Hinata returned, as Nyoko's head bodyguard dispatched the two soldiers who had been watching the shop.

"Unless?" Nyoko parroted insistently.

"Unless we deliver the gifts for Nicholas," Hinata said.

"What?" both the toymaker and the princess where shocked be the suggestion.

"Yeah," Naruto agreed, "We could be Nicholas's little helpers, just this once."

"Nyoko, you hired us to preserve the wonder and joy of Nicholas's secret late night visits," Hinata reminded, "This is the next logical part of that mission."

"It isn't a bad idea," the daimyo's daughter nodded, "If Mr. Nicholas agrees."

The three teens looked at the disguised gift giver intently. He, in turn, studied the two Chunin carefully.

"It appears I have no other option," he relented.

* * *

The toymaker had given them a quick rundown of his methods, and handed them the list. Afterwards, they were left with more than ten hours until the deliveries were to begin. With only the slightest prompting, they agreed to spend the rest of the day with Nyoko, especially after learning that her parents were away on diplomatic business. Though she attempted to impress them with the palace, and a five star dinner, they could tell she was really just happy not to be alone, to be spending some time with friends.

Naruto and Hinata arrived back at the safe house just before two AM Yuletide morning, tired, yet pleased. Uzumaki yawned expansively, realizing he had been awake for almost forty hours. His girlfriend could not help but get caught up in the reflex.

"It looks like we won't make it back to the village in time for Yuletide," Hinata said, after recovering control of her lungs.

"Yeah," Naruto rubbed the back of his head, "Sorry you won't get to see your family, or your other friends today."

But Hinata shook her head with a slight smile, and her voice was contented as she told him, "This mission was special. And we're together, that's all I need."

Then she realized what she had said, and blushed fiercely. Naruto rubbed his head again with an embarrassed grin. Then he hit his hand into his fist.

"Oh yeah, I almost forgot," he exclaimed. He opened his backpack, shifted aside his spare jacket, and pulled out a medium size, wrapped box. The paper was dark blue, with silver bells and candles, and the skill of the wrapping was still rough, but a significant improvement over his previous attempt.

"I didn't think we'd make it back in time, so I brought this with," he explained as he thrust the box towards her, "Happy Yuletide, Hinata."

She took the gift nervously. She carefully removed the paper again, and set it aside. The box was of the simple and unadorned style used to wrap clothing. But the mass of the present was too great to be an item of cotton or silk, and as she shifted the box, the Hyuga heiress heard a metallic clink. She slit the tape holding the top on with her fingernail, and lifted the lid. Inside were two metal plates, right around one foot long, and tapered so that one end was three inches wide, while the opposite end was four inches wide. The tablets were raised and rounded around the outside edge, and each had the Konoha Leaf inscribed in the center.

Hinata was confused. Though they were beautiful, she could not fathom their purpose, beyond decoration. An addition, they were light for their size, and resting high in the box, further mystifying the girl. As she removed one of the panels, she understood.

The under side of the panel had metal bars, long ways, just inside the shaped edge. Inside the hollow this created was a thin silk pad. And attached to the bars were three sets of leather straps, the first two pairs crisscrossing, while the third stretched directly to the other side.

"These are kote," she told him, "You bought me forearm guards?"

"Bought, made…" Naruto shrugged, and her look of amazement grew.

"How did you know?" she asked.

"I'm not totally dense," he looked slightly offended, "I've seen you looking at the store. And I know other Taijutsu specialists have some sort of bracers, to block weapons. Neji has those heavy leather pads built into his sleeves, and Lee straps his staff parts to his wrists. And then there is your weapon dilemma."

"What?" his girlfriend tilted her head in confusion.

"Gramma Tsunade has been after you to choose a weapon for your Jonin Trials. Even if you don't ever use it; like Neji and his tonfa, or Choji and his mace," he looked smug, "But you have been focusing on your new Taijutsu styles, and if I'm right, you're getting almost as good as Lee."

"No, I'm not," she objected blushing. He just smiled indulgently at her.

"Either way, I did some checking, and there are some precedents for using kote as a ninja weapon. If you start wearing these, and use them for some backhand and forearm strikes, you should have an S rank weapon in no time."

Hinata lifted the other bracer, and marveled at its lightness. She strapped the pair to her wrists, and swung her arms experimentally. The kote were a comforting presence on her arms, and did not impair her movement in any way.

"Naruto, these are far too good for a Yuletide gift," she chided quietly. Yuletide gifts were generally tokens, small and inexpensive.

"Really?" he pretended to be surprised, "I guess I'm not used to the whole gift exchange thing."

Even without her kekkei genkai, she could see through the excuse, but she decided to let it pass.

"You made these?" she asked, remembering his earlier protest.

"Yup. I guess you could say they're Kitsune's little sisters."

"What's their name?"

Naruto suddenly grimaced, closing his eyes in thought.

"I never gave them one. Maybe you should."

She considered it for a minute, looking at their shimmering surfaces, and running her pointer finger over the smoothly embossed logo.

"Gin… maki?" she sampled the words, and liked the sound, "They are Ginmaki."

"OK, Ginmaki it is," Naruto smirked in approval, "Now you need to channel your chakra into them. Focus on the leaves."

She followed his directions, and the spiral carvings began to glow.

"They are tied to you," he explained, "They will only work for you… and for me, since I made them."

He grew excited as he started to instruct, "So if you channel your earth chakra into the leaves, you can reinforce their structure, so they can block almost anything. And if you put lightning chakra…"

"Naruto," she interrupted him, holding out a small package, "I brought your gift too."

He took the present, instantly recognizing the shape and weight of a CD case. He opened it to reveal a dance music collection.

"Thanks, Hinata," he told her happily. But then he noticed something.

"Oh man, the plastic has been cut," he told her, "I hope the disc isn't scratched."

He tore off the remaining manufacturer's wrapping, and opened the case. As he did, a printed slip of paper fluttered out. He snatched it out of the air.

"What's this?" he asked, "A certificate for six swing dance lessons…"

"I thought it would give us a place to go besides the Golden Shoe," she offered, "And maybe a chance to learn some new steps."

"Hinata," he looked annoyed, "And you were saying Ginmaki was too much for Yuletide."

"Well, um, the lessons aren't just for you, they're for me too," she said quietly, "And I couldn't help myself, so…"

She was cut off when he kissed her.

"I guess we're even," he told her, "Thank you, Hinata."

"Thank you too, Naruto," she met his eyes with a look of raw satisfaction.

"Come on," he said, pulling away reluctantly, "We should get some sleep before we have to head back."

She nodded. After they had prepared for bed, he dragged his borrowed futon close to hers. After arranging himself under the covers; he stuck out his right hand towards her. She blinked at her surprise and happiness; and then folded the fingers of her left hand into his offered palm. And for the first time since her mother died, Hinata felt the joy of falling asleep while maintaining human contact. As she drifted away, she wondered if Naruto had ever had this feeling before.


	45. Return to the Hidden Waterfall

**Chapter 45: Return to the Hidden Waterfall**

"How long do we have to wait?" Sai asked. But his question was not one of impatience; he had begun to sketch the majestic beauty of the waterfall, and wanted to know how long he had to work. Despite being early in January, at was a warm, clear day. Sakura stepped behind him to look at his pad, but she blocked his sun and he glared up at her.

"Not too long," Kakashi told the artist, "He should be here already."

Sai nodded, and began to draw faster.

Naruto tossed another can onto the pile building up on the shore, shaking his head. Last time they had been here, he and Sakura had helped pick up garbage at the edge of the pond at the foot of the falls; and when they had arrived, he had waded in to do so again. As he reached for a plastic milk jug, three towers of water exploded between him and the shore, drenching the blond Chunin.

As the pillars splashed back to the pool, a figure resolved in each column. In the middle stood their client Shibuki, but unexpectedly, on his left was Shizuku, and on his right was her twin brother, Fumito. Both of the children were noticeably taller, and each now wore a Hidden Waterfall headband.

"Sakura!" both shouted, running to the medical Kunoichi. Naruto walked out of the lake, and shook himself dry like a dog, or a fox.

"Sorry about that, Naruto," Shibuki chuckled, "We didn't expect anyone to be in the water. But thank you for the pickup, you saved Fumito and Shizuku some work."

"Hey, Sasuke's not here," Shizuku noted loudly, "Where is he?"

Shibuki looked sheepish. Sai ignored them, continuing his outline, but Naruto and Sakura struggled for words.

"Sasuke left the team for family reasons," Kakashi told them.

"Oh," the young Waterfall Kunoichi looked disappointed.

"So, you two are Genin now?" Naruto changed the subject.

"Yup," Fumito proclaimed proudly.

"We want to defend the village like Shibuki-sama and Naruto-niichan," the young girl added.

"Well, we better get moving," Shibuki announced, "And you two should get to work."

"Yes, Master Shibuki," they both bowed, and then set to work bagging the garbage Naruto had collected.

* * *

"OK, so why are we here?" Kakashi asked. Team 7 had been following the leader of the Hidden Waterfall Village silently for eight minutes, as he led them eastwards along the cliff that contained the waterfall that gave the small shinobi town its name

"There have been some strange and somewhat disturbing rumors," he told them, "Rumors that my village may soon be targeted for conquest. I have spent the past three years building up our strength, but without the Hero's Water it may not be enough. That's why I need the Waterfall Tabard."

"Waterfall Tavern?" Naruto frowned, "We're going to some inn?"

"Not Tavern," Sakura groaned, "Tabard, a cloth drape that you wear over armor."

"No brains," Sai commented.

"The Waterfall Tabard is a special talisman," Shibuki continued, "The cotton used to weave it and the inks used to dye it were all steeped in the Hero's Water. And it was woven by master ninja craftsmen. It is said to triple the strength, speed, and chakra of anyone who can claim it."

"That doesn't explain why we are here," Kakashi pointed out.

"The Tabard is stored in a cave with many lethal traps. The layout has been lost in time, but the instructions say that no two Jonin may enter the cave, nor may one Waterfall Shinobi ask another for help before entering."

"Smart," the Copy Ninja chuckled, "But do you think it will work?"

"What will work?" Naruto was confused.

"I have achieved the rank of Jonin, but you three are all Chunin," their client explained, "On top of that, you are not Waterfall Ninja, and I did not ask for your help, I hired you to do a job."

"So the mission is for the three of us to help you get the Tabard?" Sakura requested confirmation, and Shibuki nodded.

"Then it's as good as yours," Naruto boasted. Sai and Kakashi looked more dubious.

* * *

"This is it," Shibuki said. The cliff face had continued to slant upwards, so that they could no longer see the top. There was a wide trail angled to an opening some thirty feet above them. Underneath mouth of the tunnel, an underground tributary spilled out into a small pond.

"I'll wait here," Kakashi said. He took out his phone, and switched it to short range mode, instructing, "Keep in touch."

The three Chunin nodded, and switched their cels to radio mode, though it took Naruto a couple of tries to remember how to do it. After a nod to Kakashi, Shibuki escorted them into the cave. Sakura and Shibuki broke out flashlights at the dim of the entrance. Sai followed suit, and then the three of them looked at Naruto. He grinned back, and drew Kitsune. A sliver of chakra, and a strong green glow erupted from the pole. But his triumphant look faded as he glanced around the tunnel, and saw it branched in three directions.

"Which way?" he asked Shibuki.

"I don't know," the Waterfall shinobi shook his head, "As I said, the map of this place is lost."

"Then should we just pick one at random?" Sai pondered.

"Maybe we should split up," Sakura suggested.

"I don't think that's a good idea," their client shivered, "If this place is as dangerous as the stories suggest, we should stick together. And try not to touch anything. Let's just take the middle path."

Sakura and Naruto exchanged knowing glances; each thinking their client had not changed too much, despite his advancement. But Sai was already walking dutifully towards the central tunnel, and they trailed after.

The cavern was formed of rough walls, and a sandy floor. They proceeded slowly, keeping an eye out for traps. But the first obstacle was obvious, and possibly natural. They encountered a wide chasm, to far to cross with a single leap. Instead, it sported a number of pillars of different heights and sizes rising from the darkness below. Sakura shined her torch into the gorge, but other than the sides of the wall and the stepping-stones, the light was lost.

"What is the delay?" Sai asked dryly, "Is this pit beyond your skills?"

"If you want to go without making sure they are stable, be my guest," Sakura grumbled, stepping aside. The artist took out a kunai, and tied a thin cable tightly to the loop.

"Safety line," he told the Kunoichi, as if instructing a child. He shone his light across the break in the cavern, fixing it on a point in the wall above the continuation of the tunnel. He tossed the blade smoothly, and the kunai flew straight at the center point of his flashlight's beam. But halfway across the gap, a burst of wind blew down the rift. The kunai was knocked off course, and struck the wall with the flat of the blade, before dropping into the gloom.

"Trap," Sakura told him in the same tone, and Naruto snorted.

"More likely a natural occurrence," Shibuki suggested nervously. Sai nodded as he reeled in his weapon. He checked the blade for damage, and then tried again. But the result was the same, and the Jonin's anxiety became more obvious.

"Maybe we should try one of the other paths."

"I doubt they will be any easier," the new member of team 7 addressed their client with no more respect than he did his teammates.

"What then?" Shibuki demanded, trying and failing to sound firm. Sakura looked around briefly, and ultimately grabbed hold of the wall, and tore off a stone slightly larger than her fist.

"Get ready," Sakura told Sai, hefting the rock. He nodded, and she threw the stone across the chasm, at the wall. As expected, the breeze picked up; but unlike the kunai, the mineral lump was not knocked astray. As soon as the gusts settled, Sai threw his anchor. They all watched in anticipation, and this time the wind did not deflect the dagger. Only after it was entrenched in the wall, did the blowing resume.

With the cord constantly in gap, the wind followed a regular pattern, two seconds of gusts, and three seconds to recharge. Once they realized that, the ninja were able to cross the gorge quite easily.

* * *

After they passed barrage of darts, the four shinobi finally stopped running, Shibuki bent over, panting.

"Man, that was close," Naruto exhaled. Sakura stared back at the slots in the wall, as far as the curve in the tunnel. She considered the floor, and then addressed her allies.

"I think we should try walking on the walls," she said thoughtfully.

"Why waste our chakra?" Sai asked, his voice implying she was making a mistake.

"Because I don't think this sand is natural," she answered, ignoring his condescension, "I think it was put here to hide pressure plates and trip lines. That's what triggered the swinging blades, and darts."

"That makes sense," Shibuki agreed, now looking at the floor.

"Let's try it," Naruto shouted enthusiastically. Without waiting, he scrambled to the side of the tunnel. He put one foot on the wall above the sand, and quickly put his other foot above it. And immediately slid back down onto his butt.

"What the heck?" he grumbled. He jumped back to his feet, and placed his right foot on the wall again. He poured twice as much chakra into the limb, enough to stand on water. But the moment he put weight on it, he slid back down.

"The wall has obviously been treated to repel that technique," Sai noted smugly.

"So what do we do?" Naruto demanded of the thorn in his side, "Sneak through here, blowing the sand away, and hoping that the traps aren't set off by that?"

Sai shrugged, unmoved by Naruto's outburst, but unable to refute the point.

"We need to keep going," Shibuki said, "The sooner we get the tabard, the better. That's your job. And we've done fine so far."

Sakura nodded grimly, and, after another moment to finish catching their breath, they continued their spelunking.

* * *

"What the heck?" Naruto had taken the lead after the quicksand pit. Their journey had been uninterrupted for just over nine minutes of walking, and Sakura and Shibuki were both getting nervous.

Uzumaki had stopped, because the sand on the floor in front of them had been fused into glass. Murky, yet smooth, the glass floor continued on for as far as their flashlights could illuminate.

"You thinking some sort of fire trap?" Naruto asked Sakura, and the medic nodded slowly. Naruto slowly stuck Kitsune out, past the edge of the glass. He wiggled the end of the staff-blade around, experimentally. Nothing happened.

"Maybe it's broken?" Shibuki suggested, "or ran out of fuel?"

But he did not look convinced, nor did any of the Chunin. Sakura looked at the walls ahead of them intently, and then sighed.

"Well, I don't see anything," she pondered, "But something just doesn't feel right."

"How about I just send out a Shadow Clone?" Naruto suggested, "That way we can see if the trap is still working."

"Try it," Shibuki urged.

Naruto put his hands together and a second blond appeared, holding a glowing copy of Kitsune. The duplicate nodded, and then scurried down the tunnel. As a minute of waiting, Uzumaki blinked intensely.

"It spirals down for about three hundred yards, and the glass ends at a short pit. It's back to sand on the other side. But the clone didn't set off any flame throwers, or anything."

"So it doesn't work any more," Sai's tone was blasé, "It was bound to happen. Let's keep moving."

The Leaf and Waterfall warriors stepped onto the smooth surface cautiously. Like the walls, it repelled their chakra grip, making it slippery. But with their training, they had no trouble keeping upright.

After they had traveled twenty feet on the altered floor, they heard a dull scratching and the ceiling slid opened, just after where the glass started. A mass of blue liquid poured out, creating a curtain across the cave, and running towards them. At the edge of the glass, some of the substance splashed on the wall, which began to melt away with a loud hiss.

"It is an acid," Sakura shouted, "The floor is covered is glass so it won't eat through the stone."

Then, another patch of the stone roof began to open, this one close to them.

"RUN!"

* * *

"It's too heavy," Shibuki groaned. After the acid, there had been stabbing spears from the wall. Then came more quicksand and trapdoors. Finally they arrived at a reinforced stone portcullis. The Waterfall leader was straining to lift the gate, but could not budge it.

"There must be some sort of mechanism to open it," he panted after he gave up.

"Let me try," Sakura stepped forward.

"You, but…" Shibuki's protest died in his throat when Tsunade's apprentice lifted the gate slowly. Though it was obviously difficult from the strain on her face, the second strongest ninja in the Konohagakure raised the granite and steel grid. As it passed her waist, she kneeled down, and slid her shoulder under it. The muscles on her legs seemed to pop out as she stood the rest of the way.

"What are you waiting for?" she growled at them. The three men quickly ducked under. But after they were through, they realized Sakura was stuck.

"Can you get it any higher?" Naruto asked.

"Maybe," she groaned, "Why?'

"Lift it as high as you can, and I'll wedge Shadow Clones under it. That should give you enough time to let go, and dive free."

The pink-haired girl nodded. She took a deep breath, and then pushed up again.

"That's all I've got," she told him, when the bottom bar of the barricade was at her eye level. Her teammate signed quickly, and said, "Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu."

Seventeen more Uzumaki's materialized, and they all stuffed themselves under the portcullis. Sakura's pain eased slightly.

"On three," Naruto instructed, "One, two, three."

All of the copies pushed up, and Sakura rolled out from under the gate. With the primary support gone, the barricade slammed shut, destroying all of the duplicates instantly.

"How much further?" Sai asked, bored.

"It shouldn't be too far," Shibuki considered, "We've come over two miles, so if my information is correct, it should be another half mile or so."

"Good," the ANBU agent strolled casually backwards, "This is starting to get tedious. There aren't many more stupid, antiquated traps this place can throw at us."

As he said that, his foot sank into the sand behind him. The Leaf shinobi stumbled backwards, but rolled and landed in a three-limb crouch.

"Pay closer attention," Sakura complained, "You're getting as bad as Naruto used to be."

The artist lifted his hand with a scowl, finally touched by an insult. As he did, there was a loud click underneath him. He barely had any time to register surprise, before the ceiling dropped.

"SAI!" Sakura screamed, and Naruto ran over to the crushing panel, trying to lift it.

"Sakura, give me a hand," he shouted hoarsely, and the powerhouse Kunoichi complied. But even together they could not lift it. After almost a minute of straining, they gave up, and Sakura sank to her knees.

"What's going on in there?" Kakashi's voice suddenly demanded from their phones.

"Kakashi-sensei," Haruno was on the verge of tears as she pressed the talk button, "We lost Sai."

"I know," their teacher said, "He's right here."

"What?" Naruto squawked into his communicator.

"He just came floating out in the underground stream."

"How is he?" Sakura yelled into the phone.

"Wet, unconscious, but otherwise fine," the Leaf Jonin reported. As he spoke, the weighted trap retracted, revealing no sign of the Chunin.

"Maybe there is some sort of trap door?" Naruto suggested.

"Then what about the sand on the floor?" Sakura asked.

"Ummm," he squinted at the dust, now pressed flat and even, "Maybe some kind of jutsu?"

Sakura appeared lost in thought for a moment, but then stood resolutely.

"We have to keep moving," she said, "Especially if we're near the end."

* * *

"There it is," Shibuki called out excitedly. They had entered a large chamber, and in looking around, they saw six other tunnels converged in this room. In the center, illuminated by a pillar of light, there was an armor stand with a white cloth draped over it. On the front of the tabard was the symbol of the Waterfall village in blue and red. Shibuki ran over to the stand, but as he got close, his face changed.

"This is the Waterfall Tabard?" he sounded disappointed. The cotton was ragged and had moth holes. Up close, the emblem of the village was faded. He reached out to touch it and part of it broke away under his fingers.

"How?"

"The Tabard isn't real," Sakura told him, "It's just the carrot. This place is the real goal."

"What do you mean?" Naruto asked.

"Those six paths all come from roughly the same way we did," she said, and pointed to the last exit, "That one doesn't."

"Huh?" Uzumaki grunted.

"Just follow me."

She le\d them to the cavern she had indicated. On the other side, there was another room. One of the walls of the pentangular space had a bookshelf full of scrolls, while the remaining four held a variety of levers and knobs.

"That's what I thought," the intelligent young woman chuckled, "This place is a proving ground."

"A proving ground?" Naruto was not familiar with the term.

"A training area," she explained, "Despite how they look, I'm guessing none of the traps are lethal. They probably just disable you, or send you back outside, like Sai. And they are controlled from here."

"Then the Tabard?" Shibuki asked.

"A legend, and the goal for the maze."

"That's why only one Jonin, and no asking for help," Naruto realized, "It would make it too easy."

Sakura nodded, and added, "And the part about tripling your strength and speed, it's probably an estimate of how much you improve by the time you can run this place at its highest settings."

"Then this was all for nothing," Shibuki banged his hand against the wall.

"What do you mean?' Naruto demanded, "You wanted a way to get stronger to protect your village, and now you have it. Not just you, you can have all of your people train here. Or were you just looking for a quick fix, like Suien was?"

"You're right, Naruto," Shibuki shook his head wryly, "Thank you."

"Now lets turn off these traps, and get out of here," Uzumaki requested, "Kakashi-sensei is waiting."


	46. The Reformation

**Chapter 46: The Reformation**

Hinata and Naruto tensed up in unison. They were surrounded by at least twenty other ninja, trapped. The young shinobi couple stood back to back in the small clearing, while their opponents stayed hidden in the trees, some stationary, and others slowly circling. Hinata was wearing Ginmaki, though Naruto was without Kitsune.

"They're coming," Hinata whispered, her Suigin Byakugan active, "Get ready."

Naruto nodded. Then, as if an invisible signal went off, the first wave of kunai, shurikens, and needles emerged from the woods from all directions. They both raised their right hands, pointer and middle fingers extended.

"Double Vision," they intoned in unison, "Protection of the Eight Trigrams, One Hundred Ninety Two Palms."

Their hands began to move, faster than most eyes could have followed. The streams of sharpened chakra were so intense and numerous, their afterglow gave the illusion of a fifteen foot dome around them. Another wave of weapons followed, faster and more numerous than the first, but these too were destroyed with ease. A particularly dense set of kunai blades came in front Hinata's left, and she turned slightly to face them directly. Naruto moved in unison, keeping his spine perfectly aligned to her, and continuing to knock down the attacks. A small barrage of stones flew towards his head, but he strengthened the energy blades he was shooting, and cut down the earth jutsu just as easily as the throwing weapons.

"Man, they are awesome," Kiba exclaimed, even as he opened the third pouch of shuriken he had been provided for the test. The pair had recruited most of their friends, teachers, and even a few other curious and willing Leaf shinobi, to help them test the new technique. A few feet away, Kakashi hurtled another set of six kunai, multiplying them sevenfold with the Shadow Shuriken jutsu, and on the other side of the clearing, Tenten did the same with her throwing stars. Konohamaru and Udon had run out of throwing blades already, too caught up in youthful enthusiasm, but they continued their part of the barrage with the Doton: Stone Bullets. Ino was mildly concerned by the enthusiasm with which Sakura aimed blades at Hinata.

* * *

"Why have you dragged me out here?" Hiashi Hyuga demanded of the Hokage.

"Just hold on a minute," she told him. She changed course slightly to avoid a dense stand of oak, and then stopped.

"There, I wanted you to see this," she pointed, "Of course, since you took so long, we're already late."

She moved forward, taking out her first set of partially blunted kunai, and throwing them at Hinata's right leg. Hiashi could not stop a small smile as he watched his daughter's defense. And the expression only became curious when he realized Naruto was part of the technique.

"What is this?" he asked evenly, "It looks like Hinata's Protection of the Eight Trigrams Sixty-four Palms, but how is Naruto using the technique?"

"Kariname Jutsu," she answered, letting a handful of shuriken fly, "Actually, Hinata has created a stronger version, one that fuses their sight. So Naruto effectively has the Byakugan, and Hinata uses him to cover the Hyuga blind spot."

He nodded.

"But why show me this?" he asked, "I am impressed, but why not tell me beforehand."

"So your opinion wouldn't be colored. Such perfect teamwork as a rare thing."

He chuckled, "That was not necessary. I have already come to the realization that my daughter could do far worse for a partner than Naruto Uzumaki."

"I'm glad to hear it," Tsunade smirked knowingly, "Very glad."

Shino moved his hands through the patterns, using the Shadow Clone Jutsu to create two copies of himself. The original stepped back, while the duplicates sent their swarms of cloned bugs to attack Hinata and Naruto. Hinata stepped forward to face the cloud with her superior speed, and Naruto picked up his own pace to cover the rest of the attacks. Besides their shared vision, each could tell what the other would do through their linked chakra, and the muscles of their backs. In less then three seconds, all of the replica bugs were destroyed.

"Alright," Gai roared, caught up in the moment. He ripped a giant rock free from of the earth, hefting it into a pitcher's stance. Shikamaru stepped away, looking worried. Before anyone could stop him, he threw the third-ton chunk of granite at Naruto and Hinata. Both teens' heads jerked to look at the stony missile. The other weapons slowed, as most of the attackers paused in concern. Hinata's right arm, and Naruto's left arm snapped out as one, as if they were connected at the wrist. They combined their strikes effortlessly, and the rock exploded. Their arms split apart again, and they individually destroyed the remaining pieces.

The test finally ended when their attackers ran out of ammunition. As the projectiles stopped flying, Naruto and Hinata ended the Jutsu with matched exhales of relief. Once it was safe, their friends flooded the field to congratulate them.

"I need to see Teams 7, 8, and 10 in my office," Tsunade announced when she entered the clearing. She caught Genma's eye, and her assistant nodded, before disappearing.

* * *

"It seems we are ready," the Hokage announced, despite the fact Sai and Kurenai were both missing.

"I have been considering this for a while," she informed them, "But what I have just seen clinches it. I have decided to eliminate your teams."

The Chunin's yells of protest combined into an incomprehensible roar. Only Kakashi, the only Jonin present, besides Tsunade and Shizune, and Shikamaru remained silent.

"QUIET!" the leader of the Leaf Ninja roared, and everyone complied.

"As it stands, none of your teams are complete. The Sai experiment failed, he will be returning to the ANBU. That leaves Kakashi short a Chunin, and the rest of you don't have a Jonin leader. Also, those outdated team numbers should have gone away as soon as you were accepted as Genin teams, but some how they stuck."

"What do you mean, we do not have a Jonin?" Shino asked, "Kurenai-sensei…"

"Will not be returning to normal duty," Tsunade explained. The Chunin began to shout questions again, but Tsunade raised her hand.

"I suppose I had better explain that part first," she sighed.

"The Kazekage and I have come up with a new way to strengthen the ties between our villages. We are each sending one Jonin to live in the other village, as a diplomat. Or as I like to think of it, a 'mutual hostage exchange'."

"Cute," Shikamaru said sardonically, "So we can refuse any mission that would put us at odds with the Sand, because they have one of our people. I'm guessing that's Kurenai?"

"Correct," the Hokage nodded, "Given that she is raising Saru alone, she felt it was too dangerous to be going out on missions. Instead, she will be helping Gaara set up an academy similar to our own. And in return…"

Shikamaru cut her off, saying "You might as well come out, Tema-chan."

The Sand Kunoichi appeared behind him, and punched him in the shoulder. Hard.

"I told you not to call me that in public," she griped, "Jerk."

"Wait, you two are?" Naruto's head jerked back and forth between the two of them, "But when I asked before, you said you weren't."

"That was then, this is now," Shikamaru said.

"ANYWAY," the Hokage said loudly, to regain their attention, "As I said, you are all short handed. So I am reforming the teams, starting today. Of course, there will always be times when you will have to work in different groups, but as before, these will be your primary partners."

"Team Kakashi, will continue to consist of Kakashi Hatake, Naruto Uzumaki, and Sakura Haruno," she explained, looking at the folder, "And as it would be foolish to separate such a perfectly synchronized duo, I'm also placing Hinata Hyuga on Kakashi's team."

Naruto and Hinata's eyes met. Hinata's white orbs sparkled with happiness, and Naruto grinned at her. Sakura groaned in disappointment, and Kakashi looked amused.

"Ino Yamanka, Choji Akimichi, and Shikamaru Nara," the medical Sannin continued, "You three mesh almost as well as your fathers, but you have become a little complacent, so your new Jonin teacher will get you back on track."

"You?" the lazy genius looked at his girlfriend expectantly. But Temari shook her head.

"No," Tsunade also denied, "As diplomatic envoy of the Sunagakure, Temari will be working directly with me on certain… _special_ projects. No, you three will be working under Anko Mitarashi."

"Even worse," Shikamaru grimaced, as the abrasive Jonin appeared.

"Welcome to Team Anko, maggots," she addressed them, "It seems it's my job to whip you into shape. Since the only one of you I've worked with was Ino, and she was next to useless, I'm guessing this is gonna be a lot of fun."

Ino bristled, and Choji groaned in unison with Shikamaru.

"Shino Aburame and Kiba Inuzuka, that leaves you two down both a leader and a teammate," the Hokage regarded them, "So you will be serving on Yugao Uzuki's team."

Unlike Anko or Temari, Yugao did not just appear on the room. Instead, she politely opened the door, and bowed before she entered. Behind her another figure started to follow.

"And your new teammate will be…"

"Sasame!" Naruto exclaimed in recognition, running over to the girl, "It's been a while."

"Um, yes, Sasame Fuma," Tsunade sighed out the girl's name.

Physically, Sasame Fuma had changed little in the three intervening years. She was not even two inches taller, and her figure had matured only slightly. The thread user's straight orange hair still fell to the bottom of her back and retained the topknot peak, though her bangs were split. But her clothing had changed completely. Gone were the tomboyish cap, turtleneck vest, and shorts. She instead wore a tight, knee length, short sleeved, navy blue dress. Over the top of that she wore a leather vest breastplate and fauld. Her feet were partially covered by split sandals, and her hands by fingerless gloves. And noticeably, she had a Konoha Headband covering her forehead.

"It's nice to see you, Naruto, Sakura," she told them, "And I look forward to working with everyone."

"So you're joining the Leaf Village?" Sakura asked. The new girl nodded.

"The rest of the Fuma clan has joined with Hidden Sound Village," the Hokage explained, "But Sasame here seemed to think she owed a debt to us. We put her to the test, and she passed with flying colors. As of yesterday, Sasame Fuma is a Leaf Village Chunin in good standing."

"That's all," the Hokage concluded, "You're all dismissed."

"Alright worms, it's time to get to work," Anko smirked at her Chunin squad, and with more than a little trepidation, they let themselves be escorted out of the Hokage's office.

"I think we should have a party," Kiba suggested, "welcoming Sasame to the village."

"That's a great idea," Naruto nodded enthusiastically.

Sasame blushed, but did not protest. The remaining Chunin and Jonin exited the Hokage's office, leaving one man behind.

"Is there something I can do for you, Shino?" Tsunade asked him.

"I know it is not my place," his voice was as calm and even as always, "But are you sure you can trust that girl? She has worked for our enemies before."

"That time, she was both tricked and coerced by Orochimaru," she stared at him cannily, "And once she figured that out, she quickly went to helping Naruto and Sakura. Besides that, after the wringer we put her through, I'd have to say I trust her at least as much as any of the rest of you."

"Still, I am not comfortable working with her. The Fuma clan's thread techniques are based around snaring and immobilizing opponents. The have well earned the nickname of 'Clan of Spiders'. As an insect user…"

"I am well aware of the Aburame Clan's one-sided rivalry with the Fuma Clan," Tsunade leaned back, hiding her grin behind her hands. Smirking at Naruto might work, but handling Shino required a different tack, "I took it into account when making this decision. I think this will be a good chance for you; both to expand your horizons, and to help put your clan's little prejudice to rest. Now, if there is nothing else, I need to get back to work."

"No," Shino's frown and narrowed eyes were hidden, "Thank you for hearing me out, Lady Hokage."

"Do you think that will be a problem?" Shizune asked her teacher, after the door closed.

"No, Shino is pretty low-key," Tsunade considered out loud, "And by the book. It should work out."

* * *

"Sakura."

Aside from Shino, Sakura was the last to leave Ninja Ops. She trailed purposefully, in no mood to be carried along to their impromptu party. But as she left, she was called out to by Kakashi.

"Are you OK with this?" he asked carefully.

"Of course, sensei," she grinned weakly, "What makes you say that? Why wouldn't I be?"

"Other than your obvious annoyance?" he countered flippantly.

"It's just, all this lovey-dovey crap is starting to wear thing," she sighed, "I mean, Naruto never used to be like this."

"I know," the Copy Ninja agreed glibly, "He never used to fawn over someone he cared about, and kowtow to her every whim."

His right eye landed on her intently, and she sighed again, this time in defeat.

"OK, I get it," her false reasoning defeated, she pretended to surrender, "I'll cut them a little more slack."

"And I'll have a talk with them about all the PDAs," Kakashi offered, "So it doesn't get in the way of our missions."

"Thanks, Kakashi-sensei."


	47. Protecting the Twice Princess

**Chapter 47: Protecting the Twice Princess**

Despite having been there before, Naruto and Sakura goggled at the movie studio as much as Hinata did. The sets, the props, the actors and actresses; their heads darted around, taking it all in. Kakashi shepherded his students though the maze of overhead lights, backdrops, and three-quarters rooms.

"Naruto, Sakura, Kakashi," Makino, the director of the Princess Gale films shouted, and waved them over.

"We're getting set up for the next scene. Yukie is still in her dressing room," he told them, "I'll have one of the kids show you the way."

The director flagged down a page, and instructed the young woman to take the shinobi to the actress. The intern led them swiftly past the castle wall set, to a line of rooms along the outer wall. She indicated one of the rooms with a large star on the door, and then nervously hurried off. Kakashi knocked on the door.

"Come in," a familiar voice. Without hesitating, Kakashi opened the door and entered the princess's sanctuary.

Koyuki Kazahana was already garbed in the costume of Princess Gale. But her hair was still loose, and her face unmade, not that it hurt her looks in the slightest.

"We'll have to hurry, Kasumi, to make the call," she said as they slid into the dressing room, not looking back.

"I'm not sure who Kasumi is, Koyuki-sama," Kakashi raised an eyebrow, "but I hope you trust her."

She glanced into the large mirror before her, and then turned to face them with a brilliant smile.

"Kakashi, Naruto, Sakura," she rose to greet them, "I'm so happy to see all of you again."

"It is good to see you to, Koyuki-sama," Sakura responded

"No need to be so formal," she admonished, shaking Kakashi and Sakura's hands, "And on the set, I still go by Yukie. Most of the people here don't know that I am Daimyo of the Land of Snow. I thought you were my stylist."

"Naruto, you've grown a lot," she looked up at him, before hugging him.

"You haven't changed much," he told her, "though you do seem more cheerful."

"That's thanks to you guys," she released him and turned to the last shinobi, "And you must be Hinata Hyuga. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Hinata blushed as the princess turned actress shook her hand, "Likewise, I'm sure."

"So why did our Daimyo hire us to protect you?" Kakashi queried.

"Yeah, shouldn't you have your own Snow Ninjas for bodyguards?" Naruto added.

"Normally, I would," she grinned, "But we just found a substantial vein of iron and copper ore. We are still working to rebuild, so I am negotiating with both the Land of Fire and the Land of Water for the mineral rights. So your ruler decided my guards were a security risk; that they might engage in some espionage."

Her smile grew even more ironic, "Of course, the real reason he did it, was so he could assign you three to guard me, so I would feel indebted to him."

Then her smile faded, and she looked more thoughtful, "Unfortunately it might be a good thing he did. There have been a few _in__cidents_ on the set recently."

"What kind of incidents?" Sakura asked, suspiciously.

"Last Thursday, my costume came back from the cleaners two sizes smaller. Then, on Monday, all the mail to all of the actors was stolen. And just yesterday one of the lights came loose, and crashed between Michi and me," she looked a little scared, "If all of that happened over the course of the entire filming, it wouldn't raise an eyebrow. But this all happened in just one week."

"Do you think someone is targeting you?" Kakashi asked evenly. She nodded slowly.

"But who would do something like that?" Naruto was dismayed.

"Though I don't like to say it," Kakashi answered first, "The Daimyos of the Land of Fire and the Land of Water are likely candidates, given the non-lethal nature of the attacks thus far. Either one could be trying to frighten you, and place the blame on the other."

"I can't believe that," Yukie protested, "They are honorable men, and allies of my country."

"Still we need to consider it," the Jonin seemed to agree with the actress, "In that case, who else could be after you?"

She thought about it, but before she could answer, there was a knock at the door.

"Come in."

The door opened, and petite brunette stuck her head in.

"Oh, you are busy, Miss Yukie," she stammered.

"These are my new bodyguards, Kasumi," she explained, "So they will be around. But yes, we are busy right now. Can you come back in five minutes, please?"

The hair and make-up artist nodded, and quickly closed the door.

"Who else could be behind these attacks?" Yukie resumed, "Well, the first thing that comes to mind is the other studios. This is script is the best yet, and if they can shut us down, or even just delay us enough to miss the summer movie season, it would help their bottom line."

"Then there is Mayuko," she continued, after a breath, "Fubuki Kakuyoku's younger sister. She was loyal to my uncle, and very upset by her sister's death. She escaped, and fled the Land of Snow. She could have followed me here."

"And I suppose Noriko," the ruler sounded dubious, "She's my stunt double, and understudy. There were rumors she was trying to get a bigger part, or even replace me. But I have had some combat training since the last film; so I'm actually doing more of my own stunts this time. And that means she has less screen time. But I don't think it is her. After all, if they were to decide to shut down filming, it would hurt her too."

"Jealous people don't always act rationally," Hinata suggested quietly. For a moment everyone digested that, and Sakura's face flashed annoyance. The pink-haired Kunoichi looked ready to say something, until there was another knock at the door.

"Miss Yukie," the stylist's voice carried through the door, "Mr. Makino asked me to remind you we have a schedule."

"Right," the actress raised her voice to be heard.

"We'll be outside," Kakashi indicated Naruto should go first, "But Hinata and Sakura will stay in here with you."

"Alright," Yukie smiled and nodded. Then, as the Jonin was opening the door, she suddenly spoke again.

"If you don't have any other arrangements, you four should stay with me," the actress suggested, "I have the room, and it will make things easier."

Kakashi inclined his head slightly in acceptance.

* * *

Gale ran down the hallway, struggling to control her panic. The stone corridor let out in the dining hall. Brit was already in the room, bent over Shishimaru. When he heard the princess, he straightened.

"Brit, thank the gods you are alright," she said firmly, "I found Tsukuyaku, collapsed by the armory. And now Shishimaru…"

She trailed off, unsure how to continue.

"They are both merely unconscious," he told her without facing her. She let a small amount of relief show on her face.

"I did not want them hurt," he continued, "But I needed them out of the way, so they would not interfere."

The chakra sorceress did not react with fear, but with surprise and royal concern.

"You are not planning to fight the Tiles on your own, are you?" she asked, putting the weight of her leadership into her voice, "I understand that you want justice for your wife and daughter, but to face the four of them alone would be madness."

"Justice," he sneered, his voice showing emotion for the first time, "A fancy word for heroes and monarchs. You use the term as if the world will shatter if you state what you really want. Revenge. To hurt your enemies, and watch the life drain from their eyes."

"But you are wrong," he finally turned so she could see his expression. His eyes were full of sadness, but his mouth was set in a firm line.

"I don't want revenge," he explained, "Not when the Tiles have offered to resurrect my family, if I join them."

He pulled the dagger from his sleeve, and he was too close and too quick for Gale to dodge. He stabbed the straight knife at her unprotected stomach.

CLANG! A kunai struck the blade, knocking it out of his hand. Both Gale and Brit were surprised and scared by the sudden interruption, and they stepped away from one another.

"CUT!" the director shouted. Everyone on the set was looking at Hinata Hyuga, her arm extended, and her Kekkei Genkai active.

"Hinata," Sakura yelled at her teammate, "What the hell was that?"

"Tha… That dagger," the white-eyed Kunoichi quailed under the scrutiny, "It's not a prop. It's real."

All eyes moved to the weapon.

"No way," the actor proclaimed defensively, "That's the same knife I used for the fight between Brit and the West Tile. It has the button to stop the blade from retracting."

"Hinata's right," Kakashi was suddenly in the middle of the set, holding the dagger, "It has a fake button, but this is full tang, fully sharp weapon."

"Yukie, I didn't know," the actor protested, taking another step back. The three Chunin all closed ranks around the princess.

"All right, let's all settle down," Makino tried to regain control of the set, "Let's take a break, and try to figure out how this happened."

"Naruto, Sakura, take Yukie back to her dressing room, and stay with her," Kakashi ordered, "Hinata, you're with me."

"Of course, Kakashi-sensei," the girl bobbed her head. As the other two escorted their client off the sound stage, Hinata followed Kakashi in the opposite direction. As they wove through the studio at high speed, Hinata spoke again.

"Where are we going, sensei?" she asked carefully.

"Props," he explained, showing her the dagger, "We need to find where this came from, and that is the place to start."

She nodded, having suspected as much.

* * *

"Are you OK, Koyuki-sama?" Sakura asked, once they were back in the actress's sanctuary.

"Yukie, Sakura," she insisted, "And yes, I'm fine; thanks to Hinata. Compared to a trio of murderous traitors, a prop mix-up isn't anything to worry about."

"If it was a mix-up," Sakura wondered.

"If it wasn't a mistake," Naruto frowned, "Then the others probably weren't either. And they are getting more dangerous."

"But it's nothing you can't handle, right," the actress asserted confidently.

"Of course," Naruto agreed.

"But, we don't know what we're facing," Sakura objected, "And espionage and investigation aren't exactly our strong suits."

"Maybe not before," Naruto shrugged, "But now we have the three sharpest eyes in the entire Hidden Leaf Village on our team."

* * *

The props room was divided in two. Half of the room was designated for storage of completed elements. This half was clean and organized. The other section was for the creation of the fake tools and weapons. That area was far more cluttered, and stained.

As the two shinobi entered the workshop, a well-built man moved to greet them.

"Director Makino called ahead," the craftsman told them, "He figured you were headed down here. Mentioned there was some sort of mix-up with Brit's knife. That they might'a grabbed the real knife instead'a the rubber one. I was going ta look for it now."

After wiping the grease off his hands, he opened a compartment on one of the shelves. It only took a few seconds of rummaging around, before he extracted a knife that appeared identical to the one Kakashi was holding.

"They look the same," Hinata marveled.

"Thanks," the prop master said proudly. He took the dagger he was holding, and pressed his thumb against the blade, and began to rub it back and forth vigorously. Then he showed them the digit was unmarked.

"The paint job makes it look sharp, but this thing can barely cut water. The blade is pretty rigid, but it has some give."

He displayed the property, pressing firmly on the tip until the polymer flexed. Then he released the concealed button of the hilt, and the blade vanished into the handle.

"And, of course it's collapsible."

"But then why have a real, sharp version?" Hinata asked cautiously.

"For scenes where we need to cut something. Like the one we filmed last Monday; 'Brit' gets angry and stabs an apple, and then cuts it up to eat, to cover. It's foreshadowing, and we can't cut an apple with the fake blade."

Then the artisan frowned, "What bothers me is how that one got on the set. The real blades are locked up in the weapons locker when not in use."

"Can we see the locker?" the elder shinobi asked.

"Sure," the prop maker shrugged. He led them over to the reinforced cabinet, and put the combination into the heavy lock. The thick door opened with a loud metallic creak, and the prop master's face filled with surprise.

"What the f…" his expletive trailed off, and he glanced sheepishly at the young woman. The he reached inside, and took out a third knife, seemingly identical to the first two.

"This is the cutting version," he said, raising first his right hand, and then his left, "And this is the fake. So what do you have?"

He set the two knives down on the table so they could see. Other than the catch to prevent the rubber blade from retracting, they were indistinguishable. Kakashi set the third dagger alongside them. It too had the small button near the top of the handle.

"Hinata, will you take a closer look?" Kakashi asked. The Chunin nodded, and put her hands together.

"Byakugan."

The veins around her eyes pulsed, and the outline of her pupils became visible in her white eyes. Instinctively, she looked down at the daggers as her focus fell on them.

"I see… That is very clever," she reached for the fake weapon, not quite touching it. Then she turned her attention to the two sharpened blades.

"This one," she pointed to the one their host had removed from the locker, "Is superior to the other blade. It metal is a higher quality, and the etchings are deeper, and more detailed."

"Thanks," the prop master took her words as a compliment.

"There are marks on the bottom of this one," her finger stopped just short of the hilt of the weapon that had nearly struck Yukie, "It looks like it was filed down, and covered over with paint."

The tool maker's eyes widened in realization, and he exclaimed, "It's one'a the replicas."

"Replicas?" Hinata asked.

"After the last movie, the studio released some limited edition copies of all the movie's weapons. Not quite as good as my originals, but close enough to pass cursory inspection," he explained, "Someone must'a scratched off the serial number and sharpened it. And added the fake lock."

"Can we track down who could have ordered this?" Kakashi asked, collecting the evidence again.

"Probably not," he shrugged apologetically, "The production run was twenty five hundred, and the serial number is gone. And it could'a been somebody who paid cash and didn't register it, or it could'a been resold or stolen."

Kakashi nodded, having expected as much.

"So how did it get on the set?" Hinata asked.

"Well, we only keep the real weapons and expensive stuff locked up. It would'a been pretty easy to slip something in here," the prop master answered, "Still, it is kind'a suspicious that it was Brit's knife that turned up real."

"Why is that?" Kakashi queried pointedly.

"Didn't they give you scripts?" he asked. They shook their heads, and he thought about it. After a moment of indecision, he continued, "Look, I don't like telling gossip, and I like telling spoilers even less, but… Brit dies at the end of the movie. And needless to say, he wasn't too happy about that. Heard he pitched a fit."

"Thank you for your time," the Jonin prepared to leave.

"When you see Miss Yukie, tell her I'll be checking everything that comes out'a here for the rest of the shoot, OK?"

"We will," Hinata agreed.

* * *

"Yes, I was angry at first," the actor shrugged, "I read the end of the script first, and found out they were killing Brit that way. So I groused a little to Makino, and Yukie. But that was before I figured out this was the best thing they could have done for my career."

"How so?" Kakashi asked curiously.

"First off, I have more lines in this film than I had in any of the previous five. In fact, I have more screen time in this sequel than I did in the first and third films, combined," he explained happily, "And I get to display much more emotional range. So I get a showcase film, and afterwards I'm not tied down. It is the perfect platform for me to move into a real, leading roll."

Then, he grinned wider, "And on top of that, after the third film, the studio signed the main cast to a four picture deal. Which means, even if Brit doesn't appear in number seven, I still get paid. So it's really in my best interest to see that this film gets made, and is as successful as possible."

"Thanks for your time," Kakashi said again, and he indicated Hinata should leave first.

"What do you think?" the Copy Ninja asked once they were out of earshot. The girl dismissed her Kekkei Genkai as she answered.

"I believe him," she offered, "The Byakugan isn't a perfect lie detector, and Neji is better at it than I am; but he didn't show any signs of deception."

"He is an actor," her teacher mused, "But I tend to agree. His reasoning is logical, and like you said, he was not upset, but also not too composed."

"We should head back to Yukie's dressing room," he instructed.

* * *

Gale ran down the hallway, struggling to control her panic. The stone corridor let out in the dining hall. Brit was already in the room, bent over Shishimaru. When he heard the princess, he straightened.

"Brit, thank the gods you are alright," she said firmly, "I found Tsukuyaku, collapsed by the armory. And now Shishimaru…"

She trailed off, unsure how to continue.

"They are both merely unconscious," he told her without facing her. She let a small amount of relief show on her face.

"I did not want them hurt," he continued, "But I needed them out of the way, so they would not interfere."

The chakra sorceress did not react with fear, but with surprise and royal concern.

"You are not planning to fight the Tiles on your own, are you?" she asked, putting the weight of her leadership into her voice, "I understand that you want justice for your wife and daughter, but to face the four of them alone would be madness."

"Justice," he sneered, his voice showing emotion for the first time, "A fancy word for heroes and monarchs. You use the term as if the world will shatter if you state what you really want. Revenge. To hurt your enemies, and watch the life drain from their eyes."

"But you are wrong," he finally turned so she could see his expression. His eyes were full of sadness, but his mouth was set in a firm line.

"I don't want revenge," he explained, "Not when the Tiles have offered to resurrect my family, if I join them."

He pulled the dagger from his sleeve, and he was too close and too quick for Gale to dodge. He stabbed the straight knife at her unprotected stomach. Blood sprayed out as the blade pierced her skin. She started to collapse, pulling away from the blade, but he caught her gently.

"Why?" Gale demanded weakly.

"Your blood and the Holy Chakra it contains are vital components of the ritual," he answered quietly, "If I bring it to them, then my family will live again."

He held a vial to the wound, collecting the fluid. Once the container was full, he set her down gently.

"Goodbye, Princess Gale."

"CUT!" the director shouted triumphantly, "That was perfect. Let's call it a night."

* * *

"Unfortunately, I only have three spare bedrooms," Koyuki told the four ninjas, as she ushered them into her rather substantial home. She took note of the teens' amazement at the wide, open recreation room just inside the front entrance.

"So I'm afraid two of you will have to bunk together," she continued, glancing at them. Sakura also looked at Naruto and Hinata, as if expecting something.

"I'll bunk with Kakashi-sensei," Naruto asserted, "So Hinata and Sakura can have their own rooms."

"That's generous of you, Naruto," Kakashi's even tone carried a hint of amusement, "But unnecessary."

The others looked at him, surprised. The princess's face also held a hint of promise.

"Since one of us will be standing guard at any given time, we'll only need three beds anyway."

Sakura nodded, and Yukie looked disappointed.

"You three get some rest," the Jonin ordered, "I'll take first watch."

* * *

"I told you that you couldn't kill her with that knife trick," one of the shadows watching the actress's house said sourly.

"I don't want to kill her," the second said, "I like her films. And our job is to get her off the set. I don't think our client particularly wants Yukie dead either."

"Alive, dead, what difference does it make," the first watcher shrugged, "But tomorrow we do it my way."


	48. Behind the Scenes

**Chapter 48: Behind the Scenes**

Sakura was sitting in a chair outside the actress's room, when the alarm went off at five AM. She listened to the princess groan and then slap the clock. Then she heard something else, a none-too-quiet crash from the other side of the house. Even as she stood, she drew a kunai in her right hand, and her weapon scroll in her left. The medical expert paused, torn between her desire to investigate, and her worry this was a distraction to pull her away from the actress. But then she heard Naruto shout in frustration, and she quickly darted down the hall.

Instead of finding her teammate locked in battle, she discovered Naruto in the kitchen, staring at a paring knife in annoyance.

"Is this thing just for show?" he grumbled, before tossing the red stained blade into the sink. Uzumaki was not wearing his jacket, but he did have on his pants and tank top. He withdrew a kunai from his belt pouch, and resumed cutting the raspberries spread over the counter.

"Naruto, what are you doing?" she asked angrily.

"I'm trying to make breakfast," he shot back with slightly less vehemence, "But Yukie isn't making it easy. The pans were just shoved in the cabinet, and none of the knives are sharp."

"Hinata will be done in the shower soon," Kakashi said from behind his student, "So you should get ready for your turn, Sakura."

"What's wrong with you two?" she complained, "We're on a mission, not vacationing at a friend's house."

"Actually, we're kinda doing both," Naruto observed, his mood clearing slightly.

"Sakura, I might agree with you if we were in the field, getting ready for battle," the Jonin tried to supplicate her, "But we're in the second largest city in the nation. We will spend the day dealing with actors and executives. So there's no reason we can't take advantage of civilization, is there?"

"I guess not," she agreed, lowering her knife, and stowing the scroll. Just then Hinata walked in, fully clothed, but her hair still wet and not yet braided.

"I'll go stand guard," Kakashi told the pink haired woman. She nodded, and both of them left. Hinata sat in the chair, and watched her beloved cut the berries in eights. He dumped the fruit into the dough, and mixed it in.

"What are you making?" she asked softly. Her face was tight with uncertainty.

"Raspberry pancakes and sausages," he said carefully, confused by her demeanor.

"I thought you didn't like to cook," despite the phrasing, the tone made her statement a question.

"I hate it," he agreed, "It's taken me almost a half hour to get this far, and it'll take another twenty minutes to get everything done. Then afterwards, it will take at least as long to clean up this mess. And on top of that, I couldn't take my shower yet, because I knew I would just get messed up again. And all that, for something that will only take like fifteen minutes to eat…"

"Then why do it?" she asked.

"Why?" he shrugged as if he had not considered it, "So everyone could have good breakfast."

"Do you…" Hinata started to ask another question, but she trailed off in fear and uncertainty. Then she took a grip on her worry, and forced the question out.

"Naruto, do you have a crush on Princess Koyuki?"

"Huh? Ow," he cut his finger, his attention shifted by his surprise. The wound quickly stopped bleeding, and he washed the knife.

"No way," Uzumaki responded flippantly, as he dabbed the blade with a towel.

"Really... it... it's OK if you do..." she told him, trying to sound earnest. He saw her expression, and he turned serious.

"I mean, she is pretty... and she is talented, and..."

"I don't have a crush on Yukie," he interrupted her gently, "Yeah, I used to have a crush on Princess Gale, the _character_. But that was before I met her. Yukie used to be an ice princess in every sense of the word. She never laughed or smiled, and she said she couldn't cry. And she was really self-centered. At first, I didn't like her at all, and that sort of snapped me back to reality. By the end of the mission, I understood her better, and she started to open up more. But by then, I was already past my crush."

"Yukie and I are just friends, Hinata. I promise you."

She nodded, relieved.

"Maybe… I could clean up for you, Naruto," she offered.

"Nah, you don't have to do that, Hinata," he shook his head.

"I want to," she countered in her normal quiet tone, "Besides, while I do the dishes, you can take your… your shower."

She blushed at the end of the statement.

"Are you thinking dirty thoughts, Hinata?" he teased her happily. The girl turned an even deeper shade of crimson, but could not deny the accusation.

* * *

By the time they had finished eating and washing up, it was already well past six. Fortunately, the actress's home was fairly close to the studio, and they were able to arrive only a few minutes late for her 6:40 hair styling. But when they entered the studio, it was eerily dark and quiet. Only half of the lights were on, and they didn't see anyone else. Yukie stepped closer to Kakashi, the widening of her eyes not entirely due to the gloom.

"Where is everybody?" Sakura whispered, "Shouldn't there be people here getting ready?"

"Maybe everyone is getting ready," Naruto suggested, "You know, all in their own dressing rooms."

"What about the lighting and sound people?" Hinata asked, "Or the cameramen?"

"Stay close," Kakashi instructed. The ninjas closed in around their client, escorting her to her dressing room. Before they could arrive at the actress's sanctuary, a series of light footsteps caused them to freeze in place.

"Byakugan," Hinata whispered, her vision extending in all directions at once, and through the set facings.

"Kakashi-sensei," she exhaled urgently.

"I know," he confirmed, "We're surrounded."

A figure became visible in the dim, then another. Within a second, even Koyuki could make out more than a dozen humanoid shapes walking deliberately towards them.

Their attackers had green, rotting skin and torn rags for clothing. Their faces were drawn, and a few were missing eyes. Each also carried a bone or tree branch like a club.

"Gale," one rasped, and the other echoed, "Kill Princess Gale."

"Not zombies," Naruto shuddered, reaching for Kitsune.

"No, they're not zombies," Hinata denied, "They are people in zombie costumes."

"Kill Gale…"

"These must be the stunt fighters," Yukie said excitedly, "They must be in costume for the big battle scene. We're attacking the Tiles' stronghold today. But why are they acting like this?"

"Suigin Byakugan," Hinata expended more chakra to increase her Kekkei Genkai to the second level.

"They are each under a powerful Genjutsu," the white-eyed beauty told her teammates, "There are talisman scrolls under their masks, anchoring the effect."

"Can you absorb it?" their Jonin leader asked.

"I don't know," she shuddered at the thought, "There are so many of them, and I've never used the Absorption against a Genjutsu inside a talisman before."

"So much for that," Sakura rolled her eyes, "What should we do, Sensei? We can't hurt them, it's not their fault."

"That didn't stop you and Sasuke last time," Naruto smirked.

"…Princess Gale."

"If we can get the scrolls off them, then Hinata can use the Suigin Byakugan to free them," Kakashi said.

The zombie actors suddenly charged, as they had received an unseen, unheard signal. They did not attack the ninjas, but instead tried to push past, to reach Yukie. Though Sakura's strength enabled her to keep them at bay easily, the other three struggled.

"They're pretty strong," Naruto groaned, shaking his hand from the impact of the club he just caught. The stuntman yanked the weapon away before the shinobi could disarm him.

"Their hearts are beating really fast," Hinata noted, "I... I think the Genjutsu is flooding their systems with adrenaline. If this keeps up, they could die from the strain."

"I'm getting Yukie to higher ground," Kakashi informed his students, even as he turned and lifted the actress, "Naruto and Sakura, try getting rid of the scrolls, so Hinata can free them."

"Right," Naruto nodded with a grim look, even as the Jonin jumped towards the wall, and then rebounded up to the catwalk. The brainwashed fighters all turned to follow, and a few of the more adapt ones start to climb the set pieces to get closer to the elevated walkway. Sakura grabbed one of the female performers, and reached for the gruesome latex over her face. As she did, the woman reacted to her for the first time, swinging her club at the Kunoichi's neck. Though the zombies closest to Kakashi and Yukie continued their ascent; the rest, the majority turned back, their groans changing.

"Kill Leaf Ninja," the brainwashed warriors moaned.

The first of the stunt actors reached the catwalk. She attempted a lunge past Kakashi, but he caught her wrist. She pulled away, and tried to sweep his legs. Hatake avoided the attack, and cleanly tore the mask from her face. Half of the chakra-laced tag came with zombie disguise, and Kakashi touched her forehead with his other hand, intoning, "Release."

The performer took another half of a step towards Koyuki, and then stopped. Though she was slightly shorter, and noticeably less voluptuous then the princess, there was an uncanny similarity in their faces. Kakashi suspected this was Yukie's stunt double.

"What happened?" she asked, "Where am I?"

"Noriko," the star called out, recognizing her understudy and confirming the Jonin's conjecture, "Are you OK?"

"Yukie?" she seemed disoriented, "What's going on?"

"Don't you remember?"

"No," the stunt expert shook her head.

"Get behind me," Kakashi barked, as two more of the enslaved stunt fighters reached their perch.

"Destroy Leaf," a stuntman moaned as he swung at Naruto. The Chunin ducked under the skeletal club. Despite having their strength and speed enhanced by the hormone rush, Uzumaki was still slightly stronger and quicker then the actors, and he had the edge in skill. But the fake zombies had far greater numbers, and had experience working as a team. He launched his fingers towards the stuntman's eyes, but only hooked the mask, pulling it away. His target now clear, he snatched the tag from the actor's forehead. He pushed the man back, and shifted focus to his third target, neatly dodging a blow aimed for his right shoulder.

Removing the tags alone did not break the Genjutsu. With Naruto's second victory, that made nine of the fighters uncovered, three of them by Hinata and the other four by Sakura. Taking note of the number, the Byakugan user decided not to push her luck any further.

"Absorption," she ordered. The mind influencing technique detached from all of the zombies, but quickly wrapped back around those still masked. The remaining nine seals of chakra flew to Hinata, attaching to the young woman. She shuddered, her silver eyes growing wider. Slowly, almost painfully, she brought her hands together.

"Release," she incanted, and the relaxed in relief as the Genjutsu shattered.

"Are you OK, Hinata?" Naruto asked sidestepping a stuntwoman and missing his grab for the hanging rubber sore on her left cheek.

"Yes," she breathed heavily, as she dodged another attack, "But it was too much at once, and my Suigin Byakugan could only defeat the visual part. I had to destroy the rest of the jutsu normally."

"What's going on?" one of the freed actors asked, "Is this a cut?"

"What happened to Gale and Tsukuyaku?" another looked around in surprise.

"I was just on the castle set…" one of the performers pondered.

"Oh, crap, it's her, again," one of the fighters pointed at Sakura, "Where's the other one?"

He tried to back away, and the zombies parted subtly to make way for him. They closed ranks quickly enough, and kept the pressure on the shinobi. Sakura snatched the carefully crafted tree branch from her latest attacker, and tossed it behind her. She grabbed his face, and her chakra-reinforced fingernails shredded the mask, revealing the chakra tag. She plucked off the paper, before pushing him back into the throng.

Naruto caught the bone shaped weapon in his left hand, ignoring the rough edge carving into his palm. He tapped the stunt man's wrist; just hard enough to make his opponent released the club. Uzumaki turned the femur back on its owner, smacking him in the right ear, and snagging the mask with the partially sharpened joint. The blond teen pulled away, taking the disguise with him. The same action allowed him to avoid another attack, but knocked the partially tangle club from his hand.

"Hey, he's the cameraman from yesterday," the male Chunin proclaimed.

"So it's not just the stuntmen?" Hinata sounded worried, disabling a shoulder with her Gentle Fist, and then slicing through the zombie face to pull the talisman off the human underneath. She slid cleanly under the pair of weapons aimed at her skull, sweeping the legs of one attacker, then aiming an uppercut at the other as she straightened. As she intended, she only caught the woman's chin, pushing the mask back on her head. Her hand changed course with remarkable speed, her fingers uncurling to tear off the tag on the enchanted woman's forehead.

Now that there were six more uncovered, Hinata used her quicksilver eyes to pull on the Genjutsu again. With fewer hitting her, and having experienced it once already, this time it was far easier for her. Once again, the freed studio employees asked if the filming was done, seemingly unclear on what was happening. But the Hyuga bloodline enabled her to see something else.

"Sakura, I think the adrenaline is starting to hurt their bodies," she said, "Some of them are breathing hard, and a few have irregular heartbeats. How long can they take this?"

"That depends on a number of things," the medical expert answered thoughtfully, as she sidestepped another blow, "Age, fitness, and how strongly the illusion is stimulating their adrenal gland. But if you are seeing arrhythmias, we need to hurry."

"If you two get out of range," their new teammate suggested, "I can cut through all of the tags at once with my Protection of the Eight Trigrams One Hundred Twenty-eight Palms."

Naruto nodded, and Sakura frowned.

"Afterwards, I will Absorb the Genjutsu off of them," she continued, "But it will probably be too much for me. Sakura, if it is, I may need you to release me."

This time her rival nodded, knowing that Naruto could no more break a Genjutsu than he could spell arrhythmia without a dictionary. The two Leaf shinobi leapt high, Naruto grabbing onto the steel beams supporting the roof, while Sakura landed on the other side of the horde. Some of the stunt fighters started to turn to follow her, but Hinata was already moving. She dropped her left hand back, and raised her right hand before her face, her first two fingers point up. A duality symbol sprang up around her feet, and spread out into an elaborate Ninjutsu seal.

"Byakugan Art: Protection of the Eight Trigrams One Hundred Twenty-eight Palms."

Her hands began to move rapidly. First she used a blade of sharpened chakra to cut through the masks and bisect the tags underneath. Then a gentle burst of blunted energy to the knees knocked each false zombie down, clearing her path to the next opponent. After two quick, exhausting seconds, she ended the Ninjutsu, and placed her hands together.

"Absorption," she intoned, and the technique flowed from each of the fallen workers into her eyes. Hinata's body shook for a moment, and then she turned to face Sakura. Her Kekkei Genkai was gone, but her beautiful face was lit by rage.

"Kill Leaf Ninja," she groaned savagely. Breathing harshly from the hormones, she tensed to pounce on the medic. But before she could move, Naruto landed in front of her, his arms spread wide to bar her path.

"Na… Naruto," she wheezed, looking at him in confusion. Sakura took the chance, darting under Uzumaki's arm, and slapping Hinata's forehead, probably harder than was necessary.

"Release," she ordered. For a moment, Hinata's eyes shifted to Sakura again, but then the younger woman went limp, and Naruto caught her.

"Are you OK, Hinata?" he asked in concern. Around them, the freed actors and workers began to regain their feet. Sakura moved to check on them. As she did she noticed something.

"She didn't cut them," she was amazed, "Not even a scratch."

"Of course not," Naruto was both proud and defensive.

"Naruto?" Hinata stirred in his arms, "Did I do it?"

"Yeah," he hugged her, "You did great."

"Good," she murmured, her consciousness slipping away again.

"Sakura!"

The pink-haired Kunoichi hurried back over, and gave Hinata a quick examination.

"She'll be fine," she told him, "She's just tired, and almost out of chakra."

"The Suigin Byakugan is much more draining than the regular version. And Hinata just used it on over fifty people at once," Kakashi noted as he rejoined them. He set down the Yukie, and looked down at his newest student. Naruto frowned at him in askance.

"I did some research," Hatake shrugged, "Hinata isn't the first one to manifest this ability, just the first in a long time. I was able to view some old records on the techniques."

"Naruto," the Jonin suddenly straightened, and switched to his leader voice, "Take Hinata and Yukie to Yukie's dressing room, and stay with them. Sakura and I are going to have a look around."

The newest Chunin lifted his girlfriend gently, and looked at the princess. She nodded, and they hurried to her princess's reserved space.

"Kakashi-sensei, what's up?" Sakura asked.

"Two things," he informed her, still looking over the still disoriented actors, "First, this is not the entire crew. I don't see the director, or any of the other stars. We need to look for them. And second, whoever created this Genjutsu must have been close by, to make them switch to attacking us. He or she probably ran, but we still might be able to find some trace, and catch up."

"We'll split up," he instructed, "I'll head north, you head south."

* * *

"Is she OK?" Yukie asked, gazing at them with concern. Naruto was clutching Hinata's right hand with both of his. He slowly poured his chakra into her, carefully focusing on their shared affinity for lightning, as the Hokage had taught him.

"Sakura said she'd be fine," Naruto said, "I'm just recharging her chakra a little, so she'll wake up sooner."

"That was a Genjutsu, right," the princess continued to sound worried, "That's what Hinata said. But that means that someone hired ninjas to attack the set."

"Unless it's that younger sister person you mentioned," Naruto suggested, "Of course, she's still a ninja…"

He noticed her expression, and forced himself to grin.

"Hey, don't look like that," he said boisterously, "We took care of this trap easy enough; even if they are ninjas, they aren't that good."

* * *

"That was your plan?" the second shadow complained, after they escaped, "Send a bunch of amateurs to fight four Leaf Shinobi?"

"It should have worked," the first concealed ninja whined, "They were outnumbered, and my technique significantly increased the strength and reflexes of my soldiers. If that woman hadn't been able to do that weird trick to break my Genjutsu, they would have had to release each of the stuntmen individually. So they could have worn them down."

"Maybe if the zombies had had knives," the second argued, "But with prop clubs?"

"What's with you and knives?" her partner groused, and then added, "Either way, we need to report back to Leader."

The female silhouette shuddered, and finally nodded.

* * *

Sakura had not found any trace of their attackers, nor of the rest of the crew. Her path through the studio had taken her to the lighting and sound department, where a dozen or so large storerooms held spotlights, boom microphones, and other such equipment. It was all beyond the sixteen year old Kunoichi; though she knew otherwise, the technology to capture sound might as well have been magic. Distracted by her musings, she almost missed the light scraping behind the door she was walking past. But her expert ears did catch the noise, and she padded silently over to the door. It was bolted, but she picked the simple lock with ease and stealth. Steeling her self, she yanked open the door.

"Garrrr!" Makino shouted wordlessly, swinging a microphone stand overhead like a sword. The stand caught on the doorframe, and the director's momentum carried him forward, without his improvised weapon. Sakura caught him gently, and pushed him back to his feet.

"Sakura?" he blinked at her in amazement, "Oh, thank the gods. We thought those soon-to-be unemployed fighters had come back for some more."

The healer looked past him, and saw the rest of the cast and crew had been crammed into the already cluttered room.

* * *

"Well, I suppose I can't fire them it was mind control," the director grunted. After being freed by Sakura, the film crew had met up with Kakashi. The Jonin had explained the situation, and told them he had not been able to track down the enemy shinobi.

"Maybe we should call off today's scenes," Makino considered.

"No!" came a shout from the crowd. Noriko pushed her way forward.

"Mr. Makino, you shouldn't postpone filming," she argued, "I asked around, and none of us are really hurt. Whoever is doing this probably wants us to shut down, that's why we need to keep going."

There were a few nods around her. Kakashi observed the crowd carefully, watching for any anger or surprise.

"Well, if we delay, it will probably push us over budget anyway," he grumbled, "So if everyone is game, let's get set up for scene twenty seven."

"We'll go get Yukie," the Copy Ninja told the director, "And I will see if I can talk her into staying here, so the four of us can also keep an eye on the studio."

"I'd be much obliged," the older man nodded, already thinking of the cost of hiring additional guards.

* * *

The two shadows knelt before a third concealed ninja, who was both taller and better muscled than his subordinates.

"It seems our opponents are beyond your skills," he said softly, "If we are to finish this mission, I may need to take direct action."


	49. AAAnnnddd CUT!

**Chapter 49: AAAnnnddd CUT!**

Yukie's dressing room was not exactly built for an extended stay; but, as the actress pointed out, it wasn't any worse than her trailer when filming on location. It was made easier by the fact that at any given time, one of the four shinobi was standing guard outside the door, and another was prowling the studio. And each morning, they raided the craft services table for breakfast.

The next four days had passed without incident, and the glamour of the movie industry was stripped away from the young adults. Seeing the technical aspects and the repetitive nature of filming robbed them of their wonder. Without any sort of action, Naruto grew bored, with Sakura quickly following suit. By the end of the fourth day, even Hinata was getting restless.

But when the fifth morning dawned, the Chunin teens were lit with a new hope. The crew was moving outside of the city for a location shoot at a cliff side ruin some twenty miles outside the city. Even if filming was more of the same, at least they were getting out of the studio.

"Unfortunately," Yukie told them, "We will only be shooting in the wilderness for three days, so we will be setting up tents instead of hauling the trailers out there."

"That doesn't matter to us," Hinata reassured the princess.

"Yeah, we'll sleep on the ground if we have to," Naruto asserted.

"That was just you, because you forgot your sleeping bag," Sakura mocked him. The actress chuckled, and the blond Chunin rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment.

* * *

The site was group of granite walls, the remains of an ancient castle. They were situated at the bottom of a sharp rock face. The crew set up the tents far enough from the shell of the building that they wouldn't be caught by the cameras. The first day's scenes were captured without a hitch; and after they were finished, the crew had a giant barbeque for dinner and as a small celebration.

The next morning they resumed early, running through the precisely choreographed battle between Gale, Tsukuyaku, and Shishimaru, and the North and East tiles six times before lunch.

The four shinobi all ate lunch with Yukie, Noriko, and Tamaki, the woman playing the South Tile. After eating, the princess, her stylist, and the two Kunoichi returned to the tent to change Yukie into the battle damaged version of Princess Gale's costume for the next sequence.

As Yukie and Kasumi worked to get the princess into the ornate and specially constructed costume, Naruto and Kakashi roamed the perimeter of temporary set. The Jonin circled around near the ruins, while the Chunin wandered near edge of the forest. Naruto paused, catching a whiff of something in the air.

"Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto shouted, and the Copy Ninja joined him.

"Do you smell that?" the young adult asked his mentor.

"Smoke?" Kakashi asked.

"Yeah, but it smells kinda sweet," he confirmed, "Not like wood burning."

"Like something cooking?" Kakashi asked, not smelling the difference, "Maybe campers, or bandits?"

"No, it's not food," the teen shook his head, "It's almost like… potpourri? But why would someone burn that?"

Kakashi's uncovered eye widened dangerously.

"Naruto, go get Hinata, now. Tell Sakura to keep Koyuki in the tent, and don't let anyone in except for me or Hinata, and then, only if we demonstrate our Kekkei Genkai."

"Kakashi-sensei, what's going on?"

"What you are smelling must be incense," the Jonin explained knowing Naruto would move faster if he understood, "Like what is used for a powerful attack or summoning jutsu. We need Hinata to…"

Why he wanted Hinata was cut off, as two clumps of trees at the edge of woods exploded. As the oaks fell forward, they revealed the sources of their destruction, two huge animals. On the right was a porcupine, almost thirty feet high; its razor quills longer than Naruto was tall. The other beast was an immense frog, its smooth skin patterned in two distinct shades of green. The amphibian was only twenty feet tall at the top of its protruding eyes, but was longer and wider than its mammalian counterpart. On the head of each summoned creature stood a slightly built ninja. They were either young or short, their masks made it impossible to tell. But their Cloud Village crests were easily visible. The female shinobi stood easily on the frog's flat skull, while her male teammate was perched much more precariously amongst the porcupine's spikes.

Kakashi's eye narrowed in recognition, and he stopped his student.

"On second thought, I will guard Yukie," he told the Chunin, switching back to the actress's pseudonym, "I will send Sakura and Hinata to assist you. Stall until they arrive."

"Right," Naruto acknowledged, his face growing dark.

"Hey," the impetuous teen pointed at his female opponent, "Who the heck are you, and where'd you learn the Toad Summoning technique?"

"Toad?" the frog's voice was deep, wet, and angry, "How dare you refer to me as one of those lumpy-skinned, oil spewing, disrespectful excuses for amphibians?"

"What was that?" Naruto growled.

"Judging by your outrage and lack of intelligence, you must be a Toad summoner. Know fool, that I am Kawazuomo of the noble Frog Ninja clan, and I am far superior to any toad."

"Oh yeah, let's just see about that!"

Even as Naruto slit his thumb, he turned his attention inwards to his tenant.

'Hey, Fox, give me some chakra,' Naruto commanded. Behind the bars of her cage, the Kyubi regarded him with a mix of annoyance and amusement.

'Why should I do that?' she asked him harshly.

'You got to have your fun in the Hidden Sound, and you haven't been keeping up with your rent lately,' he informed her, 'I need to summon the chief to teach this guy a lesson, and I need some of your chakra to do it.'

'By my estimation, you should have enough chakra of your own now to summon that over inflated tadpole,' she countered briskly.

'Maybe,' Naruto capitulated, 'But only if I don't want to have any left for anything else.'

'I don't see where as that is _my_ problem,' the demon shrugged, 'If you don't want to run dry, try something else.'

'I don't think so,' the teen snapped back. He reached through the bars. Within the illusion of their interaction, he tore out some of the fox's hair. In reality, his soul reached through the seal and stole some of the spirit's energy. The demon's eyes expanded more from surprise then pain.

'Try that again, and I'll keep your hand,' she warned him. Despite her murderous anger, a slight amount of admiration crept into her voice. The teen ignored her, as in the real world he intoned.

"Summoning Jutsu."

He jammed his blood stained hand to the ground. Smoke billowed out, and Naruto rose into the air.

"OK, now prepare to eat your words…" Naruto started to taunt, until he realized the summoning was complete, and he was still looking up at the frog from his new perch. He looked down and realized he was on the head of an unfamiliar toad. Uzumaki's summoned ally was only fifteen feet tall, twenty-five feet wide, and thirty feet long. The toad's medium orange skin was covered by a shirt of yellow chainmail, and the leather belt strapped to its waist had five short swords in scabbards along its lower back. Which is to say, they were short swords to the giant toad, each one was slightly longer than the Chunin was tall.

"Who the heck are you?" Naruto demanded angrily.

"Gamazashi," the amphibian replied in a stern yet feminine voice, "And you are quite obviously Naruto Uzumaki."

"Where's Gamabunta?" he barked, even more off put by lecturing tone.

"The chief is busy, so he redirected your summons to me," she told him.

"Wait, you guys can do that?" Naruto's anger faded in confusion.

"Only the chief and elders can do that," she sighed, "Otherwise I would have forwarded your call to 'Kichi or 'Tatsu. Anyway, why am I here?"

"To help me deal with those two," he pointed to the frog and porcupine, who were waiting for direction. Unfortunately, the two Cloud shinobi were dumbstruck by Naruto's summoning of such a large animal without an inscribed seal, so they did not attack.

"Especially that big frog," Naruto continued, "I figured Gamabunta would want to knock him around for talking smack about the Toad Clan."

"Oh, he was, was he?" 'Zashi turned her attention to the other frog, a dangerous glint in her eyes, "Get off, Naruto."

"What?"

"I won't be able to fight as well with you up there," she explained, drawing one of her swords, "So you deal with the big spiky mammal, while the two of us have a little talk, amphibian to amphibian."

"Naruto," Sakura hailed him as she and Hinata ran up. The boy leapt down, landing near his teammates. In the same instant, Gamazashi hopped up, shifting her first sword to her tongue, and drawing one more in each hand. At the apex of her jump, her tongue darted out, blade first, at the Kawazuomo's left eye. The frog pushed off with both left legs, skipping to the side just enough to avoid the sword. In the process, he nearly dislodged his summoner.

"Hang on, Tashigi," the frog ordered imperiously. The girl quickly and nervously dropped to one knee, placing her left hand on the frog's head for support

Sakura hefted one of the fallen trees, as if it were nothing more than a baseball bat, and swung it at the porcupine. The quilled critter's feet dug in, and it accepted the blow without complaint. The trunk lodged in its spines, and the animal spun away, ripping the impromptu club from the medic's hands even as its barbed tail veered towards the trio.

"Now what?" Sakura asked worriedly as she rolled away, "That thing just took one of my best shots without even flinching."

"The quills block and cushion attacks, while punishing anyone who gets to close," Hinata observed as she dodged another attack, "I don't think any of my techniques will get through."

"The Odama Rasengan might be able to drill through, but I don't know if it would do much damage to something that size," Naruto agreed.

"It isn't how much damage," Sakura suggested, "as much as where you hit."

"Yeah, but this guy's pretty light on his feet," Naruto grimaced as the porcupine's spikes sliced through his left bicep and pectoral, "And the Odama Rasengan ain't exactly my fastest move."

"Care to introduce yourself?" 'Zashi mocked, swinging her right hand sword horizontally, and her left hand weapon vertically. When the green amphibian jumped back to avoid the twinned slashes, the toad's tongue stabbed out her third sword again. Caught in mid air, Kawazuomo could only catch the sword with his left hand, nearly losing a finger to the blade.

"Or should I just call you 'Froggy'?'

"I have no name to give to a toad," he smirked imperiously, "Particularly a dead one."

"Big talk for one who has been hopping around like a frightened jackrabbit," Gamazashi bounced closer, using a variation on her previous pattern. But this time he ducked low, and then his own tongue darted out. His tongue knocked hers askew, and then continued on to tag her right shoulder.

"Not bad," the female amphibian shook out her shoulder to recover from the impact, "Try this."

"Hidden Leaf Style: Crescent Moon Dance."

Instead of creating shadow clones, Gamazashi used the extension of her limbs and tongue to achieve the pattern of separated blades. Confused by the complex weapon form, the frog took a pair of cuts down his left side, and narrowly avoided losing that eye.

"Tashigi, what are you doing up there?" Kawazuomo chided gently.

"Sorry," the Cloud Kunoichi shook her head to regain focus. 'Zashi swung again, but this time the human was able to react.

"Raiton: Sparkling Coat," the girl chanted, placing both hands on the frog's head. Just before her blade struck, the lightning tracing over Kawazuomo's body sprang up, and spread down the metallic weapon. The toad nearly dropped her weapon, as her left arm went numb.

"I would be careful," the larger amphibian advised sarcastically, "Another spark like that could set off your oil reserve."

"Two problems with that," Gamazashi grinned wickedly, sheathing all three of her blades in one motion.

"First, I don't use oil. I let that ability drop so I could focus on my weapons," she enlightened her opponent, "Second, I don't intend to be shocked again."

Gamazashi drew her fourth weapon, and the human and frog were astonished to see it was a bokken, though the wooden sword's length and curve matched her steel blades.

"Hinata, you have a summoning contract," Sakura ducked under the paw that punched at her head. Catching the bottom of the beast's foot, she pushed it back before it could try to body-slam her.

"What about summoning a giant squirrel?" the powerful healer suggested as she jumped clear. The porcupine regained its feet, carefully protecting the young ninja clinging desperately to its ear.

"That won't work," the Hyuga heiress shook her head, "the largest of the Ninja Squirrels is less than nine feet long from nose to tail tip."

"Great," Sakura groused, rolling her eyes at her rival.

"Maybe it can, help" Naruto touched the blood flowing from his rapidly closing wounds, "Hinata summon Sol and Luné."

"OK," Hinata carefully stabbed her thumb, "But why?"

"Strength in numbers," Naruto explained, "Force the spiny thing to split its attention amongst more of us."

"Summoning Jutsu." The two squirrels appeared in matched puffs of smoke.

"Sol, Luné, hit and run," she instructed. The agile rodents were moving before she finished speaking. The black squirrel ran in, and yanked out two of the porcupine's quills, while his sister circled around towards the giant creature's head.

'I think I can add one more without running too low,' Naruto thought. He cupped his hand to gather the blood running towards his elbow.

"Blood Clone Jutsu," Naruto created a single enhanced copy, and the six warriors circled the prickly pig. By constantly moving, and keeping their distance from one another, they were able to avoid getting hit. But at the same time, they were not able to score any substantial hits.

"Sakura," Hinata called quietly for her teammate's attention, the next time their paths' crossed. The pink haired Kunoichi changed course to listen to her navy-purple tressed counterpart.

"Watch," Hinata requested, and then signaled. Sol nodded, and then jumped on the splintered log, still embedded on the porcupine's spines. The impact appeared to cause the large creature discomfort, and it was not able to easily dislodge the albino rodent.

"The weight and pull on his quills is slowing him," the Byakugan wielder suggested, "I… I think if you lodge enough of them on him, we might be able to reach his head. The quills aren't as long or thick up there, and of course his eyes are an obvious target."

Sakura nodded grudgingly, and told her rival, "You guys keep him busy, and I'll give it a shot."

The medic snatched up another medium sized oak, and slammed overhand so that the furthest extension hit the top of the porcupine.

"Alright, Yoshi," the spined beast finally spoke, in a deep yet squeaky voice, "Time to earn your keep in this little arrangement."

"I'd love to," the Cloud youth answered unevenly, "But I'm too busy trying not to get impaled up here."

"Why did I agree to this?" the porcupine asked no one in particular, and no one responded. Instead both Narutos unleashed kunai at his eyes, while several of his tail quills splintered as Hinata blocked them with Ginmaki. Taking advantage of Hinata's defense, Sakura dropped her next tree on the summoned animal's tail. This caused the spiny pig to yelp in pain.

Gamazashi leapt high again, swinging her bokken overhand. Kawazuomo flipped backwards to dodge the attack, at the same time his leg lashed out, catching her in the chin. But this time the attack did not cause any arcing. Despite looking a little pale from the acrobatics, Tashigi managed to sign again.

"Katon: Ignition Jutsu," she proclaimed, and a number of intense bursts of flame erupted around the toad's wooden sword. But the blade did not catch fire, and the orange amphibian smirked at the Kunoichi.

"This blade is pressure and chakra treated," she offered, "it will take a lot more than that to make it burn. And it also looks like your batteries are running low."

In one smooth action, 'Zashi sheathed her bokken, and drew her three metal blades, this time wrapping all three handles in her tongue.

"Springing Blades," her speech was slightly slurred. Her tongue shot out, holding each blade at a slightly different angle. The frog was able to avoid the first sword, but took a light hit from the second, and a deep cut from the third.

"Tashigi, now," the frog ordered.

"Yes," the girl nodded, launching into a complex string of hand signs. As she did, Kawazuomo's cheeks puffed outwards.

"Water Style: Frog Spout Jutsu," the summoned beast spit out a massive column of water, which joined with the smaller and faster stream flowing from the Kunoichi's hands. The two attacks combined, taking on the size of the frog's release, and the power of the human's jutsu. Gamazashi put her three swords together, and spun them rapidly, forming a cone. The defense shredded the column, spraying water all over the field, but the force of the technique still pushed the toad back.

"And now I'm covered in frog spit," Luné remarked in blasé annoyance. The black squirrel darted up three of the logs imbedded on the porcupine, nearly reaching the Cloud ninja on the giant's head. On his last bound, the spiked animal shifted again, and the smaller rodent missed his human target. Luné corrected in mid air, and landed lightly on his feet, quickly dodging a massive paw.

Sakura froze, looking repulsed at her wetness. The Kunoichi wiped off her face. Despite the sudden increase in her ire, she could not help but admit, Hinata's plan was working. The weight of the wood was slowing the porcupine, while giving her allies more footholds to reach the huge animal's head. Though none had reached it yet, they were getting closer, and their opponent was now spending much more time trying to dislodge them, than attacking his smaller opponents.

Forcing her way past her disgust, the pink haired Kunoichi grabbed one of the few remaining trees. She waited for Sol to draw the giant around, and slammed the improvised club so close to the animal's face that a few of the outlying branches scraped Yoshi's side.

"Hinata," Naruto called, and his girlfriend joined him in hopping up the logs.

"Ready," she told him, and he dropped back his right hand. Chakra began to swirl above his palm, and Hinata's hands began to dart around the expanding sphere. Fueled by both of their chakra, the Rasengan expanded to almost a meter in diameter, and turned a vivid, crackling purple. As they leapt off the last log, Hinata's hands stopped moving, but her left hand hovered next to Naruto's right, as they both supported the attack.

"Odama Raiton Rasengan!" the couple exclaimed in unison, as they dove at the porcupine's face. Their hands pushed forward so the sphere was leading, and the giant animal was so bogged down it could not dodge.

"I've had enough of this," the porcupine grunted, "Getting smacked with sticks, and harnessed with a useless partner. Yoshi, I'm going to recommend to the elders that they not accept your contract."

With that, the spiny pig vanished. The Cloud Ninja, and the various logs rained on the terrain. Behind them followed Naruto and Hinata. Pulled by the large spiraling lightning ball, they could not alter their descent.

The Odama Raiton Rasengan struck the grass and dirt, and exploded. The force of the blast did not seem to touch Naruto and Hinata, but everyone else, even the two oversize amphibians, were blown away like dried grass. Sakura, Naruto's blood clone, and the two squirrels landed on their feet near the forest, while Yoshi was bounced into the air. Gamazashi released the sword in her tongue to avoid cutting herself, and Kawazuomo had to contort in midair so he did not land on Tashigi. The act caused the giant frog to crash down on his left hip, snapping it.

Sakura and the squirrels looked back, but they did not see Naruto or Hinata. As Yoshi plummeted back to the ground, they were surprised when he did not hit the earth, but continued to fall. They hurried forward, and the blood clone canceled himself. They paused at the lip of the thirty-foot radius semi-circle crater. Standing at the bottom were the partners. Hinata looked mildly chagrined by the damage, and Naruto held the unconscious Cloud youth.

"Mistress, that was amazing," Sol gushed.

"Yeah. Don't do it again," Luné added. Sakura nodded her agreement.

Gamazashi retrieved her dropped weapon, and turned back towards the frog.

"Tashigi, get clear," Kawazuomo ordered, "I will hold the toad as long as I can."

"Dismiss," she said gently, placing her hand on the frog's forehead again. Kawazuomo only had an instant to look shocked before he vanished. The Cloud Kunoichi turned back to Gamazashi, drawing a kukri in her right hand, and a straight dagger in her left.

"Surrender child," 'Zashi advised gently, glancing back. The Leaf humans approached slowly, Hinata having sent Sol and Luné back. Naruto carried the tightly trussed Yoshi, still unconscious, over his left shoulder. The girl nodded, dropping her weapons.

"My job is done, anyway," she admitted enigmatically.

"Kakashi was going to have Sakura guard Yukie," Naruto remembered, "Until the he saw the summoned animals."

"You don't… you don't think this was all a diversion, do you?" Hinata asked nervously.

"We better get back," Sakura insisted.

* * *

Kakashi stood outside Yukie's tent, looking surprisingly relaxed.

"You can come out, Washichi," the Sharingan user said, "As soon as I saw the porcupine, I knew it was you."

"Kakashi Hatake. So we meet again," the Cloud Ninja appeared before him, "Well, this is a conundrum. On the one hand, I need to whip my apprentices. When they described who they were fighting, they told me it was an old man with white hair, a stupid looking blond, a pink haired ditz, and a busty girl with blue hair and silver eyes. I mean, how am I supposed to figure out that describes you and your team. Though the blue-haired, silver-eyed girl still confuses me."

Kakashi remained silent, seeing no reason to divulge Hinata's identity.

"But I already berated them for losing twice," Washichi continued, "And they obviously had no chance against you."

He sighed, and turning up his hand in defeat, "Not that I particularly want to fight the Copy Ninja. But I should at least pay lip service to the contract, and spar you a little. Even if she… uhh, surely enough, the client was wrong about the actress not having any bodyguards."

Kakashi raised an eyebrow at the weak attempt to cover the slip, and asked, "So you were targeting Yukie Fugikaze? You had orders to kill her, I presume?"

"No, we were just supposed to make her leave the Land of Fire. Preferably alive, but if the only way was shipping her back to the Land of Snow in a pine box, than so be it," the Land of Lightning Jonin shrugged, "Not that any of that matters. Unless I can pull off a miracle here and beat you, the contract will be canceled. Sending a Jonin and two recently appointed Genin against an S-Rank Jonin and three Chunin is far beyond a category C mission. That is assuming your fourth is also a Chunin…"

Kakashi nodded, seeing no harm in revealing that. But then he added, "I can't argue with that. But the doesn't mean I can go easy on you."

"Of course not," Washichi was offended by the suggestion, "I still have my pride. So then…"

The Cloud warrior moved his hand through a quick set of seals before announcing, "Earth Style: Dust'em Up Jutsu!"

Sand and dirt floated up from the ground and wrapped around his hands. In less than a second, Washichi's hands had tripled in size, and had spikes on each knuckle and across the back. He swung his enlarged fist at Kakashi, but the Leaf Jonin slid out of the way. Hatake tried to punch back, but a rocky fist interposed, and Kakashi stopped short of impaling his hand on the spikes.

For thirty seconds they exchanged punches and kicks, with neither warrior landing a serious blow. Then, suddenly, Washichi backed off with a frown.

"I thought you weren't going easy on me?"

"I'm not," Kakashi confirmed, "I'm just not taking this seriously. Two complete different propositions."

"OK," the Cloud shinobi failed to see the distinction, "Then try this."

He started to sign, but after the first three, Kakashi began the same sequence, catching up and then keeping pace with his opponent.

"Earth Style: Rock 'n Roll Jutsu," the two Jonin proclaim in unison. The ground bucked under their feet, but the opposing waves met and canceled each other out.

"You did that without your Sharingan," Washichi's tone was accusatory.

"I already know that technique. There was no need to copy it."

As he finished saying that, the breeze carried a fine mist over them, from the direction of the distraction.

"Then what about…. Wind Style…"

"Pocket Tornado Jutsu," Kakashi finished. Again, their techniques neutralized one another.

"Fine, what number am I thinking of?" the assassin shouted in annoyance.

"Four," Kakashi answered without hesitation. Washichi's jaw dropped. For a moment, he might as well have had the words 'shock' and 'defeat' scrawled on his face.

"I am beaten, Kakashi," Washichi recovered quickly, "But you will not capture me."

The Cloud ninja started to turn, and then paused, "Ah, you won't chase me, right?"

"Of course not," Kakashi reassured him, "My job is to protect Yukie. It would be foolish and irresponsible of me to try to catch you, but leave her alone."

"WAIT, wait, wait," Naruto interrupted. The four Leaf ninja, the director, and most of the cast sat around the bonfire, listening to the Jonin talk.

"You guessed what number he was thinking, and it scared him off? The guy who stole his Genin back from us without Hinata noticing?"

"Pretty much," Kakashi confirmed with a straight face.

"But everything you said happened would have taken like three minutes," Uzumaki continued his protest, to the amusement of everyone, "The three of us were fighting for like twenty minutes."

"And?" Kakashi baited the young man.

"Bu… I... that…" Naruto sputtered in indignation.

"That exact events aren't important," Kakashi soothed him, "What matters is that they are gone, and I am reasonably assured they will not be coming back."

"Then we can relax and go back to working on the film," the director sighed in relief. There were nods all around the celebratory inferno.

"You are sure this is the end?" Brit's portrayer asked.

"We'll still be here for the rest of the shoot," Kakashi offered, "And we'll keep our eyes peeled, just to be safe."

* * *

After the end of the party, the film crew quickly drifts back to their temporary beds, getting ready for the next day's filming. A few did not go to bed, unable to sleep for whatever reason. One of the cameramen started double checking all of the equipment. Tamaki began running her lines for the next day. And Noriko walked to the edge of the forest, and took out her cellular phone.

"There's no need to demand a refund," a quiet voice interrupted her dialing, "Washichi is one of the most honorable men I've ever fought with and against. He will make sure you get your money back."

The stuntwoman dropped her phone in surprise, and Kakashi Hatake caught it in mid air, and then handed it back to her.

"I don't know what you mean," the physical performer sounded genuinely confused.

"Oh, I think you do," the Jonin grinned under his mask, "After all, you were the one who hired the Hidden Cloud ninjas to eliminate Yukie."

"Yukie is my friend, there is no way I…"

"Washichi gave me the two clues that confirmed it," Kakashi explained, interrupting her protest, "First, that he was hired by a woman, and second that their client wanted Yukie to live, if possible, but dead if necessary. You see, none of our other suspects really fit those parameters. Most are male, and all of them would want her either definitely alive, or definitely dead."

"And if it was someone you didn't expect?"

"But there were already other clues pointing to you. You are what, two inches shorter and twenty pounds lighter than Yukie?" he asked, but did not wait for the answer, "Easy enough to conceal with high heals, and Princess Gale's ornate costume. But that means that when the costume came back from the cleaners, shrunken, it was just about your size. Perfect for a bit of psychological prodding, or just to force them to use you until a replacement was ready. In addition, your father was a Land of Lightning shinobi, so it makes sense that you would hire them."

He paused, and then watched her intently as he made his final point, "But most of all, there was the Genjutsu attack last week. Every other person Hinata or I freed stopped immediately, and thought that they were in the middle of shooting a scene. But you took a second to stop, and claimed to have no memory. That's because you were never under the spell. You didn't stop right away, because you didn't recognize for that long that you were supposed to be free. And since you were the first one freed, you took your best guess as to how you should act."

"But that doesn't make any sense," she shook her head, "Why would I risk joining the mob? You people could have hurt me."

"But if you had been the only stunt-person not there, it would have been much more suspicious. Besides, you wanted to be on hand, either to make sure things didn't get to far out of hand, or to make sure the job got done."

She stared at him through narrow eyes. Then she shrugged, and snorted dismissively.

"Even if what you say were true," she said smugly, "And for the record, I categorically deny everything. But if it were true, you only have speculation, not proof. For example, my not recovering the same way from the Genjutsu could be due to the slight bit of ninja training my father gave me. So there isn't really anything you can do."

"Oh, you're wrong there," Kakashi's face became shadowed, and his normally flippant voice turned deep and hostile.

"I'm a Hidden Leaf Village Jonin, and we are in the Land of Fire," he said icily, "Which means I can execute any person I deem to be a threat to this country's security."

Of course, that did not include the royal family, but the Copy Ninja felt no need to tell Noriko this.

"You wouldn't," the jealous actress backed away, "I'm not a threat to the Land of Fire."

"You hired foreign ninjas to kill an allied Daimyo, while she is in the Land of Fire. You allowed suspicion for that to fall on my Daimyo. Your actions interfered with ongoing negotiations between the Land of Fire and the Land of Snow. And had you succeed, you would have cost this country millions of Ryo in film revenues. That more than qualifies you as an enemy of the Land of Fire."

Noriko had backed herself into a tree, and Kakashi she leaned over her menacingly.

"Please, don't," the stuntwoman whimpered.

"Oh, I'm not going to kill you," Kakashi's normal glib tone returned, and he took a step away, straightening, "I don't have to. You see, you're going to become as much one of Koyuki's bodyguards, as any member of my squad."

"Huh?" Noriko could only grunt in confusion at the bizarre statement.

"I've already sent my findings to both the Hokage, and the leader of the Village Hidden in the Snow," he informed her, "And while they know it isn't proof, if Koyuki so much as chips a nail in a suspicious manner, they know who to look for."

He started to leave, and then turned back and offered conspiratorially, "The head of the Show Ninjas is very loyal to Koyuki. I think he might even have a crush on her. If he had reason to come after you, you might wish that I had finished you here."

As he walked back to the camp, the actress collapsed against the tree, shivering with fright, and sobbing quietly.

* * *

January gave way to February, and near the end of the second month, filming of "Princess Gale: The Cardinal Tile Stratagem" finished. There had been no more incidents in last five weeks, but the four Leaf shinobi had remained vigilant. But now it was all done, and the only thing left for the majority of the crew was the wrap party.

"So, will you be going back to the Land of Snow?" Hinata asked Yukie over the dim of the celebration.

"For now yes," the actress said, "I have things there that need to be handled. And unless they decide they need reshoots, they won't need me until the release."

Though Kakashi had informed his three students of the traitor's identity, but they chose to keep that from the rest of the cast, including their client. Now, at the festivities to mark the end of principal filming, Naruto and Hinata were staying close to the princess, while Sakura and Kakashi worked the crowd.

"So I guess that means we wont' be seeing you for a while," Naruto said.

"Probably not," the Daimyo of Snow shook her head, "But I have asked the studio to invite you four to the premiere."

"Really?" Naruto was shaking with excitement. Hinata was pleased as well, though she did not let it show as much.

"That's just like you Ko…Yukie," an unfamiliar voice said behind Naruto. The young man spun quickly, surprised Hinata let a stranger get this close without signaling him. In their two months on the set, the Leaf Ninjas had become familiar with the cast, crew, and even the studio executives. But Uzumaki did not recognize this person. He was tall, even taller than Naruto, with a trim build. His clothing was simple, but made of expensive materials. His auburn hair was cropped above the shoulder, and his strong grey eyes regarded the actress with familiarity and fondness.

"Hold on there, buddy," Naruto stepped between his client and the newcomer, "Just who the heck are you?"

"Na… Naruto…" Hinata stammered, "This… this is Nyoko's father…"

"Nyoko's father?"

Yukie counted to three in her head while the statement sunk into the oblivious Chunin's head. Then, Naruto's jaw dropped, and his eyes grew wide as saucers.

"You mean this guy?" he shouted, drawing attention to them, "This guy is…"

Princess Koyuki stepped past her guardian, and offered a formal, and quiet introduction.

"Naruto Uzumaki, I would like you to meet my good friend, Hisoka Honokata," she said gracefully, "Daimyo of the Land of Fire."

"This guy's the Daimyo?" Naruto was still amazed, but was able to take the hint and lower his voice, "But he can't be. He's not old, or fat, or ugly, or stupid looking."

Hinata looked ready to faint at her boyfriend's impropriety. But Hisoka chuckled, and turned to Koyuki.

"I think that was a compliment?" he told his counterpart, still amused.

"I wonder how I should take that statement," the actress pretended to be hurt. Their amusement caused both Chunin to relax, though Naruto blushed when he realized what he had said, and to whom.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Naruto," the leader of the Land of Fire extended his right hand, and the ninja shook it firmly.

"And Hinata, my daughter's jealous descriptions haven't done you justice," he took her hand gently. The young beauty blushed.

"Is Nyoko here?" Naruto asked, nervously.

"No," Hisoka smiled again at the ninja's reaction, "I'm here for business, not fun. And she has schoolwork."

Naruto sighed in relief.

"She is quite taken with you," the Daimyo confided, "I was surprised to learn she was willing to take no for an answer. She can be quite willful."

He turned away from the teen, back to the princess.

"I don't have much time, Yukie," he said regretfully, remembering her alias this time, "I presume you asked me here because of the mining rights."

"Yes," she nodded, not meeting his eye, "Regretfully, I must inform you that I am awarding the mining rights to the Land of Water. I am sorry, Hisoka."

"Don't be," he countered openly, "Their offer was better, and you have to do what is best for your country."

"Their deal does give us a larger cut of the mined ore," she said suggestively, "More than we need. Perhaps we can sell the Land of Fire part of our share, in return for your country providing some external oversight of the mines…"

They continued talk, until the Daimyo of Fire was forced to leave for other business. And afterwards, the party persisted into the night.


	50. The Regenerated Snake

**Chapter 50: The Regenerated Snake**

"And you are absolutely certain this?" the gruff, older voice asked.

"Yes," the younger voice was smooth, but exhibited a touch of strain, "Now that the eight tails is sealed along with the one though five tails, their next target will be the nine tails. The six tails Jinchuriki has proven highly elusive, and the seven tails can be harvested whenever they feel the need. The Akatsuki will move to capture Naruto Uzumaki, and soon."

Jiraiya shook his head in dismay. Itachi Uchiha watched his contact, waiting for the older man to speak.

"I guess we knew this time would come," the Toad sage admitted, "Maybe it's time to extract you."

"No," Itachi protested vehemently. Then he took control of his reaction and continued, "If I leave now, Pein and Madara will change their plans. They would probably take the seven tails first, and then go after Naruto with much greater force."

The Sannin surveyed the younger ninja, not fooled.

"Do you really think you are close to being able to find and defeat Madara?" Jiraiya asked gently.

"That is not the only reason I have to remain undercover," Itachi was conflicted, "But I think Sasuke is almost to the point where together, he and I could destroy our ancestor."

"How can I resist such a perfect opening?" a third voice declared. A shadow landed in between them, kicking Jiraiya away, and then launching a sphere of fire at Itachi. The two older ninja jumped away from their attacker, landing shoulder to shoulder, facing Sasuke Uchiha.

"I never would have guessed my old friend was Itachi's contact," the rogue Genin hissed, "But I suppose that explains your frequent absences from the village."

"Sasuke?" the older brother was surprised by the younger's sudden appearance. He unconsciously took a step towards the younger man. But Jiraiya blocked his path, moving between the brothers, while regarding Sasuke with a furious expression.

"That's not Sasuke," the legendary pervert told Akatsuki agent, "It's Orochimaru."

"Actually, you are both right," the serpent switched to his own voice, while keeping Sasuke's appearance, "But what gave me away?"

"Everything, how you move, your poor impersonation of Sasuke, calling me 'old friend'," the Toad Sage answered.

"I thought Sasuke killed Orochimaru," Itachi protested, moving to surround the renegade Sannin and reaching for his sword.

"'Killed' is such a tricky word," Orochimaru answered smugly.

"You see, when I attempted to take control of this body the first time, Sasuke was able to use his Mangekyo Sharingan to reverse the process. He absorbed me instead. I was the source of his regenerative powers, when he attacked Itachi all those months ago."

He grinned viciously, and continued, "But little Sasuke miscalculated. He thought that by trapping me, I would be harmless, and he would be able to borrow all of my skills. You were kind enough to instruct him on the error of his ways, weren't you, Itachi."

The elder Uchiha brother did not answer. He tensed to attack, but Jiraiya signaled they should wait.

"Then how were you able to take control of Sasuke's body?" Jiraiya asked, knowing Orochimaru loved to boast.

"Take is not the right word in this case…"

_

* * *

Sasuke Uchiha had not been aware of the passage of time until he wandered into the bandit's camp. They had attacked him, of course, and his body reacted on instinct. Before the broken traitor had realized what was happening, he had brutally slain five of the thieves, and the rest were fleeing in terror. Roused from his depression he examined the sky. By the placement of the stars, he could tell that it had been seven or eight days since he had lost to Itachi, since Karin had died. He noticed an empty feeling in his stomach. Though he had no desire to live, he did not want to die either, and the hunger was an annoyance. So he scrounged around the base, consuming the few scraps of dried meat and bread he found._

_"is this what you have been reduced to?" a voice whispered to him, "once the mighty avenger, willing to give up everything; now just an empty existence, unable to live but unwilling to die."_

_Sasuke considered the voice, wondering if this was part of himself, a scrap of fire still burning in his soul. But then he knew, and the insight spurred the energy he had been lacking. _

_"Orochimaru," Sasuke growled, "What concern is it of yours?"_

_"You sealed me," the serpent's voice grew stronger, "If you die, I die with you. One might almost say that makes you my Jinchuriki. You can stop being jealous of Uzumaki."_

_The body thief laughed at that. The teen was less than amused._

_"What do you want?" Sasuke demanded of his former teacher. He closed his left eye, and the red and black orb appeared on the top of his former teacher's cage. The formerly blank, white walls were now marked in a reddish-brown substance. The kanji and kana formed the basis for a set of dark, powerful new techniques._

_"I have a proposition for you," Orochimaru answered, in an even tone that was eerily at odds with his normal inflection, "That is, if you still want you brother dead."_

_"I'm listening," the Sharingan user said carefully._

_"Reverse our positions," the Sannin explained, "Give me your body. In return I will kill Itachi Uchiha for you."_

_"Ha," Sasuke barked a laugh, "Why would I accept that offer, when you lost to him before?"_

_"You have been defeated three times," the serpent countered, "So you are hardly in an position to be using that as a basis for judgment."_

_The host did not respond, so the parasite considered his point accepted, and continued._

_"There would be three important differences this time," Orochimaru explained, "The first is that this time I will be trying to kill Itachi. When we last fought, I was attempting to take his body. Which meant I could not do him serious injury. It is much harder to capture someone unharmed than to simply kill them. I thought Naruto made that abundantly clear during your battle four years ago."_

_Sasuke grimaced at the reminder, but he bit back his retort, and instead said, "Continue."_

_"Secondly, last time I fought Itachi I was in a weak host, and on the verge of collapse. This time, my host will be young, strong, and fresh. Which leads directly into my third point. Like you, Itachi was able to escape my control with his Sharingan. But this time, I too will have that power."_

_"You talk a good game," Sasuke finally admitted, "But somehow, I can't quite bring myself to just trust you. If I were to agree to this, I would need certain assurances."_

_"Such as?"_

_"A blood oath," Sasuke answered icily, "That you will kill Itachi within three months, or return control of my body to me."_

_"I am not exactly in any state to be making a blood oath at this time," the imprisoned soul countered mockingly._

_"You know as well as I do, that blood is only the medium to mark the mind and soul," Sasuke channeled his ire into a condescending lecture, "I'm sure whatever you have been using to mark the spirit prison will work just as well, if not better."_

_"Perhaps," the Sannin said neutrally, "But if I were to make such an oath, I could not agree to three months. It will take me time to adjust to my new form, and longer to make it meet my physical requirements. Say, one year?"_

_"Six months."_

_"It will be difficult," Orochimaru pretended to debate the matter, "But not impossible. And, of course, in the interest of fairness, I would require an oath from you as well."_

_"When have you ever been concerned about fairness?" Sasuke snorted._

_"I am always careful to make sure I am treated fairly," the body thief said, leaving hang the implication that the reverse did not necessarily apply._

_"And what would you have me swear?" the teen asked, hiding his anticipation as they approached a deal._

_"Just that your body belongs to me for as long as I keep my oath, and that you won't try to help your former friends, should I cross swords with them."_

_"What friends?" the rogue Genin shrugged derisively. _

_"Your former teammates then," the Sannin suggested, "Do we have an arrangement?"_

_"You first," Sasuke insisted. Orochimaru smirked up at the teen's eye, and then shrugged. He bit into his right middle finger, and traced the symbol onto his chest over his 'heart'._

_"I, Orochimaru, swear that after taking possession of Sasuke Uchiha's body, I will kill his older brother, Itachi Uchiha within six months. If I fail to complete this task within the allotted time, Sasuke Uchiha will regain control of his body, and I will be unable to regain control of his body, and will die should I attempt it."_

_The spiritual blood faded into the Leaf traitor's chest, and he looked up at Sasuke's eye._

_"Are you satisfied?" he asked the younger man. Uchiha did not answer, but his eye vanished from the cell as he opened it in the real world._

_"It appears fate has given me one last chance, brother," he exhaled with a murderous grin. He took out a kunai, and brutally sliced off the tip of his right thumb. Sasuke tore open his shirt, and quickly smeared the kanji for honor over his heart._

_"I, Sasuke Uchiha, swear to relinquish control of my body to Orochimaru so long as he completes his oath to kill my brother Itachi. I further swear that I will not attempt to oppose Orochimaru should he ever battle my former teammates…"_

_"Name them," Orochimaru insisted._

_"Naruto Uzumaki, Sakura Haruno, and Kakashi Hatake. Should I break this oath, my soul will fade to the afterlife, leaving Orochimaru with total control of my body."_

_"Very good," the serpent summoner congratulated his former student, "Now, let us begin. After all, the sooner we switch places, the sooner your brother dies."_

_His eyes flickering with insanity, Sasuke listened closely to Orochimaru's instructions._

* * *

"My brother gave you his body, so you could kill me?" Itachi appeared on the verge of breaking down.

"It was all he wanted, these past eight years," Orochimaru's smirk looked out of place on Sasuke's face. The snake looked pleased at Itachi's reaction.

"Then why keep Sasuke's appearance?" Jiraiya demanded, "You've always replaced you host's appearance with your own in the past. Was it simply to put Itachi off his game?"

"Oh no," Orochimaru shook Sasuke's head, "Itachi's distraction was only a bonus. No I kept Sasuke's appearance for a reason I'm sure you can understand, old friend."

"You see, while I was trapped within Sasuke's body, I was able to share in the experience when he bedded Karin. The observation has sparked a new interest in me. And it is my understanding this form will be well suited for that research."

"Ha," Orochimaru laughed suddenly, confusing his opponents.

"That shut him up, at least for a moment," the serpent Sannin said, mainly to himself, "I don't think he likes that idea."

"That shut him up?" Jiraiya shared a glance of confusion with Itachi.

"Yes," the villain nodded, "Ever since I broke in on your little conference, Sasuke has been screaming his head off in here."

He tapped his sternum.

"Frankly, it is getting annoying," he shook his head in exasperation, "Here, you can listen to him for a while."

He signaled Snake, Monkey, Rat, and then tapped his stolen chest again.

"…SWER ME!" the voice of Sasuke Uchiha roared from over Orochimaru's left shoulder. Hearing his own voice through his former ears, he went silent, but only for an instant.

"What is going on here?" the trapped soul demanded, "Why is Itachi with old man Jiraiya?"

"Poor Sasuke," Orochimaru simpered, pityingly, "You still have not figured it out? Are you so blinded by your hatred?"

"What do you mean?" Sasuke demanded. Neither Itachi nor Jiraiya answered, and Orochimaru chuckled at their discomfort.

"Itachi is a double agent," Orochimaru explained, mockingly, "All these years, he has been reporting the movements of the Akatsuki to the Konohagakure."

"What?" the teen repeated, his voice shaking with rage, "Why? Why would they work with this traitor?"

"Oh my, you are almost as dense as your former comrade," he laughed at his host. Then his voice and face grew deadly serious.

"Itachi was not the one who killed the Uchiha Clan."


	51. The Fallen Clan

**Chapter 51: The Fallen Clan**

"I did kill my clan," Itachi asserted.

"He did kill them," Sasuke shouted at the same time, "I saw him. My father's blood was dripping from that sword!"

In the soul cage he pointed, not caring that no-one could see him. Jiraiya coughed to gain their attention.

"While it may be technically true that Itachi ended the lives of the Uchihas," the Toad Sage capitulated, nodding at the older brother, "The fact of the matter is, those were mercy killings. The rest of the Uchiha clan was beyond saving, and all Itachi did was spare them days of drawn out pain."

"It is still my fault," the elder brother insisted, "I failed the task I was given, and my clan, my family suffered for it."

"And that is why I am glad I did not take your body, Itachi," Orochimaru mocked, "Your streak of martyrdom runs too deep. I fear it might have tainted me. After all, you could just as easily say you bought your clan more than a decade of life. And your brother his very existence."

"What does that mean?" confusion tainted Sasuke's anger, "What is he talking about, Itachi? ANSWER ME!"

"It started when I was three," the elder son of Mikoto and Fugaku explained, "I had been told not to leave the village, but the woods beyond the wall had this mystical pull. And like most children that age, I thought I was invincible…"

_

* * *

With the evil rogue ninjas vanquished, the young boy dropped the stick that had served as his mighty sword, and plopped down against a tree. He unwrapped the rice balls he had snuck out for a snack, and bit into one. A chipmunk eyed him carefully, torn between hunger and curiosity, and fear of the much larger predator. Itachi smiled at the rodent's antics. He took off a small corner of the mochi, and tossed it gently towards his admirer. The chipmunk quickly grabbed the morsel, and stuffed it into its mouth, its cheeks puffing out. The son of the Uchiha clan giggled at the sight._

_Then the forest seemed to grow cold, despite the warm July weather. The chipmunk scrambled away, spooked. Overhead, the twittering birds fell silent. Itachi pulled himself up, his hunger and entertainment forgotten. He pressed his back against the tree, nervous. His eyes darted from tree to tree, searching for what was causing the unnatural calm._

_He spotted something. A figure, crouching on a branch a few dozen feet away. At first Itachi thought it was human, until he saw the eyes. There was no white to them; instead they were just soulless black pits, accentuated only by glowing red spirals, three crimson lines circling from the outside to the center. The Uchiha youth tried to push closer to the trunk behind him, frightened by unnatural being._

_"Is this coincidence or providence?" the figure hopped down lightly, and walked boldly towards the boy, "My clan's time is chosen, and one of them comes to offer himself to me."_

_The boy wanted to run, but those pitiless, impossible orbs held him fast._

_"You would be Itachi, the son of Fugaku," the monster told him, "How fitting that the first to fall is the last heir of the superior line. Goodbye, child."_

_The figure's hands began to move, and Itachi recognized the chakra seals he had only begun to master. He began to shake with terror, realizing the shadow intended to kill him._

_'I don't want to die. I don't want to die,' the child chanted in his head, 'Don't what to die.'_

_"I don't want to die!" he suddenly shouted out loud. His eyes hurt, and he did not know why. Itachi seemed to lose control of his hands, and they began to mimic the monster's motions. As suddenly as he had begun, the figure stopped forming the Jutsu._

_"Now that is interesting," the shadows around the demon faded, leaving a human ninja. The murder's eyes also changed, becoming a brown so deep it was almost black, but with a normal white sclera and black iris. The man knelt to look at him more closely. Itachi thought that the man looked like his father, close enough to be a brother or cousin._

_"You have activated it at this tender age," the shinobi lifted his chin, staring into his eyes, "Two tomoe in the left, and all three in the right. Not even my offspring were able to do that. Maybe I have been premature…" _

_Itachi did not say anything; he just watched the man carefully, despite the burning sensation in his eyes._

_"I think I will give them one final chance, if only to see where this potential goes," the ninja pondered, as if the boy wasn't even there. Then the man stood, and addressed Itachi directly._

_"Know child, that the Uchiha clan has forgotten its purpose. They have grown complacent in their self-satisfaction. I had decided to finish them, but I see a glimmer of hope in you. So I will leave you be, for now. But you would do well to find a way to return the clan to its true goal. Or our next meeting will not be so pleasant."_

* * *

"I told our parents," Itachi added after a moment, "But they thought it was a child's game, and scolded me for going into the forest alone. Then the war began, and I witnessed horrors far greater than a stranger threatening me. In time, I began to believe they were correct, that it was all my youthful imagination."

"But Madara did not forget about you," Orochimaru scoffed at his ignorance.

"No," Itachi said quietly, shaking his head, "He did not."

_

* * *

The leader of the ANBU completed his last set of kunai exercises, and looked up at the moon to check the time. He was scheduled to meet Shisui at ten, and decided he should at least take a quick shower before they went to the club. He wouldn't be much of a wingman otherwise._

_"I am disappointed," a voice said above the teen. Itachi started, he was not easy to get the drop on, but whoever had spoken had gone completely unnoticed. But even more than simply being ambushed, the voice touched off an old fear in the pit of the Jonin's stomach._

_"It has been not quite eleven years, and you have barely advanced your Sharingan at all," Madara Uchiha appeared in front of his descendant, "Nor have you been able to improve the clan's disposition."_

_He turned away, ignoring the younger warrior; "I suppose I was expecting to much of a child, and a follower of the Leaf."_

_"But I still have an interest in you, Itachi Uchiha," the co-founder of the Konohagakure looked back at the loyal shinobi, "So I will give you a little more time, and a push in the right direction. I think you should _reflect_ on the _flow_ of your life. So you can cross the _bridge_ to true power."_

_He vanished, but Itachi was already running towards the village._

_'Reflect, flow, bridge,' the Uchiha heir tried to contain his panic, 'He must be talking about the stream, where I'm supposed to meet Shisui.'_

_He raced past the guards at the gate without pausing. He did not slow until he reached the small stone bridge. He skidded to a halt on the structure, panting lightly. His eyes scanned the dim surroundings. For a second he felt relief, not seeing anything out of place. But just as he was about to relax, he noticed the disruption in the surface of the water. He hopped from the bridge, running on the surface of the water until he met the obstruction._

"_Shisui?" he asked, kneeling on the surface of the water. His Sharingan pierced the surface of the liquid, making out the unmoving features of his cousin and only friend._

"_no," Itachi said quietly, the burning sensation in his eyes growing, changing into a sharp prickling. _

"_no, no, No, No, NO!" he chanted, as unseen, the shape of his eyes changed. Engulfed in rage, Itachi ran back to where he had been training. But he could find no trace of his ancestor._

* * *

"Then you didn't kill our cousin?" Sasuke asked quietly.

"No. Madara did, both as a warning, and to trigger my Mangekyo Sharingan," Itachi dug his fingernails into his palm.

"After that I broke into the clan meeting hall, and found the hidden archives. I read Madara's journals, to learn about this mission he wanted our clan to fulfill."

"That was when you changed," the trapped younger sibling remembered, "You began to challenge father and the rest of the clan. You said they were too impressed with their abilities."

"I had no desire to support Madara's mad dream," Itachi told him, "But I hoped if I could change their attitudes, even a little, or cause anyone else to unlock the second level, it might stall Madara."

"Is that why you killed our family?" Sasuke ramped up again, "So that Madara couldn't? Is that what the old pervert meant by 'mercy killings'?"

"No, I was too late that night," Itachi whispered, "Madara had already made his move."

"Enough with the cryptic crap," the rogue Genin shouted impatiently, "Just tell me."

"There is a third level to the Sharingan," Jiraiya explained, "A legendary level, only ever achieved by Madara Uchiha. Itachi described it from his first encounter. It is called the Shin'en Sharingan."

"The solid black eyes with red spirals," Orochimaru interjected before Sasuke could ask.

"The Shin'en Sharingan has only one recorded technique, an upgraded version of the Tsukiyomi known as Susano-o," the Toad Sage continued, "Unlike the Tsukiyomi, the Susano-o does not require the constant participation of the user. Once the victim is trapped in the Genjutsu, Madara can just leave them, and continue on to other targets. Even worse, the Susano-o never runs out. Anyone trapped in the technique will remain there, sealed in an abyss of torment until their real body dies. It was nicknamed 'One Thousand Years of Pain', because it takes most victims almost five days to die. But inside the illusionary world, that equates to almost a millennium."

"Madara used Susano-o on every other member of our clan," Itachi said softly, "I tried to use my Tsukiyomi to break our father's sister free, but I was nearly trapped in her illusion for the effort."

"You didn't really have a chance," Jiraiya tried to comfort him, "Only two people ever survived being hit by that technique, and both of them technically broke free before the Genjutsu fully took hold. Even the Suigin Byakugan could not remove the Susano-o once it was connected."

"So you killed our parents, and all the others, to spare them pain?" Sasuke asked, and Itachi nodded, "Why? What mission did our clan fail to perform? Why would Madara destroy the clan he created?"

"The reason Madara created the Uchiha clan, the reason he agreed to join with Hashirama Senju in forming the Konohagakure; all of it was so he could take his revenge on the Hyuga Clan," Itachi explained.

"The Hyugas? Why?" Sasuke interrupted again.

"If you'd stop butting in, we could explain this a lot faster," the Toad Sage sprouted in annoyance, "Look, we can't know anything for sure. Many historical records were lost during the Second Great Ninja War. The only first hand source we have are Madara's rants, and we only have those because Itachi brought them to us. And we have to take them with a grain of salt, for obvious reasons."

"Madara was born into the Hyuga clan," Itachi expositioned, "His father, Isamu, was a great ninja, and was chosen to marry the Hyuga heiress. It was hoped they would produce a powerful heir. But when Madara was born without the Byakugan, he and his father were cast out, and the union annulled. This devastated Isamu, who had fallen in love with his bride. Madara grew up with a broken father, resenting his mother and her family. Despite that, he grew remarkably skilled."

"By age twelve, he was already a Chunin," Jiraiya picked up the tale, "But at that point he vanished. There is no record of him anywhere, and his journals jump ahead to age eighteen. Given the handful of missing pages in the earlier books, we suspect he censored his own past. At any rate, at age eighteen, Madara reappeared, now using the surname Uchiha. He now possessed his own Kekkei Genkai, and forcibly took the rank of Jonin. He married soon after, and produced five offspring. As his children became active shinobi, they started to be known as the Uchiha Clan, and quickly were regarded as one of the premiere ninja clans, rivaling even the Senju."

"And when the Sanctuary of the Flames was destroyed," Orochimaru purred in admiration, "and Hashirama Senju approached Madara with his innovative plan to unite the separate clans into a city, to create an army of ninja; well Madara saw his chance. He insisted the Hyuga clan be invited to join the new village, seeing the perfect option to get close to his enemy, to observe them."

"He knew the Uchihas weren't strong enough, yet," Jiraiya shot Sasuke's possessed body a dirty look, "His first grandkids had just been born, and the Hyugas still outnumbered the Uchihas by almost five to one. So at first, he contented himself to simply outshine those who tossed him out like trash. The Uchihas took the worst missions, and always tried to outperform the Hyugas in contests, especially the newly created Chunin Exams."

"But in time, even that was not enough," Itachi said, disappointed, "Even though the Uchihas' accomplishments were greater, every Hyuga victory burned like a brand against his soul. And when Hashirama Senju was chosen as the Hokage, it was the last straw. Madara decided that even if he could not watch the entire Hyuga Clan fall, he could at least take some personal revenge. He decided to kill the leader of the Hyuga clan, Hoshi Hyuga, his own, younger half-sister."

The elder brother took a breath before continuing, "That night, he snuck into the Hyuga Manor. He killed three random Hyuga shinobi he encountered, before finally making his way to his sister's bedroom. But he wasn't content to simply stab her in her sleep. Instead, he woke her, intending to use the Susano-o on her, to kill her in agony."

"Unfortunately, Madara miscalculated," the serpent noted, "His sister had the power of the Suigin Byakugan, and she deflected Susano-o back on him."

"The reversal hurt Madara, badly," Itachi recalled the journal entry, smuggled into the Uchiha clan hall years after Madara's escape, "Hoshi Hyuga escaped, and raised the alarm. Injured, and his treachery revealed, Madara ran. But Hashirama caught up with him, at the place now known as the Valley of the End. After the battle, Madara lost, and was presumed dead. He escaped, content to let his clan finish the job."

"Of course, the Hokage had other ideas," Jiraiya smirked, "He carefully approached the Uchihas, determining that only Madara's second son bore the same level of hatred. So he began to secretly indoctrinate them, channeling Madara's teachings of destruction into a friendly rivalry."

"Do you understand now, Sasuke?" Orochimaru sounded bored, "The Uchiha Clan was influenced by the First, and they gave up Madara's goal of destroying the Hyugas. Of course, Madara could not let that go unpunished, so he destroyed the clan."

"Itachi, why did you lie to me?" Sasuke raised his voice again, "Why didn't you tell me the truth?"

"Madara left you alive for the same reason he spared me. He wanted us to grow stronger, strong enough to serve him. I knew that hatred would spur your advancement. But I could not let you target Madara. An ancestor you did not know would not have been an adequate focus for your rage. But had you faced him, he would have destroyed you without mercy."

"So now you have the whole story, Sasuke," Orochimaru chided, "Will you be silent long enough for me to conclude this transaction? Your yowling is too distracting."

"What?" the younger brother protested, "No, I don't want this. Not anymore."

"That is unfortunate," Orochimaru shook his head, as if dismayed, "We have a bargain. Your body, in exchange for Itachi's life. We swore Blood Oaths."

"No, stop."

Orochimaru ignored the teen, assuming a fighting stance. Jiraiya and Itachi both tensed, as the body thief sprang forward.


	52. The Last Son of the Uchiha

**Chapter 52: The Last Son of the Uchiha**

With Sasuke still screaming for his former mentor to stop, Orochimaru charged forward. His stolen Sharingan was active, ad he was signing his first jutsu.

"Ninja Art: Claws to Fangs Jutsu," the serpent user quickly invoked; just before he reached Itachi. The Sannin's fingernails grew long and narrow, like a snake's fangs. During the quick exchange of Taijutsu, Orochimaru was able to stab into Itachi's right thigh and scrape the back of the true Uchiha's left hand. Then Jiraiya closed the gap, and Orochimaru was forced to shift his focus. But the false traitor could not take advantage of the distraction, as he grew weak and light headed.

"Go ahead, take your antivenin pill," the body thief prompted, "My technique replicates the venom of four different snakes. They are not the most deadly, but they are exceedingly rare. So I am looking forward to finding out how well they stand up to the Akatsuki's medicine."

"You planned this, didn't you?" Jiraiya accused angrily, aiming his left fist at Sasuke's neck, "You could have attacked Itachi at any time, but you waited until he was meeting with me. You wanted Sasuke to learn the truth, to break his spirit."

"I did owe him for trapping me those few months," Orochimaru shrugged, unconcerned, "And this trip down memory lane also distracted Itachi. So really, it served a double purpose. Getting to dismantle you with my new body is just a side benefit."

Orochimaru's feet shifted oddly as he avoided the old pervert's kick at his waist. Jiraiya launched another kick at Orochimaru's head; putting his right hand behind his body, presumably to balance the high kick, hut in reality to conceal the build up of chakra over his palm. The teenage body shuffled around, and grabbed the white-haired Sannin's left wrist, preventing Jiraiya from using the Rasengan.

"A lethal attack?" the snake summoner feigned hurt, "You would use a lethal attack against poor Sasuke?"

He twisted Jiraiya hand back with chakra increased strength, forcing the spiraling sphere perilously close to the elder warrior's spine. The Toad Sage was forced to cancel the jutsu to avoid crippling himself.

"I'd rather not kill Sasuke," the Sage conceded, "But if you manage to kill Itachi, Sasuke becomes a lost cause. If forced to make the choice, I'll keep the loyal brother alive."

Jiraiya crouched, and then jumped high, pulling free from Orochimaru's grasp. Itachi finally managed to extract the curative tablet from his belt pouch, despite the numbness in his fingers. He swallowed the drug, and backed up to a tree, hoping the antidote could cleanse his system. After the Toad Sage hopped out of his grasp, the snake user used the same momentum to divert his attention back to his 'older brother'. But the Fourth Hokage's teacher twisted in mid air, already signing.

"Earth Style: Swallowing Land Jutsu," he proclaimed. The ground around Orochimaru split like a giant set of jaws, and closed around him, sucking him into the dirt. The ground began to shake, and Sasuke's left hand exploded forth, wrapped in lightning. The rest of the hijacked body followed.

"You know the Chidori?" Jiraiya exclaimed in amazement.

"Of course," the serpent hissed, pityingly, "I know all of little Sasuke's techniques."

Kakashi's technique still active, Orochimaru continued his charge to the slowly recovering Itachi. The antivenin was taking hold, but neither fast enough nor thoroughly enough for the double agent's taste.

"Summoning Art: Toad Flare Wall." Two toads appeared in mid air, one on either side of Jiraiya. They quickly set down twin lines of oil between Orochimaru and his target. Then their human partner sent out a spark, causing the liquid to erupt into a giant barrier of flames. The amphibians vanished as Orochimaru skidded to a halt, just short of the towering fire. He glanced up at Jiraiya, and smirked before striding into the flames.

The self-proclaimed super pervert landed on the far side of the inferno, watching anxiously. A black spot appeared in the blaze, expanding slowly. Then the bubble of black fire burst, revealing the form of Sasuke Uchiha, his Mangekyo Sharingan active.

"You should know better than to use fire against an Uchiha," Orochimaru's chided, a trickle of blood running from the corner of his left eye. Jiraiya snapped his fingers, and wall of fire vanished.

"I just needed to slow you down," the loyal Sannin countered. He stepped between the snake and the weasel, carefully avoiding looking into those deadly crimson eyes. He knew not being able to look at his opponent's face would be dangerous, but decided getting caught in the Tsukiyomi would be worse than having a fraction of a second less to dodge Amaterasu. Determined not to let the traitor have the next move, Minato's teacher launched a side kick at Orochimaru's abdomen, even as he began to sign his next jutsu. The body snatcher seized his foot, and twisted the ankle, causing Jiraiya to spiral away from him. The elder shinobi was forced to stop his hand seals in order to catch himself before his face plowed into the dirt. His concentration lost, the Toad Sage contemplated his next move.

"I remember you being faster, even when we fought four years ago," Sasuke's head as his parasite pondered that condescendingly, "Age must be catching up with you."

The he shifted his gaze back to his real target, "Well Itachi, are you ready to rejoin this fight? Or do you intend to flee?"

"He's right," Jiraiya agreed, "You need to get out of here. I'll hold him off."

"No," the elder brother said, "I will leave neither you nor Sasuke in Orochimaru's clutches. I will not play the traitor this time."

Then he smiled ruefully, "Besides, with the remnants of this poison in my system, I am not sure I could escape."

"You have no choice, in little Sasuke's case," Orochimaru simpered, "He has signed over possession of his body to me. And there is no way you can evade me for three more months, not without killing me, and thus Sasuke too."

Itachi leapt over his contact's head, and Jiraiya could tell he was not exaggerating about to impact of the venoms. Uchiha's normally exacting movements appeared slow, and awkward. He launched a three finger jab at Sasuke's heart, and when the body of his brother stepped back, Itachi flipped up the kunai pinched between his thumb and pinky, scoring a light cut. He caught the blade's handle, and swung it at Orochimaru's neck. The serpent blocked him, wrist to wrist, but Itachi finished building up chakra for his real attack.

"Katon: Fire Clone Jutsu," Itachi split in four, attacking with different kicks from all quadrants.

"Water Style: Downpour Jutsu," the rogue Sanin completed the A-Rank technique with only five seals, and water drawn from the air and trees began to pelt them. Though the humans were only chilled and soaked, the rain caused the Fire Clones to flicker and die.

"Raiton: Least Resistance Strike," Jiraiya countered the counter, sending forth a lightning bolt that tracked the water technique back to its source. Orochimaru's commandeered body went rigid as the voltage coursed through it. Itachi took the opening, sweeping Sasuke's legs, and preparing to drive his heel into the traitor's stomach. But as his foot connected, Orochimaru exploded into a nest of vipers. The elder brother hopped back, but not before one of the serpents tagged him. Jiraiya looked around for their opponent, as Itachi went for his last antidote.

"You want to play with lightning, old friend?" Orochimaru mocked, stepping out from the trunk of the largest oak, "That really won't serve you any better than fire did."

His left hand dropped, and lightning chakra began to crackle around it again. He charged his former teammate with amazing speed. But the pervert was ready for the jab. He carefully observed Orochimaru's run, and when the body thief started to lift his hand, Jiraiya jumped straight back, raising his right hand over his head and forming another, larger Rasengan.

'Sorry, kid,' Jiraiya thought, 'But if I take your hand, we can stop Orochimaru long enough for you to ride this out.'

The teacher of the fourth Hokage started to drop his arm, planning to push the spiraling sphere into Sasuke's wrist. But before he could connect, Orochimaru suddenly flicked out his fingers. The lightning chakra split into a dozen snake shaped streams, and each shot like a bullet towards Jiraiya's outstretched limb. They tore through skin, muscle, and bone, leaving the Toad Sage's wrist and hand a hole-riddled mess.

"I improved on Kakashi's basic form," Orochimaru boast, and his former teammate cradled his ruined forearm, trying to staunch the blood loss.

"I considered calling it 'Chihebi', but it doesn't quite roll off the tongue like 'Chidori'," Sasuke's possessed form stalked closer, "Or how about 'Lightning Snakes'?"

Orochimaru fired a punch at Jiraiya's face, and the grey-haired Sannin blocked with his left hand. But this was in the other Sannin's plan, and the serpent user kicked the toad summoner's damaged right elbow. Minato and Naruto's teacher collapsed to his knees from the pain. But as his eyes started to close, Orochimaru tapped his chest with an electricity wrapped finger.

"Now, now," the serpent Sannin admonished as Jiraiya's eyes flew open, "I can't have you passing out now. But I suppose I also can't have you trying anything, either."

He jabbed two needles into Jiraiya's neck, immobilizing his former ally. The serpent user pushed the pervert back, leaving him leaning against a slender spruce. Then he turned back, looking curious and smug.

"Have you recovered yet, Itachi?" he asked politely, "I wouldn't want this to be too easy. After all, I need to get a feeling of how strong this body is."

Itachi did not respond verbally, instead choosing to draw the Second Hokage's katana. The mouth of Sasuke Uchiha twisted into a smirk.

"Kenjutsu, is it?" he chuckled. A snake appeared from Orochimaru's mouth, and expelled Kusanagi into his waiting hand.

"You won't find me as simple to defeat as your brother."

He flicked the legendary jian, increasing its length by half and slicing through the tree Jiraiya was propped against, just above the frozen Sage's head. Orochimaru took another step forward, destroying one of the ancient oaks with a delicate twist of his wrist.

"Unlike foolish little Sasuke, I can use Kusanagi to counter the Shredding Sound jutsu inscribed into that blade."

Itachi did not answer. Instead, he somersaulted forward, keeping the ANBU blade tight to his body. He landed in a crouch before Orochimaru, and swung the katana horizontally at the body thief's waist. The straight blade caught the curved sword, and the blade extended further, carrying the vibration out to the tip. Kusanagi's point shot towards the true Uchiha's right eye, and he was forced to roll to his side to avoid the attack. But his dodge was off balance, and Orochimaru swept his jian sideways, cutting deep into Itachi's chest. Blood sprayed out, and Sasuke's brother collapse. Orochimaru looked at the blood-coated edge of the Grass Cutting sword with annoyance.

"You didn't think this simple Genjutsu would fool me did you?" his voice bordered on anger for the first time. Orochimaru did not like being taken lightly, especially by those who should know better.

"Even without the Sharingan, I can see through this," he reactivated his stolen Kekkei Genkai, and began looking for the double agent. He saw Itachi, perched on a nearby limb. The Akatsuki Uchiha let out a sign of relief, smoothly standing up straight. As he did, the illusion of has body faded.

"You didn't want to fool me," a touch of admiration replaced the anger, "You were buying time to use Suseri, to displace the effects of my snake's toxins. An interesting strategy, but it buys you what, five minutes? Maybe ten? Do you honestly expect to defeat me so quickly?"

Itachi started the clock in his head. In seven minutes, twenty-three seconds, the poisons and the punctures that introduced them would return. He had to conserve his chakra, so he could not send the injuries out the full twelve minutes and sixteen seconds.

Orochimaru did not give up a second, despite his near boasting. He threw the Kusanagi at the Akatsuki agent, sidearm so the weapon spun with the blade on the outside edge, rather than point first. Itachi knocked the Grass Cutter way with the Second's katana, but the straight sword righted itself, and flew towards him again. Itachi parried again, and the floating sword began to fence with him. Below the fight, Orochimaru directed the flying weapon with simple gestures of his right hand. With no body to protect, Kusanagi was able to attack with reckless abandon, keeping the Uchiha shinobi on the defensive. At the same time, Orochimaru began to incorporate hand signs into his direction of the blade.

"Fire Style: Dragon's Roar Jutsu," he proclaimed after completing the seals. A cone of red-purple flames shot from Sasuke's jaw. And still engaged by the floating blade, the elder brother could not forge a counter jutsu. His only choice was to fall backwards off the tree limb, letting gravity pull him out of the path of the fire. But Kusanagi followed, and Orochimaru tilted his head to make the jutsu pursue as well. Just before the villainous scientist's breath ran out, the blaze struck Itachi's left foot, burning away his boot and causing deep black burns to erupt across his skin. The jian sliced at him again, and he turned his own sword to stop it. But before the weapons could connect, the Grass Cutter's blade shrunk to the size of a dagger, passing under the katana. Expecting to meet Orochimaru's remote attack with force, the sudden change left Itachi off balance as he fell. Kusanagi then returned to its true length, cutting into the undercover Leaf ninja's stomach. Sharper than a razor, the legendary sword passed through Itachi's intestine in a clean, almost gentle motion.

Holding his guts in with his left arm, Itachi managed to land on his feet. But he was forced to put most of his weight onto his undamaged right foot, and the ninja felt the muscles in his ankle strain. He knocked Kusanagi back again, this time making sure to focus on the hilt. Then he swung his katana back brandishing it between himself and the approaching figure of Sasuke, while keeping an eye on the floating sword. But the hovering blade stopped attacking, as if waiting for its master.

"You see, Sasuke?" Orochimaru asked, despite the voice projection jutsu having faded minutes before, "Winning a fight without lethal intent is exponentially harder. Of course, you are stronger and faster than Itachi, and I am far more skilled, so this was never a contest to begin with …"

Itachi grimaced at the repeated traitor, until he completed the hand signs, hidden by his crouched position. He began to sink into the ground, but Orochimaru crooked his fingers, and Kusanagi shoot through Itachi's right shoulder. When the sword hit the earth, the elder Uchiha's escape was arrested, leaving only his head and shoulders visible, and vulnerable. Smirking at the shinobi's predicament, Orochimaru grasped Kusanagi's hilt, and lifted Itachi from the ground by the blade. The Uchiha heir was unable to restrain a howl of pain, as the flat of the blade rubbed against his collarbone. His concentration broken, Itachi dropped his katana.

"Now you have a choice to make, Itachi," Orochimaru informed him, holding him above the ground, still impaled upon the sword, "You have a piece of information I want."

"And if I give it to you, you let me live, right?" Itachi said, still maintaining his calm.

"Oh no," Orochimaru shook his head, "You will die today. But if you tell me, I will give you a quick and honorable death. Deny me, and you will die slowly."

"And what could I possibly have to tell the all-knowing Serpent Sannin?"

"The location of Madara Uchiha…"

* * *

"Lord Orochimaru?" Kabuto flash stepped into the clearing, as Itachi's body crumpled to the dirt. The left side of the medical ninja's face was horribly scarred, but he once again had two arms, which appeared to be symmetrical. He looked down at the last of the Uchiha clan, as the black flames around the hole that had once been Itachi's heart slowly flickered and died.

"It is done," the Sannin sounded oddly giddy, "This body is now mine, and I know where to find our true target."

"What about Jiraiya?" Yakushi asked, regarding the immobilized Sage carefully, "He is still alive."

"Of course," Orochimaru agreed, "I never intended to kill him."

He slithered over to his 'old friend', and removed the chakra-laced needles from the pressure points in his neck. The other Sannin collapsed fully as his body relaxed, but he stared hatefully at the villain and his lieutenant.

"But why?' Kabuto seemed personally offended by the suggestion.

"Jiraiya must return to the Hidden Leaf Village," the body thief explained to both of them, "To tell them of the Akatsuki's plans. The Hidden Leaf must continue to oppose your former masters, so that Pein and Madara's plans do not reach fruition. Beside, I want dear Tsunade and all of little Sasuke's old friends to know of my restoration, and how it came about."

Kabuto nodded with an appreciative smirk.

"But I can't have you following me, or trying anything foolhardy, so," Orochimaru stepped on Jiraiya's wounded right arm, and then kicked him hard in the neck. Between the two attacks, the Toad Sage lost consciousness.

"Let's go," Orochimaru ordered, and both renegade shinobi vanished.

* * *

Jiraiya awoke, feeling curiously comfortable and free of pain. He could not tell the passage of time, but it was obviously after dark. As he glanced around, the first thing he noticed was that he was no longer in the forest. The hospital room clarified in his eyes, and the Sannin had another realization, that he could not move his left hand or arm. His eyes turned downward, and recognized Tsunade. His former teammate tightly held his left hand in both of hers, and was asleep, her head resting on his wrist. Not wanting to disturb her, he lifted his right hand, marveling slightly that the limb appeared whole, and did not hurt at all. But as he flexed his fingers, the action was difficult, and slightly uncomfortable.

"You will need some physical therapy," the Hokage said gently, lifting her head, "And even then, you might never be as strong or as quick as you used to be. But you're lucky. There's someone out there who cares for you more than he should."

"Just one someone?" he asked, fixing a canny eye on her. Unlike normal, she did not hit him, but instead smiled sadly.

"Naruto donated a pint of his blood, and I was able to partially replicate what he and Sakura did for Hinata," her eyes growing moist, "I thought I was going to lose you. You're the only one I have left."

"Death is part of being a ninja, and I've lived longer than most. Besides, you still have the knucklehead, not to mention to rest of the village."

"I love Naruto like a nephew…" she started.

"Or a grandson?" he interrupted.

"… but you are the only one I can rely on as an equal," she finished, ignoring him, "Sarutobi-sensei, Nawaki, Dan, Yukihana… There are all gone."

Her tears continued to fall, and he squeezed her hand. But at the same time, his expression darkened.

"How long has it been?" he asked, after she had recovered "What happened?"

"You probably no more about what happened," she said thoughtfully, "But as for how long, it has been five days since the meeting was scheduled to occur. When you didn't return after two days, I sent out the ANBU to find whatever bar you had discovered, and bring you back. They discovered you in the clearing, nearly dead, and carried you back here. They said it looked like there had been a major battle in the forest."

He nodded, even though that should have been obvious.

"Did the Akatsuki discover you?" she prompted

"Not the Akatsuki. It was Orochimaru."

Suddenly all fear and sadness left the Hokage's beautiful face, replaced by confusion and anger.

* * *

"So Itachi is dead?" Tsunade was shocked.

"Yeah," Jiraiya said slowly, confused by her confusion, "Wasn't he there?"

"No," she shook her head, "It was just you. But his sword was there. We hoped he had been forced to pretend to kill you."

"No, Orochimaru killed Itachi. He made sure I saw it," he paused to exhale, "But what happened to Itachi's body?"

"Considering who killed him, I'd rather not think about that," the medical expert shuddered.

"So what do we do now?" he asked.

"We already have plans in place to insert a new agent into the Akatsuki," the Hokage answered, "But I will need time to think about how to deal with the Sasuke/Orochimaru issue. And I have to call a meeting to discuss what to do with the Uchiha estate."

"First, we need to tell _them_ what happened."

She nodded.

* * *

Early the next morning, Tsunade escorted Kakashi, Naruto, and Sakura into Jiraiya's room.

"Hey, Pervy Sage, you're looking better," Naruto greeted his mentor with a grin. But his happy look faded when he saw the dark and sad look on Jiraiya's face.

"I have something to tell the three of you," the Toad Sage said grimly.

* * *

The door to Jiraiya's room burst open and Naruto staggered out numbly. The young man's visage was hollow, and defeated. Sakura followed quickly thereafter, her face still soaked. Finally Kakashi followed stoically, wearing an expression of dour acceptance.

"Naruto?" a gentle voice called to him. Uzumaki looked up, into the concerned face of Hinata Hyuga. Seeing his girlfriend, the tears he had been holding back sprang forth. He crossed the hall in two steps, wrapping Hinata in his arms tightly, as if afraid to let her go. He sobbed on her shoulder, and she returned his tight embrace, worried for him.

"Naruto, what is it?" she asked gently.

"Please, come home with me," he whispered, "I'll tell you everything there."

She nodded, and they began to walk slowly away. Naruto continued to grasp her hand firmly, not wanting to relinquish human contact.

Sakura dropped her hand, which she had been extending to Naruto. She too was crying again, but for a different reason. She felt alone. She understood how Naruto was feeling, didn't she? Certainly, she understood better than Hinata did. They both shared the bond with Sasuke, and both had pledged to bring him back to the village. So why didn't he turn to her, why didn't he embrace her?

"Come on, Sakura," Kakashi touched his student's shoulder in comfort, "I'll take you home."

"Thanks, Kakashi-sensei," she whimpered.

* * *

After dropping off Sakura, Kakashi had called Ino to come keep his charge company. He then strode rapidly away, but not in the direction of his own apartment. He pace carried him to a small condo on the opposite side of town. Despite his prior urgency, Hatake paused before knocking on the door.

"Kakashi… senpai?" Yugao Uzuki added the honorific after a second of shock.

"May I come in?" he said quietly. She nodded, concerned, and stepped aside. Once he was securely in her home, the Jonin Kunoichi closed and locked the door.

"Kakashi, what's wrong?" she asked informally. The Copy Ninja did not answer with words. Instead, he pulled his mask down and kissed his lover furiously. Though she returned his ministrations in kind, the young woman felt apprehensive. Her expectations were met, when she tasted salt on his lips. She pulled back, looking into his wet eyes.

"I failed again," he told her. Her expression changed to one of sad affection, and she held him close again.

* * *

"Father? It is Hinata," the girl whispered into her cellular phone. After hearing the story from her beloved, she spent most of the day sitting with him; holding him and listening to him recount stories about Sasuke. After dinner Naruto was drained, but more stable. He went to take a quick shower and change clothes, so Hinata took the opportunity to call home.

"I am at Naruto's house. I am going to stay the night here."

She intentionally did not phrase it as a question, and quickly continued before he could say anything.

"I promise we won't do anything you would disapprove of," she reassured him, "But something has happened, and Naruto needs me. I… I am worried about him."

"This is about the Uchiha boy, isn't it," Hiashi's proud, stern voice emerged, tainted by something else.

"Yes…" she answered, "But how do you know?"

"The Hokage called together the clan leaders, to tell us what had transpired," he answered, "This event and the secrets surrounding it could have serious ramifications for the village."

Hinata did not say anything, but considered her father's words.

"Take care of Naruto," Hiashi continued kindly, and then offered, "Do you need me to send anything over?"

"No," Hinata answered after a short consideration, "I think it is better if no-one comes here tonight."

"Very well. Good night, Hinata."

"Good night, father."

As he hung up, Hiashi was surprised to realize he was proud of his caring, supportive daughter.

"There are many kinds of strength," he misquoted with a small smile.

"Was that Hinata?" Hanabi stepped into the hall.

"Yes. She will not be home tonight. Uzumaki received some terrible news, and she is staying with him."

Hanabi sniffed imperiously, and flounced back into her room.


	53. Kunoichi Sleepover

**Chapter 53: Kunoichi Sleepover**

"I'm sorry if this sounds callous, but what does this mean for me?" Temari asked, after hearing the whole story.

"In the long run, little," Tsunade informed her, "Your other tasks will be as we discussed. And once we have our new agent in the Akatsuki ranks, you will take over for Jiraiya as primary contact. Then you be able to relay any information to both the Kazekage and myself. You'll just have a little more free time until the infiltrator is in place."

The leader of the Hidden Leaf paused, and looked away.

"Are you thinking that you should have sent me this time?" the Sand Jonin's voice betrayed she had been considering the same.

"Maybe, a little," the Hokage conceded, "Orochimaru beat Jiraiya and Itachi fairly easily, but part of that was his distraction. If you had been there, you wouldn't have been weighed down by the emotional pressure, and you might have kept them focused."

"Or you might have been killed alongside Itachi," the medical Sannin sighed, "It's easy to second guess, but difficult to know what would have happened."

"If there is nothing else," Temari started again after a moment of reflection, "I have an appointment."

"Another date with our cynical genius?" Tsunade tried to take comfort in knowing that life went on, despite the latest tragedy.

"No, something else," the younger blonde answered evasively, "Good night, Lady Hokage."

The Sand 'hostage' bowed slightly, and then vanished from the room.

* * *

It had been six days since the Jonin Council had been informed of Sasuke's 'death' and Orochimaru's resurrection, and by now, most of the village knew. However, Itachi's role had only been revealed only to Team Kakashi, the clan leaders, and finally Temari; and they had been sworn to secrecy. Though she wished she could reveal the last Uchiha for the hero he had been, Tsunade understood the tactical advantage in keeping what they knew hidden. By the dawn of the third day, the irrepressible Naruto Uzumaki was back to his normal spirits, more or less. And the day after, Kakashi Hatake finally snuck out of Yugao Uzuki's apartment, also on the road to emotional recovery.

But Sakura Haruno seemed to be hit harder than her male teammates. Ino had visited her friend each day, and grew ever more concerned. She heard from Sakura's mother that Naruto had been over twice, Kakashi once, and one day Hinata, Tenten, and Moegi had popped in together. And none of them had been able to dislodge the young woman from her room. Sakura had even refused to see Naruto both times he had dropped by. Ino had wracked her brains for a way to help break the pink-haired medic out of her funk, and finally had come up with a plan

When the shinobi mentalist entered her friend's room, Sakura was sitting on her bed, with her knees pulled up to her chest. Sakura's hair was unkempt, and her flannel nightgown had fallen off her left shoulder. Ino found the effect oddly enticing, and briefly considered another way to try to help Sakura's mood. But she dismissed the idea, even if Sakura might have been interested; she could not do that to Choji.

"Get up," she ordered. Sakura raised her eyes to meet Ino's with a look of exhausted confusion.

"What?"

"Get up," Yamanaka barked again, trying her best to imitate her new sensei, "We have to get you showered and dressed, now."

She grabbed Sakura's hand, and tugged her up. Even though Sakura had the superior strength, she did nothing to resist, and Ino dragged her to her feet. The blonde gently pushed the pink-haired girl into her bathroom.

"I trust I don't have to help you shower?" Ino said mockingly, and for the first time, a glimmer of emotion passed through Sakura's eyes, annoyance.

"Ino, what is all this about?" Haruno demanded through the closed door as she disrobed. The part time flower seller had moved to her friend's dresser, and was picking out clothing.

"Comfortable, but not too frumpy," she started to toss the bra and panty set onto the bed. Then she thought better of it, and set them on top of the dresser

"Oh, this is cute," she added a long sleeved shirt, and then a pair of jeans. Finally she took out a clean, springtime nightgown.

"Ino," Sakura said again, "Tell me what you are doing, or I'm going back to bed."

"You're coming over to my place," the mind jutsu expert finally answered, "We're having a slumber party."

"What?" the despondent medic opened the door and stuck her head out, and Inner Sakura groused, 'What are we, ten?'

"You need to get out of this room, and you really need to have some girl time," Ino lectured, "We'll do each other's hair and make-up, gossip, watch some sappy romance or girl power flick, and binge on pop and junk food."

"No way. We're adults now. That's kid's stuff."

"Perfect, since you're acting like baby right now," the would be hostess countered, "Now get in that shower now, or I'll Mind Transfer in there and do it myself."

With a sigh of defeat, Sakura closed the door.

* * *

Although the target showed no further signs of resistance, Ino wrapped Sakura's arm tightly in hers, to make sure the downcast Chunin could not escape. After they crossed the village, Yamanaka prodded her former rival into her family's home. Her parents having been convinced to go out for the night, the house was empty.

"Mom just got a new TV," she indicated the sixty inch widescreen console in the living room, with an exaggerated sigh.

"Minako is such a technophile," Ino told her guest, "It's a good thing the shop is doing well. But I guess there are some advantages."

Sakura was starting to wonder if Ino dragged her over just to show off, but before she could voice the opinion, there was a loud knock at the door.

"I'll get it," Ino said in a sing-song voice, "Have seat."

Sakura dropped her overnight bag by the wall, and settled into one of the recliners.

'Why did I let her drag me over here?' Inner Sakura pondered in annoyance. The medical expert considered sneaking out the back. But she didn't want to hurt Ino's feelings.

"Besides, she'd probably just track me down, and march me back with her little mind control trick," Haruno grumbled out loud.

"What was that, Sakura-senpai?" a new voice asked from the doorway. Sakura looked up, and saw Moegi in the entrance to the entertainment room. Behind the younger Kunoichi she saw Sasame Fuma and Tenten. As they moved into the living room, Temari appeared from the curve in the hall. Lastly was Hinata, being pushed forward by Ino. All of the other girls were also in relaxed, civilian clothes, and each wore her hair loose, instead of the usual buns, braids, bunches, and pigtails.

"It looks like everyone arrived at the same time," Ino laughed, "It's a good thing we got back when we did."

"But Ino-senpai…" Moegi started with a confused expression. The hostess quickly darted over and pinched the thirteen-year old's cheek.

"Now, now Moegi," she said forcefully, "We're all girls getting together for some fun. No need to use honorifics tonight."

Tenten and Temari both nodded, and Moegi got the real message.

"So what does everyone want on pizza?" Ino continued quickly.

* * *

"So, Temari," Ino paused in the middle of the seventh braid she was weaving into Tenten's long hair. Freed from the normal odango she wore, the oldest of the Leaf Ninja present also had the longest hair. Yamanaka fixed a canny eye on the Sand Kunoichi, and her lips peeked in a mischievous grin.

"What's it like being _with_ Shikamaru?" the younger blonde asked, "After Choji turned me down the second time, I briefly considered trying Shika out. You know, keeping it in the team. But I decided it would be too 'troublesome'. But now, I'm really curious about what I might have missed."

Tenten showed amazement at Ino's brazenness and Sasame looked away. Hinata and Moegi both blushed furiously, while Temari turned slightly red. But the Sand Jonin also smirked. She opened her mouth to speak.

"Ino, come on," Sakura protested, "There's a child here. Oh, and Moegi too."

She looked pointedly at Hinata as she said it. The Hyuga heiress did not miss the barb, her eyes narrowed angrily. Then she forced herself to remember what had happened, and why they were there.

"Spoilsport," Ino pouted, then grinned again, "Well, then can I at least ask what kind of kisser he is? Moegi's kissed Konohamaru before, right?"

The youngest shinobi turned a deeper shade of crimson, but did not deny the charge. Out of arguments, and more than a little curious, the medical expert waved her hand in acquiescence.

"Well," Temari tilted her head in consideration, accidentally pulling her locks out of Sasame's hands, "I guess the best way to describe him is 'technically skilled'. I mean, its fun and he definitely covers all the angles, but there is something missing. It's like he's always totally in control. He concentrates too much on the 'how', and not enough on the 'why'."

"Now, Choji's the exact opposite," Ino announced, "He's really passionate, and kinda messy. He tries really hard, but clearly he hasn't had a lot of practice."

Both blondes began staring at the other girls.

"Come on, you three," their host demanded of Hinata, Tenten, and Moegi.

"Yeah, dish," Sasame joined them; curious and believing she was safe.

"If Neji ever found out…" Tenten protested.

"No one is going to tell him," Ino shook her head.

"Fine," the slender brunette sighed, "I guess you could say Neji is like both Shikamaru and Choji. He starts very focused and controlled. But once he gets into it, he can be very energetic, and even a little… forceful."

She blushed at her memories, and Temari chuckled.

"Konohamaru and I haven't been going out that long," Moegi said quickly, to avoid any more pressuring, "So mostly it has been quick, short kisses. He's still anxious that we'll get caught be Ebisu-sensei or his mom."

"You just have to wear him down," Ino counseled, to Sakura and Hinata's shared dismay, "Keep at it until he figures out kissing you is better than caring who finds out."

Even as she finished advising the Genin, her head turned slightly to Hinata. The white-eyed woman stopped brushing Moegi's hair, and began to tap her fingers nervously.

"I don't have anything to compare to," Hinata began apologetically, "But I think Naruto is a great kisser."

"You have to give us more than that," Temari's voice made it hard to tell if she was asking or ordering.

"Well… Umm… his lips are rough," she continued quietly, closing her eyes to remember, "But not unpleasantly so. It would be weird if his lips were too soft, right? He is very tender, but somehow firm at the same time. And when we kiss, I feel tingles up and down my spine."

Sasame and Ino both looked envious, while Tenten grinned in satisfaction. Sakura, however, snorted and gestured dismissively.

"That's just the knucklehead's overflowing chakra reacting to your shared lightning affinity," she scoffed.

"So we really are connected when we kiss," Hinata said pointedly, opening one eye to glare at her teammate.

"What about you, Sasame?" Ino diverted everyone's attention again. The redhead's eyes went wide in surprise.

"Well, I'm not seeing anyone now," the newest Leaf Chunin said.

"But you must have gone on dates before you came here," Ino prodded, "Maybe a boyfriend or two?"

The thread user only shook her head, "I didn't have much time for dating. I had a few first kisses, but nothing spectacular."

"What?" Ino seemed shocked, and almost offended, "I can't believe it. You're almost as hot as I am, plus you've got that whole petite thing some guys go for."

"I have had my share of offers," Sasame admitted, "But… there was this one guy I was interested in, and next to him the others just didn't stack up."

"What's he like?" Tenten probed gently.

"Well, he is direct, and ill mannered," she answered carefully, "But he's also kind and generous. And he never gives up, once he has set his mind to something."

Sakura stared at Sasame, suspiciously.

"That sounds like the boss," Moegi stated without even a hint of accusation. But Sasame jumped in surprise at the declaration. She stepped out from behind Temari, and prostrated herself before Hinata.

"I'm sorry, Hinata," she said pleadingly, "I didn't know Naruto had someone, and I'm not going to try to break you two up, I promise."

Hinata was taken aback by Sasame's sudden and vehement apology.

"That's OK, Sasame," she extended her hand to the other woman, "I can certainly understand how you could feel that way about Naruto."

"So that's the real reason you came to the Hidden Leaf Village?" Sakura alleged, "To try to get together with Naruto?"

"No," Sasame denied, not upset by the inference, "I mean, it he is part of why I pledged myself to the Konohagakure, just like you are Sakura. But he wasn't even in my top three reasons."

"Why did you become a Leaf Ninja?" Temari asked firmly, then softened, adding, "If you don't mind me asking."

The Chunin shook her head, her loose orange hair fluttering around her.

"The first two reasons are linked," she explained herself, "When Shin Busata asked the Fuma Clan to join the reformed Hidden Sound Village, Hanzaki was happy to accept. But I just couldn't bring myself to trust the Sound, not after everything I went through. At the same time, I owed Naruto, Sakura, and Master Jiraiya for everything they did for me, Arashi, and the rest of the clan. And I didn't want to be alone. I told Hanzaki all of that and he agreed to let me come to the Leaf Village."

"The third reason, the one I didn't tell my clan," she continued, conspiratorially, "was because I wanted to study under Shizune-sensei."

"So you want to be a medical ninja?" Tenten asked, "Then why not aim for Lady Tsunade? She is the best, and hasn't been stingy about taking apprentices."

"While I'll be happy to learn any medical jutsu Shizune-sensei teaches me," Sasame shook her head in denial, "The reason I wanted to study with her is for her mastery of needles techniques and poisons. You see, the Fuma clan measures our skill by what we use to anchor our threads. We start with kunai, then move up to darts, and finally use needles. Though I am a needle-type thread user, I was trying to find a way to become stronger. And that was when I thought about other ninja techniques that use needles. And I thought if I could learn Shizune-sensei's needle and poison skills, I would have a broader base of skills, and I could find new ways to combine them with the Fuma thread techniques."

"Wanting to see Naruto and Sakura again were my fourth and fifth reasons," she finished.

"But if you want to be with the boss…" Moegi started, but Sasame interrupted her, shaking her head again.

"I still like Naruto, but he is just a crush," she offered, "And I would never want to be the woman who steals her friend's guy. Besides, there are plenty of other cute guys here, now that I know Naruto's off the market. Like Kiba… or maybe Genma…"

"No way," Ino and Moegi complained in unison, and the younger girl added, "He's too old!"

"I prefer to think of him as mature, and experienced…"

"I'm going to get another soda. Does anyone else want anything?" Sakura said oddly, and quickly exited the room before anyone could answer. As she left, Hinata also stood, and headed towards the bathroom, though not so intently.

"Are you sure this was a good idea?" Tenten leaned in closer to Ino and whispered. Moegi, Temari, and Sasame continued to debate the merits of older men.

"I mean, Sakura and Hinata haven't been getting along well lately," the weapons expert added, "And this doesn't appear to be helping matters."

"Right now, Sakura is my main concern," Ino answered, "If sniping at Hinata is the best way to get her back to normal, then so be it. I'll just have to apologize to Hinata later."

Tenten and Moegi let out appreciative sighs as the credits started to roll. And Temari surreptitiously dabbed the corner of her eyes with the short sleeve of her nightgown.

* * *

After the girls finished styling one another's hair, Moegi, Sasame, and Hinata submitted to having their faces made up. Of course, the other four had indulged in a little fun, and the trio had been forced to scrub their faces when they changed into their sleepwear. Once all seven were dressed for bed, they had spread out their sleeping bags across the living room floor. And then they had popped a romantic comedy into Minako's new DVD player; one heavy on the romance, light on the comedy.

"You know, I love Neji to death," Tenten said as Ino removed the disc, "But sometimes I wish he could be more sensitive, like that."

"I know," Temari smirked, "I practically have to club Shika over the head to get him to tell me what he's thinking or feeling."

"You can't expect romance from any guy under the age of twenty-two," Sasame advised.

"Maybe we should have invited Anko-sensei over," Moegi suggested, "Iruka-sensei seems to be pretty open and romantic."

"Yeah, but Iruka and Anko aren't a good example," Ino dismissed the idea, "I mean, we all know who wears the pants in that relationship. Figuratively speaking, of course."

They all giggled, even Sakura, picturing Iruka Umino in skirt.

"You could talk to Yugao-sensei…" Hinata started to recommend, but she trailed off when the others looked at her in confusion.

"I thought she was…" Hinata mumbled under the scrutiny, "Is... is it supposed to be a secret? Or did I just imagine it…"

She stopped speaking, looking worried.

"Spill, Hinata," Ino commanded, eager for some gossip.

"Yeah, tell us," Sasame wanted to know more about her teacher.

"Well, it's just… When we were on the bus, going to the Land of Waves, and Naruto asked Yugao about Kakashi, she got flushed and stuttered."

"You'd know all about that," Sakura added, _sotto voce_.

"And when Naruto, Hanabi and I went to speak to Kakashi to talk to him about training for the Chunin exams, there was a woman hiding from us in his apartment. I didn't see her face, but she was Yugao's height and build, and she had long, purple hair."

"And…" she finished, blushing, "I'm pretty sure she was naked."

"Oooo," Ino squealed, "Yugao and Kakashi."

"But I'm not sure," Hinata quickly interjected.

"No, it doesn't surprise me," Sasame added, "Since we haven't had a mission yet, Yugao-sensei has had us training together. And last week, after you guys got back, we 'just happened to run into' Kakashi-sensei. He secretly gave Yugao-sensei a note. I hoped it was a mission from the Hokage, but nothing ever came of it, and she never mentioned it."

"They did work together in the ANBU," Tenten considered.

"And they both lost lovers," Temari noted, tensing slightly as she said it. But the others did not ask her about how she knew about that, and she relaxed again.

As they digested the knowledge of the secretly trysting Jonin pair, Ino remembered something, and her sly grin returned.

"Hey, Hinata, you said 'You could talk to Yugao-Sensei.' not 'We could talk to Yugao-sensei.'," the blonde Chunin recalled for the others, going back to the original topic, "Does that mean you think Naruto is romantic enough?"

The Hyuga scion pulled her covers over her head, pretending to ignore them.

"It's probably just a case of low expectations," Temari teased.

"No," Hinata fiercely popped back out at the slight to her beloved, "Naruto is sweet, and kind, and expressive."

"That doesn't sound much like the boss," Moegi joined the act, wanting to hear what Hinata had to say about Konohamaru's hero.

"We're going to need more than just assertions," Tenten said more gently than the others. And Sasame propped her head up on her elbow to better listen. Realizing she was surrounded, the pale beauty surrendered.

"My bracelet," she held out her arm, the expensive ornament clinking melodically.

"Old news," Ino waved it off, "you weren't even dating then."

"But on my birthday he got me matching earrings, and a longer chain, so I can wear it as a necklace when I'm using Ginmaki," Hinata countered, "Plus a bouquet of Day Lilies and White Roses, and a signed first edition of _The Kunoichi and the Priest. _Not Yukihana's copy either, he found me another one."

By now all of the others were suitably impressed, and Sakura was starting to look annoyed. But Hinata didn't notice, she was on a roll.

"And the night before my birthday, he took me to the Golden Shoe," she continued breathily, "Which I know we do fairly often, but this time he paid them to close the dance floor an hour early, so we would have it all to ourselves. He requested all of my favorite songs, and for that hour it was just the two of us, dancing. And he baked me a cake. From scratch."

"Darn," Moegi sighed, "Why couldn't Konohamaru learn _that _from Naruto?"

"Enough about Naruto," Sakura suddenly hissed, sitting up in bed to glare at them, "He's just an oblivious idiot. The only reason he's so nice to Hinata is because she's threw herself at him, and he's lonely and horny."

Everyone looked at her with amazement and dismay, and Hinata looked genuinely hurt.

"I mean, what's so special about you," the pink-haired woman kept going, growling, "He never liked big breasts before. And it can't be those creepy eyes. Is it just pity? Pity for a second rate ninja with no personality or backbone? Or is it kinship for a fellow misfit? The orphan and the girl who was cast out of her family…"

"Sakura, shut your mouth," Tenten said tersely, "We know you're having a hard time, but you can't take it out on Hinata like that."

"I don't know why you'd want him anyway," Tsunade's apprentice ignored Gai's student, and continued her rant, "He's just a stupid, clumsy, loud-mouth braggart. And he has no loyalty; he'll just abandon you when it suits him. Just like he did to Sasuke, and just like he did to me."

"Is that was this is about?" Hinata finally spoke, but quietly, forcing them all to listen carefully to her words, "Because Naruto came to me, after Master Jiraiya told the three of you about Sasuke? He said you wouldn't want to see him, that you would hate him. I knew he was wrong, but he insisted. Because he promised twice to bring back Sasuke, and in the end, he failed. And even if you were only a little angry and disappointed, he was in no shape to comfort you. He said he would have only stacked his pain on top of your own. That's why he went to me instead."

"And I have to live with that," Hinata said more firmly, "Even though we are together now, even though he loves me, and I him, I have to live with the fact that you were his first. And no matter what changes, or how much time passes, in some ways, in certain circumstances, you will always come before me. But I try to accept that, because that compassion, that loyalty, that is part of why I love him."

"So say what you will about me, Sakura Haruno," Hinata finally raised her voice, if only a little, "But don't you ever question Naruto's loyalty to his friends, especially you!"

Sakura sat back, struck by Hinata's words. Naruto was trying to protect her, while expecting her to think the worst of him? That definitely sounded like him. And when he had come to visit her, she had summarily turned him away…

"Hinata, I…" Sakura started speak, but trailed off, not knowing what to say. But before she could apologize, resume her tirade, or reveal her mother's secret stir-fry recipe, Ino's pillow struck her full in the face. The mentalist shinobi then snatched Sasame's pillow, and threw it at Hinata. Both of her victims shared a look, and a nod. Then, as one, the estranged teammates swung the headrests, sandwiching their host's face. Temari did not pause, but grabbed her own 'weapon', and walloped Tenten, the only one in her reach.

Before long, the pillows, and even the couch cushions were flying with reckless abandon.

* * *

"Hinata," Ino said quietly, after the others had fallen asleep. Hinata rolled over to meet her friend's gaze.

"I'm sorry about earlier," the blonde girl told her, "I knew Sakura was going through a hard time, and I thought some verbal sparring with you might help. But I never expected her to be so cruel. And I want you to know that none of us feel the same."

"I know," Hinata whispered, tearing up a little, "That's why I didn't care what Sakura said about me. Besides, I've heard it all before…"

Then she paused, letting a tiny chuckle interrupt her sadness, "Except my chest. I've never heard anyone make fun of it before."

Then she turned somber again, "I have already accepted that Sakura does not consider me a friend anymore. But I can't let her talk about Naruto like that, especially when he's trying to do what he thinks is best for her."

"I don't think Sakura hates you," Ino took Hinata's hand, and squeezed it comfortingly, "She's just lonely and jealous."

On the other side of the pile of young women, Sakura Haruno subtly rolled away from them, and pulled her covers up a little higher.


	54. Lead By Following

**Chapter 54: Lead By Following**

"Good morning, Kiba, Akamaru, Shino, Sasame," Yugao Uzuki greeted her team. The Chunin trio was waiting for her just inside the village's main gate, as usual. And, as was frequently becoming the case, the Jonin was late. Kiba frowned at her in annoyance, though the other two Chunin seemed unconcerned.

"You're late again, Yugao-sensei," the animalist ninja informed her, "Have you been spending time with Kakashi?"

Sasame chuckled at that, and their teacher had to struggle to keep her small smile in place.

"Why would you ask that?" Yugao asked him.

"Because Kakashi is always late, and it looks like you're picking up a similar habit," he answered.

"I was visiting the memorial," she explained truthfully, rather than cover it up like her paramour, "As I usually do, before going on a mission."

All of the teens perked up at that.

"Does that mean we have a mission?" Shino asked, his impassive voice failing to cover his increased attentiveness.

"Yes."

"It's about time," Kiba exclaimed, "Wouldn't you say, Sasame?"

"I…" she struggled to find a political way to phrase her views, "I do not disagree with Yugao-sensei and the Hokage allowing us time to adjust to our new team. But all the same, it will be good to have a real mission."

For the past two months, Team Yugao had spent most of their time training together, and performing minor D Rank missions in the Village. Their leader had said it was important for them to become comfortable with one another, both socially and as a shinobi unit.

"_Kiba and Shino, you two already know each other, and by all accounts work quite well together. But Sasame is not Hinata and I am not Kurenai; and we will need to find a new rhythm as group,_" she had told them.

"So what is our mission, Yugao-sensei," Sasame continued.

"Nothing to get too excited about," she prepared them, "It is only a C Rank mission. There is a ranching community near the edge of the Land of Fire that has been having cattle and sheep poached almost nightly for the last two weeks. Our job is to stop the thefts."

"I presume this is the work of bandits," Shino suggested.

"Probably," Yugao frowned slightly, "but the contract does not specify."

"And there is one more thing," she took a breath, "Kiba Inuzuka will be in charge of this mission."

"Me, sensei?" he barked in surprise. Sasame looked just as shocked. Akamaru glanced at his partner in expectation.

"Yes," she answered.

"The three of you are all Chunin," she explained at their expressions of doubt, "But only Shino was any substantial leadership experience. So on most C or B level missions we are assigned, I will place one of you three in charge. For our first mission, I am appointing Kiba the leader. He and Shino are still more familiar with one another, which should make things easier, and Kiba needs the experience more than Shino does."

"Sensei, what precisely do you mean by leader?" Shino pressed.

"As soon as we leave the village, whichever of you is chosen becomes the head ninja of the squad," she clarified, "And the other three squad members, myself included, will be expected to follow his or her orders as such. You may also feel free to address me as a peer instead of as your teacher. You will remain in charge until the mission is complete, or until I specific tell you that I am resuming command."

The insect user nodded. Sasame looked intrigued, and Kiba grinned. Yugao handed the mission file to the canine trainer, and then stepped past the wooden wall surrounding the ninja city. Her charges quickly followed suit, and then Sasame and Shino shifted their attention to their temporary boss.

"OK, it looks like we're heading west," Inuzuka told them after glancing through the paperwork, "It should take us about two days to get there, so lets move out."

* * *

Akamaru's loping gate decelerated to a trot as he sniffed at the air. He slowed to a cautious walk, growling slightly. The human warriors braked as well, tensing at the canine's aggressive posture.

It was just past noon on their second day of travel. Team Yugao was still a good hour from the settlement that had hired them, when Akamaru reacted.

"Looks like we're gonna have company," Kiba noted, drawing a kunai. Shino shook his arms, loosening the sleeves, causing a handful of anxious insects to appear around the cuffs. Neither of their female teammates made any aggressive moves.

"Nice doggy," a snide voice tried to placate the ninja hound. A lump of unidentifiable meat emerged from the trees, landing in front of Akamaru. The canine scooped up the odd morsel, and swallowed it in a single gulp.

"Good, we're friendly, see," the owner of the voice emerged, as did his cohorts. The fourteen thugs were thin, almost dangerously so, but otherwise well appointed for bandits. As they appeared, Akamaru fell to his belly. Yugao appraised the speaker's battleaxe with interest.

"This is a toll road," the leader informed the travelers, paying more attention to Yugao and Sasame than to the men. But his troops were not so oblivious, one pointed at Kiba's headband with a look of concern.

"We will require 100 Ryo worth of cash, goods, or… services," he leered at the Kunoichi, "from each of you."

"On whose authority?" Shino asked quietly, sounding like his inquiry was curiosity rather than a challenge.

"Whose authority?" the bandit chuckled, "Why, mine, of course. Do I take it you cannot or will not pay?"

He swung the weapon off his shoulder. Though not as large as Sakura or Tsunade's weapons, the axe possessed a substantial blade, razor sharp and polished to a mirror finish. Inside of the grey, steel outer edge there was a ribbon of a reddish metal. Opposite the blade was a spike, partially hollowed out to reduce the total weight of the weapon. The vocal thief pointed the axe at Shino. The Aburame clan ninja lifted his head, allowing the bandit to see the Leaf shield under his hood, covering his forehead. The previously confident rogue took a step back. He finally noticed Kiba's headband as well. At the same time, Akamaru suddenly spit out the drugged venison, and stood back up, growling loudly.

"Perhaps we could negotiate?" his voice did not betray the fear in his eyes, "100 Ryo might be too high. Would twenty be more in your price range?"

Yugao drew her katana from its concealed sheath. Needles bonded to threads slipped into Sasame's waiting fingers.

"Oh forget it," the bandit decided to show some backbone, and shouted, "Just kill them!"

He swung his axe cleanly overhand, and with more skill than the Leaf warriors would have suspected. The axe came perilously close to severing Kiba's right arm, but the youth slid back. Akamaru snarled, and leapt forward. The giant dog caught one of the rogues by the shoulder, crushing his collarbone. The canine shook the man like a rat, knocking two of his fellow thieves away.

"Good idea," Sasame noted the dog's actions. She flicked her wrist, burying four spikes into one bandit's chest, and two more in his neck. The thread user twisted her hands, and the lines wrapped around his body, cutting deep into his flesh. She then flung her arm sideways, and though she lacked Akamaru's size and strength, she was able to slam the ensnared corpse into another of the attackers. Neither man got back up, and she drew her threads back.

"Yugao-sen…" Kiba stopped in the middle of the honorific, "Get behind them so they can't escape."

With a slight grin, the Jonin nodded. Her katana flashed, and the neck of the bandit she was fighting sprayed blood across the dirt. She disappeared in a cloud of dust and leaves, reappearing on the other side of the main group of brigands, who had arrayed themselves against Shino and Kiba. Before the furthest of the renegades could turn to face her, her weapon sliced again, carving swiftly through vertebrae and ribs. A second warrior fell as he turned, her katana bisecting his right lung.

Shino took the opening offered by Yugao's actions. He gestured, and a line of insects flew out from under each sleeve. He ran through a quick set of hand signs, and the bugs reacted, shooting out like spears. Two of the rogues were impaled, but the beetles and flies did not reappear from whence they entered. Instead they burrowed out through their victims' mouths.

Kiba's fingernails lengthened and hardened, and he swiped at the bandits' leader. The axe-wielding thief stumbled back, pushing one of his men into the path of the attack. The younger Inuzuka clawed out the man's throat. Kiba lunged at the bandit chief again, but again the coward dodged back, sacrificing another of his men. But this time he waited, and when Kiba's claws buried in his man's arm and stomach, he swung the axe at the dog ninja's neck. The Chunin was no fool either, and he hefted his victim to block the blade. The fang marked youth tried to use the body to twist the weapon away from its user, but the axe slipped cleanly free of the dead bandit's ribs. Unfortunately, his other remaining man was facing Sasame, and that rogue's left arm had been bound tightly to his side by the young woman's threads. The other bandit danced and pulled; trying to prevent the Fuma Kunoichi from wrapping any more cords around him.

"Man, you picked the wrong group to rob," Kiba growled and chuckled at the same time. He, Akamaru, and Yugao all closed around the mouthpiece of the thieves, while Shino held back, keeping an eye on Sasame.

"Sasame, stop," Kiba suddenly said. The young woman looked surprised, but complied nevertheless. Yugao studied him, wondering what he was going to do.

"Go," the dog trainer told them. They froze, expecting a trap.

"Get out of here," Inuzkua's voice was touch by pity and disgust, "Run as far away from here as you can. And remember if the Leaf Village ever has to send shinobi after you again, you will die."

The few rogues still alive were confused by the statement, but were not about to look a gift dog in the mouth. As thieves the started to flee, Yugao stopped them.

"Leave the axe, if you please."

Though it sounded like a request, the bandit was not foolish enough to treat it as such. After a moment of hesitation, he threw down the blade, and resumed his escape. The former ANBU agent confiscated the weapon, storing it in a scroll.

"Yugao-sensei, why did you do that?" Sasame queried.

"Oh, I just didn't want them to be able to hurt anyone," the purple-haired woman said quickly yet blandly, "Shall we go?"

"Yeah, I suppose even if we dealt with their raiders, we better tell the ranchers," Kiba agreed.

* * *

"I'm sorry, but what do you mean 'you've dealt with our bandit problem.'?" the mayor of the town frowned at the four shinobi in confusion.

"We were attacked not too far from the town," Kiba said again, sounding equally perplexed, "They won't be stealing your livestock anymore."

"There seems to be some sort of misunderstanding here," the civilian looked nervous to be contradicting the far younger ninja.

"Bandits have not been stealing our animals," he explained sheepishly, "_Wolves_ have been our animals."

"Wolves?" Kiba asked for 'his' team, "Like wild animal wolves."

"Yes." The elder nodded vigorously, "They sneak in three or four times a week, and drive one of the herd to the edge of the fence, and then…"

"Eat it," Kiba finished, and the old man nodded.

"And you haven't been able to deal with them?" Shino probed.

"We tried. But there are too many of them. The scare our dogs, and jump our fences. Some of my people are decent archers, but at night we can't match their senses. We don't have any jutsu, or enough men to patrol all the ranches."

He sighed, "That is why we needed to hire you."

"Alright," Kiba stood up suddenly, "We'll take care of your wolf problem."

Shino and Yugao exchanged a look as the four shinobi exited the bar/inn/general store. Once they were outside, and approaching the edge of town, Sasame slowed, and turned back to look at their teacher. Yugao shook her head, and the younger Kunoichi shifted her focus to the mission leader.

"Doesn't this seem odd to you?" Shino asked before Sasame could speak.

"Not really," Kiba smirked, "Wolves are lazy and smart, just like humans. Show them an easy, reliable way to get food, and they'll keep coming back."

"Are we going to have to kill them?" Sasame asked, concerned.

"Probably not," Inuzuka told them, "We should be able to do this without hurting them. We can scare them off, and make them not want to come back."

"That would be good," their teacher voiced her opinion for the first time since leaving the Hidden Leaf Village.

"How do we scare them?" Shino pressed.

"Bright lights, loud noises, explosions, maybe a Genjutsu of a larger predator like a bear or a lion," Kiba shrugged, "It shouldn't be that hard."

* * *

"Is everything ready to go?" Kiba asked, when they regrouped. Using their noses, he and Akamaru had led the team to the burrow a few miles from the village. Shino's scouts had confirmed the pack was still asleep in their den. Kiba was amazed when the insect user informed him there were almost thirty members to the pack. While Shino continued to keep watch, Kiba instructed Yugao to prepare an illusion of a larger predator group. Then he and Sasame spread out into the forest, carefully positioning smoke bombs and explosive tags according to the strategy Inuzuka had planned. After they were all in place, Kiba started the sequence.

The first set of paper bombs detonated, fulfilling the first two objectives. The noise roused the wild canines, while the explosions felled line of trees, creating a wall between the village and the den. As the wolves came out of the cave, already yipping nervously, Yugao began signing.

"Illusion Arts: Doom from the Past Jutsu," she whispered, and as she did, a deep, screeching roar emerged from the forest near the explosion. A half second later, there was a loud crash, and then another. The wolves began milling about, and one of the larger males bit the tails of the more panicky females. Another loud step, and a reptilian head emerged from gloom. The creature looked down at the canines, and let out another hungry bellow.

"A T-Rex?" Kiba asked.

"It gets the job done," Sasame watched the Genjutsu with a touch of awe. Sure enough, the wolves were in full alarm, and broke for the woods, further away from the ranches. The phantom dinosaur pursued.

"Shino, round two," Inuzuka ordered. Without acknowledging his teammate, the Aburame clan shinobi signed for the remote trigger jutsu. As the wolves passed by a certain set of trees, the flash bombs went off. The pack splintered, splitting up to avoid the bombs. The tyrannosaurus continued in the direction of the largest group of fleeing wolves. Continuing to watch them through binoculars, Kiba told Shino and Sasame when to activate the explosives to continue to drive and separate the canines.

"That should keep them running for a while," Kiba said smugly, "I guess that means it's time for phase two."

"So how do we make sure they do not return?" Yugao asked her new protégé.

"Simple," the feral Chunin grinned wider, "We mark the territory as our own."

"What?" Sasame turned bright red, "You mean, like go to the bathroom all over the woods."

"Do you have a problem with urinating in the wild?" Yugao asked. Sasame didn't answer, and she couldn't meet her teacher's eyes.

"That's OK," Kiba tried not to laugh at her, "Akamaru and I can handle it."

"The more scents we have the better," Shino noted, also familiar with animal behavior, "And we can also cover a wider area."

"It does seem to be the wiser course of action," Yugao agreed.

"Yugao-sensei, you would…" Sasame was shocked. Even when working, Yugao Uzuki was like a noblewoman is her manners and bearing. The younger Kunoichi could not wrap her head around the idea of her teacher 'spraying' trees.

"If the mission calls for it," the Jonin did not appear annoyed by the prospect or the question. Sasame sighed, and bowed her head.

"Alright," she said softly, rubbing her hands together, and looking down. The young woman sighed expansively, and then lifted her head with a determined look.

"Let's get this over with," she insisted, but quickly added, "You know, before the wolves come back."

* * *

"So, that is it then?" the mayor asked, after Kiba explained what they had done, though for Sasame's sake he glossed over certain specifics. By the time the four shinobi had finished their task, it was approaching dusk. They had returned to the settlement to report their success.

"Yeah, they won't be coming back," the feral youth answered confidently. Then he yawned loudly, not bothering to cover his mouth or turn away.

"So who do we talk to about renting a couple of rooms?" the Chunin leader asked.

"Well, I own the inn," the elder answered, nervously, "Does that mean you intend to stay the night?"

"Yeah," Kiba informed him, and also his team, trying to see if their sensei approved, "Between the bandits, and the wolves, not to mention the travel, it's been a long day. So I figured we could get a good night's sleep here, in real beds, and then head back tomorrow."

"Very well, then," the leader of the settlement sighed in defeat, "Follow me."

He began to haggle with Kiba as he guided them upstairs.

* * *

Kiba sat straight up in bed. For a second he was not sure what had awakened him. Akamaru had also raised his head, and was staring at his partner. In the room's other bed, Shino was unmoved. The small digital clock between the beds read twelve sixteen AM. Just as Inuzuka was beginning to think he had woken up on his own, it happened again.

"Aaaawwoooo," another howl pierced the night.

"No way," the Chunin hissed, "Shino, wake up."

The insect user roused without any indication he had been sleeping, or had even heard Kiba speak.

"What is…" the query was cut off as a third wolf cry echoed over the town. He nodded his understanding, and threw aside his blanket.

As the two young men and the dog scrambled into the hallway, Yugao and Sasame exited their room as well. Kiba and Yugao nodded to one another, and the team dashed down the stairs, and out the front door of the inn.

It took them only five minutes to reach the scene, but by that time the wolves were long gone. But they had left behind their calling card, the remains of the two larges bulls they had consumed.

"This seems to be retaliatory," Shino noted, as his insects examined the carcasses.

"What now?" Yugao prompted Kiba.

"I guess we'll have to do more than frighten them," Kiba said grimly, drawing a kunai.

"We'd better get moving," he told them, "Before the trail gets too cold. They might have moved to a different den."

Akamaru picked up the scent easily, and the five Leaf warriors ran through the woods after the wild canines. At first they moved in silence, but then Sasame spoke.

"So, what are we going to do?" she asked quietly.

"If they are this firmly entrenched," Kiba answered sadly, "We may have to kill them."

The large white hound let out a quick bark.

"We're getting close," Kiba translated, "They might be a little sluggish after eating, but watch yourselves anyways."

The shinobi entered a small clearing at the bottom of a low rocky outcropping. They skidded to a halt, as they recognized the wolves had stopped, and had them partially surrounded. The largest of the canines regarded them from the top of the stones. She had silvery grey fur, and was larger than Akamaru, or even a full-grown bull. But most strikingly, instead of two eyes, she had five, each one a different color, two sets on either side, plus one in the center of her forehead. She watched them impassively, not showing nerves like the rest of her pack.

"No way," Kiba said again, this time with wonder, "A Hunt Spirit?"

"A Hunt Spirit?" Shino asked, readying himself for a fight.

"A minor demon. Weak enough for a human to potentially fight," Kiba explained, recalling his clan's lore, "Still impossible for a mortal to kill, but that's rarely an issue. Hunt Spirits are generally benign, and unlike most demons they aren't unaging. They only live about eighty years."

"If they have a finite lifespan, they must reproduce," Yugao observed.

"Yeah, all Hunt Spirits are female, but they reproduce with normal wolves. Most of the cubs are normal wolves, but once every couple of decades another Hunt Spirit is born."

"You said they were benign," Sasame prompted, eyeing the monster warily.

"Well, they're call 'Hunt' Spirits for a reason," Inuzuka continued, sounding slightly unsure, "Generally packs lead by the demons only hunt for food, and larger prey at that. They don't bother livestock, or humans, unless the humans pose a threat."

The she-demon appeared to nod as he explained.

"Then why are they attacking the ranches?" Shino asked.

"I don't get it either," their temporary leader agreed.

"Kiba, can these demons speak?" Yugao asked, observing the lupine spirit's reactions.

"No, but they can understand humans at least as well as any of our dogs," he answered.

"Then it is possible you could understand her," their teacher posited.

"I don't know," Kiba sounded unsure, "It's not like I can talk to just any dog. Their language isn't quite as formalized as human speech. I can talk to Akamaru because we've spent so much time together."

"Then what about Akamaru?" Shino took the next logical step, "Is it possible he could understand her and act as an intermediary?"

"It's worth a try," the dog trainer admitted. Then he looked up, and addressed the wolf demon directly.

"Do you want to talk to us?" he said simply and cleanly. The Hunt Spirit nodded.

"Why are you taking the human's animals?" Kiba tried to phrase the question in terms he thought she was most likely to understand. She barked angrily. Kiba frowned and tilted his head. Akamaru yipped softly, and put a paw over his snout contritely.

"We didn't really get that," their appointed commander looked chagrinned, "About the only thing we got was 'stolen'."

"Did the humans steal something from you?" Yugao prompted. Again, the spirit answered with a simple nod.

"What would those people want to take from a wolf?" Sasame put in, confused. The demon howled, and the other wolves began snarling. Despite the angry reaction of the rest of the pack, the matriarch's vocalization was one of sadness and regret.

"Baby?" Kiba understood that quite clearly, "They stole your cub?"

The Hunt Spirit nodded again, this time obviously saddened. The other wolves began to whimper. Sasame gasped, and Kiba looked angry.

"That explains why the mayor was anxious for us to leave," Shino noted.

"But why? Why steal her child?" Sasame asked.

"They probably want to sell her," Yugao speculated, "In certain circles, a demon can be quite valuable. Especially an infant."

"Come on," Inuzuka ordered fiercely, "We've got a contract to complete."

* * *

Kiba threw open the door to the inn, hard. He had considered kicking it in, but decided that was overkill. Behind him, Yugao, Shino, and a still nervous Sasame formed a barrier between the wolves and the villager who had been awakened by the clamor. The Hunt Spirit and two of the larger males had accompanied the Leaf ninjas back into town. Akamaru had guided them.

"Kiba, why didn't you or Akamaru notice this scent before?" Sasame asked curiously.

"We generally tune out unusual scents, unless we are looking for something in particular," he explained, "Otherwise, every time we left the village we'd be distracted. You guys better wait out here."

The large hound shuffled through the door, his nose to the floorboards.

"What are you doing?" the mayor demanded, stumbling down the stairs. He appeared more worried by the ninja than frightened of the wild animals outside his building.

"Finishing our mission," Kiba growled, following his partner. Akamaru stopped at the blocked entry to the cellar. He yipped, and scratched at the door.

"Are you sure?" the shinobi asked.

The canine barked again, louder, and Kiba heard scrambling below.

"Open it," he demanded.

"I will not," the older civilian tried to affect outrage, "What right have you…"

He was cut off, when Kiba leaned in close, snarling, "Open it, or I will."

The shop owner quickly took out his keys, and undid the lock. He was knocked aside when Kiba violently opened the portal. At the bottom of the stairs sat a wolf of no more than three months. Its right rear leg was chained to the wall, and it was muzzled. It stared at Kiba, its five different colored eyes bearing a mixture of anticipation and fear.

The ninja and his dog walked carefully down the stairs, not wanting to startle the young spirit.

"It's OK," Kiba said gently, extending his hand for the canine to sniff, "We're going to take you back to your mother."

The infant demon seemed to understand them, and relaxed. Kiba removed the gag, and then the chain. The cub started to climb the steps, but it was weak, and slid back. Inuzuka carefully lifted it in his arms, and carried it up.

"No," the mayor protested, grabbing at him when he reached the main floor, "You can't…"

"WOOF!" Akamaru's thunderous bark caused the old man to fall back in surprise and terror. The ninja hound stayed carefully between his master and the mayor, growling quietly at the thief. As they crossed the threshold of the inn, the pup licked Kiba's face. The ninja stopped just before the Hunt Spirit, and placed her baby in front her, before backing away slowly. The she-wolf sniffed the cub, then gently pressed her face against the smaller canine's. Finally, she nodded at Kiba, then gently picked up the cub by the scruff of her neck. The two males howled, and as the three of them ran past the border of the township, the rest of the pack joined them.

"What have you done?" the mayor cried in disappointment. Then he turned angry, "You idiots, that mongrel was worth a quarter million Ryo!"

"We did the job we were hired to do," the team leader responded tersely, "Now that she has what she wants, the Hunt Spirit intends to take her pack as far from here as she can, so that you won't be able to try this again."

"Or benefit from her keeping bears or other packs away," Sasame added sourly.

"Well…" he faltered briefly, the glared at them again, "That wasn't what we hired you to do. We're not paying."

"You creep…" Kiba started to reach for the mayor, who cringed and took a step back.

"Kiba," Yugao interrupted him forcefully. Inuzuka froze up, and she informed him, "I am taking back command."

He nodded, already realizing his mistake, and she added more evenly, "I have something to teach you now."

The Chunin stepped back, and the Jonin stepped forward.

"I would not recommend that," the former ANBU agent told the civilian, conspiratorially, "That decision will spell the end of this community."

"What is this, good ninja, bad ninja?" the mayor sneered, "Do what I say or I'll release my rabid minions on you?"

"Of course not," she said pleasantly, "There is no need for violence. No, you have already spelled your own doom, and the contract you are about to throw away is your only salvation."

"You see, any mission involving demons or spirits is automatically classified A Rank, or higher," she explained politely, "But you lied to us, and this was classified as a C Rank mission. Therefore it would be well within our rights to invoke the fraud penalty of the contract. Now, I would be inclined to write this off as a misunderstanding, and a learning experience for my team. But if you refuse to pay, the Hokage will be less likely to take my recommendation, and I will be less likely to give it."

"But you aren't planning to pay in the first place," she held up her hand to interrupt him, "Which means breach of contract, and the nullification of the confidentiality clause. So when we contact the local governor about this little dispute, we will be well within our rights to inform them of your intent to traffic in demons. Of course, there would have to be an investigation. "

The ranchers who had gathered to watch the spectacle paled, and began to quickly drift away. They all knew how serious the penalties for that crime could be.

"In the end, between the penalties on the contract, and the fallout of the demon trafficking…" she trailed off letting his imagination fill in the blanks.

"We're going to head out now," she said, "I don't think it would benefit anyone if we were to stay. We will be billing you as per the agreement you signed, it is up to you how you handle the tab."

* * *

"That was pretty cold," Tsunade chuckled as the Jonin finished her report, "Kakashi taught you well."

Uzuki inclined her head, blushing slightly from the praise.

"There is one other thing, Lady Hokage," the younger woman put forth, "Something more important than those hijinks."

Yugao took out her weapons scroll, tentatively.

"I was not certain, but I thought it might be…" she trailed off, leaving the statement unfinished, "But I expect you will know for sure."

The purple-haired shinobi brought out the axe she has taken from the bandit, and placed it on the Sanin's desk.

"Is it…"

"Yes," Tsunade answered, growing as nervous as her junior, "The Syphon. But not the original, it's one of the duplicates."

The Hokage regarded the weapon with fear and disgust. She went through a quick set of hand signs, and the weapon reverted to a bar of moderate quality steel.

"But that's almost worse, isn't it?" Yugao prompted, "If it was the original, at least that would me he was dead. But this must mean…"

"Tell no one of this," Tsunade ordered abruptly, cutting off the Jonin's speculation. Then she softened slightly, "On second thought, tell Kakashi. But do not let it go beyond you two. Do I make myself clear?"

Yugao nodded, and quickly took her leave. And for some time after, Tsunade continued to regard the metal cylinder with an expression of thoughtful worry.


	55. March 11th

**Chapter 55: March 11th**

He had her. It had taken almost two hours, and all the patience he could muster, but he finally had her. Just a few more feet, and he had her.

SNAP!

The dry twig breaking under Naruto's foot might just as well have been an explosive tag. Hinata spun around, and when she saw him she smiled gently. Then she was gone, again, disappearing into the forest. Naruto almost ran after her, but stopped himself. There was no point to giving chase. His girlfriend was just a bit faster than him normally, but Uzumaki also carried almost two hundred pounds worth of chakra weights.

"One, two, three…" the blond Chunin began to count. They were working on his stealth skills with a modified game of 'Hide and Seek'. After noticing him, and letting him know she had seen him, she had twenty seconds to find a new hiding spot. Naruto could have pursued her, but knew it was a waste of time. That was the purpose of the weights. He could never hope to run her down in this situation; he had to sneak up on her. Fortunately, they were both prohibited from using any sort of Ninjutsu or Genjutsu, including Hinata's Byakugan. Otherwise, he would have had no chance to surprise the nimble Dojutsu user.

Hinata had been 'It' first, but even with the extra weight, it had only taken her seventeen minutes to catch him. Naruto was not upset by the result; Hinata usually caught him in less than ten. This time, he had managed to catch a whiff of her scent, and spotted her seconds before she tagged him. But the second time, he hadn't been so lucky.

"Twenty," the fox-faced young man proclaimed, but he did not start moving. Instead, he looked up at the sun. It was getting close to noon, and just once he wanted to capture his girlfriend before lunch. He took a deep breath, and set out. The sixteen-year-old ninja moved to the last place he had seen Hinata, and began to look for signs of her. Though not as sharp as the ANBU shinobi, or some of the Jonin, Hinata's infiltration skills were top notch. He could not see a leaf or spider web out of place. So he went for his primary scouting weapon, sniffing at the air. Unlike the Hyuga Kekkei Genkai, Naruto could not turn off his nose. Unfortunately, he and Hinata had been back and forth across the forest all morning, so her trail was concealed.

Naruto crept carefully in the direction of Hinata's initial heading. He watched the trees carefully, looking for anything out of place. At the same time, he continued to sniff gently, hoping to catch a trace of her pleasant scent. As he skulked through the trees, he noticed a slightly bent branch. Wracking his brain, he decided it was not one of his mistakes, and he turned in that direction. A few seconds later, Hinata's pheromones became more noticeable, and the young adult slowed further, letting his nose lead the way.

Then he saw her, crouching on a branch, maybe thirty yards away. He stopped, praying that she hadn't noticed him. But she was looking in the opposite direction, and he hadn't made any loud noises, so for the moment he was safe. Still, the Chunin did not move, considering his past failures and his girlfriend's abilities.

'Even without her Byakugan,' he thought to himself, 'Hinata still has really good eyes. And I kinda stand out. So I need to stay totally behind her.'

But this understanding was of little help to the ninja. The Hyuga heiress had chosen her position such that her back was partially blocked by the oak's trunk, and the area behind her was littered with potential noise makers, and had no close branches from which to make a leap.

Looking at the thick underbrush, Uzumaki started to form a plan. It was a trick that would only work once, but if he did it right, he could finish being 'It' in record time. Or at least, record time for him.

* * *

Hinata was getting worried. Naruto didn't usually take this long to find her; but every so often he would end up searching an entirely different part of the forest. She considered moving, but decided to give him another few minutes first.

Just as she was getting ready to shift to a different position, she heard a rustling. Looking down, she saw a flash of orange moving low through the brush. She felt sorry for him, and considered ignoring what she saw. But the Kunoichi knew that Naruto would not appreciate that, nor would it help him improve his skills.

"I see you, Naruto," she shouted towards him, and hopped backwards off the tree limb. She spun in mid air, and her eyes went wide when she saw Naruto standing below her. His jacket was gone, leaving him in only a black tank top. He caught her as she landed.

"I see you, too," he whispered happily in her ear before kissing her quickly.

"Naruto," she gasped, "How did you…"

She trailed off, not wanting to accuse him of cheating.

"I set up a branch to fire one of my stealth kunai, with my jacket tied to it," he explained, "I hoped the jacket would slow the kunai enough that it wouldn't go by to fast, and I aimed it low so the grasses would help hide the fact that it was only my jacket."

She smiled proudly at him, and he released her.

"I better find where it went," he said regretfully. She nodded.

"Then we can eat lunch," she told him. Uzumaki hurried over to where his outer layer had disappeared, and she activated her Byakugan to help him search.

* * *

Hinata had made their lunch, as they had not known how long the training session would last. They made their way slowly back to the riverbank, holding hands; and then proceeded upstream to where they had stowed their backpacks. Naruto put away the chakra weights, while Hinata spread out the blanket, and set out ham sandwiches and bags of chips. Naruto rejoined Hinata, and began to eat with gusto.

"This is really good, Hinata," he complimented her.

"It's just some leftover ham from last night," she blushed slightly.

"Yes, but the ratio of meat to bread is perfect," he puffed out his cheeks and mimicked Choji, "And you added just the right amount of butter."

She giggled, and bit into her second half of a sandwich, while Naruto reached for a third. After a few minutes of silence, the couple finished eating. As Hinata started packing, Naruto noticed a spot of butter on her cheek.

"Hinata," he said, and when she paused to look at him, he leaned in and licked her cheek clean. Hinata turned bright red, but a second later she fixed him with a different kind of ravenous gaze. He shifted to the right, and pressed his lips to hers. Hinata fell back, drawing him down on top of her. She grabbed his neck and waist, pulling him closer as she worked her lips against his. After a time too long, yet too short, he broke away, panting.

"Gods, I love you, Hinata," he said. She did not say anything, but let out a throaty purr of contentment and desire. And then she kissed him again, fiercely, gripping him tightly. Naruto ran his hands between her back and the blanket, finally catching her shoulders. He shifted his head to suck on her earlobe, and then suddenly rolled over, putting her on top of him. He tried to lock her lips to his again, but she drew back playfully. She touched the zipper on his jacket. With a simple flick of her wrist, she undid the fastener, baring his chest and undershirt. She pushed her hands back up, lifting the hem of his tank so she could see and trace his abs.

Naruto smirked at her, and with one hand, undid the knot on her obi. As the belt dropped, his other hand gripped her shozoku's top along the lower edge, and with a smooth motion, slipped it over her head and free of her arms. Uzumaki's eyes locked on her undergarment, a black spandex sports bra, armored with steel scales. It compressed her magnificent chest and totally concealed her cleavage, but he followed the shape of her breasts with his hungry blue orbs. Redness crept into Hinata's face again, but then his gaze shifted to a spot below her left breast. Though there was nothing to mark the section of flawless, pale skin he looked at, Naruto knew it well. Almost eight months ago, that portion of her torso had been burned clear through. It was fully restored, and he reached out gently to touch it, kneading the firm flesh, thanking the gods, and Sakura, that she was still alive. She took his hand away from her stomach, and sucked on his fingers. Then she let him go, and slipped her hands under his shirt again, bending over to kiss him, once, twice, three times. As she shifted to nuzzle his neck, Naruto put his hands around her, running his fingers up and down her spine. He played her vertebrae like a sensual piano; in the way he had learned would excite her most. Then he put his hands back to her hips, sliding her further down, until she was almost horizontal over him, her chest pressed to his. The metal of her protective garment was cold, but the wonderful dichotomy of softness and firmness contained therein more than made up for it. He ran his fingers lightly up her sides, until they met the edge of her brassiere. He slipped his fingers just under the lower band, but then he stopped.

Their eyes met, and Naruto took a deep breath. He sighed as he exhaled, and Hinata rolled off him, catching his hand in hers. They breathed heavily, their hearts beating in unison. The brisk March air quickly cooled their passion-heated skin. Not long after Naruto moved into his new home, they had had a long talk about their relationship. They had agreed to take it slow, recognizing that had worked well for them so far. Naruto had even mentioned he expected Hinata would want to wait for marriage, a fact that Hinata had confirmed but suggested she might reconsider. They want to go a little further, but they knew if they did, they would almost certainly go all the way.

As their breathing steadied, Hinata retrieved her uniform's top, and slid it slowly back into place, before retying her obi.

"We should get back," she suggested regretfully, "I need to get ready for tonight."

Naruto nodded, closing his jacket. He helped her fold the blanket, and they set off towards the village, hand in hind once again.

* * *

Hinata split with Naruto near the center of the Hidden Leaf Village, as each Chunin went home to change for their date. The young woman smiled at the irony, going on a date _after_ the make out session they had just had. But Ino had given her a pair of theater tickets, to make up for the slumber party, and there was no way the Hyuga scion could let them go to waste.

The tickets were for the acclaimed traveling production of _Seven Days, Seven Knights_, the classic romantic comedy of errors. And the seats were quite good as well. It seemed Minako Yamanaka still had some ties to the theater company that had given the actress turned model turned florist her start. Hinata had been afraid it would be hard to convince Naruto to accompany her, but her boyfriend turned out to be willing to go, and even a little excited. He had even made a reservation at a café near the playhouse, so they could get a bite to eat before the show.

The young woman snuck through the manor, partly because she was in a hurry, but more to avoid her sister. For the last few weeks, Hanabi's unpleasant comments towards Naruto had grown more frequent and pointed, and Hinata did not want her younger sister spoiling her mood.

Hinata secured the door to her room, and quickly shed her outer garments. Clad only in her armored sports bra and boy shorts, she went to her closet and extracted the scarlet dress she intended to wear. She smoothed the strapless, knee-length sheath over the comforter on her bed, already anticipating Naruto's reaction. The Kunoichi opened her dresser, and placed a pair of thigh high white stockings next to the dress. Finally she removed a black bustier and panty set, and situated them closet to the door to her bathroom. She decided to wear her hair loose, and retrieved her bracelet, and the matching earrings.

Satisfied with her choices, Hinata removed the last of her clothing, and entered her bathroom to shower.

* * *

Naruto knocked at the door to the Hyuga manor. He wondered who would greet him this time. If it was normal training visits, it was generally one of the branch family members who greeted him. But one time it had been Hinata's grandfather, which had been an uncomfortable experience for the then Genin. But if it was a special visit, it was usually Neji, Hanabi, or Hiashi. They seemed to take great pleasure in opening the door before Hinata could reach him.

He reflected on how that had changed in the last few months. It used to be he would have rather seen Hanabi than her father. Though proud, she had smiled at him, happy for her sister's joy. And Hiashi had been imperious and dismissive. But now the younger sister was snide and sometimes even rude, while her father had grown warmer, even happy to see the young man. Fortunately, the clan leader was the one who opened the door.

"Good afternoon, Naruto," Hiashi Hyuga said cordially, gesturing to indicate the young man should step inside. As the Chunin complied, the elder shinobi gave him a frank appraisal.

Uzumaki was wearing a pair of stylish, yet loose, black slacks, a long-sleeved white dress shirt, and a knee-length black coat with a high collar. The young man also wore simple black dress shoes, and the silver watch Jiraiya had given him for his birthday. Hiashi suspected these were the nicest clothes Naruto owned, but did not say anything. Instead he was simply impressed that Naruto had appropriate attire for the situation, and that the young man had chosen to wear it.

"I understand you are taking my daughter to the theater," the Hyuga clan said politely.

"It's actually more like Hinata is taking me to the theater, sir," Naruto countered with a touch of embarrassment, "After all, the tickets are hers. She could have asked someone else."

"I don't think that would have happened," Hiashi chuckled once.

"But I am taking her to dinner first," Naruto offered in consolation.

"Well, you two have fun," Hinata's father suggested, as he heard his daughter coming down the stairs. Both men goggled as the lady in question came into view. The dress was fitted smooth around her toned body, leaving bare her shoulders and the upper curves of her breasts. It was a daring and attractive choice, and something the young woman would not have even owned a year before, much less worn in public. Her slingbacks were of a matching color, and boosted her almost up the Naruto's height.

"You look gorgeous, Hinata," Naruto gaped. She blushed prettily, and murmured thanks.

"You do look nice," Hiashi marveled at his daughter's transformation.

"We better get going, right Naruto?" Hinata asked.

"Yeah, our reservation is at four fifteen," Naruto finally closed his mouth, "See you later, old man."

"Not too much later," he admonished as he closed the door behind them. Still impressed by his daughter's makeover, Hiashi realized that he had changed too. He had not been this open, or smiled that much since his wife had died. He wondered if he had Naruto to thank for that, too.

* * *

Hinata shivered as they stepped into the chill night. The sun was long vanished by the time the performance had let out. Though March days were already growing warm in the Hidden Leaf Village, the nights rapidly lost the heat. Naruto removed his coat, and placed it over her shoulders.

"Thank you," she said gratefully, pulling the cover tight around her.

"That was fun," Uzumaki told her, "A lot better than I thought it would be."

"You didn't want to go?" she asked.

"It wasn't something I would have picked," he admitted.

"Then why were you so eager?" she pressed.

"Because you asked me," he said, as if it was obvious, "Part of being in a relationship is doing things with your partner you would do alone, right? Like when you go to action movies with me. And you never know how things might be different when you do them with a another person."

"Besides," he said more softly, "You were there for me last week, when I found out about Sasuke. You wouldn't tell me why you've been down the last few days, so when you asked me, I thought this might help cheer you up."

"Naruto," she said softly, thinking that she sometimes underestimated his perceptiveness.

"If you can't tell me, or don't want to, that's OK," he told her, "But I want to be there for you in any way you'll let me."

She slipped her arm around his waist, feeling guilty. Not just for worrying him, but also because part of her wanted to rat out Sakura, to try to turn Naruto against the other woman. However, she knew she couldn't do that. She didn't want to hurt Sakura, or more importantly, risk hurting Naruto. And she did not want to be petty, either.

"I guess it's just that I'm worried about you, and Kakashi-sensei, and Sakura," her statement wasn't a lie, just an exaggeration and slight misdirection.

"Alright," he said, slightly dubious. But he draped his arm around her shoulder, and she snuggled in close as he escorted her home.

"To be honest," she whispered, turning red as was her habit, "The… _dessert_ we had after lunch helped as much as this date."

He chuckled, and contorted himself to brush his lips across hers.

"I'll share dessert with you any time you want, Hinata-chan," he growled suggestively. She latched onto his chest, and put her head against his shoulder.

'Sakura can say whatever she wants,' Hinata thought to herself, happily. And this time, she meant it.


	56. Alliances Under Attack

**Chapter 56: Alliances under Attack**

"Good morning, Naruto," Neji said somewhat stiffly. The two young men had met up on their way to the Ninja Operations building. Uzumaki was mission ready: clad in his orange and black jumpsuit, with both his gear pack and Kitsune strapped to his back. The Hyuga branch member wore his clan robes, as he usually had since Naruto returned to the village, just over one year ago.

"Hey, Neji," Naruto greeted his friend and rival, "Why are you heading to Ops?"

"The Hokage has summoned me," his quiet voice made it obvious Naruto should have expected that.

"You too?" the Chunin smirked, "I guess that means we're probably gonna be working together again."

"That does seem likely," the Jonin said dryly.

* * *

"Good, you're both here," Tsunade said without preamble, as the two youths entered her office. Sakura Haruno was already present, waiting.

"I have a mission for you three," the Hokage informed them, "In case you hadn't guessed. It is an A Rank escort mission."

She flipped open the file, and turned it around so they could see. Naruto immediately recognized both of their clients, while Neji remembered the woman in the second photo, though he had never met the other. Sakura didn't know either of them.

"You escorting Daimyo Haruna of the Land of Greens, to meet with Daimyo Toki of the Land of Birds," the medical Sannin explained, "Those two countries have been in the process of forming an economic and military alliance. If this conference goes well, they will be signing the treaties. You are to escort Lady Haruna to the Land of Birds, remain with her for the duration of the deliberations, and then return her to the Land of Greens."

"You must be expecting trouble, to assign this as an A level task," Neji put forth, "Is there some resistance to this alliance?"

"Not internally," the Kunoichi Sannin smirked at him, "But the Land of Grass has been trying to intercept communiqués between the Greens and Birds for a while now. We suspect they have designs on both countries. The alliance would probably put the kibosh on their plans. You should expect Grass Ninja interference."

"Why us?" Naruto asked, confused, "I mean, no offense to Neji, but why not just send us with Kakashi-sensei and Hinata?"

"I considered it," their commander admitted, "And while both Daimyos wanted you, Naruto, Lady Toki also requested Neji's presence. Hiashi has been asking to have some of Hinata's time for clan duties, and sending Neji instead frees up Kakashi for another task. So it worked out pretty good this way."

The blonde teen nodded. He was disappointed, but understood the Hokage's reasoning.

"Now that that is cleared up," Tsunade leaned forward, and handed the oldest teen the file, "Neji will be in charge, obviously. You are expected in the Land of Greens in five days, so you should have plenty of time. Dismissed."

She stopped paying them any attention, and the younger shinobi got the message and vacated her office.

"Back to the Land of Greens, huh," Naruto grunted as he remembered his rocky introduction to Princess Haruna, "We better get going."

"No," Neji said, shaking his head once, "As the Hokage indicated, we have ample travel time to make the first leg of our journey. I still have some things to take care of, so we will not be leaving until this afternoon. We will meet at the gates at three PM, sharp."

He stared at Naruto as he said that. The members of Team Kakashi indicated their understanding, and left to finish their own preparations. Once they were gone, Neji withdrew his phone, and hit number one on the speed dial.

"Tenten," he said when the other party answered, "It is Neji. I have just been assigned a mission. Can we reschedule dinner to lunch?"

* * *

Though they had left mid-afternoon, the three ninjas were not in a particular hurry, and they set up camp after just over four hours of travel, just before dark. Given the drop in temperature after sunset, the warriors wanted to have their tent prepared and sleeping bags set out for the night. They started a fire, and the boys began cooking while Sakura took a short jog to a nearby pond to get some water.

Neji observed Naruto carefully, as if debating something. Once Sakura was far enough away, the Jonin spoke.

"Naruto," Neji said sternly, "What are your feelings for my cousin?"

"Huh? Ow!" Naruto grunted in surprise, then pain, as Hyuga's sudden and invasive query caused him to brush the back of his hand against the cooking pot.

"Can you honestly say that you 'love her with all of your heart'?" Neji did not back down, but the inflection of his query indicated the final set of words were not his own.

"Of course not," Naruto scoffed, "That's just stupid."

Neji's eyes widened, but Naruto wasn't done.

"I love Hinata," he said firmly, "But love her with all my heart? That would mean I couldn't care about Kakashi-sensei, Sakura, Gramma Tsunade, Shizune-neesan… my mom… or any of my other family and friends."

"It's as bad as 'she's the only one for me'," Naruto continued, "I mean, how could I possibly know that? There could be someone out there who's the same as Hinata, except with lighter hair and different name. Or there could be some girl out there that both Hinata and I would fall for, and she'd fall for both of us, and we'd end up in some sort of three person relationship."

Neji raised an eyebrow.

"I know that almost never happens outside of bad adult novels," Jiraiya's ghostwriter admitted, "But it's possible. My point is, unless I knew every other person in the world, I can't honestly say that."

"But," Uzumaki said intently, holding Neji's gaze, "I can say that Hinata owns the largest portion of my heart, and I will never intentionally hurt her."

The Jonin nodded, briefly impressed. But then his frown returned.

"If that is the case," Gai's student said darkly, "Then why do you allow Hinata to be continually tormented?"

"What?" Naruto jerked back in surprise. Then his face became angry.

"Who is tormenting Hinata?" Uzumaki demanded. Part of Neji wanted to chuckle, Tenten owed him twenty Ryo. But he could not spoil the conversation with levity.

"I suspected you had not noticed," Hizashi's son confided, "After all, you are you, and you are accustomed to Sakura behaving in that manner."

"Sakura?" Yukihana's son glanced in the direction his teammate had disappeared, his ire forgotten, "Are you saying Sakura has been mean to Hinata?"

"Tenten and Ino first noticed it after your mission to protect Princess Nyoko," Neji explained, "That Sakura was becoming terse and condescending towards my cousin. But since the re-assignment of your Chunin teams, it has escalated to the point where nearly everyone has noticed it."

"Why would Sakura do that?"

Neji shrugged, "As her friend and teammate, you would have a better chance of ascertaining her motives than I would."

He redirected, having promised his girlfriend that he would let Naruto figure it out.

"Well, she wasn't happy when Sai took Sasuke's place," Naruto mused, "But I thought that was more about Sai's personality. I guess she could resent Hinata for the same reason. Or maybe she's jealous…"

For an instant, Neji dared to hope.

"… I mean, she's the only one of the girls who doesn't have a boyfriend. And Hinata's the only one who would let Sakura get away with treating her badly."

Neji's eyes narrowed in disappointment and annoyance. Then Sakura approached the camp, cutting off any further discussion on the topic.

* * *

Neji and Sakura both bowed deeply before the leader of the Land of Greens. After a second, and an irate glance from Sakura, Naruto followed suit, though not quite as low as his two colleagues.

"Please, there is no need for that," Haruna told them, smiling at Naruto. The nineteen-year-old Daimyo waved off her guards, and stood gracefully from her simple wooden throne. She walked quickly over to the Leaf Ninjas, and embraced Naruto.

"It is good to see you Naruto-kun," she said warmly. Then she released him, and addressed his teammates.

"You must be Neji-san and Sakura-san," she said, slightly more formally, "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. I place myself wholly in your care."

"What about Yurinojou?" Naruto asked.

"He will be taking care of the Land of Greens in my absence," she told him. She looked down, and said quietly, "I would rather have him along, but I fear we will need his strength here."

Naruto nodded grimly, and Neji's eyebrows almost came together.

"In that case," their mission leader finally spoke, "We should leave as soon as possible, Lady Haruna. As I understand it, once this alliance is formalized, your country will be in a much more stable position."

"Yes," she nodded slightly; still whispering so only her escorts could hear her, "I am fully prepared to leave immediately."

"That won't cause a problem?" Sakura asked, carefully.

"No, those ministers I fully trust are expecting my departure and are ready for a swift exit," the princess said.

"Then we should get a move on, ASAP," Naruto said softly but firmly. Then he glanced over at Neji, and deferred, "Right, boss?"

The Hyuga Jonin nodded, struggling against a grin that was totally inappropriate for the situation, but that Uzumaki often engendered anyways.

* * *

"So, I hear that the least eligible, yet most sought after, bachelor in the Hidden Leaf Village, is finally off the market," Haruna broached the subject conspiratorially after their lunch break on their third day of travel. Slowed by the Daimyo's pace, they were still three days away from the capitol city of the Land of Birds. They were cutting it close, but had planned just enough time to reach their destination the evening before the conference was set to begin.

"Yeah," Naruto rubbed the back of his head. Then his eyes narrowed in confusion, and he asked, "Why does everyone seem to know that?"

Sakura frowned in annoyance, and Neji stayed carefully neutral.

"Well, you have made quite a name for yourself," the Princess shrugged, "Ousting tyrants, preventing the overthrow of young rulers…"

She blushed slightly, finishing, "Winning the hearts of princesses, to various degrees."

"Not another one," Sakura muttered under her breath.

* * *

Unseen by the relaxed group, another trio observed them.

"Well?" the tallest Grass ninja demanded. He was oddly built, with a huge, muscular torso and arms, and spindly legs. He had light green hair and eyes, and his hair rose from his head in three, foot-long spikes. He wore a standard black shozoku, with a tan vest. The red metal chains wrapped repeatedly around both of his forearms offset the rather common nature of his uniform.

The smallest ninja lowered his binoculars, and shifted his gaze to his digital reader. He was under five feet in height, but his arms were too long for his body, giving him an apish appearance. His head was totally devoid of hair, which accentuated the fact that his eyes were of two different shades of blue, the left being substantially darker than the right. He wore the same uniform as his senior, minus the chains, but his had a number of high tech devices outfitted to it.

"One of them is a Hyuga," the slight warrior told his teammates. He paged through the files on his palmtop, before addressing them again.

"Neji Hyuga, unless I miss my guess," he continued, "The Kunoichi is Sakura Haruno, the Leaf Village doesn't have anyone else with that particular hair color. But the last one is tough. I find three potentials, but none of them are a good match. The hair is too short in back, and his build is too skinny for Inoichi Yamanaka. Gouki Namikaze..."

"It can't be that man," the Grass Kunoichi shuddered, "It just can't be."

She wrapped her arms tightly around her body, but not from the temperature. The act boosted her impressive cleavage. The twenty-something's figure rivaled that of the Hokage. Her pretty face suggested a kind, generous nature, echoed in her soft hazel eyes. Her hair was an odd gradient, blue on the right side, gradually shifting to purple on the left side. It was braided, and hung to the middle of her shoulder blades. Unlike her teammates, she wore civilian clothes, a scoop necked peasant blouse, a knee-length blue skirt, thigh high boots, and her Grass Shield was hidden, wrapped around her breasts under her shirt. Though she could have passed for a normal civilian, a careful examination would have revealed her outfit was composed of reinforced materials, and she had multiple kunai hidden in her boots and under her skirt.

"Ok…" the observing warrior shrugged, "Well, he's also too tall to be Naruto Uzumaki."

"Let me see that," the leader took the slighter ninja's portable, and flicked through the entries. He grunted angrily, and threw the device away. The computer's owner dove to catch it before it could hit the ground.

"Our Leader needs to spend more money on information, and less on stupid gadgets," he told his underlings, "That data is over three years old. Unless he stopped growing at age twelve, that is Naruto Uzumaki."

"But we have 'do not engage' orders for Uzumaki," the young woman insisted.

"Maybe for a normal mission," the head ninja shook his head, "But this is a task from the Daimyo of the Land of Grass and our Leader. Secondary standing orders do not apply."

"We attack then?" the technology savvy ninja stored his palmtop.

"No," the unevenly built ninja informed them, "Our mission is to prevent the treaty from being signed, and to ensure Lady Haruna's safety. We need only delay them long enough for the other teams to do their jobs. A battle would not necessarily serve our purpose."

Their commander grinned confidently, "I have another idea. Let's go"

* * *

After watching in silent mirth as Sakura and Haruna tormented Naruto about his love life for almost twenty minutes, Neji finally interceded.

"Lady Haruna," the Jonin interjected, "If I may ask, what lead you to this alliance with the Land of Birds?"

The young ruler glanced at the blond Chunin, smiling slightly.

"It was not quite sixteen months ago," she began, "I had journeyed to the Konohagakure to observe the Chunin exam, and discuss certain events with Tsunade-dono. During the event, I was seated next to the Daimyo of another small country. She expressed displeasure to her consort, she was unhappy that a certain young man would not be competing in the exam."

"Hey, Sakura," Naruto whispered loudly, "What's a consort?"

"Uuuuuhh," the medical expert groaned in disappointment, "It means the husband of a female ruler. Dummy."

"I was of a similar mind, and we started conversing," the princess continued, amused at the interruption, "Of course that was Toki-dono, and as we spoke, we discovered we had more in common than just a specific blonde Leaf Ninja."

"So you two decided to create an alliance to protect yourselves from the Grass Country," Sakura half asked, half said.

"Yes," Haruna agreed, "By working together, we will improve our economies and increase our security."

"Wait," Naruto looked confused, "I thought you guys already had lotsa money, and that was part of why the Grass guys want to take over. Won't making more money just make them more interested?"

"Possibly," Haruna said, "But our military alliance should more than offset the financial gains. You see, the Land of Birds has a strong standing army, but no ninjas to speak of. We have the Flower Ninja clan, but they are no match for the entire Hidden Grass Village. But if we fought together, we would be nearly equal in strength. In addition, part of the treaty calls for a mutual defense fund, to hire the Hidden Leaf village should our situation require it."

Naruto bit his lip and nodded, trying to digest all of the information. Then he suddenly stopped walking.

"Whoa, déjà vu," the blond Chunin exclaimed.

"What was that?" Neji froze, his face creased with suspicion.

"That lump of rocks, it looks a lot like another group we passed a while ago," Uzumaki explained, "I noticed because it looks like Kakashi-sensei's hair."

"Yeah, it kinda does," Sakura nodded, tilting her head to look at the stones from an angle.

"Is it like the ones we passed before?" the Hyuga Jonin asked, "Or the same?"

"How could it be the same?" their client asked nervously, "Our path has been a straight one, west by northwest, navigating off the sun. We could not have gone in a circle."

"Not unless the sun was in the wrong place," Naruto looked up, as if expecting the gold orb to reverse direction. Neji glanced up, appraising the sky earnestly.

"What is it, Neji-san?" Haruna asked glancing back and forth between Neji and the sun. The head ninja did not answer; instead he put his hands together and activated his Kekkei Genkai. After a second of looking around the Jonin signed quickly, and suddenly disappeared.

"Neji?" Naruto gaped. He was not familiar with the hand seals the Jonin had used, but based on the configuration, he did not think it was the Body Flicker Technique or some other teleportation jutsu.

"Sakura, was that Shunshin?" he asked, quickly, still glancing about.

"I don't think…" she started to confirm his initial assumption, but stopped short.

"Neji," she exclaimed as he reappeared before her.

"Neji?" Naruto asked, craning his neck to look past her, and registering surprise when he did not see their teammate.

"Did I miss him?" The Daimyo of Greens blinked to clear her eyes.

"No, he's right here," Sakura looked right at the robed shinobi.

"Skrthcntrsehrm" some sort of gibberish emerged from Neji mouth,

"Neji?" Sakura grimaced in confusion, "Are you alright?"

"Sakura?" Naruto eyed her with concern.

"Sakuura," Neji's pronunciation of her name was oddly drawn out, "They cannot see or hear me. The threee of you are still trapped in the webb of Genjutsu. I am using an illusion of my own tooo talk to you. After I broke myself free of the technique, I realized you could no longgger see me."

"Release," Sakura brought her palms together and tried to disconnect herself from the technique. But nothing happened.

"I didd not expect that to work," Neji told her, "It did not for me, even when I could seee the prison. It is composed of five, separate, interwoven illusions. I had to use the Illusion Sever Juutsu to free myself. Do you know the technique?"

"Only by reputation," she frowned.

"We don't have time for me to instruct you in its usage," he considered, "Perhaps if we work together."

"It's worth a shot," she agreed. She started to put her hands together again, but then noticed Haruna and Naruto, both staring at her anxiously.

"Just a second," the pink-haired Kunoichi told the Jonin. She quickly explained the situation to the princess and the knucklehead. Naruto attempted to break free of the Genjutsu net, but neither Neji nor Sakura was surprised when he failed.

"Release," Sakura put her hands together and focused her chakra. She could almost sense the techniques holding her. Then she felt a pressure against her forehead that had not been there before. The maze around her became clear, and she was able to exit.

Unlike the noonday sun of the illusion, the medic found herself in twilight. Neji withdrew his fingers from her scalp. She glanced back, and Naruto and Haruna were still there, but their faces were slowly taking on expressions of amazement. Looking down in the dim, she saw multiple sets of their tracks in the dirt.

"It seems we have been walking in circles, but at a slowed rate," Neji told her, "It appears we passed that rock at least six times."

He pointed to the spiky formation that Naruto had noticed.

"What about those two?" Sakura queried.

"I believe that working together, we will be able to free them as well," Neji stated.

"And if we can't?"

"Then we will have to locate the creator or creators of this trap, and make them collapse it," the Hyuga Branch ninja responded firmly, "But let us try the other way first."

She nodded, and walked over to Haruna. Neji wondered briefly at her choice, and then joined her. Naruto was in the process of inching his hands together again. Both of the liberated shinobi touched the Daimyo's brow, and intoned in unison "Release."

Now that she was outside of the spell, Sakura was more aware of the resistance. But after a few seconds of warring, the Leaf warriors won out, and their client blinked at them at normal speed.

"Sakura, Neji," she gaped slightly as they withdrew, dropping honorifics in her surprise, "I… uh…"

She suddenly dropped to her knees. Sakura crouched next to her examining the ruler.

"I'm okay," Haruna panted, "My legs just suddenly ached."

"We have been walking for five hours more than our brains were allowed to register," Neji told her, "even if it was at a reduced pace."

"What about Naruto?" the princess asked.

* * *

"Ah, Neji? Sakura?" Naruto swiveled about rapidly, trying to find the others. Then he put his hands together. He focused like Iruka taught him, swirling his chakra to dislodge the Genjutsu.

"Release," he intoned. But the false world remained around him.

"RELEASE!" Uzumaki shouted, his face lighting with rage. His chakra became visible around him, to no avail. The Chunin remained trapped.

"Come on, release?" he pleaded. His situation remained the same, and he stomped the dirt in annoyance.

"Why can't I break free?" he demanded of the heavens, "Even when I know it's not real?"

'What is real?' the Kyubi chuckled at his impotence, 'What you see, hear, taste? Those things can be faked, both by forces outside of you, and by your own mind. Or is it the material world, whether you sense it or not? My power can reshape the world according to my will, so how can you say that it is real?'

As the teen ninja pondered the demon's words, Sakura reappeared before him.

"Ssttoopp mmoovviinngg aroundyouidiot," her image said unevenly, as she tried to adjust to the time differential, "Neji and I aretrying ttoo ffrreeee you."

"OK," he agreed, freezing in place, ready to defeat the illusion. The image of Sakura disappeared, and Naruto began to fight the spell again.

"It's not working," Neji was amazed as he relinquished his contact with the blonde Chunin's forehead, "We were able to free both you and Lady Haruna, so why is Naruto still trapped?"

"Maybe we should just leave him here," Sakura suggested. But the Daimyo's expression showed she was not amused by the remark. The Kunoichi was spared a sharp retort when Neji's eyebrows rose.

"What is he doing?" the Hyuga Jonin pondered, as Naruto started waving slowly for their attention. The team leader signed quickly, and projected his likeness to Naruto's eyes and ears. Within the illusion, Uzumaki was rapidly swinging his arms back and forth.

"What is it, Naruto?" Neji queried him directly.

"What's the hold up?" the younger man demanded, "I was standing there, trying to break the illusion for like a minute."

"In reality, it was closer to ten minutes," Neji frowned, "But we are as mystified as you are. You should be free by now."

"Then what? Am I gonna be stuck here forever?"

"Unlikely," Neji snorted derisively, "Whoever is maintaining this trap will run out of chakra eventually. Though Sakura did suggest leaving you here until then."

"No way, Sakura," he shouted, though unfortunately in the wrong direction, "You're not leaving me here."

"The question remains, how can we make you see through this Genjutsu web," Neji's mirth faded.

"See… maybe that's it," Naruto exclaimed excitedly. Neji looked at him in curious condescension. But the Chunin just grinned proudly.

"Kariname Jutsu," Kakashi's student explained, "Hinata said you're pretty good at it. Maybe if you show me the real world, it will help get me out of here."

"It is worth a try," Neji admitted. He nodded at his junior, and instructed, "Get ready."

Neji activated the Vision Lending Jutsu, and Naruto's view changed. He almost vomited as the world went from light to dim, and the speed of the real world fought against the slowness of the fake world. The young adult closed his eyes, hoping it would help, but he could still see through the Kariname jutsu, and the time perception jutsu did not rely on vision. He choked back his lunch, and took a deep breath.

"Ready?" Neji asked. Naruto nodded, slowly, carefully. He placed his hands together, and Sakura and Neji each touched one of his eyelids, instead of his forehead.

"Release," they incanted in unison. For a few heartbeats, Naruto felt as if his entire chakra network was on fire, but then he was doused with cold, and he was free.

"Woo," Naruto exhaled, stretching out.

"What now?" the male Chunin asked, "Do we find who did this?"

"That's not our job," Neji shook his head, "They did not try to hurt us, and we need to make up lost time, not waste more."

"Neji, I don't know if Lady Haruna can go much further," Sakura said quietly.

"As much as I would like to disagree," the Daimyo joined the discussion loudly, "I'm afraid Sakura-san is correct."

"I can carry her," Naruto suggested, "If you don't mind, Lady Haruna."

The princess blushed, then she nodded. With a slightly apologetic look, Naruto scooped her up in his arms.

"Umm, Naruto, piggyback would make more sense," Sakura said darkly.

"If she's too tired to walk, you can hardly expect her to hang on," Naruto countered. Sakura glared at Neji, but the Jonin just shrugged. And the Daimyo looked away, obviously embarrassed.

"Fine, let's just get moving," she grimaced. Naruto looked at Neji questioningly, and the Hyuga youth nodded. Naruto sighed sadly, and the three ninja started running.

* * *

"Now what?" the Grass tech ninja asked his two senpai.

"We join team two in the Land of Birds," the trident-haired leader said quietly, "Let them know what happened, and double our forces for the next phase."

The computer user nodded, and the Kunoichi looked worried and unhappy.

* * *

"Lady Toki," the seneschal announced, "I present Lady Haruna of the Land of Greens, and her escorts Neji Hyuga, Naruto Uzumaki, and Sakura Haruno."


	57. The Birds and the Beans

**Chapter 57: The Birds and the Beans**

"Welcome," Toki smiled formally at her guests, "I trust your journey went well?"

"As well as can be expected," Haruna answered, her inflection indicating she would have more to say in private. Her traveling cloths were gone, replaced by a formal yukata in three different hues of green; very similar to the white and yellow garment her counterpart wore. The three shinobi were clad in their usual uniforms, but had changed into fresh outfits.

The hosting ruler nodded, her smile slipping, "Then perhaps we should resume our talks without delay."

"That would be the wisest course," Haruna inclined her head.

"Then, if you will come with me?" Toki stood carefully. The Daimyo shared a worried glance with her husband, before stepping down to their level. She indicated the left hand side of the audience chamber, where a hallway led to more private rooms. Toki began to walk towards the corridor, and Haruna and the Leaf Ninjas moved to follow. But before they could approach the Bird Daimyo, a pair of kunai embedded themselves in the floor in front of Haruna.

"I wouldn't do that, Toki!" a familiar voice exclaimed loudly.

At the back of the throne room, another Naruto Uzumaki landed, having just leapt over the heads of the guards at the entrance. He set down a second Haruna, and an additional Sakura and Neji dropped down next to him.

"Don't go anywhere with those imposters," the second Naruto commanded. The new arrivals were slightly dirty and disheveled, and the new Daimyo Haruna was panting. They stared at the earlier arrivals indignantly.

"Don't listen to them, Toki," the first Naruto countered, "They're the imposters."

"Is this why you delayed us?" the dust covered Neji asked evenly, "So you could insert yourselves into Lady Toki's court?"

"Is this a desperate ploy, because we escaped your trap too quickly?" the first Neji redirected. Sagi's sister, meanwhile, had withdrawn to the dais where her husband still sat, and her soldiers surrounded the platform.

"Which ones are the real ones?" Toki asked Chishima.

"I'm the real deal," the grimy Uzumaki said, "See?"

He held up his right hand, and formed a Rasengan above it.

"So what?" the polished version shot back, "I can do that too."

He lifted his own palm, and identical sphere hovered over it.

"No way," the late arrival gaped. Then he recovered, and challenged, "That's not real. It's gotta be a Genjutsu or something. So why don't we see which one is stronger?"

He took a step forward, pointing the attack at his duplicate.

"No way," the clean Chunin parroted, "You've probably got some lighting or fire jutsu hidden under that illusion. So when they hit, you'll burn me and make it look like you won. I'm not falling for that trick."

"Why you!" the soiled Uzumaki growled, starting to charge. Then he pulled up short. He grinned mischievously, and his Rasengan vanished.

"OK," he presented, wiping a smudge off his face, "If you're really me, then how did I meet Lady Toki for the first time? The real Toki, not her pretending to be Sagi."

"Umm…" the first Naruto stammered, "That's a trick question. You want me to say it was when everyone else found out. But, I knew she was really a woman right away. The pervert hermit taught me how to read women, and…"

"Wrong!" the genuine article smirked triumphantly, "First, _Pervy Sage_ didn't teach me that until later. But either way, you're wrong on both counts. Though I didn't realize it at the time, the first time I saw Toki was when I was sneaking around the palace, and I ran into her out back. She was…"

"That's enough," The Daimyo of Birds barked, turning deep red.

"That is the real Naruto," she continued, indicated the dirt-coated youth who had been about to 'reveal' her, "Guards, surround the imposters."

"Lady Toki, you cannot believe this!" the fake Haruna started to protest, but the real princess interrupted her.

"Toki-dono knows I would never refer to her like that," the Daimyo of Greens said imperiously, despite still being short of breath. The imposter's group all turned to glare at her.

"Big mistake," Naruto crowed, "Taking your eyes off me."

Uzumaki charged the remainder of the gap, and punched his doppelganger hard in the face. The stunned ninja was knocked back into the false Sakura, and as they collided, he lost control of his transformation, and reverted to normal. The long-limbed, hairless Grass Ninja reappeared in a puff of smoke.

"Now what?" the revealed warrior asked, as he leapt back to his feet, drawing a kunai in each hand.

"Plan B," the false Haruna sneered, dropping all pretense of civility. She drew a whip, readying herself for a fight.

"Plan B doesn't call for them to be here!" the duplicate of Sakura insisted. Her hand swept to indicate the three Leaf Ninja, but her eyes focused on Naruto and Haruna. The Grass tech ninja nodded in agreement.

"Fine," the impersonator of the Daimyo grumbled, "Retreat."

"Like we're gonna let you escape," Naruto made a cutting gesture with his hand. But at the same time, the four Grass shinobi each smashed a smoke bomb on the ground. The cloud was swirling as the imposters used the Body Flicker to appear behind the guards, already running. Naruto started to give chase.

"Stop," Neji ordered. Uzumaki almost tripped as he slid to a halt, and he turned to goggle at the Jonin. The eldest teen had activated his Kekkei Genkai, and was watching their enemies flee.

"We gotta go after them," the blonde Chunin insisted. But Hyuga just shook his head.

"No," their leader explained, "There are four of them, and only three of us. They have already split up, which means whoever we do not pursue could double back. Our job is to protect the Daimyos, and that is best accomplished by staying here with them."

Naruto nodded reluctantly in agreement, and Sakura sighed. Part of her agreed with her teammate, but she knew their leader was correct.

"Well, you all appear as if you could use a chance to clean up," Toki stepped back down, taking charge of the situation, "But I don't intend to let you out of my sight."

* * *

"Ah," Sakura groaned in contentment as she eased herself into the bath. Both of the Daimyos were already submerged to their shoulders, and Toki smiled at the Shinobi.

"I take it you had an interesting trip?" their host asked, after the warrior-medic had settled, and had placed her towel on the shelf. Sakura and Haruna glanced at one another, and the ruler of the Land of Greens shrugged.

"Not interesting, To-chan, just tedious," the younger Daimyo explained, "Someone, presumably the same group from earlier, trapped us in an illusion that made us walk in circles for hours without being aware of the time."

'To-chan?' Inner Sakura frowned.

"So then to make up for lost time, Naruto carried me part of the way."

"You must have loved that, Ha-chan," Toki smirked at her counterpart.

"I've been through worse," she conceded, but her reddening cheeks and tiny smile made lie her apathetic tone.

"But we have more important matters to attend to," Haruna said pointedly. Toki nodded in sharp agreement, and they both turned on Sakura, leaning towards her, their eyes sparkling. The Kunoichi cringed back, but she had nowhere to go.

"Is it true you know Yukie Fujikaze?" Toki asked, breathless with curiosity and jealousy.

* * *

"You have failed again," the Grass Jonin told them dismissively. Despite being equal in rank to two members of the intercepting team, he was in control of the mission. And despite being the second shortest, he looked down on the other four shinobi. Other than his somewhat noticeable lack of height, he was the most unassuming of the group, with shoulder length black hair, and a plain, forgettable face.

"Don't give me that crap," the trident-haired warrior snapped, "You're not some criminal mastermind, and we're not your stooges. We completed _our_ mission. We delayed them for more than half a day's travel time, and then reported the situation, so you could plan your move."

"And don't try pinning this fiasco on us," the computer expert warned, flashing his palmtop, "I had already filed Ayameko and Saburo's reservations about the impersonation scheme. Our leader already knows we warned you that the Leaf Ninja were making up lost time, and that we didn't have enough intel to pass a more than passing inspection."

The second Kunoichi chuckled. No longer wearing the form of Haruna, she now wore a green patch over her right eye. Her dirty blond hair was cut severely short, and her shozoku was ragged around the edges, and more than slightly revealing.

"What now?" Ayameko had dropped Sakura's guise, and was once again in her civilian styled garb. Her light eyes showed worry over the conflict between her allies, and her interruption and gentle tone were intended to forestall further bickering.

"Our leader is going to contact us within the hour," their appointed commander explained, "He has been informed of the situation, and will decide how to proceed."

* * *

"Okay, what's going on here?" Naruto demanded grumpily. After the boys had met up with the girls again, Sakura quickly foisted the giggly princesses onto Naruto. Haruna and Toki had proceeded to spend nearly an hour interrogating him about the Daimyo of the Land of Snow, and her actress alter ego. After they had dragged all the information they could out of the younger Chunin, the Ladies started to talk about summer plans and then the latest fashions. It was after another ten minutes of that that Naruto lost his temper.

"I mean, I thought this was supposed to be some kind of negotiations," he complained, "But you're acting like… like this is a slumber party."

Toki looked chagrined, but Haruna not the least bit off-put by the challenge.

"To be honest," the princess of the Birds admitted, "the basic structure of the alliance was set five months ago."

"So, what have your meetings been about, all this time?" Neji kept his voice down, but his tone was just as recriminating.

"We still had minor details to hammer out," Haruna answered defensively, "Various merchants and ministers who had to be assuaged, terms to tweak."

She did not seem convinced by her own argument, and both of the male ninja prepared to press their assault. But before they could, Toki spoke again.

"It's a lonely thing," she said in a sad voice, "Being a female ruler. People are much quicker to second-guess you, to try to bully you. Until I met Ha-chan, Chishima was the only friend I had. But even he didn't fully understand; how could he?"

"As we went through the early talks," Haruna picked up, "We realized we had a lot in common, beyond just being Daimyos and women. Along the way, we became friends, and so we drew out the negotiations, so we would have an excuse to visit."

"But then the Land of Grass began to pick up on your meetings, and tried to interfere," Sakura nodded her understanding.

"Yes," Toki said, "And we knew we had to sign the treaties before things escalated too far. That is the purpose of this summit. Today we will have our fun. Tomorrow we will go over the paperwork one more time, and on Wednesday we will have the formal signing. Assuming, of course, we don't find anything out of place tomorrow."

She grinned smugly at Haruna, as she offered the conditional.

"Hey," the younger ruler pouted, "I told you, that wasn't my fault. My minister of agriculture slipped that line item in, and I dismissed him as soon as we found it."

Toki chuckled at her, "I know, I know. But I have to give you grief about it, to make sure it doesn't happen again."

"So, if you will permit us our fun?" Toki turned back to the Leaf warriors, inclining her head slightly and asking their indulgence instead of ordering them.

"You coulda just told us from the beginning," Naruto shrugged, "You should both know I'm not one to stand on protocol."

"That's for sure," Sakura interjected.

"Speaking of that," Toki suddenly grew angry, and leaned in closer to Naruto, mysteriously drawing the Noroimusha katana from under her kimono.

"If you ever again announce in open court that you snuck in and saw me bathing…" she let the threat trail off, and then smiled sweetly. Unfortunately Sakura and Haruna's faces told him he might have been better off if Sagi's twin had cut if down then and there.

* * *

The tech ninja yanked the headset away as the loud, shrill voices overwhelmed him.

"We will have to move tomorrow," the senior Grass Ninja told the other four, "Our leader has given us permission to ignore the Daimyo's… _request_ to keep Haruna safe, though we should still pretend we tried to protect his cousin. Unfortunately, we are still not allowed to kill or seriously injure Naruto Uzumaki. But there is a reward if we can capture him."

Ayameko sighed, "I suppose this means we will be going with a direct assault?"

"You and your delicate sensibilities," the other Kunoichi sneered.

"Of course," the would-be villain smiled broadly.

* * *

"So, Naruto-kun…" Haruna suddenly said. Toki had gone to speak with Chishima, taking Sakura as her escort. Neji had followed halfway behind them, so he could watch both princesses with his Byakugan. After she felt the others were gone, the leader of the Greens Country moved around the table to talk to the Chunin face to face.

"Is it really true you are with Hinata-san?" Haruna asked innocently.

"Yup," Naruto grinned happily, then he paused and his eyes narrowed, "Why did you say it like that?"

"It's just, I can't see it," she maintained her unassuming air, but spoke more carefully.

"I mean, you're total opposites," she explained simply, "You're loud and brash and ill-mannered. Not that that's a bad thing. And Hinata is quiet and gentle and polite. It doesn't seem like a good fit."

"Well, they say opposites attract," Naruto shrugged, unperturbed.

"Opposites attract," she agreed, "But likes last."

"Hinata and I have plenty in common," Uzumaki frowned at her, "We love dancing, and fantasy movies and books. We both like romantic comedies, though she prefers romance, while I go more for comedy."

Then his expression turned even more dark, "And we both know what is like to be lonely, and looked down on. We were the two of the three loser ninjas of the Konohagakure. I was the unfocused, untalented knucklehead; she was the unsuited heiress, weak of body and spirit. People just assumed they knew us, what we could do, and what we _would_ do. And we've both grown past that."

"Naruto, I…" Haruna was taken aback, but was unsure what to say.

"I love Hinata," he told her, but not quite thinking of the Daimyo before him, "And I'm not going to let anyone come between us."

* * *

"Sakura," Naruto whispered, putting his head close to the door. When she did not respond, he said her name again, slightly louder.

Whether due to his inadvertent suggestion, or if they had planned it all along, Uzumaki did not know. But at the end of the night, the two princesses had pulled Sakura into Toki's chamber, while exiling Chishima, Naruto, and Neji to Chishima's private room. As Haruna closed the door, Naruto swore he heard the medic groan "Not again."

Still troubled by Neji's revelation on the first leg of their trip, Naruto snuck into the hall, and called for his friend's attention. Though the suite had fallen silent, Uzumaki doubted his teammate was asleep; she was too responsible to have taken her rest without informing them. He kept his voice down, not wanting to wake their clients.

On the third time he said her name, the door slid open. Despite the seriousness of his visit, Naruto almost lost it when he saw Sakura. Her hair had been knitted into dozens of tiny braids, jutting out of her head in every possible direction. Naruto snorted, and his eyes watered from trying to contain himself.

"What?" she growled, both from the interruption and from his reaction.

"What happened to your hair?" he asked carefully. Sakura touched her scalp, and then remembered what she had been subjected to.

"Those two are worse than Ino and Temari," she hissed quietly. She put her hands together, and the binders locking her hair in place exploded. Another burst of chakra, and the braids unraveled. Sakura shook her head, sighing in release as her quaff returned to its usual state. Then she looked at Naruto again, stern but no longer angry.

"What is it?" she demanded softly.

"There's something I need to talk to you about," he sobered. His surprisingly formal tone put the Kunoichi on edge.

"I want to know why you are being so…" he struggled with the phrasing, so it did not sound like an accusation, "why you have been so callous towards Hinata."

"What?" shocked, Sakura barely kept her voice down. Though he was not proud himself for thinking it, Naruto wondered if her amazement was from the allegation, or simply because he was the one making it.

"Did Hinata say that?" the pink-haired woman barked under her breath.

"Hinata would never snitch. And you know it," he shot back, "That's why you got away with it for so long."

"I should have noticed it sooner," he said sadly, "I first started to figure it out during the fight with the zombie actors last month. When Hinata said her Suigin Byakugan _might_ not work against that Genjutsu, you rolled your eyes and said 'So much for that' in a really sarcastic tone. Even though there was nothing more any of the rest of us could have done, even Kakashi-sensei."

"I…" Sakura started to speak, but trailed off in thought and memory. She found she was unable to meet his eyes.

"I thought it might have been that you were mad Hinata took Sasuke's place," he told her, "Like you were with Sai. But the more I rolled it around in my head, the bigger it got. Like on my birthday, when you were leading us to the surprise party. I didn't hear exactly what you two said, but I could tell by your face and voice, you were hounding Hinata, and she looked really down about it."

Sakura bit her lip, remembering that she had basically accused the other woman of using her clan's money to buy Naruto's affections.

"And even before that, you were pretty snappish with her on the Reaper and Nyoko missions," he continued.

"So what's up?" he asked gently, but determinedly, "Did Hinata accidentally do something to make you mad? Or are you jealous of her growth or that she got a boyfriend first?"

Sakura inhaled sharply at that, and her confused look was replaced by a quick anger. But Naruto's disappointment cooled her off almost as fast.

"I don't know," she said softly, "I guess hanging around with you, and Kakashi-sensei, and Lady Tsunade… and Sasuke… I've gotten used to being abrasive. To needing to be direct, and even a little mean, to get my point across."

Then she smiled sadly, "And though I don't like to admit it, maybe I am a little jealous that Hinata found someone first. I always liked her, and I used to root for her; but to be honest, I generally expected she would be forced into an arranged marriage by her clan."

"I really didn't realize that it... I had gotten this bad," Sakura said regretfully, "I'm sorry, Naruto."

"It's not me you should apologize to," he said, almost inaudibly. As the blonde Chunin slipped back into Chishima's room, Sakura looked thoughtfully annoyed.

* * *

The next morning the two Daimyos and the three ninja returned to the conference room after breakfast. The two women quickly set out the sheaf of parchments, prepared brushes and ink for any last minute changes.

"Finally," Naruto grunted happily, "We can get this treatise signed, and shut down those Grass Ninja."

"The _treaty _won't be signed until tomorrow, knucklehead," Sakura said less aggressively than her usual corrections, "This is the final read-through."

"This is just a formality," Toki said, looking from her counterpart smugly, "Right?"

"To-chan… I mean Toki-dono, that will not be the case this time," Haruna protested.

"Of course not," the Bird Daimyo smiled more openly. The younger leader stuck out her tongue, but then she smiled too.

"Then let's begi…." Toki grew serious, but was cut off by an explosion near the edge of the palace. Another blast shook the entire room, and shortly thereafter they heard echoing shouts of the guards.

"Naruto, let's go," Neji ordered, "Sakura, stay with Lady Toki and Lady Haruna."

"Right," both younger shinobi answered in unison, and the two men rushed out.


	58. Grass vs Leaf

**Chapter 58: Grass vs. Leaf**

"What is happening?" Neji asked the leader of the first group of soldiers the two Leaf Ninjas encountered.

"Explosions at the east and south entrances," the warrior answered nervously.

"Hmm," Neji exhaled in consideration, "Naruto, head to the southern disturbance. I will go east."

The Hyuga Jonin then addressed the Toki's guards, "You men take up positions by the conference room, and guard the Daimyos."

Naruto nodded, and the two Shinobi split up. One of the other soldiers looked at his commander with a doubtful look.

"Sir, should we be taking orders from him?"

The lieutenant shrugged, "It is our duty to protect Lady Toki."

* * *

"We should keep working," the Daimyo of the Land of Birds insisted, "Read through this as quickly as possible, and if necessary, sign it now. That will confound their plans."

"Not that I don't trust Naruto and Neji," she quickly reassured Sakura. The Kunoichi nodded, but she too looked nervous.

"Right, then," Haruna, lifted the edge of the first page of the document and began reading, "Article I, the Establishment of the Mutual Advancement Alliance between the Land of Birds and the Land of Greens…"

* * *

Neji raced down the hall, his arms trailing behind him. He rolled his elbows, loosening the kunai hidden in his forearm sheathes. He turned a corner, and saw a small group of guards. Of the twenty-three soldiers, only five were still standing, and many of the fallen appeared to have fatal injuries.

Saburo grinned as he saw Neji, and without taking his eye off the Leaf Ninja, he swung his right arm back, wrapping the now partially unwound chain around one soldier's neck. The smell of burning flesh emerged from under the weapon, and the tall Grass shinobi gestured again, throwing the unfortunate warrior into the wall.

"Get back," Neji counseled, "Take the injured and retreat."

"I was getting bored anyway," Saburo ran his left hand through the center spike of his bizarre hairdo. He then graciously took a step back, allowing the Bird fighters to retrieve their own and escape.

"The great Neji Hyuga," he smirked, "Killing you will cement my rep forever."

"You might be getting ahead of yourself," the Leaf Jonin was unconcerned, though he carefully watched the chains trailing from his opponent's wrists. He recognized the red color was from the temperature of the metal, and that they were not burning their wielder.

"If you don't mind, can we skip the opening round?" the Grass Jonin asked in a friendly manner, "I'm already warmed up, and it's not really my style. Besides, I already know what you can do…"

Neji did not answer with words, but he slipped effortlessly into the Gentle Fist stance. Taking that as an affirmation, Saburo began a complex set of hand signs. Hyuga recognized the pattern as being part of a transformation jutsu, but was not familiar with the specific technique.

"Ryu!" the top-heavy invader concluded, "Ninja art, Ursine Form Jutsu."

The Grass agent began to sprout thick brown fur, and his mouth extended into a short muzzle. His body grew, with his lower body increasing faster than his upper body, until he was almost nine feet tall, and evenly proportioned. His hair remained the same, except where his ears shifted higher on his head, becoming more rounded. His fingertips sprouted thick claws. Saburo rolled his wrists twice, unwrapping more of his chains, so they once again trailed on the ground with his increased height. The bear warrior also took on a fighting posture.

"Byakugan," Neji activated his Genjutsu, to little avail. His enhanced vision failed to pierce the Saburo's chakra laced fur.

'Even if I cannot see his chakra network, I can still strike at his internal organs,' the Dojutsu user concluded internally, 'and the additional bulk must slow him down. It is best if I end this quickly, so I can return to the others.'

Without another second of hesitation, the Leaf shinobi charged forward, leading with his fingers. Saburo swung his left chain at Neji's jaw, but the small fighter ducked easily under the weapon. His fingers darted out, and he struck three times around the Grass bear's heart in the span of one breath. Even as he connected, the altered human was lashing out with his right hand, and Neji was forced to roll to his right to avoid having his left arm bound and burned. To the Hyuga Jonin's surprise and annoyance, his opponent did not collapse. Instead, the bear-shaped warrior chuckled at his grimace.

"My guard hairs are stronger than most armor," he boasted, "and this form gives me an extra thick layer of fat and muscle under my hide. I felt your little attacks, but they're too _gentle_ to do any real damage to me now."

He swung both of his chains horizontally, one high and one low. Neji was too close to dodge, so he extended his hands and spun.

"Eight Trigrams Palms Heavenly Spin," he incanted, expelling chakra from his open hands. The Hyuga technique first sent the chains flying, then connected with Saburo's wrists, knocking them away too.

"That tingles," the ursine shinobi chuckled, as Neji darted back out of range.

"Now what, boy?" he continued to mock, swinging the red-hot links lazily before him, "Your special little Taijutsu doesn't do jack to me, nor do your other techniques. While if I get one solid hit on you, this fight's over. And close combat is your only real weapon."

Looking desperate, the Leaf Jonin flung his left arm wide, releasing three kunai. Saburo did not even try to block. The blades were stopped by his fur, failing to draw even a drop of blood.

"That's just… sad?" the Grass soldier trailed of in confusion when he heard a hissing sound. He glanced down, and saw sparks spitting out of the loop on one of Neji's knives. Before he could comprehend what was happening, the paper bombs, built into each blade, exploded.

* * *

Naruto skidded to a halt as twin bursts of water and lightning bounced Toki's men into the air. A number of soldiers were scattered about the hall, unconscious but alive. The stone tiles rattled, and most of the remaining soldiers capsized in the earth shaking jutsu. This clearing allowed Naruto to see his opponent. The blond Chunin grinned in dark joy when he realized the enemy ninja was the same one who had impersonated him the previous day.

"You guys should back off," Uzumaki warned the regular army, "This is gonna get a little bit messy."

The soldier's pulled their disabled comrades back to a safe distance and set up a second line, just in case Naruto failed.

"Naruto Uzumaki," the smaller ninja inclined his head politely, "We were not properly introduced yesterday. I am Jinji of the Circuits, a Chunin of the Village Hidden in the Grass."

"Of the Circuits?" Naruto looked confused, "What does that mean, you're a robot?"

"No," the bald shinobi said flatly, but then his expression perked up, "Let me give you a demonstration of my title."

He raised his elongated arms, and the Leaf Ninja finally noticed his odd bracers. They were made primarily of metal and plastic, and did not appear to very useful for stopping attacks. Each of the forearm panels had two rows of six raised plastic semi-circles.

"Water Rupture Jutsu," Jinji announced, without using any hand signs. A four-foot diameter sphere of water formed between them, and exploded, knocking Naruto backwards and down to his knees.

"Stone Spears Jutsu," the apish warrior pointed his right hand at the floor beside Uzumaki, and the granite tiles shot forth spikes. The blonde youth was forced to dive to the side to avoid being impaled.

"Oh yeah?" Naruto roared nonsensically, "How about this? Rasengan!"

He surged forward, his right hand holding the spiraling sphere. But before he had covered half the distance, Jinji countered.

"Updraft Wall Jutsu," again with no effort, the Grass Chunin activated the technique, and strong gusts of wind lifted Naruto into the air and held him.

'These are really strong jutsus,' Naruto thought, 'and he's used four of the five elements. I can only use three, and my only decent Earth technique is Stone Claws. Speaking of Mom's techniques.'

Yukihana's son dismissed the Rasengan, and quickly signed.

"Cyclone Spikes Jutsu," Naruto announced, and eight spikes shot out. Instead of aiming them all at the Grass Ninja, Naruto spread out the air darts, making it hard for the tech user to dodge them all.

"Granite Wall Jutsu," again the floor erupted, stopping all of the missiles. Even as the wall receded, Jinji activated another technique, announcing, "Lightning Clap Jutsu."

The electrical explosion forced Naruto back out of the wind trap, shocking his system at the same time. The blonde warrior was barely able to right himself before he landed. He missed his opponent's next incantation, but dove forward to avoid the lash of flame aimed at his chest.

"Darn it," Naruto grimaced, "You can't be just a Chunin! What are you?"

"I'm the future of Ninjutsu," Jinji turned his wrists back to point his bracers at Naruto, "No longer will Shinobi have to spend months or years mastering esoteric techniques. With jutsu circuits like these, all it takes is a little chakra control, and any ninja can use any jutsu. Once the final test run is complete, there will be no difference between the ranks, or even between villages. There will be no need to waste time training apprentices. Even Genin will be able to use the strongest killing moves without limits."

"BULLSHIT!" Naruto roared, enraged, "I'll never acknowledge someone like you as a true ninja."

"I won't need your acknowledgement, once I crush you," the shorter warrior scoffed.

"That'll never happen," Naruto settled, and his voice grew mocking, "I'll show you that someone who relies on crutches like that can never defeat a real ninja."

"You haven't even come close to me so far," the Grass soldier snorted, "What makes you think you can beat me?"

"Now that I know the source of your power," Uzumaki boasted, "I'll show you its three fatal limitations. Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu."

The copies charged forward, surrounding Jinji. Attacked from all corners, the tech ninja rapidly spun, sending out attack after attack.

"Rolling Earth Jutsu. Spark Javelins Jutsu. Grand Fireball Jutsu. Lava Surge Jutsu. Frigid… ah… Frigid Wind Jutsu. Eh… Eh… Eh…"

The last two clones started to move in, and Jinji struggled to catch his breath.

"Iron Barr…. Barrage Jutsu," the bald Chunin panted out the technique, but was able to defeat the final duplicates.

"Number one," Naruto raised his right pointer, "You haven't learned jutsu the hard way. You haven't been forced to stretch your chakra reserves or hone your chakra control. I don't know anyone else who claims to be Chunin that would be so winded after using only twenty or so jutsu like that. Even the two or three that would be running on empty, they'd have enough restraint to not be physically worn out like that."

"I'm not out of chakra," Jinji protested, raising his left arm, and erratically spewing out, "Sandstorm Jutsu."

One of the crystals on the kote glowed briefly golden brown, but nothing else occurred. Naruto smirked and moved in, engaging in a brief Taijutsu battle with Jinji. But the tech ninja held his own, despite his exhaustion. After half a minute of punches and kicks Naruto's fists began to glow purple, and he grabbed Jinji's left wrist. The Grass Chunin's arm jerked under the Ranshinsho, however the effect on his bracer was more pronounced. The twelve bubbles began to glow, sizzle, and then explode in turn; the ones closest to Naruto's hand were the first to pop.

"Number two," Jiraiya's student jumped back, lecturing again.

"Circuits are fragile things. They don't like heat, liquids, or outside electricity," the knucklehead quoted Shizune, remembering the lecture he'd been given after spilling juice on the keyboard that came with his computer. Then he remembered something Kakashi had told him, "And chakra circuits are even more touchy than normal ones. That means your 'jutsus' are really easy to disable."

"Why you," the smaller, yet older ninja snarled at the teen, but Naruto disappeared. The Leaf warrior reappeared next in Jinji, and was gone before the tech ninja could react.

"And, number three," Naruto grinned broadly, holding up Jinji's surviving bracer, "is the fact that if your opponent is faster, he can take your techniques, and use them against you."

Naruto put his finger under one of the circuits and channeled energy into it.

"Water Rupture Jutsu."

Naruto's use of the technique created a much larger sphere than Jinji's did, and the Grass ninja was bounced into the wall, head first. The invader slid to the ground, and did not move. Naruto crossed to him quickly, and took off his opponent's backpack. After binding Jinji's arms, the Leaf Chunin made a quick search of the Grass Chunin's equipment. He removed all of Jinji's other computerized techniques and a spare connector board. He piled the Ninjutsu modules, and the three bracers, on the floor with a look of disgust. Naruto summoned two clones, and held up his hand. The clones did their work, and a roiling purple orb appeared above his palm.

"Raiton Rasengan," he said fiercely. He thrust the sphere into the mass of technology with an expression of satisfaction. The clones swept the stragglers back in, making sure every circuit and all of the interfaces were totally destroyed. Then, chuckling to himself at the irony, he took out his cell phone and punched in Neji's walky-talky number.

"Neji," he spoke into the device, glancing at his opponent one more time, "I've captured the one attacking the southern gate. Do you need my help over there?"

"No," the team leader said carefully, "Rejoin Sakura."

"Got it," Uzumaki nodded, even though Neji could not see him.

"Keep an eye on this guy," the Ninja told the regular soldiers who had stayed to watch the battle. One of them saluted him, and others moved in, leveling their spears at the unconscious invader. With slight misgivings, Naruto reversed his original course.

* * *

"Cute," Saburo chuckled as the smoke cleared. Though his fur was scorched, only a few small trickles of blood escaped from where the trapped blades had exploded.

"I'll have to remember that trick," the bear warrior smirked, "A souvenir from this battle."

He took a step towards Neji, lifting his hand for his next attack. But before he could, a voice emerged from Hyuga's robes, and the Grass Jonin paused in amusement.

"Neji, I've captured the one attacking the southern gate. Do you need my help over there?"

Neji considered Naruto's words with a touch of concern. There had been four Grass Ninjas for the impersonation, and none had appeared to be clones.

'But it there was only one here,' he considered, 'and only one fighting Naruto, than the other two must be…'

"No," the Gentle Fist user said carefully, "Rejoin Sakura."

"Got it," Naruto answered, before disconnecting. Neji returned his attention to his opponent, but was surprised to find Saburo looked as if he had been sucker punched.

"Ayameko," the transformed fighter growled with a touch of worry and confusion.

* * *

"Article 14," Toki took over reading, "Limiting Import Taxes and Tariffs on Produce. In the interest of encouraging trade and public health, both signing bodies will limit any respective fees on produce to no more than two percent. Produce shall be defined as…"

Sakura suddenly perked up nervously, and the Daimyo trailed off.

"Lady Toki," the Kunoichi said lightly, as if just making conversation, "I wouldn't suppose there would happen to be a hidden exit from this room."

"No," the ruler of the Bird Country controlled her answer, "Just the two normal ones. This room is against the central support pillar of the palace. The other two walls rest against two feet of solid granite. Is something the matter?"

"We're not alone."

"Oh my," a voice emerged from the empty space in front of the northern exit, "It appears we have been detected, Kayo."

The unassuming Grass fighter appeared inside the door, while the one-eyed Kunoichi ended her Camouflage Jutsu blocking the eastern portal. Both rulers backed into the corner, and Toki drew her blade from under her kimono.

"How courteous," the plain shinobi smiled blissfully, "Now there is no need to search for it. Though I doubt you will be kind enough to just hand it over."

"What are you talking about?" Sakura drew a kunai in each hand, and moved closer to the princesses. The Kunoichi named Kayo equipped the same whip she had shown when impersonating Haruna the previous day. She cracked the weapon perilously close to Sakura's uncovered leg. The Leaf ninja did not flinch, and the Grass leader raised his hand to forestall his teammate's aggression.

"Hadn't you heard?" he said conspiratorially, "The final negotiations were a farce. Lady Toki lured Lady Haruna here to eliminate her. We were sent by the Grass Daimyo to protect his cousin, but we arrived too late. As she had so many others, Toki cut down Haruna, aided by her Leaf Ninja allies."

"No one would believe that," Haruna protested.

"They will, when Toki admits it," the talkative villain told them, "After we finish you and Miss Haruno, a round of Genjutsu will make the Birds' Daimyo believe she did it."

"Aren't you getting ahead of yourself?" Sakura's eyebrows came together in annoyance.

"Oh, I'm sure you are quite strong, young lady," the male Jonin said truthfully, "But we have you outnumbered, outranked, and we are not encumbered by the need to protect others. Of course, if you save our time and energy and just surrender, I can make your death quick and painless."

Sakura's answer was to fling the kunai in her left hand at his heart. He caught the blade by the handle, and started twirling it around his thumb.

"Kayo, get Toki's sword and kill Haruna. I'll play with the girl."

As he said that, the male Jonin threw Sakura's kunai and added one of his own. The youngest woman in the room deflected the blades into the floor. The other Kunoichi flicked out her lash, aiming for Toki's right wrist. But Sakura jumped in the way, grabbing the whip with her now empty left hand. Gripping the leather lash tightly, the powerhouse healer began pulling the Grass soldier closer. The whip user took out a second weapon, and quickly put shallow marks on Sakura's left cheek and right wrist. Kayo drew back her left arm again to strike again, but Sakura released the woman's right hand weapon and the attacking Kunoichi stumbled back.

The male shinobi had closed the gap, and swung his sword at Sakura's head. Like its owner, the longsword appeared unremarkable; it was three feet long, double edged, with a simple bar hilt, cylinder pommel, and no other distinguishing marks. Sakura blocked with her kunai. Almost too fast for her to follow, he withdrew and then stabbed at her chest. She stopped his attack with her throwing dagger again, and the wedge-shaped knife cracked under the repeated blows.

Cursing herself for underestimating him, Tsunade's apprentice threw the damaged blade at her opponent's foot, buying her a precious instant to retrieve her scroll and withdraw her axe. As she put the paper locker away, she palmed a trio of shuriken and tossed them at Kayo, who had recovered and was advancing towards the Daimyos again. The one-eyed woman knocked them away with her right whip, even as her left whip snaked out towards Toki again. However, the Birds Princess did not carry the katana for show, and was able to deflect the attack.

'Right, Naruto said Lady Toki could fight,' Sakura remembered, 'but she's no match for a full fledged ninja.'

Sakura caught his next attempt to skewer her on the flat of her weapon's oversized head. She pushed him back, but he rolled with the pressure and spun back for an overhand stroke. The medic darted away, slashing at the cord snaking towards Toki's hand again. Kayo directed the whip to drop, sacrificing her attack to avoid losing one of her weapons. Sakura started to chase her back, but the plain ninja and his plain blade intercepted her again, and she was forced to put her attention back on him. She decided to take out his weapon, so she could return to the other three women. She sent her chakra into her weapon increasing its weight. The young woman planted her feet, and swung the axe horizontally, two-handed, with a force that could have felled even Gamabunta or Manda with a direct hit. The slender ninja blocked without so much as a shudder, but the marble tiles under his feet exploded. Sakura grimaced, and reversed the grip of her left hand, twirling the massive blade into a diagonal strike, which should have bisected him from his right shoulder to his left hip. Once again, he stopped the attack with only one hand, and with no indication of any strain. The remaining shards of stone under his feet powdered, and the wood over the bedrock splintered. The Leaf Ninja grimaced, and stopped his next attack. Her annoyance and confusion deepened; though he had speed and precision, his attacks lacked power. He should not have been able to stop her so simply or completely.

"Force Flow Jutsu," he read her expression, "My own technique. It transfers any impact to my sword, no matter how powerful, out the bottom of my feet. That makes me the perfect person to fight you or your teacher. Raw power is meaningless against me."

"Until I bury you," Sakura smirked, hammering him again. The planks he was standing on broke apart, and he nodded in agreement. As his sword snaked out again, he slid sideways onto more stable footing. His blow was faster than the previous one, and Sakura just barely avoided having her jugular slit. She struck again, but as with the previous three times, the damage went to the floor.

The Chunin tried to spare a glance at her charges, but her opponent punished her for her inattention. She only partially deflected the stab, and the sword slid cleanly into her right shoulder. She started to channel chakra to the wound, even as she tried to take advantage of the situation. With the Grass Ninja's blade slowed by her flesh and bone, she flipped her axe upwards with her left hand. Though the impromptu blow was weaker then her previous strikes, it was aimed for an extremely sensitive area. With a look of exaggerated terror, the plain warrior jumped back almost to the door, barely avoiding being neutered.

Sakura turned back to the Grass Kunoichi, but she was too late. Her left hand whip pulled Toki's katana into Kayo's waiting right hand. As soon as she gripped the curved blade, she dashed forward, her lone eye practically glowing with glee. The Daimyo of the Land of Birds tried to defend her younger counterpart, but the female Jonin doubled her over with a punch to the stomach, and then knocked her away with a kick to the chest.

"Haruna!" Sakura shouted, diving. But the forgettable shinobi had drawn her too far away. The katana rose and fell with a flash. There was the all to familiar sound of metal cutting skin and muscle, and a spray of blood coated the wall.

* * *

Neji knocked the glowing-hot chain away with his tonfa. Unable to block the heated weapon with his hands, the Hyuga Jonin had taken out his oft-neglected weapons. He could have continued to use the Heavenly Spin, but it did not have any measurable impact on his opponent, and the younger warrior did not want to waste his chakra.

The chains were the most troublesome part of his opponent's offense. Neji knew that if he could have a few heartbeats in close, he had techniques that could penetrate Saburo's armored fur. But whenever he tried to move in, he found himself overwhelmed by the dancing metal links. So he observed his opponent, trying to think of a way to disable the chains or disarm the Grass ninja.

"Ninja Art: Molten Chaos," Saburo announced. He did not swing the chains, but they shot out anyways, moving at sharp angles. Neji deflected them, but the chains turned in mid-air, darting back at him. The links unwound further from their owner's wrist, and once they had sufficient length, they doubled up, attacking him with both the ends and with spikes in their middles. Beset by four, then six constant attackers, Neji was overwhelmed. He managed to avoid being bound, or taking any serious hits, but his clan robes were in tatters, and a number of seared bruises were erupting over his skin. Finally, the Leaf Jonin dropped his weapons, and extended his palms.

"Rotation!" Neji spun in place, sending out his chakra to keep the chains at bay. But the zoanthropic Shinobi had anticipated this, and the red-hot chains wrapped around the circumference of the Hyuga technique, bearing down and forcing Neji to continue the jutsu. It only took a moment for Hizashi's son to realize his mistake. As soon as he stopped the Heavenly Spin, the chains would rush in and trap him. But Saburo's jutsu almost certainly took less chakra to maintain than the Eight Trigrams technique, so the bear-shaped warrior could simply wait for Neji to wear himself out.

Casting about desperately, Neji saw again his paired tonfa, unceremoniously discarded. Shifting his Byakugan to the dome, and then to his opponent, the Hyuga branch ninja came up with a risky plan. Even as he spun, he maneuvered his feet closer to the discarded weapons. His 360-degree gaze took in all the factors, and he ran through some quick calculations. But in the end, he just went with his gut.

Looping his foot under the first of the forearm bars, he kicked it nearly straight up. When it struck the boundary of the Heavenly Spin, the weapon's trajectory changed, and it was accelerated. Faster than any thrown weapon, or even most bows or crossbows, the blunt object shot towards Saburo. The big man blinked in surprise and worry as the tonfa passed within centimeters of his face.

"That was clo…" he started to admonish Neji, even as the second weapon struck him in the chest. Despite being neither sharp nor aerodynamic, the tonfa penetrated Saburo's armored fur, muscle, and one of his ribs, brushing up against his right lung. The weapon only stopped when its hilt struck the Grass warrior's chest. In that instant, the chains went slack, and just to be certain, Neji jumped outside of their circle at the same time he ended his jutsu. As he landed, Saburo was standing unsteadily, slowly wrapping the chains back around his forearms.

"That hurt," Saburo admitted, taking a shallow breath, "But you didn't hit anything vital. And you gave up your weapons to do it. So while this has been interesting, I think we are done here."

Once he had finished coiling the metal links, he crossed his arms before his chest, still ignoring the end of the tonfa extending from his chest. Neji watched his opponent carefully, slipping back into the Gentle Fist stance.

"Burn, Neji Hyuga," the growled command escaped his muzzle, followed by the shaping phrase, "Ninja Art: Firebug Jutsu."

The links of the chains pulled apart, their heat increasing, and their glow brightening. They swarmed around their master like insects. And then he gestured and the pieces of the chain flew at Neji. The Hyuga Jonin grimaced, not because of the threat, but because he was about to prove Naruto right. Neji's posture shifted slightly, and a large chakra seal appeared around his feet.

"Byakugan Art: Protection of the Eight Trigrams Sixty-four Palms," he announced with a touch of regret. Hinata's technique streamed out from her cousin's fingers, and the already softened metal rings were sliced in two. As he destroyed their form, the chakra bonded to the metal was released as well. The chain pieces dropped from the air, rapidly cooling as they fell.

In the end, the Grass Ninja's attack could not match the Leaf defense, and every part of Saburo's weapon was destroyed. However Neji's mastery of the technique could not match Hinata's and a few of the links tagged him before his could cut them down. The two Shinobi faced one another, injured but still standing. After a moment, Neji raised his hands again. But Saburo shook his head.

"You destroyed my Ember Chain," the Grass ninja said without anger. He pulled the tonfa out of his chest with a few gasps of agony, and the tossed the weapon down.

"And with this injury, I cannot hope to fight you up close," he admitted, "However, as you have figured out from my emotional slip, Jinji was not supposed to be fighting alone. So that means Sakura Haruno is fighting three of us instead of the two who were supposed to sneak in to the meeting."

Saburo shrunk back to his normal size and shape, continuing, "So when I pragmatically turn tail and run, you should pragmatically go help your teammate."

Grinning at his own cleverness, Saburo turned to leave. Thus he did not see the smaller chakra seal emerge from Neji's feet.

"Eight Trigrams, two palms. Four palms. Eight Palms. Sixteen palms. Thirty-two palms. Sixty-four palms!"

As the Grass ninja collapsed, paralyzed, Neji told him, "I don't think it would be _pragmatic_ for me to let you escape."

And then the Hyuga shinobi hurried back towards the conference room, limping as fast as his injured legs would carry him.

* * *

"Are you… alright, Haruna?" a gentle voice, unknown to Sakura, asked amidst breaths of pain. The medic realized another woman had appeared between Kayo and the Land of Greens' Daimyo. The newcomer was older than the Leaf Kunoichi, around the same age as Toki. She wore simple clothes, but held herself like a warrior. And she had a long, deep cut from her left shoulder blade almost to her bottom.

"Ayameko?" the younger ruler gasped.

"I made it in time," the buxom beauty smiled happily through the injury. She straightened, turning halfway to watch her former comrade.

"Lady Haruna, who is this?" Toki asked, intentionally masking their relationship from their attackers.

"She's…" Haruna trailed off, unsure what to say.

"She's a Grass Ninja," Sakura said dubiously. Ayameko's damaged shirt had slipped down, revealing the shield that partially covered her cleavage. The injured Kunoichi did not back down or look away.

"I know her," Haruna asserted, "I trust her."

"I'm afraid that won't do," Toki said quietly.

"The short version?" Haruna offered after a sigh, "She is family. Her mother is my cousin. And while I was held hostage in the Land of Grass, she was my friend, my _only _friend. So I trust her."

"Your cousin?" Toki frowned, "That means…"

"I am the niece of the Daimyo of the Land of Grass," Ayameko confirmed, "And like my mother and uncle, I am sworn to keep Haruna safe. That is why I asked for this mission. I did not believe Saburo or Gin could be trusted to follow our ruler's orders."

The gradient haired Kunoichi focused her attention on Sakura, and stated plainly, "I will not let anything happen to Haruna, and for her sake, I will guard Lady Toki as well."

The Leaf doctor nodded, turning her concentration back to the now named man. Gin frowned, almost pouting.

"I'm hurt, Ayameko," he said with mocking dismay.

"Not yet," Sakura swung again, no longer upset that he stopped her cold, "But now that you're my only opponent…"

Before she could make good on the threat, the Leaf teen found herself barraged by the Grass swordsman. Sakura blocked a horizontal swipe, stepping sideways with a half-hearted attack of her own. Though she no longer had to focus on Kayo, she still had to keep Gin away from the princesses, which meant she had to control the movement of the battle. Still, she spared a glance over at the other battle, not entirely trusting the rogue Grass Kunoichi. Kayo continued to fight with one of her whips and Toki's stolen katana, while Ayameko had equipped a pair of composite punching daggers, weapons with both a punching dagger across her knuckles, and a normal knife blade extending out the top. The pretty warrior deflected her former comrade's attacks, but made no move to strike back. Then the Leaf medic was unable to observe further, as Gin pressed her distraction with a series of quick jabs.

The plain Shinobi was no longer playing around. His attacks were faster and stronger, while his jutsu continued to let him stop her counters with ease. Sakura wanted desperately to break out her strongest weapon techniques and Ninjutsu, but she knew the risk to her charges would be too great. She had already tried channeling Ranshinsho into the slender man when their weapons clashed, but it did not work.

As she hit him, and the stone and wood under his feet broke apart again, Sakura was struck with an idea.

'If he diverts my power out of his feet into the floor,' she thought, 'what would happen if he wasn't on the ground?'

Inner Sakura suddenly popped up in her head, grinning widely as she pictured Gin, rocketing into the wall, energy jetting from his feet.

'Probably too much to hope for,' her regular voice admitted, 'but still worth a try.'

Sakura fell back further, forcing her face to display anxiety, while she just barely blocked the unassuming Shinobi's strikes. Finally, as she was pushed perilously close to the wall, Tsunade's apprentice swung desperately at the Grass Ninja's head. He interposed his sword with a sneer, but she pulled the weapon back, and used the increased momentum as she dropped, and attempted to sweep his legs.

"Ha," Gin barked a laugh as he hopped over her knee, as she planned. She took her turn to smirk at him, and extended her weapon again. She poured chakra into her arms and legs, magnifying her strength. The axe angled upwards, its speed and power increasing. The male Jonin appeared amused by her confidence, and extended his weapon. The blades clashed, and again the Jutsu absorbed her power. But with nothing underfoot, this time the energy had no place to go, and reflected back. The simple, common longsword shattered, and Sakura's weapon continued its arc. The sharp, heavy axe cleaved upwards through Gin's belly and chest. As the blade cleared, only one half inch of muscle, skin, and bone prevented the Grass warrior's torso from being carved wholly in half.

"SAKURA!!" as the body hit the ground, one of the doors exploded inwards, and Naruto burst into the room. He quickly took in the situation, but his face screwed up in confusion at the site of the two Grass Kunoichi fighting one another.

"Damn," Kayo groused, "Looks like this mission is a failure."

She threw Toki's sword at Haruna, mainly to distract the three guarding ninjas long enough to dash a set of smoke bombs on the ground. Sakura and Ayameko closed around the Daimyos, but it was unnecessary. When the smoke cleared, their last opponent was long gone. Naruto surveyed the situation, still looking bewildered.

"Um, Sakura?" he asked, looking from the dead Grass Ninja to the injured Grass Kunoichi, "What's going on here?"

* * *

"Kayo?"

Saburo woke up to the realization that he was moving. He forced open one gummy eye, and recognized the ragged hair and clothes of the woman carrying him. The pain in his chest was great, but it was bound and treated with numbing herbs, so it was less then he expected. He held still, so not to unbalance her.

"What happened?" he croaked.

"Ayameko betrayed us," she answered harshly, "She helped the Leaf ninjas and protected Lady Haruna. Gin is dead, and I don't know what happened to Jinji."

"He was captured by Uzumaki," Saburo explained.

"We need to get back," the woman snarled, "And let our Leader know what happened."

* * *

"So what are we going to do with him?" Naruto asked.

Two days after the attack, the treaty was signed, the alliance affirmed. The Leaf trio were preparing to escort the younger Daimyo back to her own country.

Ayameko remained with Haruna the whole time, as did Sakura, as the Leaf Shinobi were not entirely trusting of the Grass Kunoichi. Despite that, the medic had healed the Greens Princess's relative at both rulers' request.

Jinji was not so lucky. He spent the time manacled to a hospital bed, receiving only civilian treatments. The Grass Chunin had only now woken up, and the rulers and ninjas had gathered to observe him. Both of the royals looked to the two Jonin for guidance. Neji also observed the Grass woman.

"If he is loyal to my uncle, I would like to take him back with me, if you will allow it," the gradient tressed beauty admitted, "But if not… I suspect war will soon come to the Land of Grass, and I would deny the Leader of the Hidden Grass Village even a weapon such as him. In that case, I would respectfully ask the Konohagakure to take him into custody."

Neji raised a single eyebrow in surprise, but Toki nodded.

"I can agree to that," the Birds' Daimyo agreed.

"You're asking a lot 'Meko-chan," Haruna said contritely, then she grinned, "But I suppose it is a small request for saving two Daimyos."

The noble ninja nodded, and slipped out of the observation room. A second later, she entered the tech ninja's room. The bald man's eye shifted from staring at the wall to look at the newcomer, and when he recognized his teammate, he looked briefly hopeful. Studying her body language, his face fell back to the sheet covering him.

"You're not here to rescue me, are you?" he asked softly, "Were you ever part of our team, or did you always intend to betray us?"

"The Daimyo is both our ruler and our client," Ayameko said, "For our Leader to disregard his requirement that Lady Haruna be unharmed is dishonorable and treasonous. What are we without our word or our country?"

The defeated warrior digested the words thoughtfully.

"So what now?" he prompted.

"That is up to you," she informed him, "Do you stand with our Leader or with our Daimyo? Speak only the truth."

Neji and Sakura recognized the powerful Genjutsu woven into the question and the command. The other three observers remained blissfully ignorant.

After considering the question, Jinji rubbed the back of his left arm with his bound right hand. Seared into the skin of his outer wrist were twelve circular scars in two lines. Finally, the computer expert addressed the prompt.

"I think the Tech Ninja program is a bust," he offered, "I thought I was beating that Leaf kid, but he was just testing me. And then, despite his less than intellectual reputation, he pointed out three glaring errors to me. One in particular worries me."

He showed her his arm, "He was able to destroy the circuits pretty easy with a lightning jutsu. But he also reminded me that computers don't like heat or water. Can you imagine what would happen if one those things were damaged but still partially functional? I started to think about what a short-circuited Ninjutsu would be like."

Both of the Kunoichi, one present and the other observing went pale. Naruto wanted to ask Sakura what that meant, but Jinji was still talking, and Neji shushed him.

"One of the researchers _must_ have figured out what the Uzumaki punk did, but our Leader sent us out anyway. And like you said, if we can't keep out contracts we won't have any customers. So I guess that means I'm with the Daimyo."

Ayameko let out a sigh of relief.

* * *

"You look tired," the statement was offered as a barb, "I guess maintaining two bodies at all times is too draining for you."

The woman in the corner bristled, but the blue-eyed, brown-haired man held up his hand to forestall her.

"What is your desire, Master?" he asked carefully, ignoring the sarcasm, "Shall I bring war to the Land of Grass, or shall I prevent it?"

"You still believe you can prevent this?" the black-eyed, black-haired man seemed amused by the prospect, "Even after you ordered them to betray the Daimyo's wishes?"

"Gin was the only one who I spoke to, the only one who had my orders," the much younger man answered, "and his personality tick was well known. I can explain to the Daimyo that Gin decided to play the villain and take matters into his own hands. I would then offer his niece a commendation for her loyalty. That should smooth things over for now, if you are not ready for out next phase."

"Fine, you may try that approach. Better to preserve that stronghold until our true next move is executed."

The lesser partner nodded, and hundreds of miles away, the Leader of the Kusagakure emerged from the strange machine concealed in his office. For a brief instant, his eyes appeared to be blue, concentric rings, but then they faded to their original, green color.


	59. To the Highest Level

**Chapter 59: To the Highest Level**

The Fifth Hokage was livid. She glared out the window of her office, sorely tempted to punch through the glass. She barely noticed as she shattered the coffee cup in her hand, spilling the hot liquid onto the floor.

"GET HIM IN HERE!!! NOW!!!" she roared, not even bothering with the intercom. Outside her office, Genma, Raido, and Shizune scampered away, not needing to ask whom she meant. Even had they not known, they would have been too scared to ask.

Through the casement, Tsunade could see the monument to the Hokages. The stone faces of the first four Hokages stared out as always. But her own visage had been vandalized. Graffiti painted onto the granite made her look cross-eyed and fish-lipped. And even worse was the text. Someone had smeared the words 'old woman' across her right cheek, and 'all boobs, no heart' on her forehead. And the Sannin doctor had no doubt in her mind who had perpetrated the crime.

Since his return from the Land of Greens, Naruto seemed to have reverted to his eleven-year old self. He had been setting up tripwires and flash bombs throughout the village. He had tried repeated to peep at the women's baths. He had interrupted classes at the academy by pulling the fire alarm.

As she pondered his behavior, Tsunade forced herself to take a deep breath. Naruto had come a long way, especially in the last year. In the past, he had pulled pranks to get attention and to take a minor revenge on the people who hated him. But Uzumaki had friends now, and was generally liked and admired in the village. There had to be some reason that he was acting like this again.

"Lady Tsunade," Shizune said tentatively at the door, "I brought Naruto."

The younger medic escorted the Chunin into the room, and then quickly exited. The Hokage's hard fought composure nearly slipped at the smug look on his face. She glared at him, but forced her self to keep her temper in check. This situation called for carefully directed anger, not an uncontrolled explosion.

"What is the meaning of this, twerp?" she demanded harshly.

"I just realized I never got a chance to decorate your carving," he smirked, "And I thought it might have felt left out."

"What's going on, Naruto?" she said softly, but in clipped tones, "Why are you acting out again? Did something happen with you and Hinata?"

Naruto looked surprised, but his grin didn't slip.

"Nah, we're great," he said.

"Then, why?" Tsunade felt her control straining, "Why slip back into bad habits?"

"Maybe I'm just not as mature as you thought I was," he shrugged haughtily, "Maybe you should bust me back to Genin."

"You damn punk, I'll send you back to the academy if you don't tell me what the hell is going on!"

Naruto looked genuinely frightened at the threat. His mask of arrogance collapsed with a disappointed sigh.

"Hinata said it wouldn't work," he mumbled.

"What wouldn't work?" the Fifth Hokage's rage abated and confusion took its place.

"Acting up. She told me you wouldn't demote me if I went back to playing pranks," he explained, "She said I should just come to you directly."

"You want to be demoted?" her voice rose with incredulity. He nodded.

"Why?"

"Six months ago," he reminded her, "you promised me you'd do whatever it took to get me to the Chunin Exam in the Land of Lightning. You even offered to demote my friends. It's only eight days from now. So you have to make me a Genin again."

"But you are already a Chunin," the leader of the Konohagakure frowned in confusion, "Why would you go through this, just to compete for a rank you already earned?"

"It's not about me," he admitted after a long pause, "When you promised you'd get me to the exam, I promised Hanabi I'd be her teammate next time. I need to be a Genin, so I can be her partner."

Tsunade rested her chin on her hands thoughtfully, as the last piece fell into place.

"Are you sure you understand what you are asking?" she asked, and then continued without waiting for a response, "Shinobi who are demoted always have a hard time getting back their former rank. Everyone expects them to fall again, so they find it difficult to get a second chance. Shikamaru would love to be a Genin again, and Hinata would have done it for you, so the impact on those two would be lessened. But if I demote you, even if I told everyone your reason, there would always be doubt, especially given your… history, and how hard you tried to become a Chunin in the first place."

"The other thing you need to know," she leaned back, addressing him cannily, "is that the Jonin Trials will be held next month, right after the Chunin Exam. If I were to demote you, even if by some miracle you were to regain your rank right away, you wouldn't be eligible to undergo the advancement assessment. To be judged in the Jonin Trials, you need to have been a Chunin for at least four months. And since the Trials are only held once every two years, you would have to wait that long for another chance at a promotion."

"Knowing that, do you still want me to demote you?" the Hokage prompted. Naruto frowned sadly, but he nodded.

"I have to keep my promise to Hanabi," he insisted softly, "That's my Nindo."

The medical expert looked proud, for just an instant. Then she grinned wickedly.

"Too bad," she told him, "It's about time you learned you can't always keep your word, especially when you make promises at the drop of a hat. Also, it's punishment for all these pranks. I can't just give you what you want. You might try something stupid like this again."

"Besides," she said with a touch of levity, "Didn't Hanabi say she wouldn't team up with you this time?"

Naruto nodded.

"After you go tell Hanabi that you can't be her partner, you and Hinata will go and clean my monument," she ordered, a touch of her early anger returning.

"Wait, Hinata too? Why?"

"Call it her reprimand for not talking you out of it," she smirked, "Or informing someone of your intentions. And don't think you can do this for her. She'd better be up there with you, or you'll both be in even bigger trouble. Now get out of here, before I consider sending you back to Iruka for remedial etiquette lessons."

His eyes again expanding in fear, Uzumaki rushed out of Tsunade's office.

'Frankly, kid,' she addressed him in her thoughts, 'I don't think that pipsqueak has earned this level of loyalty from you. Pretty much the opposite. But I guess, that's part of what makes you you.'

* * *

"Good morning, Naruto," Hiashi Hyuga said coldly. He surveyed the young man with a dubious expression.

"Is there something I can do for you?" the clan leader noticed his elder daughter had not appeared, so this must have been an unscheduled visit.

"I need to talk to Hanabi," Naruto said despondently, "And after that, Hinata."

Hiashi lead Uzumaki to one of the smaller meeting rooms in the clan manor, and dispatched one of the younger branch members to fetch his daughters. The two men sat in silence, until the door slid open again.

"Good morning, Naruto," Hinata's happy greeting fell off quickly as she noticed the mood. Behind her, Hanabi let out a harsh breath in impatience, and the older sister hurried into the room. She sat beside her paramour, while the younger girl stood behind her father.

"What is it?" Hanabi demanded, hiding some of her annoyance.

"I…" Naruto paused, unsure what to say. Hinata looked at him, worried.

"I'm sorry, Hanabi" the blond Chunin finally force out, "I can't go to the Land of Lightning Chunin Exams with you."

Hiashi pursed his lips in confusion and feigned disinterest.

"I tried everything I could think of to get demoted," he continued quickly, "And I even asked Lady Tsunade to keep her promise that she'd do anything to let me compete. But she wouldn't do it."

Suddenly Hiashi understood, and he was disappointed in himself for doubting the young man. Naruto had been willing to lose both reputation and rank to fulfill his pledge to Hanabi. The girls' father smiled encouragingly at the young man, trying to convey his apologies without having to say the words.

"Who cares?" Hanabi shrugged, indifferent, "This time my whole team is going. I don't need you anyway."

"Is that all?" the Genin addressed her father, who nodded slightly. With a slight bow to her elder, the young woman strode out of the room.

"Naruto, I'm sorry," Hinata said unhappily, "She…"

"It's ok," he interjected, "I'll just have to find some other way to make it up to her. And speaking of that…"

The fox-faced man grinned at his girlfriend sheepishly, "I guess I'll have to make it up to you too."

"Make it up to me?" she looked bewildered, and Hiashi frowned in amusement.

"Lady Tsunade said that you have to help me scrub the Hokage monument," he told her, "As punishment for not stopping me."

"So my punishment is to spend the morning with you?" the pale beauty smiled happily, "I think the Hokage might be getting soft."

Hiashi suppressed a chuckle.

"Give me a minute to change into some work clothes," she told him.

'So he vandalized the Hokages again,' the elder ninja thought. Now that he knew the why, the Hyuga leader found Uzumaki's actions amusing. After the two young adults had left, Hiashi hurried in a most undignified manner up to the second floor, to the room with the best view of the mountain, activating his Kekkei Genkai as he strode. A few seconds later, peels of unfamiliar laughter echoed through the Hyuga clan's stronghold.

* * *

"Isn't this where you trained me and Hanabi for the last Chunin exam?" Naruto asked, shrugging off his backpack. Hinata and Sakura nodded, as Kakashi confirmed the assessment.

"I discovered this place a few years ago," he told his students, "It's a great place for training. The clearing is a decent size, it's close to the river, there are some fruit trees in the forest nearby, and it's far enough from the village we probably won't be disturbed, but close enough for a quick return trip in an emergency."

Two days after Naruto's latest string of pranks had come to an abrupt end, the Copy Ninja gathered his team, and told them they would be leaving for two weeks of intense training.

_

* * *

"Really?" Sakura asked, pleasantly surprised, "Why now, sensei?"_

_Naruto and Hinata already suspected the reason, and Kakashi confirmed their guess._

_"As you may, or may not, know," he glanced at his male charge as he offered the qualifier, "this is the year for the Jonin Trials. They are held every other year, usually in the summer. But sometimes they are held earlier or later, for various reasons. And this year, the tests will be April 14__th__ through the 18__th__."_

_"I know you two chose not to participate last time," the Jonin indicated the two young women, "But I guessed you might be up for it this time. And even if you decide not to enter, the training will still be good for you. We'll be leaving on Sunday, so get ready."_

* * *

"Sensei, can you tell us about the Jonin Trials," Naruto asked as he set up his tent, "I mean, assuming they're not secret or something."

Hatake raised his uncovered eyebrow at the question, and Sakura moaned in frustration. But Hinata nodded her agreement.

"I've only heard the basics," the Hyuga heiress exaggerated slightly for his sake, "So if you tell give us any specifics, it would be helpful."

"Well," their teacher sat down, trying to decide where to begin, "Unlike the Chunin Exams, the Jonin Trials are not a competition. Candidates and Jonin who are renewing their credentials undergo five days of testing. Each day, you must exhibit your mastery of one of the Five Pillars of the Ninja Arts before a proctor. Each test is one on one. The tests of Ninjutsu, Genjutsu, Taijutsu, and Weapons Justus are all defined, though the specific definitions for each test vary and the examiner has some leeway. The fifth test, the espionage test, is determined by the individual proctor."

"So all I have to do is pass five test?" Naruto smirked, "Piece of cake."

"Unless you have made some sudden miraculous strides in Genjutsu I'm not aware of," the Sharingan user shot his student down quickly, "you won't be making the rank of Jonin this time. But even if you don't pass all five tests, if you pass at least three and display a particular aptitude in one area, you may still be awarded the rank of Tokubetsu Jonin. One the other hand, you can pass all five tests and not be promoted, if you just scrape by or if the Hokage and the Jonin Council feels there is some other reason to hold you back."

The teens pondered, until Sakura raised another question.

"Sensei, what did you mean by 'Jonin who are renewing their credentials'?" the sharp-eared medic asked.

"Even once you become a Jonin, you have to undergo the Jonin Trials at least once every ten years," he answered, "To prove you haven't lost a step. Fail, and you get demoted back to Tokubetsu Jonin, or even Chunin."

"And if that happens," Naruto was remind of the Hokage's words, "it's even harder to get back to being a Jonin."

Kakashi nodded.

* * *

Naruto dropped the last of the weights, panting. It was a testament to the young man's stamina that he could still move. Both of his female teammates were sprawled on the ground. Sakura had started healing her bruises with what little chakra she had left. And Hinata had not even bothered to remove the training straps around her legs.

"When Kakashi-sensei said intense training," the toad summoner croaked, "he wasn't exaggerating."

Uzumaki knelt by his girlfriend's legs, and after removing the weights, began to gently rub her calves and feet.

"I've… never been… this tired before," Hinata spoke in short gasps.

"You guys didn't do too bad," the silver-haired ninja admitted, "But it's only our first day, so I thought we should take it easy."

Before lunch Kakashi had observed while they ran through the basic forms of both the Hard Fist and Arcing Leg Taijutsu styles. If any of the trio made the slightest mistake, all three were forced to restart from the beginning. And all of that was while they were made to wear three of the red chakra weights on each limb.

After scrounging for lunch in the barren of the pre-spring woods, Kakashi had allowed them to downgrade to only two sets of yellow weights per leg, and one yellow per arm, before running them through all the a standard E and D ranks Ninjutsu they had learned in the academy, or in a few cases skills one of them should have learned but had not. Again he was relentless, running them through each set over and over, with full hand seals for every technique.

"I need to go clean up," Hinata finally sat up, and started to regain her feet.

"Do you want me to wash your back, Hinata?" Naruto asked with a lecherous smirk. His girl turned bright red, and started to answer. But before she could speak, Sakura stepped between them.

"_You_ can help Kakashi-sensei get dinner ready," she insisted angrily, but she was too tired to clobber him, "I'll go with Hinata."

She stomped out of camp towards the river, half dragging the younger woman.

* * *

The two, worn-out Kunoichi found a small depression, pooling water at the creek's edge. Sakura used her fist to deepen it into a proper bath, despite the protests of her tired muscles. Hinata gathered some of the stones her teammate cast off, and heated them with a fire jutsu. After shedding their clothes, the two women slid thankfully into their makeshift hot tub.

For the first few minutes, they just sat there in silence, letting the warmth relax their exhausted bodies. But then Hinata saw smoke rising from their temporary base, and she half stood to retrieve the soap from her bag. Sakura felt a twinge of jealousy as she studied the other woman's body. The emotion reminded her of her conversation with Naruto the previous week, and she sighed as Hinata started to lather up.

"Hinata, I…" Sakura started tentatively, "Umm…. Well, it has been brought to my attention that I haven't been treating you very well recently..."

"Please, stop," Hinata requested softly, shaking her head while continuing to wash.

"Naruto already told me about your discussion," the pale beauty told her dejectedly.

_

* * *

"Hinata, why didn't you tell me?" he started without warning, even as she sat on his couch. After his return from the Land of Greens, the first thing he had done was to summon his significant other. Though she was excited to see him after almost two weeks, when she arrived, his face was sad, his voice disappointed. _

_"Tell you what, Naruto?" Hinata was confused by his statement, and worried by his demeanor._

_"Sakura!" he proclaimed, softly yet powerfully. He tried to contain himself, so he did not yell at her or blame her._

_"Neji told me how she's been treating you," he continued, "That for a long time now she's been making you miserable whenever I'm not around, and even sometimes when I am."_

_"I'm sorry I didn't tell you, Naruto," Hinata said guiltily._

_"I understand why you didn't," he said bitterly, looking down, "How bad of a boyfriend am I, that I didn't notice? I mean, Neji had to tell me. NEJI!"_

_"Naruto, you shouldn't blame yourself," she told him, kind yet firm, "Sakura and I both tried to keep it from you, and you are used to Sakura acting that way."_

_He nodded in agreement, but was not consoled._

_"But why didn't you tell me?" he pleaded, staring into her eyes._

_"Partly because I wanted to handle it by myself," she answered thoughtfully, "You have had to deal with scorn all your life, alone. And if I want to stand by your side, I have to become just as strong."_

_"But I'm not alone any more and neither are you," he shook his head, "We are stronger together than apart right?"_

_"I know," she agreed, "And if pride was the only reason, I probably would have told you. But there were other reasons."_

_She paused, taking a breath, and then explained, "I was also worried how you would react if I told you. Would you think you had to choose between Sakura and me? And if it did end up that way, and you did choose me, would you come to resent me for coming between you and your friend and teammate?"_

_Naruto started to protest, but Hinata interrupted him, "I know you are not like that, but things we worry about aren't always rational."_

_"My biggest reason though, was personal," she told him, "Part of me _wanted_ to come between you two. All those years I was jealous of Sakura for having your attention, but she often told me to tell you how I felt so you would leave her alone. Then, when I accidentally did just that, and you and I started to spend time together, she started acting well… bitchy."_

_She whispered the last word, blushing from using such vulgar language. She shook her head to concentrate her thoughts, and kept going._

_"I was angry, and part of me wanted to get even, to hurt her. But I felt guilty for that. Sakura was my friend, and even if she had been my enemy, I didn't want to be _that_ person. So I hid my hurt, I didn't tell you about Sakura's cruel words."_

_Naruto finally sat next to her, and put his arm around her shoulder drawing her to him._

_"Thank you, Hinata," he murmured into her ear, "But from now on, if anyone gives you any trouble, whether it's my friends, your family, or the gods themselves, you tell me and we'll set them straight together. OK?"_

_"Yes," she smiled, putting her arms around him too. She sought his warmth against the cold of her lie._

_"But I talked to her about it," he continued, "So hopefully you two can work it out."_

* * *

"And he told me what you said," the Hyuga scion continued, "about why you had been acting that way. But it's not true. I'm not sure if you were lying to him, or if you are still lying to yourself. Either way, until you can be honest, I think this will keep on happening. And despite my promise to him, I won't tell him if you do."

Sakura was left stammering, and Hinata quickly stood and dressed.

"I really do want to be your friend again, Sakura," Hinata's words were full of regret, and she left before the other Kunoichi could recover. Sakura's eyes narrowed, and she bit her lip as she frowned at the retreating woman.

'That arrogant little…' Sakura growled in her head, 'What makes her think…'

'That she's totally right?' Inner Sakura appeared, confronting her other self. The dominant version snarled at her submerged voice.

'I liked it better when you didn't disagree with me,' she told the black and white duplicate.

'And I liked you better when you didn't lash out at your friends.'

* * *

As promised, over the next five days, Kakashi steadily ramped up the difficulty of their training. On the morning of the sixth day, for the first time even Naruto was not fully recovered from the previous day's efforts. Each day at dawn, they started out working on physical arts; Taijutsu, weapon jutsu, or stealth and tracking, with multiple chakra weights. And in the afternoon they worked on Ninjutsu or Genjutsu.

On that brisk Friday morning, Kakashi decided he had been going too easy on them, and he had Naruto and Sakura add two yellow weights to each limb, on top of the three reds. Hinata was given eight more blue straps to increase her effort. After attaching them, the three teens looked like they were wearing striped leggings and wristbands. Hinata saw Naruto strain to lift his arm, and activated her Kekkei Genkai instinctively. Under her enhanced vision she saw more of the red chakra than usual, in blotches all throughout his system. Though worried, she decided to trust her boyfriend and her teacher.

After their midday meal, they focused again on Genjutsu, with the two young women using their techniques on Naruto, while the oblivious young man tried desperately to break the illusions. But he remained unable to free himself, and spent the afternoon bumbling into trees, and attempting to eat rocks and branches that appeared to be food. At one point he fervently believed his clothing had caught fire, and stripped off his jacket and undershirt, throwing them away.

"Alight, let's try one more thing," Kakashi said, as Sakura dismissed the vision of the Sunagakure from Naruto's eyes and ears, "Something simple. Sakura and I will assume Hinata's appearance except with Genjutsu instead of Ninjutsu. All you have to do is pick out the right one."

"Right," the younger man shuddered; his body and chakra exhausted, and his will weakened, "That should be easy."

Kakashi blindfolded the blond Chunin, and then the other three Shinobi moved into the forest so he could not hear them. After five minutes of fidgeting, Naruto felt gentle hands ply at the cloth covering his eyes.

"Are you OK, Naruto?" both of the Hinatas in front of him asked in worried tones, as the third circled around to join them. The three young women all gazed at him with concern. His vision blurred, as his brain tried to reconcile the triplicates before him. He staggered, and the Hinata on his left moved to catch him, but he backed away.

"Kakashi-sensei, I think you've been too hard on him," the Hinata in the middle said. Naruto shook his head, breathing harshly. He looked at the trio before him, trying to find any difference, any gap in appearance or scent. But he could not tell, and his head ached from the effort. He put his hands together, cycling his chakra again.

"Release," he commanded, but nothing changed. None of the Genjutsu so much as flickered to give him a clue.

"Chakra Pulse," he intoned, forcing energy through his system at high speed. Despite his random hope, the technique to counter chakra sealing had no effect on the masking techniques. He dropped his head, panting.

"Naruto, which of us is real," one of the Hinatas prompted tensely. Uzumaki did not answer. Instead he slowly, unsteadily lifted his hand.

"Eeny, meeny, miny, moe," Naruto pointed to each of them in turn as he chanted, before finally indicating the Hinata on his right. Then he lifted his head, showing them his glowing red eyes, and the expanded whickers on his cheeks. Uzumaki's body darted forward, the seal on his stomach appearing like a glowing brand. He grabbed Hinata by the neck with his right hand and lifted her into the air. Their illusions fade, and the real Hyuga squirmed in his grasp.

"Break her neck, or let her go?" the Kyubi concluded her little song, squeezing…


	60. Red as Blood

**Chapter 60: Red as Blood**

Visible red chakra danced all over Uzumaki's body and four tails of energy whipped behind Naruto's body. His face elongated, and his canines became more pronounced. And his eyes, ferocious, pitiless, crimson, roamed over the other three Leaf warriors, evaluating them. There was no doubt in any of their minds who was in command of Naruto's body.

Sakura charged forward, even before her Genjutsu had fully faded. But the Kyubi backhanded her with Naruto's left hand. The pink-haired Kunoichi rocketed away, as if her vaunted strength were non-existent. The fox demon watched Kakashi carefully, but the Jonin did not move

"**I suppose I owe you,**" the monster told her host's teacher, "**for driving him to this point. But then, what use is gratitude to a corpse?**"

"You think you can defeat all three of us?"

"**Tch,**" the demon snorted in disgust, "**The girls are too tired to be a threat. And despite your bravado, you are only slightly less worn than your students. Normally, that would make you beneath my time, but I have a special reason to end you.**"

"Once I kill the three of you," Naruto's stolen face twisted in a murderous grin, "The kit's spirit will be broken, and I will be able to take control of this body permanently."

Her glare and the force of her chakra held the Copy Ninja in place, confirming her claim about Hatake's state. Then the Kyubi looked up at Hinata, viciously happy. Her blood red orbs met Hinata's silver ones with an expression of murderous triumph.

"**You have no idea how much I have been longing for this day, girl,**" the monster almost purred, "**I was figuratively beside myself when I thought Doraku had killed you. I thought that bloodsucker had managed to steal my prey once again. I gave up my chance in the Hidden Sound, because there were too many people around. But I knew if I was patient, I would get this chance.**"

"Why?" Hinata forced out, "What have I done to you?"

"**Directly? Nothing,**" the spirit shrugged, and Hinata's body shook from the movement, "**The fact that you are a friend of Naruto's would normally be enough. But you are a special case. You make him happy, and you can calm him down. You have undone so much of my hard work influencing him. That's why you are first, and you will be the one I enjoy the most.**"

"Na… Naruto," Hinata murmured.

"**The kit is not available to take your call,**" the fox mocked, "**But if you leave a message at the sound of the breaking vertebrae, I will make sure he gets it. Crun…**"

Even as she started to pronounce the onomatopoeia of something breaking, the demon started to close Naruto's hand. Unable to delay, the Jonin teacher started to make his move. Before Hatake could complete his first hand sign, the stolen body froze.

"Hold it right there, you stupid fox," Uzumaki's left eye had gone back to blue, and his left arm was clear, but the rest of his form was still wrapped by the Bijuu's energy. His face was oddly distorted, the left side partially reverting to its human mode, while the right side maintained its beast like appearance.

"If you don't, it will cost you," again, Naruto's voice was somewhat hollow, but was not touched by the monster's dark growl.

"**What was that, kit?**" the demon asked, feigning confusion. Naruto's left hand snaked down to his hip pouch, and retrieved one of the black kunai Hinata had given him for his birthday. He pointed the blade at his uncovered heart, pricking his skin.

"If you so much as twitch that hand," the possessed Chunin insisted, "I will kill us both!"

"**No, you won't,**" the demon insisted. Had the situation not been so dangerous, Kakashi would have found the sight of Naruto arguing with himself amusing.

"**You want to live, you little punk,**" the monster sealed in the Chunin taunted, "**You won't kill yourself.**"

At the same time, one of her tails snaked around, trying to grab the arm she could no longer control. However, when the red chakra extension touched his flesh, a bolt of blue energy shot out and the tail partially dissolved before the Nine Tails could retract it.

"Yeah, I don't wanna die," Naruto agreed, "But you should know by now what I'll do for my comrades. I'd trade my life for any one of them in a heartbeat. But for Hinata… For Hinata I'll plunge this kunai into my heart before I let you put a single mark on her skin."

"**You're bluffing,**" the fox denied, her chi extremities whipping about nervously, "**Stop trying to act all tou… Urk...**"

Her claim was cut short as Naruto slid the knife into his chest. The razor- sharp ceramic cut effortlessly though skin and muscle, brushing against his rib. He stopped his pressure a faction of an inch before it would have cut his right ventricle. Blood spilled from the wound, running down his uncovered chest.

"I'm not playin' around here," the human side informed his monster side, "In fact, I'll give you to the count of three to let Hinata go, or I'm gonna finish it. One!"

The demon-controlled side of his face seemed to flicker. Hatred, rage, and deep, uncertain fear, all ebbed and flowed across Naruto's right eye and the right half of his mouth. She kept his right hand perfectly still, but the bicep and shoulder trembled from her warring desires.

"Two!"

'I can let the girl go, and grab his hand,' the fox spirit decided, 'And then sharpen these faux tails into blades, and cut down Hinata and Kakashi in one move.'

Naruto had never tried something like that before, but the monster was sure she could do it. And even if she failed to compress the chakra, she could stop the kit, and knock the other two around. Then once her Jinchuriki was under control again, she would finish the others.

Then the Calamity made Flesh realized she had been planning too long, but the human had not completed his count.

"**I knew you didn't have it in you,**" she crowed, "**You are all tal…**"

For the third time, Naruto disrupted her taunts, this time through force of will. He took control of his neck, burning most of his remaining chakra so he could tilt his head to look into Hinata's two eyes with the one eye he controlled.

"I loved you, Hinata," he said sadly. The demon took that as an admission of defeat, but she could not have been more wrong.

"RRRRRAAAA," Naruto roared as he reversed his hold on the stealth blade. With the increased torque of the underhand grip, he forced the blade deeper into his chest.

"**NO,**" the fox howled in fear, all of her plotting forgotten. She released Hinata, trying to grab Naruto's left wrist before it was too late.

As she fell, Hinata sent more chakra into her eyes than she ever had before. She watched how his two energies mingled without merging, until she almost thought she could see the individual souls of Naruto Uzumaki and the Nine-Tailed Fox Demon. Time seemed to slow for her as she studied the shimmering seal on Naruto's stomach. She could see every detail of the Fourth Hokage's technique, both the fine details of the inscription, and the lingering traces of Minato's chakra. And underneath it she saw the other, hidden jutsu that split the demon's essence almost in two. The pieces fell into place in her mind, things Naruto had said, the theories of sealing they had learned at the academy and she had studied since then, and how the Eight Trigram Divination Seal worked.

"Mi, Uma, Hitsuji, Saru, Tori, Inu, I, Ne, Ushi, Tora, Ushi, Tatsu," she proclaimed, before tracing the kanji for 'dragon' on Naruto's abs, just above the existing seal. The trail of her digit continued to glow brilliantly with a pale lavender chakra.

"Uma, Hitsuji, Saru, Tori, Inu, I, Ne, Ushi, Tora, Ushi, Tatsu, Mi," she continued, and then drew 'snake' to the right of the 'dragon', and slightly lower. She continued the pattern even as her feet touched the dirt, going through all twelve signs in order, concluding each set by transcribing the next kanji in the series. 'Horse', 'ram', 'monkey', 'rooster', 'dog', 'pig', 'rat', 'ox', 'tiger', and finally 'rabbit' appear on the blond Chunin's trunk, circling his seal like a divine clock.

"I invoke the twelve noble animals to trap this beast," she intoned, "Divine Arts: Zodiac Seal."

Lines spread out from each of the dozen kanji, connecting them to one another, and forming a web over the Eight Trigrams Divination Seal. As the closest symbols connected, the red chakra began to recede from Uzumaki's body.

"**No, you can't,**" the fox cried out. But her protests came to naught; the second seal stripped her control of her container's body, driving her power and her very soul back into the prison. After the demon's aura had faded, Naruto collapsed forward, and despite her own exhaustion, Hinata leaned in and caught him. Kakashi moved forward, not unaware that their current posture resembled the kanji for 'person'. He supported them both, and Sakura suddenly snapped out of her reverie. The other Kunoichi put her arm under Hinata's shoulders, so Hatake could carry Uzumaki.

"Let's get them back to their tents," their teacher said gently. But the Hyuga heiress shook her head.

"I want to stay with Naruto," the pale beauty insisted. After a moment of consideration, Kakashi nodded.

* * *

Naruto awoke with the feeling that no time had passed. He started to sit up, but a weight on his chest stopped him. He turned his gaze down, and saw Hinata, asleep, lying half on top of him. Her head rested on the right side of his chest, and her right hand gripped his left shoulder.

"I thought you would sleep through the night," Kakashi's voice wafted to Uzumaki's ears, "But I should have known a little demonic possession couldn't keep you down long."

Naruto shifted his head so he could see his teacher. The Jonin was sitting in front of the door of his tent, watching the younger man with both eyes.

"It wasn't a dream then," Naruto whispered, "I was kinda hoping it was. But I guess I'm not that lucky."

Tears began pooling in his eyes as he set his head back down on his pillow.

"I almost killed Hinata."

"That wasn't you," Hatake shook his head, "And either way it doesn't look like Hinata holds it against you."

"In fact, I'm quite proud of the both of you," Kakashi said tenuously, "You managed to take back partial control from the Kyubi, and then forced her to back down. That is one heck of an accomplishment."

"And Hinata…" the Copy Ninja shook his head with amazement.

"What did Hinata do to me?" the blonde Chunin asked. He flexed his chakra, causing both seals to become visible on the part of his belly not covered by his girlfriend.

"She put a Zodiac Seal over the Eight Trigrams Divination Seal," Kakashi explained, "I didn't even know she knew that technique, and she executed it in that circumstance."

"You sound really impressed," Naruto managed to feel happy for Hinata despite his generally depressed mood.

"The Zodiac Seal is an S Rank Ninjutsu," the teacher enlightened his student, "And is generally considered the second strongest seal. There are only a handful of shinobi in the world who know the technique."

"But wait, pervy sage told me mixing seals is a bad thing," Naruto protested, "When he was teaching me about seals, he finally told me about the seal Orochimaru put on me during the Chunin Exams, and that the seal the snake put on me messed up my chakra control, and my ability to use the fox's power. Is that going to happen again?"

"No, the problem you had that time was because Orochimaru put a five-pointed seal over the eight-pointed seal," Hatake answered, "Mixing odd and even point seals never works out well. But Hinata put another even numbered seal on you. So you might suffer a minor loss of the fox's chakra, maybe five percent. But otherwise you should be the same as ever."

Naruto nodded, and then thought of something else.

"So if the Zodiac Seal is the second best seal, does that mean the Eight Trigrams Divinity Seal the strongest?" the fox-faced teen asked.

"No, it's actually the fourth or fifth strongest, depending on what you are sealing," Kakashi shook his head, "Minato-sensei was never quite as good at sealing as Master Jiraiya, which is probably why he also used the Reaper Death Seal to divide the fox's chakra first."

Then Kakashi realized he had let something slip, and he quickly stood before Naruto could think to question it.

"You should go back to sleep," the Jonin advised, "We're going to take a break tomorrow, but then we'll go back to training, just at a more reasonable pace."

Uzumaki nodded as Hatake escaped. But Naruto's thoughts were in too much turmoil for the sixteen-year old to fall back asleep. Instead he ran his mind back over what had happened that afternoon. His memories of what happened while the fox was in complete control were hazy, but they became starkly clear the instant Hinata called out to him. As his recollection started to move to the Hyuga scion using the insanely long set of hand signs, suddenly all thoughts were driven from his head. A spark traveled up and down his spine igniting both his brain and his loins. He heard a slight slurping sound. Struggling against the pleasure, Naruto realized two things; Hinata was awake, and she was sucking on his chest.

"Hii… Hinata?" Naruto gasped, and not just from surprise. His melancholy briefly dispelled, he forced out, "What are you doing?"

"Thanking you," she purred, looking at him briefly before kissing his chest again, "Rewarding you… Loving you."

"Hinata, you shouldn't," he shook his head, gently pressing on her shoulders so he could escape, "I hurt you. I coulda…"

She finally leaned away, and looked sadly into his eyes.

"That wasn't your fault," she told him, "Kakashi-sensei knows how many times you lost control during your research to create the Fuuton Rasengan, but he still pushed you to your breaking point. And I… I saw something was wrong, but I chose not to say anything."

"Besides," she smiled at him, "You saved me. You stopped the fox. Kakashi-sensei was right, that was amazing."

"I didn't stop the fox," Naruto shook his head, "I just diverted her. You are the one who stopped her. That Zodiac Seal is what's amazing. Who taught you it?"

"Nobody," she said shyly, "I have been studying sealing techniques ever since you told me about the Kyubi. I had read about the basics of the Zodiac Seal a few times, that was all. But this afternoon, when I saw your chakra and the Hokage's seal, it just suddenly all made sense. I understood."

"Wow," he grunted, "My girlfriend, the sealing prodigy."

Then something caught Hinata's eye. On the left side of Naruto's chest, a thin straight line now creased his skin. Having seen most of his body, she knew he had no other scars. Even the hole Sasuke had put through Naruto's right lung had healed without a scratch. And the Reaper's attack had been in nearly the same spot, but had been wider and deeper, and still had not marked him. She wondered if this scar was the fox's vengeance, or if her seal had reduced his regenerative abilities. The young woman leaned over and gently kissed the scar.

"Hinata," Naruto said regretfully. She met his eyes, and with great difficulty, he continued, "I really don't want to stop you, but I think we both need to get some sleep."

She nodded, and settled back down, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Besides, Kakashi and Sakura are close by, and this tent isn't exactly soundproof.

Hinata Hyuga turned bright red.

* * *

"How are you doing?" the Jonin asked the medic as he zipped up the flap to Naruto's tent. He suspected that now that he was gone, Hinata would stop pretending to be asleep.

"The demon hit you pretty hard," he remembered.

"I'm fine," she said softly, still watching the tent, "He… It cracked a couple of my ribs, but nothing too major. I already fixed the damage."

He nodded, studying her expression.

"I understand if this changes how you feel about Naruto," he told her supportively, "I mean, we've both seen the fox take over before, but usually it is just a raging beast. I've never seen the monster that calm and in control before. It rattled even me."

"I still haven't sorted it all out," she admitted, "But I think it will change how I look at Naruto. Just not in the way you're thinking."

"It's like you said," she explained, "The fox was more terrifying now then it was when we fought Orochimaru and Kabuto. This time I could really see why it is 'The Calamity made Flesh'. But this time Naruto fought it off. He took back control, and made the demon back down."

"Every time I think I know his limits," Sakura said, almost blissfully, "He goes and does something like this; something that should be impossible."

"Well, I guess that's good," Kakashi sounded surprised, "I was concerned this might be a problem for the team, but if you and Hinata are both okay, I guess was worried for nothing."

* * *

Naruto vaguely remembered falling asleep, so he had to assume that the beautiful, sun-drenched field was a dream. There were idyllic mountains in the distance, and amidst the grass were flowers of every possible color and configuration.

"I have to say, kit," a soft, tired voice rumbled behind him, "Your girlfriend is a much nicer jailer than Namikaze was."

Uzumaki pivoted, and found himself not even ten feet from the Nine-tails Fox Demon. Though the vixen looked smaller than usual, a mere forty feet in length, there also appeared to be nothing restraining her. Naruto jumped back, reaching for his weapons, but the plain t-shirt and sweat pants he wore sported none of his ninja tools.

"What are you freaking out for?" the fox asked grumpily, "It's not like I can reach you. My guess is the reverse is probably true, too."

To illustrate, she lifted one of her tails and flicked it towards him. After the appendage passed a certain point, the seal reacted. The flowers burst from the ground, growing and meshing until they formed a giant lattice of vines in-between Naruto and the monster. The space between the plants was enough for Uzumaki to get his hand through, but too small for any more than the point of one of the vulpine's tails or claws to fit through. The vertical net gently rebuffed the swinging extension, and when the fox withdrew it, the flowers shrunk back into the ground.

"Not bad, Hinata," Naruto grinned.

"Appreciate it while you can," the demon growled, "Remember how I said she hadn't done anything to me? Well now she has. Before, I might have let her go if she wasn't around when I broke free. Now, I will hunt her down."

"I don't buy it," Naruto shook his head, "Aside from the fact she could seal you again, you just had a perfect chance to kill her, and you didn't. I think you really are going soft."

The monster roared, and threw herself at him. The barrier sprang up, and she bounced harmlessly off the foliage. She hurtled forward again, but the net flexed gently under her pressure, and then pushed her back.

"I'll admit, I made a mistake," the vixen panted, regaining control, "I decided to have some fun, to get the smell of their terror before I finished it. I should have broke your girlfriend's neck as soon as I grabbed her, and stabbed Sakura instead of just punching her."

"Maybe," he countered, unconvinced, "but you still could have finished Hinata while I was counting."

"Fortunately for both of you, killing Hinata Hyuga is number three on my list," she settled back down, not looking at him, "Staying alive and getting free both come before that. If I had killed her, you would have killed us."

"But you said before you wanted to die," he protested, "during the fight with the Reaper."

"I have my melancholy moments," she shrugged, "times when I think death would be preferable to being trapped forever. But given the choice, I would live"

"Just go away, kit," she commanded, "I'm tired."

Then her chakra flowed at him like a torrent. The Zodiac Seal's lattice appeared, but the energy flowed through the gaps. It struck him like a tsunami, and pushed him out of the dream. Naruto awoke, gasping against a liquid that was not there. As he recovered his breath, he recognized Hinata's weight on him still. Letting out a deep sigh, Naruto tried to get back to sleep.

* * *

After giving them the previous Saturday off, Kakashi resumed their training at a more reasonable pace. The Jonin let the Chunin eat the food they had brought with them, and cut the mass of the weights they were wearing by more than half. He had Hinata carefully monitor Naruto's chakra levels, and limited them to one, more carefully moderated Genjutsu session. All the precautions proved unnecessary, as Naruto did not hear a peep from the fox after his dream.

When he told them about his encounter with the demon, they were all interested and mildly anxious, though Uzumaki could tell his girlfriend was secretly overjoyed by the description the prison she had crafted, while their teacher was more worried than he let them see. This in turn had briefly concerned Naruto, though he wasn't quite sure why.

"So, Kakashi-sensei," Naruto suddenly called out as they were packing, "I know you said I couldn't make Jonin, but I got Tokubetsu Jonin wrapped up, right?"

"You did good, Naruto," Kakashi agreed, "But it's hardly a sure thing. Your past could still influence things, as could your… inhabitant."

Naruto wasn't listening after the initial compliment, and the warning rolled right off him.

"Anyway, barring any missions, you guys should keep practicing for the next three weeks," he counseled them, "but also try to take it easy."

"Hey, Hinata, are you busy tonight?" Naruto asked as the pair started walking back towards the village.

"No," she shook her head, "Did you have something in mind?"

Naruto took out his phone, and fiddled with it briefly. He then showed her the screen. On the display was the fourteenth entry stating simply, 'The Shoe'.

"I mean, we haven't been there since before the whole movie mission," he told her, "So I've barely had a chance to break in my new shoes."

"That sounds good to me," Hinata agreed joyfully, "Shall we say six o'clock?"

As the couple planned their latest date, Sakura addressed their leader.

"Do you really think we are ready, Kakashi-sensei?" she asked nervously.

"It's hard to say," Hatake admitted, "Sometimes politics comes into play as much as skill. But just try your hardest. If you don't make it this time, there will be other chances. Either way, I think all of you will do a fine job."

"Except for Naruto and his Genjutsu test," he qualified with a shake of his head, indicating his lack of comprehension over his student's block.

"Hey, Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto shouted back, "Do you and Yugao-sensei want to join us?"

"I wish he would quit shouting that to the world," the Copy Ninja groaned, catching up to admonish the loudmouth. Sakura smiled petulantly, trailed behind them, alone.

* * *

"What do we do now, Lord Pein?" the blonde haired man asked, derisive despite the respect of his phrasing.

"Deidara-senpai has a point," the younger masked man to the blonde's right interjected, "I mean, I was called on to replace Sasori-sama, and we finally found a replacement for Orochimaru..."

He nodded towards the woman in the shadows behind the brown haired man who sat opposite him.

"And I'm sure she's cute under all those bandages," the light-hearted rogue continued, "But we're still down four rings. Securing the Land of Grass for now is all well and good, but even if we captured the Six or Nine-Tails, or recaptured the Seven-Fins, we won't be able to perform the Nine Consuming Seals."

"There is more than one way to transfer a demon," Pein told his subordinates, "They are just slower and more dangerous. So I see no reason to delay. Deidara, you will accompany Zetsu on his new partner's final test. Tobi will assist Konan in evaluating the candidates for the rings we have recovered, while I help our experts prepare the alternate extraction technique."

"What?" Deidara exploded, "Why are you letting him be the judge for?"

"Because he doesn't blow up my less powerful minions for fun," Pein reproached mildly.

"Nobody appreciates art," he grumbled. Then he gestured at the pair he was to team with, and announced, "Let's go."

The woman behind Pein and the bizarre man seated on the other side of the talkative renegade nodded in unison, and then all three vanished in bursts of air and dust.

"Are you sure we can trust her?" the remaining woman asked the masked man pointedly, once she was sure the others were out of range.

"Of course we cannot trust her, Konan," Madara removed the mask, his voice dropping an octave and his speech becoming more precise, "But her motives are simple and obvious, making her easy to control. That fact, combined with her raw power, makes her a useful tool. Perhaps not so useful as you and Pein, but too valuable to be discarded without thought."

The dark-haired Kunoichi looked at their true leader distastefully, but nodded. He replaced the mask, and bowed graciously.

"Shouldn't we get going, then, Konan-sama?" Tobi asked lightly.


	61. Hidden in the Dark

**Chapter 61: Hidden in the Dark**

"Good morning, Sakura!" Rock Lee shouted stiffly when he saw the younger woman.

"Are you ready for our briefing?' the pink-haired woman asked, joining him.

"Of course," he flashed her a grin and a thumbs-up, and she could have sworn his teeth sparkled, "I will not let you down."

"Great," Sakura's smile was slightly uncomfortably. Lee's corny earnestness could be off-putting, but she knew him to be reliable and hard working.

"So, how was your training trip?" he asked her.

"It went well," she said uncertainly, and not just because of Naruto's 'episode'. Lee did not seem placated by the statement.

"We practiced our basics, and learned some new advanced techniques," she offered.

"That sounds rather tame for two weeks with Kakashi-sensei," he frowned, "Gai-sensei will be quite disappointed."

"Well, it's just…" she said softly, "I didn't know if you were competing, and I didn't want to rub it in…"

"That is very thoughtful of you," he nodded appreciatively, "But of course I will be participating in the Jonin Trials."

"Even though?" she could not vocalize the question.

"Even though I cannot ever attain the rank of full Jonin, barring some sort of impossible miracle event," he confirmed, slightly bitter, "I can still become a Tokubetsu Jonin, and show the world my Nindo in that way."

"I'm sorry, Lee," she said with honest regret, "It doesn't seem fair."

"Quite the contrary," Lee smiled broadly again, "It is the Chunin Exams that are unjust. The Jonin Trails are completely fair."

"But anyone can become a Chunin," the younger woman was confused, "There are no restrictions."

"Precisely," the Taijutsu expert agreed, "Consider ninja A and ninja B. Ninja A is an expert tracker, a talented leader, and knows a variety of Ninjutsu, Genjutsu, and Taijutsu. And on the other hand, we have ninja B, who is a combat monster, but has no Genjutsu, is a total loner and has all the stealth of... well of the Naruto of four years ago. Ninja A helps her team through the first two parts of the exam, while ninja B coasts through on the talents of her teammates. Then in the finals, ninja A and ninja B fight. Ninja A could defeat any other participant, but she is decimated by ninja B. And in the end ninja B is promoted while ninja A is not. It is not an uncommon occurrence, in the Chunin Exams, but it is totally unfair."

Sakura nodded.

"But that is not possible in the Jonin Trials," Lee continued, "The minimum necessary skills are carefully set down but the Conclave of Shadows. A village that bypasses the qualifications and promotes its people to Jonin can get themselves in a great deal of trouble. And because the tests are all one on one, no one may sneak through with the help of his or her comrades."

"You've given this a lot of thought, Lee," the medic smiled softly.

"Yes, well," the bushy-browed warrior blushed, "It took me some time to come to terms with the fact I could never attain the highest rank."

They continued the rest of their way to Ninja Ops in silence.

"I'm sending you two on a rescue mission," the Hokage informed the pair, after the pleasantries were out of the way.

"A blacksmith, Tetsuo Masamune, from a small town in the southern province has been kidnapped by a group of bandits operating just over the border, in the Land of Tea," Tsunade informed the teens.

"So we are to save Masamune and put down these rogues," Lee announced loudly.

"Yes and no," the Sannin shook her head, "Unless there is literally no other option, you are **not** to engage the kidnappers. Sneak in, get the target, and escape."

"I do not understand, Lady Tsunade," the Taijutsu expert said what was on the younger medic's mind, "Should we not eliminate these ruffians? After all, if we do not, what is to prevent them from capturing the craftsman again?"

Tsunade studied them both for a moment, and decided it would be easiest and safest to trust them.

"This is not to go beyond this room," she ordered them sternly. Both shinobi nodded.

"Those bandits are an up and coming group with growing ties to a certain, larger syndicate," she explained, "Both the Leaf and Mist villages have agents in this band, hoping to insert our people into the primary target. If we were to take down this group too soon, we'd lose that chance. But at the same time, we can't let them use this smith to produce stronger weapons and armors."

Lee bobbed his head again, but Sakura asked thoughtfully, "Why send us then? Why not send an ANBU team?"

"There are a number of reasons," the Hokage smirked at her student's insight, "availability and deniability being two major ones. But more than that, there is a specific reason I am sending Lee."

The elder Chunin perked up at that, and Sakura arched an eyebrow.

"Lee's little… deficiency will be an asset this time," the leader of the Konohagakure explained, "You see the chief bandit is a survivor of a dying bloodline. The only other living heir we knew of was killed last year. Their Kekkei Genkai allows them to 'smell' chakra. Of course, they don't really smell it, but that's how they describe it, and the sense is tied to their noses. Anyway, this power makes it very hard for most ninja to ambush them, and allows them to easily track a ninja after they have the person's 'scent'."

She leaned back, pointing at Gai's protégé, "But Lee, your chakra restriction means you could walk right up to him, and he'd never know you were a ninja. And Sakura, your chakra control is good enough that you should be able to hide yourself, so long as you don't have to use any jutsu. Plus, I want you along in case Tetsuo is injured."

"QUESTION!" Lee called out, sticking his hand straight up in the air. The head ninja nodded in amusement, and the young man stated his query.

"I understand why we cannot eliminated the bandits, but that does not explain what is to prevent them from kidnapping Mr. Masamune again."

"Well, I have already sent a squad on to Tetsuo's village," she smirked at her own cleverness, ignoring the fact that his 'question' was a statement, "three of our craftsmen ninjas, two Chunin and one Genin. Officially, they will be there to learn metallurgy and old-fashion forging techniques from a master. The fact that they are also there to protect him is not something we will broadcast. Anything else?"

They both shook their heads, and Tsunade leaned forward, picking up the mission request folder.

"I'm placing Lee in charge. Get your stealth gear, and head out as soon as possible," the Hokage ordered, handing the file to the young man. The two ninjas bowed slightly, and then hurried out of the room.

Sakura was only mildly surprised when Rock Lee met her at the gates in a black jumpsuit and vest otherwise identical to his normal attire. There was minor difference in that the brawler now wore full gloves and ninja tabi instead of his usual sandals. Instead of her regular uniform, Sakura wore a traditional stealth shozoku of a dark grey material, just a shade or two away from black. Like Lee, she was completely covered from the neck down. Her infiltration uniform also had a standard shinobi hood, but it currently hung loose on the neck of her neck.

"Are you ready to…" Rock Lee started to ask, but his statement was interrupted.

"HEY, Sakura, Lee!" Naruto shouted as he jogged up.

"Good morning, Naruto," Lee inclined his head to his friendly rival.

"You two have a mission?" the youngest Chunin asked, considering their apparel.

"You think?" Sakura asked, fondly sarcastic. She briefly considered asking to borrow the blonde's stealth kunai, but considering their origin and everything that had happened recently, she decided she against it.

"And to what do we owe the pleasure, Naruto?" Lee queried in kind.

"I'm meeting Hinata here," Uzumaki answered with a broad grin, "We're gonna work on our C-Rank Earth and Lightning Ninjutsu."

Lee smiled to show his understanding, and Sakura turned away, unwilling to show them her frown. But Gai's student caught a glimpse of her face, and looked thoughtful.

"Naruto," a softer voice called out, and the medic started walking.

"We really should head out, Lee," Sakura said, starting to jog before her third teammate could recognize them.

"Of course," the appointed leader agreed, "Naruto, I will see you later. Please say hello to Hinata for me."

"Sure thing," Naruto returned Lee's thumbs-up, "Good luck."

Their trip was expected to take the duo a day and a half, and for most of the first day, they traveled without speaking. An hour after they finished their dinner break, Lee broached the subject that had been on his mind since they left the village.

"Sakura, is there something going on between you and Hinata?" Lee asked her as they jogged down the path.

"Did Tenten tell you that?" Sakura snapped, though she instantly regretted her tone.

"No," he shook his head, confused by her words and her anger, "I was simply asking based on your avoidance of Hinata this morning, and subsequent solemn mood. Does Tenten know something about this?"

"Well," her temper cooled she answered, "Hinata and I had an… altercation… in front of the other girls. I thought maybe Tenten had told you and Neji."

"Tenten has not spoken to me about it," he informed her, "though I cannot say if she said anything to Neji."

Knowing he might be treading on thin ice, Lee could not help but continue anyways, "Did Hinata say something to you, about your feelings for Naruto?"

Sakura slowed down, her emotions warring in her. Part of her was happy that Lee was taking her side by implying Hinata was at fault, even if she was fully aware who the guilty party truly was. But as before, she was annoyed and mortified by the implication that she felt more then friendship for Naruto.

"Why do people keep saying that?" she asked, carefully controlling her tone between outraged and curious, "First Ino, then Hinata, then Shizune, and now you. I am not in love with Naruto Uzumaki!

"I am sorry, Sakura. I just assumed because…" but the Taijutsu expert's reasoning was cut off as she continued ranting.

"I love Sasuke!" she screamed, "I've always loved Sasuke, and no matter what he does, I will keep loving Sasuke. And even if I didn't have Sasuke, how could I have feelings for Naruto? He's just an annoying, short, untalented, unreliable, unattractive hindrance. He gets in the way in missions, he… he…"

Sakura ran out of steam out, her gaze falling to the ground as tears started to run down her face, "He isn't any of those things… He never was, except for short, and maybe annoying. He has always stood by me; put his life on the line for me. He's everything Sasuke isn't… Loyal, kind, generous... He never lets me down, not really. He forgives people, and never stops moving forward. I mean, I'd have to be a total idiot not to be in love with Naruto, right?"

She looked up Lee, smiling stupidly as she wiped her eyes, "It's so messed up. He was right there, totally in love with me for all those years. And I never gave him a second thought. I didn't even notice what I could have had until he told me it was already too late. And after that, it seemed like it was all I could think about."

"It seems like karma is taking her turn at me," she moaned, on a roll, "Naruto spent all that time watching me fawn over Sasuke, and now I get to watch him with Hinata. Except that Naruto and Hinata are happy, and Sasuke just made me miserable."

Lee put a comforting hand on Sakura's shoulder, and she laughed at herself.

"Listen to me," she ran her forearm across her face again, "Whining about karma, when I've been a total jerk to Hinata this last year. I deserve this misery, turning down love and then begrudging it in my friends."

"Sakura, I do not believe that at all," he told her, "You are not a bad person. I have not told this to anyone, but I had similar feelings two years ago. Right after Neji attained the rank of Jonin, he and Tenten also started dating. And I was quite jealous."

"Not that I had any interest in Tenten," he said quickly, not wanting Sakura to doubt his intense, burning love for her, "But I had failed to make Tokubetsu Jonin, after learning I could never become a full Jonin. And I felt very much alone. So I started to act badly towards the two of them, avoiding them whenever I could and challenging Neji any time I could not steer clear of him."

"How did you get over it?" she asked quietly.

"Gai-sensei gave me the drubbing of my life," he explained as his thoughts drifted back, "pushing me harder than he ever had before. In our sparring match, he showed me just how far I still had to go. He defeated me almost without effort. Then he extended his hand to me, and told me if I had the energy to be jealous of my friends' happiness, I had the energy to work harder to find my own happiness."

Sakura nodded thoughtfully. Then she caught sight of her covered hands, and remembered where they were, and what they were supposed to be doing.

"Lee, I'm sorry," she exclaimed, "I got distracted. We better go."

She darted forward again, and Lee joined her.

'I will not mention the matter further,' he resolved, 'unless Sakura chooses to bring it up.'

Sakura raised three fingers, and then pointed to her left. Lee nodded. He pointed at his eyes, and then indicated the right side of the building. The Kunoichi nodded, and split off in that direction.

After reaching the region where the bandits operated, it had taken the pair less than an hour to locate their quarry. The outlaws had discovered an abandoned village, and set up shop in the remaining homes and stores, repairing the structures. The Leaf shinobi looked for signs of a working forge from the outskirts of the town, but found none. This left them with more than a dozen potential places the craftsman could be held. They continued to scan the village, eliminating only two of the possible targets before night fell. As darkness covered the village of raiders, they donned their cowls and moved in.

Sakura shook her head in a slow, exaggerated manner when she finished surveying the third home. Across the street, Lee nodded once, and started his study of the former general store. The medic watched for any guards while the brawler silently pried back one of the boards over the window, so he could look inside. After he scanned the interior, he set the plank back into place and shook his head in turn. Sakura sighed silently under her hood, and the two ninjas circled around the backs of the buildings to remain hidden while moving to the next set of structures.

Tsunade's apprentice failed to find the blacksmith in the partially repaired forge, but on the other side of the thoroughfare, her comrade gave a her a big thumbs-up, and she presumed his usual toothy grin under the mask. She started to cross the road, to join him, but he held up his hand, palm out. She shrugged in askance. He held up his hand again, this time with four fingers splayed wide. Then he made a sword drawing motion. She nodded, biting her lip. Four armed guards would be nearly impossible to sneak past without jutsu. And knocking out all of them before one raised the alarm was equally unlikely. Their best bet was to create some sort of distraction, but Sakura could only think of one possibility that did not involve chakra techniques. And her pride would not let her do _that_, especially since she had avoided _those_ classes at the academy. Her mind wandered, and she started to wonder if Lee always felt so restricted.

Lee, on the other hand, was running through his options. He knew he could defeat the guards, but like Sakura he doubted he could do so before one of them called for help. He could set up an explosion with his black powder packets, but that sort of distraction would violate the spirit of their orders, and would be used only as a last resort. The village had modern lights, but it was unlikely the bandits were hooked into the power grid and were paying an electric bill. This meant they had to have a generator somewhere. If they could find it and disable it, the duo would have the time and additional cover they needed. There was still a risk the sabotage would be discovered, but it appeared to be their best option.

Before he could signal Sakura his plan, the door to the large pub next to the forge burst open, and a trio of bandits stumbled out. Judging by their flushed cheeks, glassy eyes, and inability to walk straight, Lee concluded they were all in an advanced state of inebriation. Two of them still had flasks out, and one took a deep swig. Bushy Brows instantly formed a new strategy, and he signed for Sakura to circle around to join him as he gathered the tools for the initial push.

A few seconds later, the medic joined him, and the bandits started to separate. He indicated she should look at the back of the house, while he moved closer to the street. As she stepped back, she saw what had caught his interest. The living quarters had a back entrance, however unlike the rest of the building, the door and its lock were top quality, and brand new. She extracted her lock picks, and he nodded. Then his sign language told her she should wait for his indication, and she inclined her head in understanding.

The thieves had finished their slow, drunken turns, and were precariously preparing to stagger away. Lee selected his first 'weapon', a rock the size of his fist. As the stoutest and shortest of the rogues took a step forward, the Leaf ninja pegged the robber's supporting foot with the stone. The besotted man lurched backwards, off balance, and bumped into his comrades, all but knocking them over.

"Hey, wash where you'll goin'," one of the brigands slurred angrily.

"Sorry, I tripped," the fat bandit glanced down in confusion.

"Whatever," the third, tallest renegade growled, returning to his original course. Lee was not about to let them get away that easily, and launched his second projectile. The walnut tapped the rotund man in the back of the head like a flicking finger.

"Hey," the outlaw whirled back, and pushed both of their shoulders, "You didn't have to hit me. I apologized."

The second fighter looked confused, but the last of the group was not concerned who hit their overweight ally.

"Hat'll teach you not to drink show mush you can't walk," the third rogue snarled, leaning down over the heavier man. Lee tensed in anticipation.

"You… You don't have to be so mean about it," the patsy suddenly burst into tears, sobbing messily. The previously aggressive bandit took a step back from the mopey drunk, surprised and worried. Lee slapped his palm to his forehead, watching his plan fall apart as the third brigand stammered an apology. But the Konoha shinobi was rescued when the second man shoved the third aside and punched the crying thief full in the face.

"I've had enough of you, you frellin' crybaby," he shouted, "Every freakin' time we get blitzed, you start bawlin'!"

"Hey, hat's goin' to far," the tall renegade blinked in shock. For his protest, he received a fist to the gullet. The broad warrior regained his feet, no longer crying. Instead his eyes almost glowed with anger, and he charged forward, his arms spread wide. He caught both of his drinking buddies, and plowed them into the ground. With matched roars of anger, the three began brawling in earnest.

Lee pumped his fist in victory as more men poured out of the bar. Though a few seemed content to hang back and watch, most joined the fray enthusiastically. In short order ten men and two women were trading blows in the mass melee. As the racket grew, more lights turned on, and heads began to emerge from the living quarters.

"What is that?" Lee heard a muffled complaint emerge from the makeshift prison.

"I dunno," someone answered stupidly.

"You two go check," the first voice instructed in exasperation. The front door opened, and two of the guards emerged. The first had a dim face, but it lit with joy seeing the battle. The other was taller, with a handsome face and carefully quaffed hair.

"It's just a brawl," the dense one said again.

"Then go put an end to it," the leader growled, "We don't want our guests to be overly tired, do we?"

"OK," the brainless bandit sounded disappointed. His other teammate stepped forward.

"Break it up," the vain rogue shouted indignantly. Lee had been waiting for this, and the target was better than he could have hoped for. He palmed the pebble he had collected, and flicked it towards the edge of the melee. He had noticed a sharp bit of quartz on the ground, and when the pebble hit it, the jagged stone shot up, cutting the sentry's face. The lieutenant reached up, and felt the bloody wound. When he took his hand away, his face wound up with an exaggerated fury.

"THAT'S IT!" he roared, leaping into the fray with both arms swinging. Lee gave Sakura the thumbs-up as the fight grew louder, and some of the spectators were drawn in as the perimeter expanded. With the din of the melee covering her, the nimble Kunoichi opened the dead bolt. A few seconds later, there was a rumble of boots inside the house, and the bandit leader exited. Lee signaled Sakura even as the chief began to punish his subordinates. The medic slipped in, and reappeared seconds later. She was carrying a slight figure. The prisoner was manacled and covered from the waist up by an old sack.

"don't worry," Lee whispered, "we're here to rescue you."

The hostage went limp in relief, and the two shinobi darted back into the woods.

After they were a few miles distant, the Leaf soldiers came to a halt. After taking down their hoods, they removed the bindings from their prize. But both were surprised and dismayed as removing the ratty bag revealed the small yet obvious swell of breasts, and then a definitively feminine face. She had shoulder length brown hair, and bright, sharp violet eyes. She studied the ninjas with reserved interest.

"You are not Tetsuo Masamune," Lee informed the woman. She blinked at him in surprise.

"No, I'm Mara," she agreed.

"Which means you are not here to save me," the recent captive said darkly.

"Well, it's not like we're going to send you back," Sakura groused. The other woman nodded, convinced by the ninja's sarcasm.

"Are you hurt?" Lee prompted, "They did not…"

"Other than being kidnapped and tied up, I'm fine," she shrugged ironically, "I guess I'm too valuable or not pretty enough to be raped."

"I disagree," Lee protested, "You are quite attractive."

"Thanks," Mara said nervously, edging closer to Sakura.

"Is he hitting on me?" she asked the Kunoichi softly.

"No, he's just absurdly straightforward," Sakura smiled reassuringly, "If he was hitting on you, he'd either ask you out on a date or ask you to marry him, depending on his level of interest."

"OK," Mara chuckled, feeling strangely at ease with the odd pair.

"Mara, why did they capture you?" Sakura asked as she began to treat the other woman's chafed wrists with ointments and bandages.

"I'm a software engineer," Mara explained to her rescuers, "I was told they wanted me to develop a program to monitor high energy chakra interactions inside of a single, limited spatial quantum."

"I believe I understood the word 'chakra'," Lee stated, his eyes wide as saucers, "Though at this point I am not even one hundred percent sure of that."

"I think she means, like what would happen if more than one person used a Genjutsu on you, but each illusion made you see something different," Sakura tried to explain, remembering the events of eleven days ago.

"Yes, that is an interesting analogy," the computer scientist nodded as she said that, but then immediately started shaking her head, "But it has almost nothing to do with what I said. Imagine instead that I were a ninja too. We had just finished a fight, and there was some sort of jutsu I **had** to use. And I don't have enough energy left. If one of you loaned me the chakra, my body would absorb it fine. But if neither one of you had enough power, and you both fed me chakra, how would they interact, and what would it do to my body."

Sakura understood what the programmer was saying, but Lee still looked lost. Then he shook his head and settled into a determined visage.

"That is not important now. Sakura, stay with Miss Mara," Lee ordered, sliding his cowl back over his hair and face, "I will see if I can find and liberate the blacksmith before the brawl is ended."

He removed his black arm and leg bands, setting them quietly on the ground, and then disappeared faster than either woman could follow.

Lee decided the gods must have been pleased they rescued Mara, because the first house he checked contained Tetsuo Masamune and a single guard. And this time Gai's student was certain he had the right target. The blacksmith was not covered; he was working on some sort of chemical mixture, and matched the picture the shinobi had been supplied. Hearing the fight die down, Lee knew he had to move quickly. He grabbed the inner slats of the window, and pulled, causing the glass to shatter outwards. Before the bandit could react, the Taijutsu expert dove through the broken window, and laid the guard out cold with a single blow to the back of the neck.

"Mr. Masamune," Lee whispered for confirmation. The smith nodded carefully.

"I was hired to rescue you," the ninja explained. Lee grabbed one of the unformed lumps of metal and tossed it through to broken window so it landed amidst the glass shards. The teen glanced at the chemicals, but did not know what any of them were.

"Are any of these alcoholic?" the shinobi asked quickly.

The captive shook his head, but then added, "But I think he has a flask."

Lee found the canteen, and confirmed the smell of its contents. He poured a liberal portion down the brigand's throat and splashed some down the kidnapper's shirt. He discarded the booze under one of the front windows, and positioned a chair over it. He then situated the unconscious guard so it appeared he was watching the brawl. Finally, Lee took one of the iron ingots, and smashed over where he struck the man, hiding the knife hand bruise under a larger, square one. He hoped the bandits didn't have any medics capable of telling the difference.

"Hurry," Lee hissed, "We must go."

"Not yet," the metal worker grabbed two vials, and limped over to a barrel.

"This is a bath that greatly increases the sheering strength of ferrous metals," the middle-aged craftsman told the ninja. Lee simply nodded, having appeared foolish once already that evening. Tetsuo poured the two flasks into the barrel.

"And now it's an oxidizer that will make treated metals rust four times as fast," the smith said triumphantly. He let Lee help him through the window. The ninja quickly exited as well. Once outside, Lee crouched down.

"Get on," he told the craftsman.

"I will not," Masamune objected proudly.

"We need to move as quickly as possible," Rock Lee explained, "And even at your best, I doubt you could keep up with me. So you can choose, do I carry you fireman style, princess style, or piggyback?"

Looking slightly mortified, the older man climbed on the ninja's back.

After the two men met up with Sakura and Mara, and Lee re-equipped his weights, they set out to put some distance between themselves and the thieves' village. After a few hours of carrying the former captives, Lee called for a break, so they could rest and Sakura could treat the blacksmith's injuries.

Once the shinobi had recharged, they resumed their escape, running through the night. By mid-morning they had crossed back into the Land of Fire, and after noon they reached Masamune's town. They handed the craftsman off to his three new apprentices, and then called the village to report their progress. The Hokage asked them to bring Mara back to the village for debriefing, and the scientist tentatively accepted the request. They took in a meal in the small city, and then the three of them left at a slightly slower pace.

Upon reaching the Konohagakure, they were greeted at the gate by Raido Namiashi.

"Miss Mara," the older ninja greeted her gently, "If you will come with me. The Hokage would like to see you right away."

She nodded nervously, and looked to Sakura and Lee.

"It's OK," the medic tried to ease her worries. The software designer bobbed her head again, and took up a position following the older ninja.

"Sakura, Lee," Raido addressed them, "Lady Tsunade instructed me to tell you she will call you when she is ready to see you."

"Alright!" Lee gave the Tokubetsu Jonin a thumbs-up, then turned to his temporary teammate again, "I will see you later, Sakura."

"Lee," she called gently, stepping towards him.

"What is it, Sakura?" he asked carefully.

"I wanted to say thank you," she told him, "On our way out, after our… conversation… you confided in me, and did not judge me. You helped me come to a decision."

Sakura took a deep breath, and stated, "I'm going to be nice to Hinata. I had said before that I would try to be nicer, but it was just a cop out. But now I'm going to hold myself to it. Even if it means I have to count to three before I talk to her."

"Well, then, I guess that means you are finally available?" Lee asked hopefully.

"No, I haven't given up on Naruto, either. I'll make him see that he's still in love with me. Anyways, I had to thank you for helping me figure that out. I'll see later, OK?"

As she ran off, almost skipping, Lee wondered if she would be able to reconcile her seemingly opposed resolutions. Sighing with slight disappointment, Gai's pupil headed home.


	62. Jonin Trials: Day 1

**Chapter 62: Jonin Trials, Day 1**

When his alarm went off as five AM, Naruto was already wide-awake, full of anticipation. He slapped the button, silencing the buzzer. Then he hopped out of bed, dropping his sleep shorts to the carpet in the same action. The knuckleheaded Chunin bound into the bathroom, and was in the shower in less than ten seconds. After a quick scrub down, he brushed his teeth and got dressed. Even though Hinata wasn't scheduled to arrive until six, he wanted to make sure he was ready by the time she got there.

Participants in the Jonin Trials were due to meeting at Ninja Ops at seven AM, to obtain their examination assignments. That would tell them what time, what day, and which proctor would be overseeing each of their five tests.

Naruto was just finishing frying the bacon when there was a knock at the door.

"Come in," he called out. The door rattled, and the young man heard an annoyed exhale. A few seconds later, he heard the lock open, and the door slid inward.

"Naruto, it was locked," Hinata complained as she set the paper bag on the kitchen counter. He shifted the pan off the heat, and turned to grin at her.

"Well, if it was someone I wasn't expecting, they would have knocked again," he crossed the kitchen and wrapped his arms around her.

"And if it was my still occasionally shy, but unbearably cute girlfriend," he gave her a quick peck on the lips to emphasize, "she should have just used her key without knocking."

"But Naruto, it would be improper," she argued, blushing slightly.

"Hinata, this isn't a late night rendezvous," he laughed, hugging her tighter, "It's breakfast. Kakashi-sensei and your father both know we're meeting like this. And it's not like we have much time for _dessert_ after breakfast. Though we might want some, since you vetoed the donuts."

"Unless you changed your mind?' he released her and went for the bag.

"No," she shook her head, the red slowly fading from her cheeks, "Bagels are healthier than pastries, and we'll need to be at our best today."

Naruto sighed, and moved to the cupboard. He took out a pair of plates, and served up the bacon, before setting the dishes on the table. The couple then worked together on the beverages, Naruto setting out the glasses and Hinata pouring the milk, apple juice, and orange juice in turn. She walked out to the dining area and arrayed the cups, while he took out the butter and grabbed the bagels.

"So, Naruto?" Hinata asked after their first few minutes of eating in silence, "Have you thought about whom you'd want for your proctors in the Trials?"

"Not really," he shrugged, quickly taking a swig of apple juice before adding, "I mean, it's not like we get a choice, so there isn't much point in worrying about it."

"But what about what Kakashi-sensei told us? About how difficult Gai-sensei's stealth tests are, or how strict Kurenai-sensei was about the Genjutsu test. And what do you think Anko-sensei would do if she was your Weapons Jutsu examiner?"

"Well, Kurenai is in the Land of Air, so that's not a problem," Naruto considered it for an instant, "And I'd be happy to get Anko-sensei or Iruka-sensei for Weapons, at least they'll respect the staff-blade. And as for Gai's obstacle course, I say bring it on."

"Besides," he continued more evenly, sensing her nervousness, "Not only do we not get to choose, we don't even know which teachers will be handling which tests."

He took her hand and met her eyes, "So don't worry about it, Hinata. I'm sure you'll do great. Probably better than me even."

She smiled faintly at the compliment. She forced down her fear, drowning it with his love and confidence in her.

* * *

Naruto glanced around the meeting room, looking confused.

"Wow, I thought there would be more people," he said to Hinata. Aside from the two of them, there was Sakura and Lee, as they expected. Most of the rest of their friends were present as well; Tenten, Shino, Kiba, Sasame, and Choji were all waiting for their instructions. Besides the teenaged Chunin, the only people in the room he recognized were Inoichi Yamanaka and Shikaku Nara. The remaining handful of twenty-something ninjas were unfamiliar to Uzumaki

"I mean, where are Shika…maru and Ino," he protested, "Or for that matter Raido, Genma, and the other Tokujo?"

"Actually," Choji looked chagrined, "Anko-sensei said the three of us weren't ready, and told us not to compete. But I decided to give it a try anyway."

"Asuma would be proud," Hinata offered insightfully.

"Yeah, I was thinking if sensei were alive, he'd be bribing me to test myself here," the rotund young man agreed, "I'm kinda disappointed Shikamaru and Ino didn't sign up too."

"Anko-sensei can be pretty scary," Naruto offered in consolation.

"And as for your other question," Inoichi offered, joining the younger ninjas, "very few Tokubetsu Jonin ever advance beyond that rank. They have a block in one or two of the pillars, and decide their time is better spent shoring up their strengths than trying to overcome their weaknesses."

"Shizune, Anko, and Yugao are the exceptions, not the rule," Sakura added, and the mentalist Jonin nodded his agreement.

"There were many more people last time," Lee told them, "It seemed like almost half of the Jonin in the village were renewing their credentials two years ago."

"Well, if it's just the nineteen of us, what are we waiting for?" Naruto asked loudly at the door. The others all turned to entryway, and Shino checked his watch. Despite the loud Chunin's prompting, they received no immediate response. They all began to glance at their watches or phones, wondering how long they would be kept waiting. At 7:09 AM, just as everyone besides Naruto was starting to get antsy, the door finally swung inwards.

"I'm sorry we're late," the Hokage announced crankily as she strode in, waving a manila folder in annoyance, "but two of our proctors were running behind."

Iruka, Anko, Shizune, Yamato, Gai, Neji, Temari, Choza, Kakashi, and Yugao followed quickly behind her, with the last two Jonin both looking moderately guilty.

"So, anyway," Tsunade glared at the late arriving lovers, "These are the proctors of this year's Jonin Trials. Iruka Umino and Shizune will be administering the Genjutsu tests, Kakashi Hatake and Yamato will handle the Ninjutsu tests, Might Gai and Anko Mitarashi will be handling the stealth and espionage skills tests…"

At that point the announced was interrupted by a collective groan from the assembled shinobi to be tested.

"Yugao Uzuki and Neji Hyuga will test your Taijutsu," she continued without pause, "And that leaves Temari and Choza Akimichi to check your weapon skills."

She opened the file, and explained, "I will be giving each of you a printout informing you the date, time slot, and proctor who will be overseeing your trials. The first slots are at eight, so I'll get this over quickly so those of you in the early times will have a chance to prepare."

She announced their names one at a time, and they each stepped forward to collect their assignments. When she was done, Naruto noticed there was still one sheet left in the folder.

"Hey, Gramma Tsunade, you still have one left," he pointed out loudly.

"Well, maybe someone decided to drop out at the last minute," she coughed nervously, "No reason to embarrass him or her."

"Well, that's it, you can go," she said more gruffly. Most of them took the hint, and shuffled out, but Shizune and Temari stayed where they were. Once the others were gone, the Sand Kunoichi spoke first.

"Are you sure this is alright?" the Gaara's sister asked uncertainly, "I'm not a Jonin from this village, and this knowledge might be considered sensitive."

Tsunade snorted at the suggestion, "The qualifications set down by the five Kage for Jonin rank are well known and carefully monitored. You won't we learning that much. Besides, I figure this is the least I can do; Kurenai is helping determine your village's new Genin curriculum; if I were to force that information out of her, the whole next generation of Sand Ninjas would be compromised."

Temari looked a little surprised by the open admission, but then she smiled wryly and nodded, stating, "Well then I better go. I'm sure Tenten will be treating her weapons test like a rematch for the Chunin exams, so I need to get ready."

After she left, Shizune approached her mentor.

"I don't know why you are so embarrassed, Lady Tsunade," the slimmer medic admonished, "Every Jonin has to renew her credentials."

"But I'm not 'every Jonin'," she snapped, taking the final sheet out of the folder, "I'm one of the legendary Sannin, and the Hokage of the Hidden Leaf Village."

"Sannin is a title of respect, not an actual rank," Shizune reminded her sternly, "And there is no exemption for the five Kage."

"Well there should be," the leader of the Konohagakure grumbled. Then she thought of something and brightened, "Maybe I'll suggest that the next time the Conclave meets."

"I'm sure you will," her apprentice sighed, "But that will not excuse you from this week. So I will see you at noon, Lady Tsunade."

* * *

Though most of the others quickly dispersed, Naruto and Hinata stopped to compare notes. He tried to flag down Sakura to, but she ran off, nervously telling them that she had the eight AM skills test with Gai.

"So, who did I get?" Naruto said, looking at his assignment list for the first time, "April 14th, noon, Taijutsu with Yugao Uzuki; April 15th, eight AM, Ninjutsu with Kakashi Hatake; April 16th, 3 PM, weapons with Temari; April 17th, eight AM, Genjutsu with Iruka Umino; and last but not least, April 18th, three PM, stealth and espionage with… ugh, Might Gai."

"But Naruto," Hinata was confused by his reaction, "I thought you said you didn't care if you had to go through Gai-sensei's test."

"Yeah," he nodded, "Except it's the last slot of the last day, which means he'll have had plenty of chances to smooth out the wrinkles, and I'll get compared to everyone else."

"Oh well," he grinned forcibly, "No sense getting worried, right? So, who'd you get?"

Hinata looked over her printout again, and told him, "Today I have Kakashi-sensei, tomorrow I have Shizune, the day after that is Anko-sensei, then Yugao-sensei, and finally Choza."

"What times?" he asked.

"They are all during the noon time slot, except for Anko-sensei's skills test," she answered, "that one is the early slot."

"So we should get together tonight," Naruto's grin became sly, "and I can tell you about Yugao's exam, and you can tell me about Kakashi's."

"NA-RU-TO," a familiar voice growled behind him. The Hokage had just exited the meeting room, and she draped an arm over his shoulder, not quite putting him in a headlock.

"If I hear that you have been cheating on the Jonin Trials," Tsunade rumbled, "I'll not only disqualify you, I'll give you nothing but D-Rank missions for the rest of the year. Got it?"

"Come on," the blonde youth smiled nervously, "I was just kidding. We both know Hinata wouldn't do that."

He looked to his girlfriend for support, prompting, "Would you?"

"Oh, no," she suddenly agreed, "Of course I wouldn't."

The master healer did not look convinced, but she released her 'nephew' anyway.

"You better not," she warned them both, before sauntering off.

"Well, we're both at noon," Naruto sighed in relief once the Hokage was gone, "Wanna go back to my place until then?"

"Yes," Hinata answered enthusiastically.

* * *

"Hello, Naruto," Yugao Uzuki bowed slightly. She was already in one of the academy's dojos, when the younger shinobi arrived, a full ten minutes early. Unlike normal, the former ANBU agent wore a plain white gi, and her purple hair was braided and tucked into her collar. Her purple eyes regarded him with a bemused fondness.

"Hey, Yugao-sensei," the younger man inclined his head in turn.

"The way I run this is slightly different than you might be expecting," she told him, "So I will explain. Of course, your goal is to exhibit mastery of eight different styles of Taijutsu. To pass, four of them must be C-Rank or higher, 2 must be B-Rank or higher, and final two must be of at least A-Rank. However, rather than simply have you show individual techniques and forms, I will first give you ten minutes to perform whatever forms you like. Then, we will spar for ten minutes. That will give you time to show as many as nine styles, and let you show that you can use each style in real combat."

"Great," Naruto nodded enthusiastically, "I prefer a real fight to all that technical stuff."

"I expected as much," she smiled wryly, "So where shall we begin?"

"Sure thing," he nodded vigorously.

"Well then, what style do you intend to show first?"

"Well…" he considered the question, "Umm… how about the Whipping Willow style?"

"If you like," the Kunoichi was surprised by his choice, "In that case, proceed with your first kata."

Naruto nodded intensely. He lifted his right foot, and stamped it firmly into the mat. He repeated the movement with his left leg. Then he sliced with his right hand, while turning his body to the side and slapping away an invisible attack with his left palm.

'Such an unusual choice, especially for him,' Yugao thought as Naruto's torso snapped back, firing a left hand palm strike and then twisting away from another fictional attacker, 'A technique that expects its user to have his legs bound or trapped, and one that uses only open hand attacks. If memory serves, it was developed by a ninja who became paralyzed from the waist down in battle. He designed the Taijutsu after he saw a willow tree battling the wind and rain in a storm.'

Despite her introspection, the Jonin watched him very closely, and was pleased by the speed and accuracy of Naruto's movements and by the fact that he was able to remain completely still from the knees down.

Naruto completed his training sequence with a bow, and looked to her for approval.

"Well done," she said simply, "And you still have three minutes left. Is there another kata you would like to present?"

He considered that, pondering out loud, "Well, the Whipping Willow doesn't have any short forms. Other than that one…"

He quickly demonstrated the Wind Dance Kata.

"But that one only takes about twenty seconds," he said regretfully once he had finished, "It's the first beginner's kata."

"In that case, shall we move on to part two?" Yugao queried, assuming a fighting stance.

"Sure," Naruto remained in place, his feet planted. He extended his hands, stretched his right out far, while keeping his left closer to his body. She stepped forward, aiming a hard right cross for the teen's face. The Chunin struck her wrist with the edge of his right hand, numbing her arm even as he knocked the attack away. In the same motion he drew his left arm back, and then fired his palm at her right breast. She sidestepped, but Naruto's right forelimb was also moving, and he brought the heel of his hand down on her left shoulder.

"Good," she said, stepping back and switching styles, "But you know that you are allowed to move your feet in a real fight."

"A student of the Whipping Willows may move if he is able," he quoted, "A master will never need to."

"I don't think you are a master quite yet," she admonished, quickly moving behind him. She punched at the middle of his spine, but Naruto twisted back. He caught Yugao's arm, and forcibly dragged her back around in front of him.

"Not yet," he agreed, grinning, "But I got your number, Yugao-sensei."

"We'll see," she pretended to be baited. She charged in, firing twin punches at his head. When he blocked and began his countered attack, she dropped low, and swept his legs. As he fell, she rolled forward, landing on top of him.

"Ready for a recount?" she asked, smiling.

"You've been spending too much time with Kakashi-sensei," he remarked, grabbing her shoulders with his opposite arms. He untwisted his limbs, putting her off balance, and then thrust the Jonin away. Freed, he put his hands on the ground, and levered himself up into a handstand. Once he was upright, if inverted, Naruto performed the last part of a cartwheel, ending up back on his feet. All without moving his legs at all.

"Should I put that under commitment to the style or showing off?" she asked, hiding how impressed she was by the acrobatics.

"Whatever you want, sensei," he told her, "But in the mean time, I've got five more minutes sparring in this style, and by my count I've landing three blows to your one."

"If you get too smug," she told him coldly, "I might just forget that this is test. Clear?"

"Yes ma'am," Naruto shuddered from her dark gaze.

"Good," her expression cleared and her lips twitched up, "Let us continue."

She stepped up her assault, forcing him into a more defensive position.

"So who taught you this style?" she asked conversationally, but also testing his focus, "Was it Kakashi-sensei, or Master Jiraiya?"

"Heh," Naruto chuckled, "You still call Kakashi-sensei 'sensei' when you're sleeping with him? What's he teaching you now?"

Yugao tried to ignore him, but her face colored slightly, and she reminded herself that she still needed to thank Hinata for bringing their relationship into the open. When she didn't answer, Naruto returned to her original question.

"It wasn't either of those guys," he said, aiming her left fingers at her neck, "Hinata asked Lady Tsunade to teach us the style. She used it in part to refine the Protection of the Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms into the Protection of the Eight Trigrams One Hundred Twenty-Eight Palms. And then when I got good enough, she came up with the idea for our double version. Where you there for the final test?"

She shook her head 'no' while she aimed a kick at his knees. He blocked, bending low, and she continued.

"I had heard you two were no longer training with the Hokage," the retired ANBU warrior added a curious inflection to her statement.

"Yeah, she called it quits right after she set up to the new teams," he told her, "She said we had come far enough, and that she didn't have time for us anymore."

"That does sound like the Hokage," she conceded, catching his fist and trying to pull him off balance. But despite her stance giving her a lower center of gravity, Naruto's superior mass and strength won out, and he ended up dragging her into a knife-hand strike.

"Well, her goal was to improve our Taijutsu and chakra, and she definitely did that," he said proudly. He stopped her last attack, and then Yugao stopped, stepping away.

"Time's up," she told him, "Pick your next style."

"Wait, aren't you going to tell me how I did?"

"No," she said simply, without recrimination or malice, "Now choose."

"Hmm…" the blonde Chunin considered his options.

* * *

"Hello, Hinata," Kakashi Hatake slipped a bookmark into Icha Icha Paradox and returned the tome to a pouch on his jacket. The Sharingan user was hosting his exam outside the infamous 'Forest of Death', where they would have ample space for massive earthquakes, huge explosions, or transforming the river into a giant dragon.

"Good afternoon, Kakashi-sensei," the young woman returned his greeting while sketching a deep bow.

"So, this is your Ninjutsu test," the Copy-Ninja told her, "And though we both know this test is basically a formality, we better do it right anyway, just to be safe."

She nodded, and the Jonin took a note card out of his pocket.

"This a Ninjutsu Qualification Examination for the Jonin Trials," he read, "To be considered for the rank of Jonin, you must be able to exhibit at least nine C-Rank techniques, six B-Rank techniques, and three A-Rank techniques beyond the standard academy curriculum. In addition, you will also be expected to show mastery of at least two chakra elements. Finally, at the proctor's discretion, you may be called upon to exhibit the E-Rank thru B-Rank skills deemed standard and basic by the Hidden Leaf Village. Your time limit is three hours. Good luck."

"Well," he put the piece of thick paper back, "I think we can bypass the common skills part of the test. In fact, I can only think of two of the ten people I am testing, who I will be asking to show that. Anyway, you can begin at any time. Care to start at the bottom?"

"Actually, sensei," she shook her head nervously, "If you don't mind, I'd rather work in sets, rather than by rank…"

"It's your test Hinata," he told her encouragingly, "Go right ahead."

"Thank you," she bowed. Then she arrayed her fingers in a cross shape, and announced, "Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu."

Kakashi's jaw almost dropped as one hundred copies of the Hyuga heiress appeared in the field. But he forced himself to maintain his composure, realizing he shouldn't be surprised that Hinata knew this technique. After all, the one who taught her had no sense of restraint.

"Naruto?" he asked for confirmation.

"Yes," she nodded en masse.

"But he had trouble explaining the differences between the Multiple version and the normal version," another of the girls admitted. Then most of the copies dissipated, leaving only Hinata plus seven clones. Without waiting, the original raised her right hand. Chakra began to swirl above her palm, condensing into a glowing blue sphere.

"Rasengan," she announced, knowing it wasn't necessary. Then, the first stepped back, and two more stepped forward. The first clone held up her hands as if holding a large ball and the second clone began to move her hands as if spinning the imaginary globe. Chakra became visible again, and this time instead of hand-sized, the orb was just over one meter in diameter.

"Odama Rasengan," the clones told their teacher in unison, and then they too moved away. The next pair of copies stepped forward, and the Hinata on the left raised her right hand. As the energy began to swirl over her palm again, the right side version's hands began to dart in, and the chakra began to change from blue to purple. Sparks arced between the individual strands, and the injecting Hinata's motions sped up. Finally the full sphere formed, brilliant lavender and crackling with electricity. The hair of both Hinatas' heads started to drift gently away from their scalps.

"Raiton: Rasengan," the shadows said, before they too made way for the remaining replicas. The last three duplicates stood before Kakashi, and their movements were the amalgamation of the previous two sets. The Rasengan formed between the trio was almost four feet in diameter, and a deep purple. Even five feet away from her, Kakashi could feel the charge given off by the Jutsu.

"Odama Raiton Rasengan!" all eight Hinatas intoned triumphantly. After a few more seconds of display, the pale beauties canceled the spiraling orbs, trying to reclaim some of their spent power. Then the seven copies all vanished.

"Well, it looks like you and Naruto have managed to do what I could not," Kakashi said with a catch in his voice. Even though he had heard about the lightning chakra versions of the Rasengan before, this was his first time to see them. Hinata looked down, uncomfortable and slightly embarrassed.

"I'm sorry, Kakashi-sensei," she said regretfully, "maybe…."

"Don't be," he said quickly, realizing she had misunderstood him, "I am very proud of the both of you."

"Thank you, Kakashi-sensei," she smiled softly at him, profoundly grateful. Hatake blushed under his mask, and cleared his voice to regain his composure.

"Well, that would be three A-Rank and two S-Rank Ninjutsu," he noted, "plus use of the Lightning Element. A strong start; what do you have to show me next?"

"I was thinking of showing you my Byakugan techniques," she answered, "And then my Earth element techniques."

"That sounds good," he confirmed, already starting to tally in his head the Hyuga clan arts and her personal variants that he knew about.

* * *

"Well, that was number eight," Yugao said, panting slightly, "Do you want to quit there, or do you have another style you want to show?"

"Nope, I saved the best for last," he grinned, "The Tiger & Heron style."

"Really?" for an instant the Jonin was unable to hide her surprise. Then she composed herself, and continued more evenly, "Well, then proceed with your first form."

"My only form," he told her, "It usually takes over twelve minute, so I'll have to speed it up a little."

"No, please don't," she shook her head, "We are ahead of schedule, so take your time and do it right."

Naruto did not answer in words, but took a deep breath and combined a bow and a nod. He then entered the salute for the style, standing his left foot, his right leg curled, while he scratched down his upper arms before spreading his upper limbs wide like wings.

Uzumaki began the form by darting forward, jabbing quickly three times with his fists, before jumping up, pivoting at the waist in a double roundhouse kick. He landed, sweeping the invisible opponent's leg, before hopping back to standing position with an uppercut.

'It really is Tiger & Heron,' she confirmed, 'That set of strikes, the use of attacks as the only kind of defense. But I've only ever seen this in videos of the Fourth Hokage. Who could have taught it to Naruto?'

She continued to watch him, amazed, her thoughts continuing to blaze through her skull, 'I suppose someone probably taught Minato Namikaze, but who? And who still knows this art? Kakashi doesn't know this style, he told me that the Fourth only ever taught it to Rin, and that she did not get that far before…'

Her musings trailed off, not wanting to think about her lover's old sensei or previous girlfriend. A few minutes later, Uzumaki finished the kata. Once he was done, she voiced her mind.

"Naruto, may I ask where you learned that style?" she asked carefully, "I know Kakashi-sensei doesn't know it. Was it Master Jiraiya, or perhaps Lady Tsunade?"

"Nah, the Pervy Sage doesn't know it," he said, "I asked when I found the scrolls. But Gramma Tsunade did help me, she knows the original Tiger and Crane styles that my mom used to create the Tiger & Heron. But mostly it was just me and Hinata going over mom's notes."

"Naruto, are you saying…" the Jonin was reeling at the ramifications.

"Yeah, my mom created the Tiger & Heron. But since she was a Genin, she didn't have any students to teacher it to, and she never taught her own sensei, Gramma Tsunade, either," he remembered wistfully, "But we found her scrolls in her armory. And it really impressed me, so I had to learn the style.

"So I guess you were a fan of hers too," he smiled, "Seeing as how you recognized the style by name."

"Something like that," she said evasively, "Naruto, are you sure Yukihana invented the Tiger & Heron? That she didn't learn it from someone else?"

He frowned, not entirely pleased by the question, but he still considered it.

"Well, I can't be totally sure," he admitted, "But the notes were all hers, and they seemed to cover the entire planning process, even from the conception stage. I suppose she could have copied it all down from somewhere else. Or maybe she worked together with someone on it."

He liked the idea, looking thoughtful, "Gramma Tsunade did say some things seemed to be missing or incomplete. Maybe someone else out there has like the other half."

"Maybe," the purple-eyed woman suggested, suddenly anxious to be done, "But I guess we don't really have time for that now."

"Oh, right," Naruto suddenly remembered, "The test. We still have to spar. En Gourd, Yugao-sensei."

He dropped into a fighting stance, and waited for her to do the same. With a grin at his malapropism, she prepared to battle the younger man.


	63. Jonin Trials: Day 2

**Chapter 63: Jonin Trials, Day 2**

"Good morning, Yugao," Kakashi said in surprise, when his girlfriend opened the door to her apartment before he could knock.

"Am I late?" he pondered aloud, glancing at the skyline before he stepped inside. The sun was still low; he had made it before their six AM appointment. He observed her anxious features, growing nervous in turn.

"No, I was waiting," she said quickly, closing the door behind him, and invoking an advanced privacy jutsu. He raised his uncovered eyebrow.

"I learned something yesterday," she told him, striding back to her kitchenette, pouring him a cup of coffee, "And the more I think about it, the more it leads me to a certain conclusion."

"Well," he said carefully, taking the mug she offered him, "Why don't you start at the beginning?"

"The beginning?" she took a deep breath, and continued more slowly, "Fine."

"The beginning is that Naruto Uzumaki knows the Tiger & Heron Taijutsu style," she informed him, "In fact, more than 'knows', it was probably his best style. Definitely A-Rank, easily bordering on S-Rank."

Kakashi exhaled at that bit of information, but otherwise kept his cool.

"And what difference does that make?" he asked innocently.

"Setting aside for the moment that it was the Fourth Hokage's primary style, and it basically vanished when he died," she said that pointedly, indicated she would be using it later, "When I asked Naruto where he learned the style, he said he learned it from the scrolls his mother left behind when **she** designed the technique."

"And?" he asked in a blasé tone.

"And?" she was too familiar with him to rise to his teasing, "And how did Minato Namikaze learn a fighting style created by Yukihana Uzumaki? Why would he make it his primary style? The two of them barely ever crossed paths, at least officially."

"She could have asked him for advice," he suggested evenly, "Or he could have noticed her practicing and asked her to teach him. Minato-sensei was always looking for new techniques to learn, he had hoped to surpass Sarutobi in terms of raw knowledge."

"But that would mean they had to spend a decent amount of time together with no one knowing about it," she countered, "And then there is Lady Tsunade's reaction when I brought back the duplicate of the Syphon. Why would she be worried about _his_ axe appearing, unless there was something she thought might draw _him_ back to the village?"

"Yugao, stop," he said gently, "If I knew anything about what you were suggesting, it would be killing me not to talk to you about it. But not as much as it would kill me **to** talk to you about it. And it would be safer for you if you forgot this."

He tapped his heart with his right hand as he said the last part, and her eyes widened in recognition. She nodded slowly.

"It's just random speculation anyway," she offered, "I just got to excited over finding out that lost technique was being revived."

"Well, don't get to carried away," he advised, "We've both got a long day ahead of us."

* * *

Despite being a few minutes early for a change, Naruto was already waiting outside the Forest of Death when Kakashi arrived.

"Sensei!" Naruto shouted, waving at the elder Shinobi. Kakashi rolled his eyes and shook his head, but walked over to the Chunin.

"Good morning, Naruto," the Copy Ninja said simply.

"Ready?" Naruto asked without greeting or preamble, crossing his fingers for the Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu. But Kakashi raised his hand to forestall his eager student.

"Hang on a minute, Naruto," he cautioned, "I haven't asked you to start yet."

"Well, what's the hold up?" the younger man complained.

"I have to go through the introduction first," the Jonin explained, taking a small slip of cardstock out of his vest.

"This a Ninjutsu Qualification Examination for the Jonin Trials," he read for the third time, "To be considered for the rank of Jonin, you must be able to exhibit at least nine C-Rank techniques, six B-Rank techniques, and three A-Rank techniques beyond the standard academy curriculum. In addition, you will also be expected to show mastery of at least two chakra elements. Finally, at the proctor's discretion, you may be called upon to exhibit the E-Rank thru B-Rank skills deemed standard and basic by the Hidden Leaf Village. Your time limit is three hours. Good luck."

Placing the card back, the teacher studied his student, "So, before you start in on the advanced techniques, let's do a quick run through of the basics."

"Kakashi-sensei," Uzumaki complained, "Do we really need to do that?"

"Yes."

"OK," the blonde youth's shoulders dropped as he sighed loudly, "So what do you want me to do?"

"Let's make it a little interesting," Kakashi suggested by way of consolation, "To start, create a single Shadow Clone. Then one of you transform into Iruka, and the other into Anko. Have 'Iruka' attack 'Anko' with a Shadow Shuriken jutsu, and have 'Anko' use Substitution to escape, and counter with a Phantom Kunai jutsu. After you finish that set, we'll go from there."

Naruto nodded as he complied. Even as he split in two, the copies took on the forms of his Staff-Blade teachers. They hopped apart, and 'Iruka' threw what appeared to be a single ninja star at 'Anko'. But two blades struck the log that appeared where 'Anko' had been, the second having been hidden in the path of the first. As 'Anko' reappeared six feet to the right of her original position, she tossed a single kunai at he opponent. But the weapon struck 'Iruka' in the face, and exploded in a puff of smoke, not having enough substance to even break his skin. After the smoke faded, both fighters sketched a bow, and 'Iruka' disappeared while 'Anko' resumed the shape of Naruto.

"Very good," the proctor admitted to his student, "next…"

* * *

After nearly thirty minutes of different scenarios, Kakashi Hatake finally seemed satisfied with Naruto's grasp of the basics.

"All right, I think that will do it," the Jonin said evenly.

"Finally," Naruto panted slightly, "You ready for my real stuff, sensei?"

"Go ahead," the Jonin was nonchalant.

"Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Naruto exclaimed, splitting into seventeen copies. The duplicates surrounded Hatake, splitting into groups of between two and four nartuos. The original, still alone and in front of Kakashi, raised both hands, palms up and his fingers slightly curled.

"Rasengan," the Chunin proclaimed, forming one of the spheres in each of his hands. The others took that as a signal.

"Odama Rasengan," the two Naruto clones behind Kakashi created a six-foot diameter orb between them.

"Fuuton: Rasengan"

"Raiton: Rasengan."

The two sets of three clones on either side of the original worked in unison, creating the two elemental variations of the Fourth Hokage's technique. And after a second of additional shaping, the final two groups, each comprised of four clones, finished the ultimate forms of the spherical technique.

"Fuuton: Rasenshuriken!" the clone holding the disc declared loudly, despite the small cuts on his arm.

"Odama Raiton Rasengan!" the four clones supporting the five-foot electrified purple sphere announced.

After their teacher had finished glancing around, the clones all vanished and the original Uzumaki cleared his throat for the Jonin's attention. He dropped his left hand, and stared intently at his right. Kakashi raised an eyebrow in curiosity. A single, two-inch diameter Rasengan formed above Naruto's pointer finger, and four more perfect globes followed in succession, middle, ring, pinky, and finally thumb. He darted towards in chunk of stone lying on the ground and stabbed his hand into the rock. Once his fingers drilled past its surface, the core of the chunk of granite exploded, covering Naruto in dust and dirt.

"Five Points Rasengan," the blonde stated proudly, brushing himself off.

"So, did you and Hinata plan this in advance?" the proctor asked carefully.

"Huh?" Naruto frowned in confusion, "No, why?"

"She also started off with using Shadow Clones to perform the Rasengan and its variants," the Jonin explained.

"Really?" Naruto smirked, "Great minds I guess. So how did Hinata do?"

"I can't really tell you that," Kakashi frowned at the Chunin.

"Come on, tell me something," he pleaded, "It's not like it's gonna help me. Like how many food pills did she take? She bought a whole bag 'cause she was worried her chakra would run out."

"Three," he admitted after a second, "two during the test, and one afterwards. I was surprised by how much she was able to do before recharging. At this point, I'd say she probably has more chakra than I do."

"Good for you, Hinata," Naruto said under his breath, then added at his normal volume, "But given how hard Gramma Tsunade pushed us, it's not much of a surprise."

"And speaking of that," Naruto took one of the small brown pills from his pack, and swallowed it, "I could still go a while longer, but better safe than sorry, considering what happens sometimes when I run out of chakra…"

Kakashi nodded sagely, having no desire to encounter the Kyubi without Yamato or Hinata around.

"Well, that first display was three A-Rank techniques, and five S-Rank techniques," the examiner said evenly, "And two different elements. A fairly strong start, can you continue at that pace?"

"Just you watch me, sensei," Naruto roared, re-energized by the food pill, "How about another S-Rank technique?"

The Jonin waved his hand in supplication, and Naruto took out a kunai. The younger man quickly and deeply slashed both of his palms, allowing his blood to spill messily over the earth. Once he had enough fluid, he stopped consciously holding back his healing powers, and as the wounds on his hands closed, he began to sign.

"Ninja Art: Blood Clone Jutsu!" he incanted, and the red liquid quickly changed into four copies of the teen.

"Wanna see how tough they are, sensei?" Naruto asked, with two of clone cracking their knuckles. But Kakashi just shook his head.

"You already had the Taijutsu test," the Copy Ninja said blandly.

"Come on, Kakashi-sensei," Naruto complained, "how can you evaluate my jutsu if you don't see how strong my clones are?"

"Fine, hold still," the elder shinobi capitulated. Without waiting for any acknowledgement, Hatake darted forward, burying his fist in one Blood Clone's stomach. The copy folded in pain, and the Jonin sprang to the right, his foot colliding with a second duplicate's face. A large bruise appeared, but it just as quickly faded. And the first clone had recovered by the time the Copy Ninja had returned to his starting position.

"That should suffice," Kakashi said evenly, "I accept that the Blood Clone Jutsu is an S-Rank technique. And I should warn you, I intend to recommend to the Hokage that this jutsu should be sealed."

Naruto looked upset, but nodded anyway. He released the jutsu, and the blood fell back to the ground.

"So, that leaves you with nine C-Rank or better techniques to show," the examiner prompted, "What do you intend to show next?"

"How about cementing my Air and Lightning mastery, and then showing my Earth jutsus?" the Chunin suggested.

"Go ahead."

Naruto extended both his hands, and lightning began to crawl over them, eventually focusing in his fingertips.

"Ranshinsho," he informed his teacher. Kakashi nodded.

"And my last medium rank lightning technique," Naruto signed as he explained, "Raiton: Spark Darts."

Ten tiny points of electricity formed on the fingers of Naruto's right hand, and then shout out in a wide spread pattern, before striking the metal fence surrounding the forest.

"And then for Air chakra, I have," his hands flashed, and he intoned, "Fuuton: Cyclone Spikes Jutsu."

The seven cones of wind burrowed into the ground, and Naruto was already preparing his next technique. He displayed Bird, Dragon, Bird, Rabbit, and Bird.

"And its big brother," the teen announced, "Fuuton: Tornado Lance Jutsu."

A large funnel of wind formed around his hand, and Naruto threw it overhand. The projectile accelerated as it flew, drilling an eighteen-inch diameter hole in the rock the young man targeted.

"And I guess it's not elemental, and it's only C-Rank, but I'm still proud of my," the young man bit his finger, and spread his blood across his fingers before slamming it into the ground, announcing, "Summoning Jutsu."

Naruto was carried into the air as the Gamakichi appeared underneath him.

"Hey, Naruto," the toad swiveled his left eye back to look at the human, "What's up? You getting your butt kicked again?"

"Hey, 'Kichi," the blonde returned the greeting, "Nah, I'm just showing off my Ninjutsu for the Jonin Trials."

"Eh, promotion time, huh," Naruto bobbed up and down as the amphibian nodded his head, "Well, good luck buddy."

"Thanks," the human grinned at his ally, "Dismiss!"

"Ok, that's 3 Cs, a B, and one A," Kakashi noted, "That leaves four C-Rank or better to qualify. What else do you want to show?"

"Well, I'm working on an upgraded version of the Summoning Jutsu," Naruto pondered, "But it's not ready yet… Oh right, I haven't shown my Earth techniques yet. Shadow Clone Jutsu."

The clone was moving away as he appeared, a sour expression on his face.

"Why do I have to be the victim?" the duplicate groused, knowing Naruto's plan.

"Because if I get hurt, we don't get promoted," the original Uzumaki explained angrily.

"Yeah, sure," the copy told him, still annoyed.

"Doton: Stone Claws Jutsu," Naruto said after completing the seals for the technique. Six earthen hands erupted from the ground, grabbing the facsimile and holding him still.

"And thanks to Hinata, I finally mastered the upgraded version. Ne, Mi, Hitsuji, Ne, I; Doton: Stone Jacket Jutsu."

The dirt erupted upwards, slamming the duplicate like a giant, granite, bear trap. Despite the initial appearance, the maneuver had no impact and the clone was unharmed. But as the extra material crumbled away, the clone Naruto was encased from his chin to his toes in a thick layer of rock. The original kept his hands together, still sending out chakra, and the duplicate's attempt to break free failed. After holding the jutsu for thirty seconds, Naruto halted his flow of chakra, and the trap began to fall to pieces. And the real Chunin was already signing his next technique.

"And my first offensive earth chakra technique; Doton: Stone Spears Jutsu!"

The ground exploded again, but this time the mineral emerged as large, sharp spikes. The points surrounded the partially immobilized copy, but none actually struck him. Once the jutsu was over the clone bowed with a relieved look, and then vanished.

"A third element, and one more C-Rank and two B-Rank moves," Kakashi nodded, letting his pride show through despite his intentions, "And good control on the attack technique. That leaves you with just one more Jutsu to go. What will it be?"

"Hmm," Naruto thought about it, then suddenly his face lit up.

"Oh man, I can't believe I almost forgot _that_ one!" he yelled. He took off his weapon pouch, and opened the zipper. He retrieved four shurikens and four kunai, and then handed the container to Kakashi.

"Will you hold on to this, sensei?" he asked, than dropped his money pouch on top, "And Gama too?"

Kakashi nodded, curious and confused. The teen moved a few paces away, and set the weapons on the ground. He then opened another of his pockets, and took out five food pills. He split himself in five with the Shadow Clone technique, and then handed each clone one of the energy tablets. After downing the restoratives, the five Narutos surrounded the ninja tools, and plopped down, cross-legged.

"Tori, Inu, Saru, U, Tori, Tora, Ushi, Ne, Inu, Mi, Tatsu, Uma, Hitsuji, Uma, Saru," the five blondes incanted and signed in unison. As they continued to chant, a crimson and ebony sphere formed in the air between them, slightly above their heads. The energy vortex sucked in the weapons under it, and also tugged at the zippers on their jackets. Ignoring the show, the five copies kept their focus, and continued the incredibly long jutsu.

Unseen under his mask, Kakashi's jaw dropped. Even though he had seen the fruits of the technique before, part of him always doubted that the knucklehead actually knew it, more or less could perform it. He slid up his Leaf shield, unleashing his Sharingan eye. The Dojutsu failed to pierce the crafting globe, so he watched the versions his student. Despite his skepticism, he had no choice but to admit it. This was the Weapon Forge Jutsu, the infamous, nearly unworkable S-Rank crafting technique. Even at this distance, he could feel the orb pulling at the metals he carried. He watched in awe as Naruto continued to craft the jutsu without any indication of uncertainty.

After twenty-five minutes, Naruto ending his chanting, clapping his hands together and shouting, "Hitsuji."

The sphere faded away, and the newly crafted weapon dropped to the dirt. Naruto picked it up and handed to his teacher. It was a chakram, fourteen inches in diameter, and stylized to look like a six-pointed shuriken. Inside the hollow ring was a bar grip, wrapped with the cotton from the hilts of the kunai Naruto has used.

"It's not anywhere near as good as Kitsune or Ginmaki," the younger man admitted, "I didn't have the extra metals for a stronger alloy, and there isn't exactly the time in the exam to attach all kinds of special jutsu to it."

The Jonin examined the weapon, impressed. The blade was sharp, and the balance was perfect. Even without any special enhancements or exotic material, it was an extremely well crafted tool.

"Naruto, may I keep this?" Kakashi asked, levering the chakram over his palms.

"Of course," Naruto was noticeably pleased by the request.

"Well, that does it," the teacher told his student, "You have more than met the requirements of the Ninjutsu pillar. Well done, Naruto."

"Wait," Naruto objected, "I've got like an hour left, right? I thought of some other techniques I want to show you."

"It's closer to forty five minutes," the Copy Ninja countered, but the he shrugged dismissively, despite his true feelings, "But I guess if you insist, it would go against the spirit of the test for me to stop when you want to continue and you have time left."

"Great," Naruto grinned broadly, "I've just finished this combination of the Body Flicker and Shadow Clone Jutsus. I'm not sure were it ranks, but I think it's pretty cool…"

* * *

"Hello Hinata," the Hokage's assistant said cheerfully as the younger woman entered the training room.

"Hello, Shizune," the younger woman bowed to her tester.

"How are you doing?" the polite medic asked, "Did your Ninjutsu test go alright?"

"Yes, it went fine," Hinata nodded, "Though I was quite tired afterwards. Spending all of my chakra and repeatedly recovering most of it with food pills was an unpleasant experience."

"There is a reason most ninja do not rely strictly on Ninjutsu in battle," Shizune agreed.

"And how was your first experience as a Jonin examiner?" Hinata prompted in turn.

"It went pretty well," the healer answered evasively, "Though one of my exhibitors tried to give me a hard time."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Hinata said sadly. Shizune smiled kindly at her.

"It's not your fault," Shizune said, mildly amused.

"No, I guess not," Hinata returned the smile, "I still do that some times."

"You're a good person Hinata," the proctor told her, "I'm happy you and Naruto found each other."

"Thank you, Shizune-neesan," the teen mimicked her boyfriend's form of address fondly.

"Are you ready to start?" Shizune asked. Hinata nodded eagerly.

"Good," the examiner affirmed, "Well, then, I am supposed to explain the test to you. I'm sure you already know this, but it's required for those certain individuals, who I won't name."

She winked at Hinata, and the younger woman giggled.

"So there are two parts to the Genjutsu exam," Shizune explained, "The first part will test your ability to defeat offensive Genjutsu. I will use three techniques against you each for D, C and B levels. To qualify you must defeat all three D-Rank illusions, two C-Rank illusions, and at least one B-Rank attack. After that, if we both agree, you can try for some bonus points by going against more or stronger techniques. Of course, I won't be telling you which techniques I am using, and I may mix in some Ninjutsu to try to fool you. We wouldn't want it to be too easy, after all."

She paused to take a breath, and then continued her exposition, "For the second part you must exhibit your own Genjutsu, but they may be either offensive or support techniques. Though offensive skills are ranked higher, it is also preferred that you have at least two support techniques prepared."

"I do have one question," Hinata added when Shizune ended her explanation, "Are there any special limitations on breaking the Genjutsu in the first part?"

"Well, as with all of these tests, attacking your proctor without authorization is not allowed," the elder Kunoichi answered with a sour look, "But pretty much anything else is fair game."

"Good," Hinata nodded. Then the veins in her forehead popped out, and her eyes turned metallic silver as she proclaimed, "Suigin Byakugan."

"I am ready to go," the candidate informed her tester.

"Good," Shizune said after a worried pause, "Let's begin."

The medic stared into the younger women's eyes with trepidation.

* * *

"Ok," Shizune raised her hand in submission, "I don't know any more attack Genjutsu, and I'm running out of chakra."

"I'm so sorry," Hinata jogged over to help the other woman. She offered the medic a food pill, and helped her over to the only chair in the room.

"That was amazing, Hinata," the proctor gushed slightly, "You took every illusion I threw at you without hesitation, and you saw through every one of my other tricks. How do you do it?""

"Umm," Hinata looked embarrassed, 'My Suigin Byakugan destroys any visual Genjutsu used against me."

"Any visual Genjutsu?" Shizune was amazed.

"So far," Hinata admitted, her eyes returning to normal, "It is possible there are S-Rank techniques that could overcome my Kekkei Genkai. But up 'til now, any Genjutsu that is wholly or mostly based on sight feels like it shatters when it hits me. And even those illusions that are only partially based on sight, I can see right through the visual part."

"So that's why the Superior Interrupt technique didn't work," Shizune noted.

"Yes, I heard the door open and Lady Tsunade's voice, but I could see that there was nothing there," Hinata expounded, "Also, because I don't' have to worry about seeing illusions, I can focus on my other senses when detecting them."

"That is an impressive technique," the medic complimented the heiress. Then she stretched as she stood, the supplement having restored some of her energy during their conversation.

"Shall we move on to the second part?" the proctor asked, "We only have half of our time left, and you need to show me ten Genjutsu techniques."

"Yes," Hinata suddenly looked nervous, "But how can I show my offensive techniques without a target?"

"You use them on me," Shizune said brightly.

"Oh. But I thought I wasn't supposed to attack you," Naruto's beloved frowned in uncertainty.

"No, you aren't allowed to physically attack me or use Ninjutsu on me during the Genjutsu test," Shizune clarified, "Some people try to do that to get around their… deficiencies. But you have to use your illusions on me, otherwise how would I know you're not just faking the hand signs."

"Right, of course," Hinata looked down, feeling naïve again.

"What do you want to show first?" the healer plowed ahead, not wanting the younger woman to get off track.

"Oh," the teen Kunoichi suddenly jerked her head back up, "Well, I guess I'll start with my C-Rank distraction techniques?"

"Sounds good to me," Shizune said reassuringly. But inside she was worried.

"Inu, Uma, Ne," Hinata said, and then whispered the final incantation under her breath. Shizune looked on expectantly, but she did not see anything change, nor did she hear anything. She turned back at Hinata who was straining for the technique.

"Hinata, I don't think…" Shizune paused in her gentle admonishment, when she caught a whiff of smoke. Hinata's hands suddenly came apart, and she met her proctor's gaze worriedly.

"Do you smell something?" the Hyuga scion asked, her nose flaring slightly. Tsunade's apprentice nodded, and returned her attention to the door. Wisps of smoke curled under the door.

"Uh oh," the examiner said, "I wonder if Inoichi's Ninjutsu test got out of hand. We better go."

But Hinata didn't move. As Shizune reached for the door handle, she froze, feeling sheepish.

"Release," Shizune broke the spell and then added, "Well done, Hinata."

"C-Rank distraction technique, Smoke Alarm Jutsu," Hinata offered simply.

"C-Rank? A Genjutsu that subtle with both visual and olfactory components would normally be considered a B-Rank."

"But Kurenai-sensei said it was only a C level skill," Hinata protested nervously.

"Kurenai is an expert, but she also holds Genjutsu to a higher standard because of that," Shizune sighed, "Well, I guess I'll trust her judgment and mark it as C-Rank. So that leaves you with four, three, and two, by skill level. Please continue."

Hinata quickly launched into her next set of hand signs, concluding by saying loudly, "Ninja Art: Starburst Jutsu."

Dozens of bright lights began flashing before Shizune's eyes, and she quickly broke the technique. She instinctively expected some minor flash burns to her eyes from the dazzling explosions, and found her instantly clear vision disconcerting. She started to compliment the girl, but Hinata was already moving on to her next technique.

"Fuuton: Tornado Howling," Hinata announced. Shizune heard the wind roar past her, and could have sworn she felt it tug at her kimono. The Jonin squeezed her hands together, and exclaimed, "Release!"

As expected the noise and the pull vanished. Shizune looked at Hinata with slightly more respect, but also a touch of confusion.

"I've never heard of an elemental Genjutsu before," the proctor admitted.

"It isn't," Hinata shook her head, "And I can't use Wind chakra. It is just part of the name, to sell the illusion."

"Smart," Shizune nodded with a wry grin.

"So that is three C-Rank techniques, right?" Hinata prompted.

"Sure," Shizune said dubiously, "Did Kurenai teach you all of those?"

"Yes," the younger woman confirmed.

"Did she teach you all of your Genjutsu?" the examiner queried evenly.

"Most of them. But Kakashi-sensei has taught me a few jutsu, and I learned one from Yugao-sensei when we were at the beach."

"Oh, what technique did Yugao teach you?"

"The Echo of Whispers Jutsu," Hinata replied.

"The A-Rank support technique?' Shizune asked her to confirm. Hinata nodded.

"Will you show it to me?" the healer's curiosity leaked into her voice. Hinata bobbed her head again, and rapidly formed the eleven hand seals. Shizune walked to the other side of the room, and hid her mouth behind her arms, while carefully watching Hinata's eyes.

"Why would you need this jutsu?" Hinata said in a monotone, "With your Byakugan, you should be able to read lips further than this technique works."

"That's true," the teen continued in her normal, soft voice, "but there are ways to block my Byakugan, and also things my ears might understand that my eyes cannot."

Shizune lowered her arms with a sigh of amazement, "Still, a skill the lets you hear what people say, even if they don't vocalize, just from the movement of their lips… Maybe when this is all done, you could teach it to me? It would come in really handy for keeping Lady Tsunade on task."

"I think Yugao-sensei might be a better choice," Hinata looked away.

"If you can teach Naruto, you can teach anybody," the older sister informed her.

"That might be true," Hinata agreed with a small grin.

'Yup,' Shizune thought, 'That's the magic word.'

"So that's one A and 3 C-Rank Genjutsu," the tester resumed her mission, "Leaving two C, three B, and one A to go. What do you have?"

"Well, there are those," the younger Kunoichi considered, "But after the last time, I'm almost afraid to use them. Or there is my other enhancement jutsu, the smell one I worked on with Kurenai-sensei and Kiba. But how can I prove that one works?"

"Oh, I have incense sticks for that," Shizune told her, "Do you want mild, ultra mild, or Inuzuka mild?"

"I don't know, what is the difference?" Hinata pursed her lips.

"Mild is for normal strength Genjutsu and normal noses," the medic explained, "The ultra mild are for people with special noses, like a certain knucklehead, or for really powerful smell enhancing Genjutsu abilities. And Inuzuka mild to test the Inuzuka clan, since most of them can smell mild and in some cases even ultra mild without a boost."

"Probably the mild then," the younger woman said tentatively. Then she activated her Scent Vacuum Genjutsu. Shizune lit the first stick, and had it not been for the label, she would not have known what the smell was supposed to be.

"Jasmine," Hinata said when Shizune waved the stick in between them, but not too close to the Chunin.

"Good, and next is?"

"Cinnamon," Hinata inhaled deeply.

"Right, and last?"

"Chocolate."

"Right again," Shizune extinguished the scented sticks, 'That's one more C-Rank. Do you have any B-Ranks?"

"Yes, but I would rather finish the lower level powers first," Hinata insisted carefully.

"OK, what's your last C-Rank?"

"Well, umm," Hinata blushed, "It's an offensive technique, but it doesn't seem particularly combat worthy…"

She signed slowly, and then almost whispered, "Ninja Arts: Shiatsu Fingers."

Shizune's eyes widened as she felt multiple non-existent hands start massaging her back. The healer let out a groan of pleasure as the suggestion of comfort caused her muscles to relax for real. She shuddered slightly and tried to explain.

"This isn't… oh right there… it's not a combat technique. It's a skill for infiltration and seduction. For ex…. example, you could use the Genjutsu to pretend to give a feudal lord a massage, while you really search his rooooooom."

"You can stop now," Shizune almost panted, but she looked disappointed when the illusion ended.

"Do you mind if I recover my energy?" Hinata asked, "Using the Suigin Byakugan for nearly an hour is quite draining."

"Yes, of course," Shizune was only half paying attention. The younger Kunoichi took out a food pill, and hastily swallowed it.

"OK," the proctor regained her composure and grinned at the Jonin candidate, "Let's see those last four techniques.

"Ninja Art: Huamai Jutsu," Hinata complied. Instantly the young woman was gone, replaced by her paramour.

"I'm gonna pass this test no matter what, Shizune-neesan," 'Naruto' proclaimed loudly, giving her a thumbs up, "Believe it!"

Then she returned to being Hinata, who lowered her arm awkwardly.

"Huamai is a well established move that covers all five senses," Shizune said, "Even Kurenai couldn't say that it's not B-Rank."

"No, she said it was B level," Hinata agreed.

"Ok, then two B and one A left."

"Right, well, I guess I'll have to use those," the Hyuga heiress said uncertainly, "Mi, Ne, Mi, Tori, U."

Around Shizune, the floor seemed to melt. The sticky lump of former stone clutched at the Hokage's aid, pulling her down. She put her hands together, and defeated the illusion. Shizune was surprised to find she was on her knees.

"And then I have Tears of Insanity," as the Chunin completed the jutsu, the Jonin began to hear sobbing.

'Why did you let me die, Shizune?'

'I thought you were a healer.'

'Too weak.'

The medic recognized all the voices taunting her, the cries of all the people she had failed to save. She wanted to grab her ears and block them out, even knowing it use just a fantasy. She managed to put her hands back together, and choked out "Release."

"I'm sorry, Shizune," Hinata said sadly.

"No, that's part of the test," Shizune took a deep breath, "I went through worse yesterday. Though I wouldn't object to another round of your Shiatsu Fingers after I see your last two techniques."

Without announcing her intent; Hinata launched into her last B-Rank skill. After crafting the jutsu, the pale beauty began to change. She sprouted red and black leathery wings, even as he began to grow in size. Her face distended, with large tusks thrusting upwards out of her lower jaw. Her outer layer of clothing burned away as her skin became mottled and scorched. At the end of the transformation, her arms split below the elbow, giving her four sets of fists and forearms. Barely recognizable in her demonic form, Hinata exhaled hard, sending and odious cloud of sulfur at her examiner.

"Release," Shizune said, breaking the hold of the younger woman. Hinata immediately reverted to normal.

"That was an interesting image," Shizune shuddered.

"What did it look like?" Hinata wondered, then explained, "The Waking Terror Genjutsu looks different for each person viewing it."

"You turned into a four-armed, winged oni," the healer said, "It was pretty frightening."

"My other A-Rank technique is supposed to be used against a group, so it might not appear as impressive," Hinata said mournfully.

"That's alright," the proctor said.

Hinata showed Dragon, Bird, Ram, Monkey, Bird, and Boar, before stating, "Masking Storm Jutsu."

Clouds formed above Shizune's head, and began to dump a cold rain on her. The rain was already obscuring her vision, when the bolt of lightning turned everything white. The liquid hitting her skin started to chill her, and the patter of rain and whistle of the wind blocked her ears. The ozone and clean smell of the rain filled her nose. She shivered reflexively, and decided she had seen, heard, smelled, and felt enough. She tried to release the Genjutsu, but Hinata's technique resisted. The Jonin pushed a little harder, and the illusion finally broke away.

"Do you have anything more?" Shizune asked.

"No," she shook her head regretfully, "Kakashi-sensei had to teach me the Absorbing Earth and Masking Storm powers so I would have enough techniques to cover the test. Everything else I know is D-Rank."

"Well, then, I guess we are done here. Hinata, it's been a pleasure."

"Thank you, Shizune-neesan."


	64. A Hero's Legacy

**Chapter 64: A Hero's Legacy**

"Is it just the two of you?" the deep voice rumbled from the shadows.

"More or less," Kakashi answered glibly.

"What does that mean?" the hidden shinobi growled dangerously.

"It means we don't trust you," Tsunade said smugly, then she flashed the Ninjutsu scrolls they were carrying, "These are Reinforcement Talismans. If they are cut, torn, or get even a drop of our blood on them, a Ninja tied to the scroll will be summoned instantly. So while we came alone as we agreed, if this is a trap we can have you outnumbered in a heartbeat."

"I guess Itachi was right," Kisame Hoshigaki stepped into the moonlight, "You are smarter than Lor… Pein gives you credit for."

As per their agreement, he was not carrying his Samehada, but his arms were folded into the expansive sleeves of his coat, concealing them to the point where he could have held a short sword in each hand.

"But then, I should have known better than to doubt Uchiha., the Akatsuki agent added.

"So what is this all about," Hatake watched the Mist rogue carefully, but kept his tone firmly neutral.

"You know Itachi is dead, right?" the swordsman prompted, and both Leaf shinobi nodded slowly in response, "I am here to fulfill his will."

"Itachi's will?" Tsunade frowned, surprised and also annoyed because of the shock.

"Right," Kisame grinned at them, showing his pointed teeth, "Uchiha asked me to do two things in the event of his death. The first I already took care of. You found Itachi's sword with the old man, right?"

"Yes," Kakashi answered simply.

"Good," the shark responded, "I figured if I left it there, you guys would take it."

"Does that mean you were there during the fight?" Tsunade demanded sternly.

"No," Kisame said after a moment's consideration, "I found the old man after everything was done."

"Just Master Jiraiya?" Kakashi asked, more evenly then his leader, "Are you saying that Itachi's body wasn't there?"

"That's right. It was just the toad and Itachi's blade."

"Then how do you know for sure he's dead?" Tsunade prompted expectantly.

"Because Pein told us Uchiha was dead, and he had Uchiha's Akatsuki ring."

Tsunade deflated, her hopes dashed. And even Kakashi slumped slightly.

"Anyway, it took me a little while to retrieve the second item and slip away," Hoshigaki continued, then he chuckled and added, "They didn't trust me anymore, for some reason."

"Itachi's last request of me," the swordsman sobered, "was that if he died, I was to bring his daughter to the Hidden Leaf Village for Kakashi Hatake to raise."

And then he unfolded his arms, revealing an infant of no more than eight months of age. The girl had a short crop of dark green hair, and she yawned, looking around with eyes black as the night's sky. Kisame actually smiled gently at the child, then he stepped closer, extending her. The Hokage moved forward quickly and took the baby. She carefully set the girl down on a flat patch of grass, kneeling over her as she began to give the infant a medical examination. Then the renegade took out an envelope and tossed it to Kakashi. Hatake opened the letter and started to read out loud.

"_Kakashi Hatake_," the Copy Ninja read, "_Cliché though it is to write, if you are reading this, I am dead. I have entrusted my partner Kisame with delivering my daughter to the Konohagakure. I humbly request that you become her father. There are only three people left in this world with the Sharingan, and you are the only one I can trust. Madara is out of the question, and my brother has gone to far down our ancestor's path for me to trust him with my child. Please raise her and teach her how to use this power for the good of our village. I am hoping you can lead her away from the arrogant and vengeful nature that so often gripped my clan. Thank you. Itachi Uchiha. P.S. My daughter's name is Rei Uchiha, and her birth date is September the fifteenth._"

"Why did you do this?" Kakashi tucked the letter into his vest and addressed Kisame, "What's in it for you? Surely the Akatsuki would reward you…."

"I'm not with them anymore," the former Mist ninja growled angrily, "My loyalty was always to Itachi. He saved my life, and was the only one who treated me like a human."

"Just what does that mean?" the Hokage questioned, trying not to yell in front of the baby.

"He really didn't tell you, huh?" Kisame was amazed, "I thought for sure he would."

"Why do you think I looked like this?" the renegade demanded, though he too kept his voice under control, "Do you think I have gills and this sandpaper grey skin by choice? Of course not. I am the Jinchuriki of the Seven-Finned Shark."

Kakashi blinked in amazement, and Tsunade regarded the rogue with guarded curiosity.

"After our failed coup of the Hidden Mist Village, those of use who survived were forced to scatter," the demon carrying rogue explained, "And within a month, I was captured by the Akatsuki. This was early on, before Deidra, Kakuzu, or even Zetsu joined the group. They found me, and planned to extract the demon and seal it in an amulet until their statue was ready to hold the Seventh Bijuu."

"But Itachi saved me," Kisame was calmed by the memory, "He argued that killing me would be a waste, that someone with my skill and aggression could serve as a member of the Akatsuki, until they needed the Seven Fins to finish their plan. Pein agreed, but made Itachi responsible for me. Despite that, Uchiha never treated me like a monster or a prisoner. I was his partner and we were equals, more or less. And before long we became friends, after a fashion."

"That's why I'm doing this," Hoshigaki said pointedly, "I owe Itachi, and I'm done with the Akatsuki. With them getting so close to their goals, my usefulness is running out fast, especially without Itachi sponsoring me."

"She appears to be healthy," Tsunade stood, holding the infant gently, "Though I will need to give her a more complete examination when we get back to the village."

Then she glared at the demon container, snapping gently, "Not that I believe any of this. How could Itachi have a daughter without us knowing?"

"I was the only one who knew he was married," Kisame smiled smugly, "He never told anyone else, so Pein and Madara wouldn't find out about Erika. Not that it did him any good in the end."

"Itachi was married?" Kakashi goggled at the possibility.

"Explain," the Hokage demanded. Kisame faked a sigh, obviously amused by his superior knowledge.

"As I'm sure you both know, the Raikage has been obsessed with capturing the Kekkei Genkai of other shinobi villages," he began. Both nodded, familiar with the attempt to kidnap Hinata Hyuga.

"Well, about six years ago, he sent one of his agents to infiltrate the lower ranks of the Akatsuki for the express purpose of 'extracting' Itachi's genetic material and bringing it back to the Hidden Cloud Village," the memory pleased the shark Jinchuriki, "But Uchiha saw right through Erika's attempts to entice him. He knew what she was, and what her mission was, so he kept her at bay."

"That pretty much mystified Erika; no-one had ever resisted her considerable charms before," Hoshigaki continued after taken a drink from his canteen, "She started to fall for Itachi for real, and at the same she began to realize how much better she had it away from the Raikage. Meanwhile, despite knowing what she was, Itachi found himself in love with Erika too. He saw the lost, kindhearted woman under the seductress. He wanted to give her the chance to be her true self, like he could not. Finally, she came clean about her mission, and renounced the Hidden Cloud Village. Of course, it was pretty much impossible to lie to an Uchiha, so he knew she was sincere, and they started dating."

"May Eleventh would have been their fourth anniversary," Kisame seemed almost saddened to report, "They were married by in a simple, secret ceremony. It was just the two of them, the priest, and me. They faked Erika's death so she could be free of the Akatsuki and the Raikage. And for a time, it looked like it would work. About sixteen months ago, she got pregnant at last. Itachi was ecstatic… Well, for him, anyway."

"But in the middle of January, Madara killed Erika," the Mist traitor snarled, "He told Itachi he caught her sneaking into Itachi home, and assumed she was a spy or assassin. Itachi never really believed him, but played along. Fortunately, Madara left Rei alive. We weren't sure if he didn't know about her, or if he had some other reason to let her live. I suspected Madara knew killing both of them would push Itachi too far, but Itachi believed Madara wanted his bloodline continued."

"It was then that Itachi asked me to bring Rei here if anything happened to him. Given my life-debt to him, it was the least I could do."

"What will you do now?" Kakashi asked evenly.

"What difference does it make to you?" the shark grunted defensively.

"You'll be on the run from the Akatsuki," Tsunade followed Kakashi's thinking, "We could offer you sanctuary in the Hidden Leaf Village."

"Yeah, I'm sure you have a nice safe prison cell waiting for me," Kisame shook his head, "Thanks but no thanks."

"We could _make_ you come back with us," Kakashi suggested.

"So this is your vaulted honor?" the Akatsuki renegade appeared to enjoy the threat, "Violating a seal of truce? Well, you can try it, but can you fight while taking care of Rei? This isn't some movie where you can juggle her around."

"Are you saying you would attack a baby? Itachi's daughter?" Tsunade was horrified, but Kisame simply shrugged.

"I've fulfilled my promise," he said viciously, "I'd rather not hurt the kid, but if you have no honor, then I see no reason to leave his daughter in your hands."

Kisame tensed, and Tsunade reached for the talismans, but then Hatake interrupted them.

"Let him go," Kakashi advised.

"Kakashi, what are you saying," the Hokage struggled between yelling at him and not upsetting Rei.

"He's an S-Rank criminal with a Tailed Beast inside him," the Copy Ninja explained, "So holding him will be next to impossible anyways."

"Besides," Hatake grinned under his mask, "It's better for us if he leaves anyway."

Kisame looked at the Leaf Ninja with a little more respect, and Tsunade nodded as she caught on to his reasoning.

"If both he and Naruto are in the Hidden Leaf Village," Kakashi clarified anyway, "Then that is twice the incentive for the Akatsuki to focus on us. But if this guy is out there, on the run, he might be a bigger priority than Naruto. Not only is his Bijuu easier to contain, he's also a traitor who took one of their precious rings."

"Fine, he may go," Tsunade waved her empty hand dismissively.

"You're not that dumb after all," Kisame grunted, "Maybe Itachi's decision wasn't all based on empty sentiment."

"Goodbye, Rei," Kisame added, almost fondly, "I don't think I'll probably see you again."

The two Leaf shinobi made no move to stop him as he vanished back into the night.

"We need to go back," Tsunade ordered, "The girl needs a full battery of tests to confirm what Kisame claimed."

"I'll catch up with you," Kakashi said, troubled, "There is something I need to do first."

* * *

Yugao was awakened. With her first thought she recognized the knock at her door. In the second she realized it was just after two in the morning. The shinobi slipped out of bed, pulling on her robe and slipping her hand into the secret pocket housing a single kunai. She doubted there was a need for the weapon, but was too well trained to be caught off guard.

She opened the door a crack, revealing her lover. Seeing the troubled expression he wore, she quickly opened the portal the rest of the way to allow him entry.

"Kakashi, what's going on?" she asked after relocking her apartment, "Shouldn't you be resting for the Trials today?"

"The Hokage and I received a _special_ summons this afternoon," he explained, "I just returned from the meeting now."

She nodded, waiting for him to continue.

"I…" Kakashi struggled to speak, and this made Yugao more apprehensive.

"These past three years with you have been good for me," he said softly, "Our relationship has exactly been normal. More like casual exclusive. But we've both been hurt in the past, so it has worked for us. Still, we've been able to support each other, and I haven't been this happy since… well, for a long time."

"But I can't do this anymore," he turned away from her, "I'm sorry, Yugao."

"What's all this about?" she asked carefully, "I can't believe you would wake me up in the middle of the night to break up with me. What happened at this meeting?"

He did not answer immediately, and tried to get back to the door. She blocked his way, and he started to use Ninjutsu to escape, but her voice stopped him.

"I'm not going to let you run away from me, Kakashi Hatake," she told him directly, "I love you too much…"

She froze, having never told him before. He looked at her intently, his uncovered eye wide with shock.

"I love you," she said again, "And if you won't tell me what is going on, I'll find out on my own. And you know me, you know my skills. I will uncover the truth."

Exhaling in defeat, he walked over to her dining area and slumped into a chair.

"I thought this was the best way to handle things. I can't keep doing this anymore, and I didn't want to pressure you into something more."

"Something more?" her voice caught. She started to ask him what he meant, be he was already explaining.

"I'm going to be a father," he said, and her eyes turned angry. Realizing his mistake, he quickly continued, "I didn't mean it like that. I've been asked to raise the daughter of a fallen comrade, and unless it turns out to be a trap, I plan to accept. That's why I can't have this kind of fling anymore. Not if I'm going to be a parent."

"And so you assumed what?" she said angrily, "That I would want a serious relationship with you? That I'd flee from the mere mention of a child?"

"Kakashi," she said more gently, sitting beside him and taking his hand, "I do love you. You said our relationship has worked, but I've been think that we're just hiding, just taking the easy way. We've been together long than I was with Hayate and longer than you were with Rin. I think it's time to face the fact that this is more than just a fling or comfort sex."

Then she smiled wryly, and informed him, "And if you are going to raise this girl, **you** are definitely going to need a woman's touch."

"You don't know all of it, not yet," Kakashi took his hand back and faced her seriously, "The child's name is Rei Uchiha. She is Itachi's daughter."

Uzuki blinked twice, unsure what to do with his announcement. Hatake told her the rest of the story, the truth about Itachi's 'betrayal' and death, and the meeting with Kisame.

"… and I'm not sure how the Hokage intends to spin this," Kakashi concluded, "Will she release the truth about Itachi, or try to keep Rei's parentage a secret? Or most likely, she will let it be known who Rei is, without revealing the other secrets, leaving me to deal with the circus that follows."

"It would be Naruto all over again," Yugao said thoughtfully.

"Not quiet the same, but yeah," he agreed, "And that's why I wanted to keep you out of this."

"Too bad," she said, "I'm not going anywhere."

"Come," she instructed, standing, "Let's go see your daughter."

The elder Jonin did not move, and she looked at him warily, waiting for his next protest.

"Yugao?" he interrupted blandly, "You might want to get dressed first."

She colored slightly, and turned to her dresser. Before she could take a step, he caught her up in his arms, and kissed her deeply.

"It's a year or more too late," he divulged when they broke apart, "But I love you too."

* * *

The door finally opened. Shizune exited first, followed by a thinly built woman in her early fifties, with long hair, of a cyan so pale it was nearly white. Her eyes settled briefly on Kakashi and Yugao, appraising them with an unsettling whiteness. Then the Hokage emerged, and she stopped before the couple. She held the last Uchiha gently in her arms. The child was asleep and was wrapped in a fresh blanket.

"Hiroko Hyuga," Kakashi noted worriedly, "The Cursebreaker?"

"It was just a precaution," Tsunade reassured them.

"And?" Yugao prompted.

"She is a normal, healthy, adorable girl," the Sannin answered, "She is not under the effects of any jutsu. And we ran the genetic tests. She is Itachi's daughter, and she does possess the Sharingan."

"So what are you going to do?" their leader asked cannily.

"I'm going to be her father," he answered, taking the girl, "And with your permission, I…"

"We." Yugao interjected.

"We will move into the Uchiha estate to do so," he continued, "It is rightfully Rei's, and I think that's where she belongs. Besides, my current place doesn't exactly have the room"

"I'll have to confer with the clan leaders first," she nodded, "But I don't have any problem with that. In the mean time I suggest Rei stay here"

"Why?" Yugao whispered in concern.

"Because unlike the hospital," Tsunade smirked, "Neither of you has anything you'll need in your apartments. Like diapers, formula, clothes, a _crib_… So until you can get set up, Rei can stay here, and you two are welcome to stay with her."

"Speaking of that," Yugao's cheeks colored slightly, and she leaned in and whispered something in Tsunade's ear. The medic's eyes widened, and she looked to Kakashi. His eye sparkled mischievously and he nodded his head.

"If that's what you want," Tsunade shrugged, "I'll set something up for tomorrow. But in the mean time, you two should get some sleep. You both have tests to proctor in a few hours. And Kakashi might have a pretty tough day."

The Hokage grinned smugly at the Copy Ninja, who groaned in response.


	65. Jonin Trials, Day 3

**Chapter 65: Jonin Trials, Day 3**

"Shikamaru, I'm glad you came. Come in, come in," Jiraiya said broadly to the younger man. The apathetic Chunin ambled into the hospital room apprehensively.

"Good morning, Master Jiraiya," Shikamaru said carefully, not aware why he had been asked to visit the recovering shinobi.

"How is your physically therapy going?" the teenage genius asked.

"Pretty good," the infamous pervert nodded, then he lowered his voice to a whisper and added conspiratorially, "I'd be done with it by now, but I'm taking it slow because my nurse has huge…"

"Is there a reason you had me sent here?" Shikamaru interrupted, annoyed.

"Please, close the door," the Sannin instructed, sobering.

"Shikamaru," Jiraiya addressed him seriously, "I'm told you're one of the brightest minds in the Hidden Leaf Village, if not the brightest. And that you're also quite the codebreaker."

The Chunin smirked, and shrugged in false humility, "So?"

"Well," the Toad Sage frowned, "Before we begin, I should ask how you feel about Blood Oaths."

"I thinking they're a drag," the Nara heir responded predictably.

"Good answer," Jiraiya smiled slightly, "In that case, just promise me you won't tell anyone what you're about to hear, and we can lie to the Hokage about the oath that I'm supposed to make you swear before discussing this with you."

Shikamaru studied him for a few seconds, and then shrugged again and said, "You have my word. Now, what's this all about?"

"I'm sure you've heard about Sasuke surrendering his body to Orochimaru," Jiraiya started and Shikamaru nodded, his interest peaked.

"Well, there's more to the story than you know," the injured Sage informed him, "So far only clan leaders and a few other know the whole story."

He proceeded to give the cloud-envier a rundown of Itachi's real history, and of the fight against the new and improved Orochimaru.

"So Orochimaru killed Itachi…" Shikamaru said softly as he digested the information. Then he bobbed his shoulders again, and asked, "What does that have to do with me?"

"There was something else," the Sannin admitted, "something we didn't tell the clan leaders or even Naruto and Kakashi. You'll be the only one who knows this besides myself and the Hokage."

"During the latter part of the fight," the older ninja frowned in memory, "after Orochimaru paralyzed me and set me up to watch him kill Itachi, I noticed the snake was using some pretty fancy footwork. I'm fairly familiar with Orochimaru's fighting style, and his legs are generally the last things he worries about. He tends to focus on Ninjutsu and that sword of his. He usually doesn't even take a single step unless someone attacks his legs or moves out of range. That was when I noticed his toes were tracing characters in the dirt. It was about the same time I figured out Sasuke was no longer ordering Orochimaru to stop."

"So, you think Sasuke was directing Orochimaru's feet, to send you a message," Shikamaru mused, rubbing his chin, "since Orochimaru doesn't use his legs, and Sasuke only swore not to interfere if Orochimaru fought Naruto, Sakura, or Kakashi-sensei."

"Yes," Jiraiya nodded, " I suspect Sasuke was able to influence Orochimaru's footwork to try to send me a message. This message."

He took out a piece of paper, and handed it to the younger man. Shikamaru studied it for a minute, before handing it back.

"It looks like gibberish," the Chunin noted with a yawn, "but given your attempts at flattery, I assume you think it is encoded."

Jiraiya nodded.

"And have you considered that this might be a trap?" the lazy shinobi asked the Sannin, "That Orochimaru wrote this message to trick you, or even just to mess with you?"

"We have," the toad summoner admitted, "In fact, the Hokage is certain of that fact. But I convinced her we should at least decode the message before we discard it. It took a bit of a guilt trip, but I talked her into letting me have you help figure out what this says."

"I don't suppose I have a say in the matter," Shikamaru sighed.

"Not since you promised to keep this a secret."

"Well then, we might as well get to work," the apathetic young man began to look more carefully at the string of characters.

* * *

"Well, well, well," Anko Mitarashi smirked as Hinata Hyuga entered the small clearing, "the first victim of the day, right on time."

"Anko," Hinata inclined her head politely.

"Alright, maggot, here's how this works," the Jonin started pointedly, "To test you stealth and tracking skills, we're gonna play the old classic, Hide and Seek."

The proctor picked up the bizarre looking helmet sitting on the ground beside her.

"This blocks all visual, auditory, and olfactory stimuli," Mitarashi explained, "Even your vaunted Byakugan. I'll be creating three Shadow Clones, one to watch you and two to hide with me. After ten minutes, the clone here will take the helmet off you, and dissipate to let me know you are coming. Then you have seventy-five minutes to find the three of me. To be fair, I will be leaving a few traces for you to follow. Then, if you pass the first part, we'll switch places for the second part. While you're hiding, if at least one of your copies can avoid capture, you'll pass the test. And you don't have to leave a trail for me. You better do your best to stay hidden."

"Oh, and other than Jutsu to enhance your senses, no Ninjutsu or Genjutsu are allowed," Anko paused for a second and then added for good measure, "Or Taijutsu or Weapons Jutsu for that matter. The same will go for me."

"What about traps?" Hinata prompted, remembering Kakashi's tests.

"So long as you don't cheat and use a Jutsu to set them up, go to town," Anko shrugged, "I'd say your time would be better spent other ways, but if you think it will help… Anything else?"

"No," Hinata shook her head.

"Good," the serpent summoner handed her the hood, and then split in four.

"Ten minutes starts once you tighten the strap," Anko told her, and one of the clones moved to stand next to Hinata. The younger Kunoichi nodded.

"Good luck," Mitarashi offered condescendingly, as the Hyuga heiress lowered the helm into place. True to the description, the aspirant could no longer see or hear, and could only smell the dull metallic tang of the mask. She activated her Kekkei Genkai, and then went to the advanced form, but she was still blind. Hinata had to take a deep breath and force herself to relax; being unable to see was a new experience and an unsettling one. Though she slept in total darkness like most of her clan, and had consented to be blindfolded in the past, this was the first time she had been in a situation where she could not regain her sight if she wanted to. She tried counting to keep track of the time, but the feeling of her anxious heartbeat interfered, and she could not tell if she was counting too fast or too slow.

Finally, she felt unexpectedly gentle hands touch her neck and shoulders, and the helmet was removed. The clone of Anko set the device on the ground, and winked at Hinata.

"Have fun," she smirked, before disappearing in a puff of chakra.

"Suigin Byakugan," Hinata quickly placed her palms together and activated her bloodline trait. She instantly picked up on the three trails, two leading north and one leading south. Obviously she was meant to follow the northern tracks first, but the Kunoichi pushed her enhanced vision further and saw that one of the northern trails ended, while the other thinned as it turned to the left. She studied the trail that abruptly stopped and realized it was deeper and more noticeable than the other two.

"She doubled back," Hinata whispered to herself, "But where…"

Broadening her focus again, she saw a branch higher up in one of the trees had been unnaturally bent.

"OK," Hinata nodded to herself, and turned to the south. As with the other two paths, after the initial indication, it rapidly grew fainter. But not faint enough to fool Hinata. The young woman ignored the broken branches and disturbed leaves, and instead watched for Anko's footprints.

'She's better than I am,' Hinata admitted to herself, 'by a decent margin. She's probably as good as Kakashi-sensei, Yugao-sensei, or any of the ANBU members.'

The footprints suddenly came to an end. Hinata glanced about for any continuation of the trail, but there was none. Nor was there any indication the examiner had doubled back again. Then Hinata smiled slightly

"There was something I forgot to ask you, Anko," the Chunin announced, "What do I need to do when I find you? Do I have to tag you, or is it just enough to let you know that I have caught you? I assume I am not allowed to attack you physically, like in the Genjutsu exam."

There was no answer, and so Hinata pointed as her eyes widened.

"You are in the maple tree seven point eight meters to my two o'clock," the Hyuga scion told the forest, "on the third branch up, under a chameleon tarp. Do I need to come over there and reveal you directly?"

"I guess not," Anko said sourly, sweeping off the concealing cloth, "But for the other two and for when you are hiding, yes, tagging will be the indicator."

Hinata nodded and the clone exploded.

"Twelve minutes," the candidate for advancement noted, "That leaves me just over an hour to find the other two."

She turned about and headed back to the 'home base' clearing at top speed. But she still kept careful track of the woods around her, just in case on of the other Ankos had changed direction. But she caught no hint of the Jonin, and when she reached their starting point, she briefly pondering the northeast trail and the western tracks. Making up her mind, she jumped into the trees to her left, landing right next to the footprint of the Anko that had laid the false trail.

Looking forward, Hinata saw a branch bent low, with a chunk of the bark knocked loose to the north. But she realized the break in the tree's skin was too sharp, and the tree limb had been pushed down by something far lighter than Anko. So she continued to look around, and saw deflection marks on a tree slightly south of due west.

'She jumped there, to there, to here," Hinata tallied in her head as she followed the imprints, 'And she is moving higher. Which means…'

As Hinata expected, the tracks through the trees stopped. The pale beauty turned her attention downwards, and quickly found Anko's new trail heading south on the ground. The white-eyed Chunin dropped to the ground. Anko's trail became erratic, switching directions every hundred feet or so, as if she was hoping to catch the younger Kunoichi napping, or at least force her to slow down. Despite this, the Jonin's trail was as faint as before, and even with her Byakugan, Hinata found following her target challenging.

Hinata dropped to a walk when she saw Anko resting against a sturdy oak. Suspecting a trap, she approached her tester cautiously.

"No need to hold back," Mitarashi smirked, "This isn't a combat test. And this was the 'hard to follow trail' so I usually don't hide. Though I suppose maybe I should have, considering who's following me."

Hinata closed the distance and tapped Hizashi's student on the shoulder. But this Anko didn't vanish.

"This one only took you fourteen minutes," Anko tried not to sound too angry, "Maybe you should pace yourself. You know, try not to totally humiliate the proctor?"

The pursuing Kunoichi's head dropped and she mumbled something incoherently.

"I'll see you back at the clearing," the real Jonin sighed, not having intended to punish the girl for succeeding. But as she ran off Hinata kept pace with her. The elder daughter of Hiashi kept her eyes focused ahead and her mouth timidly closed.

"Are you sure it's a good idea to follow me?" the Curse Marked woman asked, with a hint of sarcasm in her voice "I could be leading you the wrong way…"

Without saying a word, Hinata picked up speed, leaving the Jonin behind.

"Guess not," Anko said as Hinata faded into the brush, "One of these days I have to get Iruka to teach me how to deal with teenage girls."

Hinata reached the sensory deprivation helmet slightly out of breath and thoroughly conflicted.

'I need to do my best right?' she asked herself, 'But I don't want to upset Anko.'

The still somewhat withdrawn young woman stood there, staring at the last trail. The wind had picked up, and was starting to shift the leaves, covering the route the last clone of Mitarashi had taken. Hinata heard the other woman enter the clearing, but did not react.

"Listen kid," Anko started in an oddly uncomfortable tone, "I got one hell of a temper, and don't like getting shown up. But that's no reason not to break me like a cheap shuriken. This is your test, and I'm not going to be so petty as to fail you just 'cuz you find all my copies in under forty minutes. It just means I'll have to show you up in the second part, OK?"

"If you can," Hinata said softly, drawing on that safe place within his regard.

"Fair enough," the Jonin chuckled, "Now shouldn't you get going?"

"Yes."

Hinata smiled slightly at her examiner in thanks, and then darted north towards the fading tracks. Anko picked up the helmet and spun it in her hands.

"Yeah, she's got my number," Anko sighed again, "But I think I handled that pretty well."

Even with the breeze interfering, this trail was the most obvious of the three, and Hinata quickly figured out why. On this path, Anko's clone had been running full out, sacrificing stealth for speed. Still the Jonin's trail was very faint, and the sixteen year old doubt anyone without a Dojutsu or advanced sense of smell could have followed it at the speed with which she maneuvered through the trees. That thought inspired two others, a curiosity about how Kiba and Shino were fairing, and a relief that Naruto had Gai's skill test instead of Anko's.

Allowing herself to be distracted by her musings, Hinata almost continued her jog after the tracks ended. The Hyuga heiress skidded to a halt in a most Uzumaki like fashion, and began to look around. She chided herself, knowing that the human instinct to moving her head to shift her vision was unnecessary and was considered unbecoming of a Hyuga shinobi. Then she chided herself again, for allowing her internal monologue to disrupt her focus again.

Spreading her vision as far as she could, Hinata could not see another mark on the ground or in the trees. Nor could she spot another chameleon tarp, or the skeletal or chakra systems of a human being. It was like the Shadow Clone had just disappeared.

'Anko wouldn't do that right,' she pondered, 'that would be cheating. Maybe I have been underestimating her this whole time.'

She took a few steps in each direction centering on the end of the footprints, trying to push her quicksilver eyes to see even farther, burning through her chakra. Then she relaxed, not wanting to take a food pill before the second part of the test.

'She's gone,' Hinata lamented, 'but she can't be. I have to be missing something.'

The Chunin tilted her head back, staring into the sky as she sighed. Then she realized what she was doing, and her eyes widened.

"Even with all around vision, we still tend to focus on the horizontal," she told the universe, "And like most other people, we still forget to look up. And down."

She leaned forward symbolically, her Byakugan having already pierced the ground and found the skeleton and chakra system of Shadow Clone Anko. The duplicate sighed, even as Hinata dug into the ground to tap her tester on the chest. Anko's head emerged with a wry grin.

"I thought I had you there, maggot," the proctor said ironically, "But at least it took you longer to find me than it did the first one. So I guess you better get moving."

Hinata rotated her face back and forth gently, knowing there was no way for the clone to know what had happened to the original.

"You already found the solid one?" Anko blinked in surprise. Hinata nodded, and the copy shook her head.

"Then I guess this is game over," the facsimile dismissed herself with a frown. Smiling slightly in triumph, Hinata stretched, and started her run back to the real Anko.

* * *

"Thirty six minutes and fourteen seconds," the Jonin announced as the Chunin entered the field, "less than half your allotted time, and easily the best showing so far…"

Then Anko's visage turned joyfully savage, "Are you ready to run, little rabbit?"

"Just one second, please," Hinata requested. As she had decided earlier, she took out the small tablet and quickly gulped it down.

"Yeah, good call," Mitarashi acted in kind, relaxing, "Holding on to clones for that long can be pretty draining."

"As is the Byakugan," Hinata agreed.

"OK, now are you ready?" Anko prompted again.

"Yes," Hinata said in quadruplicate.

"Good," Anko stared them down as she retrieved her celluar, "It's 8:40 now, which makes it easier to track the times. So I'll be seeing one of you at 8:50, the others a few minutes thereafter."

Despite her best efforts, the Hinatas shuddered from her tone, and took an instant to pity Ino, Shikamaru, and Choji.

"You better go," the Jonin cautioned before she strapped the hood into place. Unlike her examinee, Anko was used to the sensory deprivation, and begin carefully ticking off the seconds. Not that she expected Hinata to take advantage of her, but others had tried, and it was only fair to hold the honest young woman to the same standards.

After the lead-time had expired, Anko freed herself, and dropped the helm unceremoniously on the ground.

"You'll forgive if I don't wish you good luck," Hinata said softly before vanishing to send her knowledge to the other three. Anko was signing even as the smoke cleared.

"Ninja Arts: Obsessive Eyes Jutsu," she activated her first support Genjutsu, then followed it up with, "Ninja Arts: Nose of the Bloodhound Jutsu."

Like an advanced version of the children's puzzle, Anko's enhanced orbs sought out any changes in the landscape around her. At the same time, her empowered nose drank in Hinata's pheromones, helping Anko determine the girls' course.

There were three visible trails, one leading north, one south, and one east. Anko recognized that Hinata's northern route reused her own aborted path.

"Cute, but not good enough," Anko selected that set of tracks to follow. As the experienced woman expected, Hinata's path continued past her original reversal point. Reusing the heavy tracks was just a weak ploy by the girl to cover her own footpath. But after only another half mile, then trail vanished. Mitarashi sniffed at the air, Hinata had paused here, but the scent was not strong enough to indicate the target was close by. A few more deep breaths didn't reveal the Hyuga girl's direction, and Anko frowned. Then she remembered the trick she had used after doubling back, and looked up. Sure enough, there were marks on the trees from where Hinata took to the foliage. A few quick hops later, and Anko was on a branch looking back to the south. Surprised, the examiner followed the footprints on the limbs back to the clearing.

"She came back," Anko mused, "But that leaves only two set of paths from her, and neither looks doubled up."

As she considered, Anko felt a slight respect growing for the girl. This little detour had taken seven minutes, and now she was wracked with indecision. She took a deep breath and let it out as a sigh, but in doing so she noticed something. Anko realized Hinata's odor had barely dissipated at all while she had been following the false trail. She sniffed again, verifying it was more than just the time Hinata had spent in and out of the clearing over the last hour.

'No she's definitely been here recently,' Anko decided, 'Unless… No, she wouldn't. Although, it would be an unexpected tactic.'

She wandered around the perimeter, staring into the woods and twitching her nose for hints of Hinata's scent. Then she suddenly turned back, kneeling down, and flicking the trunk of a tree, hard.

"Ow," the voice of Hinata Hyuga emerged from under the façade, and Anko grabbed the chameleon tarp, scattering the leaves and branches strewn across it.

"Tag," Anko said smugly, "And it only took me nine minutes."

Hinata nodded sadly, and then the clone broke apart, sending news of her defeat to her comrades. Anko stood back up, and addressed the other two paths.

"East or south?" Anko debated, "The trail going east is more obvious, which could mean she wants me to follow it. Or it could mean she was trying to trick me into not following it. Or that whichever Hinata went east piled the twigs and leaves on the one hiding here and was in more of a hurry."

Then she smirked ironically, "Or that she wanted me to sit here debating her motives. Ah, whatever!"

With that proclamation, Anko charged east. But after the first few hundred feet, she was forced to slow down as the trail split in three. One continued due east, one veered slightly north, and the last turned sharply south. All three looked real, but only one had a solid scent tack, so Anko followed the northeastern path.

So it continued. Every hundred meters or so the path would split in two or three, obliging the Jonin to pause and use her olfactory Genjutsu to determine Hinata's true course.

'What, is she planning to go all the way to the Land of Waves?' Anko groused to herself after the fourteenth such split. Despite occasionally diverting north or south, the Chunin's evasion had tended towards the east. But at the next split, Mitarashi hit a new roadblock. Of the three paths, none contained Hinata's gentle aroma. The proctor grimaced, and dashed down the middle path, which again was heading in a purely easterly direction. But after only eighty feet, the trail ended, and Anko was forced to backtrack. This time she chose the left branch, and was rewarded by it continuing onwards, until the next fork.

"How did she do this in ten minutes? How could she run this far and lay so many false trails?" Anko frowned in annoyance. The Jonin decided to bend her rules, and activated an illusion to mask any pain or exhaustion she might be feeling. This would allow her to run at full speed and concentrate more easily, even if she became tired or sore. And because the technique was altering her own sense of touch, she judged it as within the guidelines she had set. She picked up speed, and sprinted through the trees.

After nineteen more splits, Anko saw her. Hinata was standing at the next fork, panting slightly. The younger woman held a flat piece of stone, approximately one foot in diameter and with a cord tied around it. The Hyuga heiress flung the stone sidearm, causing it to skip across the ground, disrupting the foliage and creating marks the looked remarkably similar to the 'ball of her foot only' tracks that Hinata left behind when she strode at high speed. When the rock reached the end of the rope, the Chunin yanked it back, just barely catching it in her fatigue.

"So that's how you did that," Anko announced, "Pretty clever."

Hinata spun back around, to look at her tester. The mischievous woman also noted the skin on the younger Kunoichi's hands was raw from throwing and catching the weight.

"But you didn't do all of this in ten minutes," Mitarashi admonished.

"You didn't say we had to stop and hide after you started looking," Hinata countered carefully, "And sometimes the best way to evade someone is to not stop and wait for them to catch you."

Anko looked like she'd been slapped. But then she smirked and admitted, "True enough. But I have you now."

"No, Anko, you don't," Hinata again challenged her gently, "Check the time."

Her expression turned dark, and the staff-blade user practically tore her jacket yanking her phone out of her pocket. The digital display read 10:08, but as she watched blinked over to 10:09.

"Time's up," Anko admitted sourly. Then she exhaled to regain control of her emotions, and asked, "Are you the real one?"

The duplicate shook her head 'no'.

"Then get out of here, and tell Hinata to meet me back in the clearing."

The clone, and her copy of Hinata's cable disappeared, and the stone she was carrying fell to the ground. No longer troubled by the limitations on of test, Anko took a chakra restorative, and sent energy to her legs both to recover the strain she had put them through, and the enhance her performance on the way back to the starting point of the test.

Despite length of the chase the clone had lead her on, Anko was back to the break in the woods before Hinata. She collected the helmet, and sat down to wait. To her amazement, and slight irritation, the younger woman took almost ten minutes to arrive. When she did, the Jonin stood up, and glared at her.

"Where were you?" the snake summoner demanded, "The Land of Tea?"

"Actually..." Hinata began nervously…

* * *

_Naruto almost jumped when his front door swung inwards .The blond Chunin had moved one of the loveseats and the coffee table aside, and was practicing a katana form in the empty space wielding the awesome, deadly paper towel tube. He spun around, brandishing his 'weapon' menacingly, until he recognized the form of his girlfriend, standing in the portal._

_"Hinata?" he goggled, lowering his 'sword', "Aren't you supposed to be having the stealth test with Anko-sensei? Or is it done already?"_

_"Actually," she grinned at him, obviously self-satisfied, "I'm in the middle of it. We're playing Hide 'n Seek. So, can I hide here for the next seventy minutes?"_

_She stepped inside, closing the door, staring at him suggestively._

_"Sure," Naruto smirked back, "But what do you want to do for the next hour?"_

_"I just want to watch you practice," she said, and his expression turned to one of disappointment, until she added, "Though I think you might find it easier to move around without that shirt."_

_"You might be right," he agreed happily, obliging her…_

* * *

"You went to Naruto's place for a quicky?" Anko exploded.

"No… We didn't… We haven't… We don't…" Hinata stammered. Then she took a second to compose herself.

"You never said the village was off limits," she explained, "And it's always easier to get lost in a crowd. Besides I thought Naruto's condo was the last place you would expect me to go if you were looking for me."

Anko continued to glare the Hinata until she could no longer hold her composure. The Jonin burst out laughing, eventually dropping the helmet to clutch her sides.

"Gods, Hinata," she guffawed, "I never thought you'd be the one to make me change my rules for the next time I have to do this. When Kakashi pulled out that note card for my Taijutsu trail two years ago, I thought he was being anal. But now I can see why he does it. I'm just glad Gai has to deal with Naruto and Shikaku. I can only imagine what those two would put me through."

"Anko?" Hinata walked over carefully, concerned by the Jonin's fits of mirth.

"I'm OK," Mitarashi wheezed, finally regaining control. She straightened, and addressed the Chunin directly, still struggling to keep a straight face.

"Congratulations, Hinata," she said, take a deep breath to keep from giggling, "You have passed the stealth and tracking pillar of the Jonin trials."

"Thank you," Hinata bowed deeply.

"Now get out of here before you make me collapse a lung," she ordered. With no further prompting, the younger woman ran off.

"She went to Naruto's," Anko chuckled, "And made him practice in his underwear… Wait 'til Iruka hears about this."

Even was gap between them widened, Hinata heard peals of laughter erupting from the forest behind her.

* * *

"You slipped up on the Waterfall Cutting Technique," Temari told Naruto abruptly as he finished, "And your Six Stars kata was sloppy. But overall, I have to give your katana style a B Ranking."

Naruto nodded and replaced the blunted, practice blade on the rack. But Temari continued the stare at him expectantly.

"What?" he asked self-consciously.

"The requirements are 2 A-Ranks weapons, 2 B-Rank weapons, and 4 C-Rank weapons," the Sand Jonin explained, "And with 4 A and 6 B styles, you've pretty much blown that away, even with the devaluing of light throwing blades. But I was hoping to see your real weapon."

He did not respond, and she pressed him, "Why haven't you shown me the staff-blade, Naruto?"

"Well, we don't have one here," he pointed at the racks of sparring weapons with a weak grin. Temari gave him a dubious look, and he sighed again.

"To be honest, I wasn't expecting to exhibit the staff-blade," he admitted, "It doesn't have a formalized style, and anyway most people just dismiss it as a stand-in for training with other weapons."

"I mean that is part of why I like it," he added defensively, "Most of those moves and forms I know for the long sword, katana, short sword, jian, mace, and even the tonfa and short spear, they all can be easily translated into the staff-blade. That's also part of the reason I was able to get so good with so many weapons in the last year or so."

"Well, Naruto," Temari looked kindly at him, as her fan appeared, "I'm certainly not one to deride you for an unusual weapon."

"No, I suppose not," he chuckled. She swung the fan over her shoulder, and pointed it at him.

"So will you show me?" though phrased as a question, her tone made it sound more like a command.

"How?" he asked, "Like I said, there's no set style. Half my moves come from other weapons. So it's not like I can prove anything."

"You can prove the staff-blade the same way I proved the fan," she told him, "You spar against someone, until you beat an acknowledgement of your skill into them."

"Spar?" he asked, "But there still isn't a training staff-blade here."

"So you use your Kitsune, and I use my fan," she ordered him, "No Ninjutsu or Genjutsu, and as little Taijutsu as you can. Just weapon against weapon. Since part of being an expert is having control, if you're really as good as the rumors say, you should be able to mock a fight without hurting me."

She flicked her wrist, partially opening her weapon, "Just so you know, I am considered an S-Rank fighter with my weapon of choice. So you better not hold back."

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about that," Naruto smirked. Like the Kunoichi, Uzumaki summoned his weapon without any outside indication he was going to do so. Kitsune appeared, scabbard an all, across his back. He smoothly drew the tubular blade, and assumed a fighting stance. He extended Kitsune lightly in his right hand, keeping his left free and balanced.

'That's the jian's fighting stance,' she considered, 'Which means if I attack hard, he will redirect me and I can use that to turn back for a quick shot to the head.'

Temari swung her fan sideways at Naruto's chest, and as she expected, the staff-blade flicked out to intercept. But contrary to her reasoning and his posture, the Chunin absorbed the blow, and once her attack had been fully aborted, he drove the point of her weapon towards the ground. Once she was off balance, he swung his arm back and stopped Kitsune just short of her chin.

"You probably don't want to underestimate me, either," he informed her, annoyed.

"Sorry, Naruto," she said sincerely, then her eyes grew hard as well, "It won't happen again."

'Right, it's a fusion of other weapon styles and unique moves,' she chided herself, 'So a katana stance could easily lead into a mace or short sword type maneuver.'

Temari lashed out horizontally again, but this time when he stopped her cold, she expanded her fan further, and flipped it over his weapon, trying to score fictional scratches on his chest with the spines at the end each slat. He responded by pushing both of their weapons high, and stepping in, jabbing the vulpine hilt of his creation towards her solar plexus. She caught his wrist with her left hand, but he was too strong for her to stop, so she pushed off, moving away. He countered by stabbing at her neck, but she blocked the attack with her fan and was knocked back for the effort.

Temari flipped backwards as she regained her feet, sweeping her fan up in a move that nearly caught Naruto off guard, but he managed to step back at the last minute. She brought the weapon back down, as if to smack the top of head, but he the blocked strike. The he turned his blade over, pushing her weapon down as he stepped out of the way. He finished the rotation, striking the flat of the fan with Kitsune, sending a vibration through the weapon, numbing her hands.

"I guess I still owe you an apology, Naruto," she offered, even as she stabbed out, quickly opening the fan when he tried to block.

"I think I need to stop testing you by rank, and just fight," she admitted.

"Does this mean we're starting?" he asked with only a hint of mocking, "Because I've faced S-Rank weapon users before, and this wasn't what I would expect."

"Fine, let's dance," her eye twinkled happily, "Just don't blame me for what happens."

She swung her fully opened fan, and when he tried to stop it, closed the weapon over the top of the pole, continuing her path. He tried to divert his weapon to knock her strike away, but he was just to late. Instead, he accepted the 'injury', in return for 'stabbing' her in the shoulder.

* * *

Temari stopped, raising her hand to indicate he should hold up as well. Uzumaki obliged, both were breathing hard and sweating profusely.

"What is it?" he asked, "Are you ok?"

Each had lightly struck the other a handful of times, though Naruto's bruises and scrapes had quickly vanished.

"I'm fine, it's just…" she paused, exhaling raggedly. Then she pointed to the wall.

"It's 6:13," she informed him, "We ran over."

He looked at the large clock hanging in the academy's sparring dojo number three. Then he sheathed Kitsune, grinning sheepishly while rubbing the back of his head with his left hand.

"Sorry, I guess I got to caught up in the match," he apologized.

"No, it's my responsibility," she absolved him, "I was having too much fun. It's been a while since I had a challenge like that."

"Thanks," he smiled broadly, "you too."


	66. Jonin Trials, Day 4

**Chapter 66: Jonin Trials, Day 4**

"Heh, heh, heh," Anko chuckled darkly, "I've been looking forward to this all week. Good morning, Choji…"

The large Chunin stood steady, directly meeting his teacher's eyes without a hint of fear or challenge.

* * *

The Toad Sage stared through the partially open door to the hospital room with a goofy, lecherous grin. Sure, she wasn't quite as endowed as he normally preferred, and the best part was covered. But despite that, he was more than happy to ogle Yugao Uzuki's slightly larger than usual chest as she nursed the infant Rei Uchiha. If the Kunoichi had noticed his presence, she gave no indication.

Just as Yugao was about to set down the baby, giving him a brief, clear view, Jiraiya felt a murderous intent moving swiftly towards him, and he quickly composed his face into the appearance of total seriousness.

"Good morning, Tsunade," he addressed his former teammate, his voice all business, "I wanted to meet Itachi's daughter, but she is bonding with her new mother, so I didn't want to interrupt."

"Right," the Hokage calmed somewhat, not entirely convinced.

"I presume you are the one who put the Wet-nurse Seal on Yugao," he prompted. The medical Sannin did not answer; instead her fury began to build again. He held up his hands in submission.

"Fine, none of my business," he conceded.

"Still," Tsunade said, her voice carrying a tone of allegation, "it is odd that Itachi never told us about this Erika, or that he had a child."

"Just what are you implying?" Jiraiya countered evenly.

"You were his contact all those years," she told him directly, "And he trusted you more than anyone else. I can't believe you didn't know anything about this."

"Apparently I wasn't the one he trusted most," the Toad Sage concluded darkly. Then he forced those emotions away, adding, "He never told me anything about getting married or having a child, though he did mention this Erika a couple of times around five or six years ago. He wanted me to let Sarutobi know that the Raikage was still hunting for Kekkei Genkai. And he did occasionally make statements about having reasons beyond Madara that he wanted to stay undercover."

Tsunade frowned thoughtfully, then shrugged. She started to comment, but was interrupted when Yugao's voice emerged from the hospital nursery room where she, Kakashi, and Rei were staying.

"If you two don't want to discuss state secrets in the hallway, I'm done with the feeding," the former ANBU agent chided them, "And against my better judgment, I will introduce Rei to the Pervy Sage."

Tsunade laughed, but Jiraiya looked annoyed.

"I thought you were above that, Yugao," he said in mock hurt, as he stepped into the room. She smiled angelically at them.

"According to all the members of both my team and Kakashi's team that is your official title, Master Jiraiya," she informed him.

"Now there's an idea," Tsunade grinned as she shut the door. The male Sannin groaned in response.

* * *

"Good morning, Naruto," Iruka greeted his surrogate nephew.

"Hi, Iruka-sensei," Naruto's acknowledgement was unusually subdued. He did not meet his teacher's eyes, and had entered the room slowly.

"Is something the matter?" Iruka asked. When the question didn't garner a response, the Jonin decided to try a different tactic.

"Did Hinata's little distraction yesterday morning make you mess up your weapons test?" Umino teased lightly. Uzumaki turned red briefly, but then shook his head.

"Nah, that went great," Naruto admitted, though his demeanor did not change, "Temari even accepted the staff-blade as a real weapon."

"Then what is it?" Iruka pressed.

"It's this Genjutsu test," he complained, "There's no way I can pass."

"It can't be that bad," the elder Shinobi tried to deny him.

"Honestly? I would have to say I haven't improved at all since the academy," Naruto claimed, collapsing further into despair. His teacher watched him for a minute, and then came to a decision.

"Naruto, I'm going to tell you something," Iruka said conspiratorially, "You know that before I became a Jonin two years ago, I was a Chunin, right?"

The younger man nodded.

"Well, two years ago wasn't the first time I underwent the Jonin Trials," Umino told him, "When I was nineteen I took them. I was trying to keep up with Anko, who became a Tokubetsu Jonin two years earlier. But it was a fiasco. I totally screwed up my Genjutsu and Taijutsu tests, and though it was close, I also failed the skills test. I was so mortified I didn't think about trying again until you left the village to train with Master Jiraiya. So even if you make a fool of yourself here, I'd say you're in pretty good company."

"Thanks, Iruka-sensei," Uzumaki managed a smile.

"So let's get started," the Jonin prompted, "After all, the only thing worse than failing is failing to try, right?"

"Right," Naruto perked up, finally wearing his normal grin, "It's not like I've been ever been afraid to mess up before."

"Good," Iruka smiled broadly at him, "First, you have to show that you can break Genjutsu used against you. Are you ready?"

Naruto's smirk slipped, but he nodded the affirmative.

"Ok, we'll start with something simple," the proctor offered evenly. He signed quickly, and whispered the name so the Chunin couldn't hear it. Then he took out a kunai, and turned it over in his hand. As Iruka displayed the weapon, it appeared to transform, growing longer, and sprouting a hilt, until finally it was a two-handed sword with a kunai shaped blade. Naruto placed his hands together, and rotated the Chakra in his body.

"Release," the blonde ordered, but nothing changed.

"RELEASE," Naruto proclaimed more loudly, pressing his palms together. His 'uncle' shook his head, and took a step closer, raising the weapon.

"Come on, release," Uzumaki begged as the kunai-sword started to descend. No longer sure it was an illusion, Naruto jumped backwards to avoid the blade.

"Naruto," Iruka scolded him again, "There's no way this kunai could cut you from so far away."

Naruto blinked, and the sword was a dagger again. He realized that had he held his ground, the real blade would not have even come within a foot of his body.

"Sorry, Iruka-sensei," he rubbed his finger under his nose shamefully, "But when you started swinging that thing, I suddenly wasn't sure if it was really a Genjutsu or if it was some sort of Ninjutsu."

"That was Butchering Dagger Genjutsu," Umino explained to his student, "It is an D-Rank Genjutsu, though an uncommon one. Well, let's try another one."

He signed quickly, and then split in two. Except the two Iruka's were far from identical. One looked normal, but the other was only about eight years old, wearing a white t-shirt and jean shorts.

"Two of me, right?" Iruka asked. Both copies moved their lips in unison, but their voice emerged from between them. Naruto nodded.

"And which one is real?"

"The one on my right," Naruto sounded mildly annoyed, and pointed to the adult Iruka.

"Good," the pair agreed, "Now make the illusion disappear."

"Right," Naruto said firmly, squeezing his eyes shut to concentrate, "One fake Iruka-sensei… Release!"

He opened his eyes, but both versions of his teacher were still there. He repeated the process, but before he could announce his intent, he was interrupted.

'This is stupid," the fox demon suddenly stated.

'What, my trying to get promoted?' Naruto demanded.

'Well, yes,' the vixen conceded, 'but I meant playing around with illusions. Real is what I choose it to be. If you don't want the child version of your teacher around, destroy it with your Rasengan. Trying to do anything else is a waste of energy.'

"Shut up," Naruto growled under his breath. The Irukas glanced at him in confusion.

"What?" the proctor asked.

"Sorry, Iruka-sensei," Naruto frowned in distaste, "The fuzz-ball is hassling me."

"Well, ignore it," Umino counseled.

"Release," Naruto tried to break the visual spell, "Release. Release…"

"Let's stop there," the Jonin said, ending his technique, "Maybe you should show me what Genjutsu you know instead."

"Sure," Naruto agreed indifferently. He considered for a moment, and then continued, "Well, the first illusion I learned was this…"

He moved through the four hand signs much more slowly than usual, before stating, "Ninja Art: Pallet Swap Jutsu."

Slowly, Naruto's hair changed from blonde to grey to almost black.

"Is that all?" Iruka asked gently. Pallet Swap was only a D-Rank technique, and most ninja who used it could change the color of their hair, eyes, clothes, even their skin and teeth with only one use of the technique.

"Yeah," Naruto admitted, ending the mirage morosely.

'Why change your look with an illusion, instead of changing your real appearance?' the Kyubi prompted again.

"Just leave me alone, you stupid fox," the teenaged shinobi exclaimed loudly.

"Naruto?"

"She keeps bothering me about how she think Genjutsu is a waste of time and energy," the Chunin explained sharply, "She says instead of throwing away my chakra on illusions, I should just use Ninjutsu to do the same thing for real."

"Really?" Iruka considered that thoughtfully, "And what does she say when I tell her I can make a forest with Genjutsu, but not Ninjutsu."

Naruto paused for a moment, and then growled, "She just made fun of you."

"What did she say?" the proctor continued, intrigued.

"She said some guy named Senju Harashima could make a forest with Ninjutsu, so you are obviously inferior to him."

Umino chuckled, "Well, I never would claim to be an equal of Senju _Hashirama_. There's a reason he was the first Hokage, after all."

"Now she says you're smarter than you look."

"That will be enough," Iruka coughed, not sure he liked a compliment from the demon, even a backhanded one, "Let's get back to your test. What do you want to show me next?"

"What I want to show you and can show you are two different things," Uzumaki sniffed.

"Just give it your best."

"If I'm gonna fail, might as well fail big, right?" Naruto decided with a glimmer of his normal attitude, "My best A-Rank Genjutsu, Masking Storms Jutsu."

Naruto completed the hand signs sharply, and confidently. But afterwards, nothing happened. Not the drop of water or whisper of wind was experienced by the former Academy teacher. He watched Naruto sadly, as the young man focused as hard as he could on the technique.

"I'm sorry Naruto," the examiner stopped him, "but nothing is happening. Maybe you should try it again."

"Yeah, sure," his brief reverie dashed, Naruto formed the seals of the illusion more slowly and deliberately. Familiar with the move, the scarred Jonin could tell his student was executing the jutsu properly. And the echoes of chakra ringing off the blonde youth could be tangibly felt. But despite that, the Genjutsu never formed, and never invaded Iruka's senses.

"Stop," he commanded the younger ninja gently, quickly adding, "Maybe we should try something less complex."

"Ok," Naruto agreed. The teen proceeded to flawlessly perform the hand signs six B and C-Rank Genjutsu techniques, expending vast amounts of chakra; all with no impact at all. With each attempt, Yukihana's son grew more frustrated and tired.

"Are we done here, Iruka-sensei?" Naruto panted, finally too exhausted to keep trying.

"Yes," Iruka said simply. After a slight bow the teen hurried out of the room. Once he was gone, Iruka finally allowed himself show his concern over what he had seen and more importantly, what he had heard.

* * *

Hinata was already waiting in the dojo when Yugao scrambled in at 11:59 AM.

"Sorry, Hinata," the Jonin said quickly, "I lost track of time."

"Were you at the monument again?" Hinata asked gently.

"No, the hospital," Uzuki answered

"Oh," Hinata's eyes went with worry, "I'm sorry. What's wrong?"

"No, nothing's wrong," she chuckled, "I was visiting Master Jiraiya."

"Why?" Hinata asked. Though her question was innocent enough, Yugao looked away and cleared her throat.

"Nothing worth discussing now," the former ANBU shinobi told her, "as we are already starting to run late. I suppose Naruto told you how I run this exam?"

"No," the younger woman shook her head slightly, "Lady Tsunade scolded Naruto for wanting to compare notes, so we have been very careful not too discuss the tests that we have not both already taken."

"Then I guess I need to explain," Uzuki said thoughtfully, and then gave Hinata a rundown of her 'style then spar' examination method. The Chunin nodded along, seemingly pleased with the format of the exhibition.

"I do have one question, Yugao-sensei," Hinata put forth, "Would it be against your rules for the two of us to use Shadow Clones so I can show you more than nine Taijutsu styles. If we each created a clone, I could exhibit twice as many Taijutsu types. Or with two clones I could…"

"Hinata," Yugao cut her off gently, "Do you honestly have twenty seven different Taijutsu styles you want to show me?"

The pale girl blushed, and shook her head 'no'.

"And would you have eighteen styles you could exhibit?" Kakashi's lover pressed. But to the Jonin's surprise, while still looking uncomfortable, Hinata nodded, 'yes'.

"Really?" Uzuki was surprised, not because she doubted the girl, but because she knew Hinata was not the type to lie or exaggerate.

"Yes, I think I can," Hinata answered humbly, still looking down.

"Then this calls for a change of plans," the proctor decided, placing her hands together, and proclaiming, "Shadow Clone Jutsu."

In that instant, not one but four Yugao's were present in the dojo.

"We'll borrow a second dojo. Temari does not have an exam right now, so number three should be open. That way, two of you can spar with me, while the other two show me the technical side of those Taijutsu styles," Yugao suggested, "We'll keep the time frame per Taijutsu at twenty minutes, but this will give you more of a chance to show each style."

"But…" Hinata started, uncertain, "Can you change the exam that much? Anko-sensei said she couldn't change the rules of her skills test."

"That's not an issue," the Jonin explained, "Because the Taijutsu requirements are set by the Conclave, and most style exhibited are codified, the proctor is given a great deal of leeway. However, the skills test is not well defined. There used to be some standards, like crossing a singing floor, or catching a butterfly. But nobody uses singing floors anymore, ninjas have too many way past them, and a pair of video cameras are cheaper, easier to install, and less obtrusive. As a result, the proctors for the skills pillar must submit a testing plan to the Jonin council. Of course, a small amount of deviation is unavoidable, like Anko telling you to tag her, but she couldn't tell Choji that he can't go back to the village and make out with Ino."

"How did you…" Hinata turned beet red, and couldn't finish the sentence.

"We had dinner with Anko and Iruka last night," Yugao explained, not laughing at her.

"So shall we begin?" the elder Kunoichi asked, trying to help the young woman recover her composure.

"Yes," Hinata said quickly, before producing three clones of her own. Two of the copies moved towards the door, while the other pair spread out in the spacious training room. One of Yugao's copies indicated the entryway to her 'sister', who nodded, and they lead the two Hinatas away. The remaining two Jonin duplicates turned back to face the remaining Chunin facsimiles.

"What style do you wish to start with?" the true Yugao asked her exhibitor.

"I believe I will start with the Gentle Fist," both Hinatas said in unison, growing confident now that she was more in her element.

"I will fight you, Yugao-sensei," the Chunin clone further in the room announced, assuming the fighting stance. Her left foot and palm were pushed far forward, and she held her fingers loosely. She waited for the other Kunoichi to prepare herself, then moved in quickly yet consciously. Before the white-eyed girl reached her, the purple-eyed woman launched a roundhouse kick at her side. Hinata lightly tapped the foot with her right palm, but this did not stop Yugao's leg, and the Hyuga scion was struck and sent sprawling.

"Hinata?" Uzuki gasped in surprise, rushing over to the fallen princess, "Why didn't you block that?"

"I did," Hinata frowned thoughtfully, "But I'm afraid the Gentle Fist is not well suited for this kind of sparring. Had we been fighting for real, the chakra I expel would have knocked your kick away, and probably numbed your foot. But I can't use my chakra, because even a partial hit with the Gentle Fist can cause major injuries."

Yugao considered that. She was familiar with the basic tenants of the Hyuga fighting style, though she had never seen it in actual combat.

"Then, since we are both Shadow clones, perhaps we should fight in earnest?" the examiner suggested, "After all, if one of us 'dies' the only cost is some chakra."

Hinata answered with a question, curious but peculiarly not anxious, "Won't we waste a lot of chakra if we do that?"

"I was told you had purchased a whole bag of food pills," Yugao smiled softly.

"Yes," Hinata agreed, "But I only brought one with me. I didn't expect to need them for the Taijutsu test."

"Then I guess you'll just have to keep me from destroying your clones," the former ANBU agent countered with a slight twinkle of mischief.

"I should say the same to you, sensei," Hinata regained her feet and resumed her stance.

"Don't get ahead of yourself," Uzuki countered. She stepped in with a hard right cross. But Hinata pivoted at the waist, and as the Jonin's hand sailed by, the Chunin brought her left hand up, jamming her energy lace fingers into Yugao's elbow. Even as the elder shinobi's wrist fell loose, Hinata softly pressed her palm to the opposing clone's stomach. With a slight look of surprise, Yugao's copy exploded.

"In this case, I am not," Hinata responded to Yugao's previous statement with poise, even as the real tester spawned another facsimile.

* * *

On the other side of the wall, in training room number three, the other set of Yugaos had also ask the Chunin duplicates which Taijutsu she was going to show first.

"I'll start with the Hard Fist," the younger Kunoichi informed her.

"Good," the copy of Yugao near the front of the dojo assumed a fighting stance, while the other Jonin shadow moved back against the outer wall to give Hinata space to perform her kata. As was fitting the style, the sparring teen charged her proctor, leading with her fists.

* * *

"Your Sekkendō is excellent," Yugao conceded, panting slightly, "Not quite S-Rank, but very close. So what will your last style be?"

"My other set is showing the Whipping Willow style," Hinata told her, and Uzuki nodded, unsurprised, "So I will be showing the Tiger & Heron style."

"I might have guessed," the Jonin told her, "Naruto told me you had been working on that Taijutsu with him."

"He did?" Hinata smiled happily.

"He works on it harder than I do," Naruto's girl added, but without diminishing her mood, "Because it's his mother's creation. But I'm still pretty good."

Yugao remembered her sparring match with Naruto the previous Tuesday, and wondered what she was in for. Even if Naruto was more skilled in this Taijutsu than his girlfriend, the Chunin Kunoichi was faster and more flexible.

Hinata smoothly slid her body into position. The basic stance of the Tiger & Heron was superficially similar to the stance of the Hand Fist and Tiger styles, feet just over shoulder width apart, with the user's off foot leading. Her left arm was perpendicular to the ground in front of her body. Her right was parallel to the mat and positioned by her head. And unlike the Hard Fist or pure Tiger styles, her left hand was tightly closed, while her right was open in a claw.

Yugao assumed the same posture but with both hands closed deciding to start with the Hard Fist style. In her sparring with Naruto, she had tried the Arc Limbs technique to start, but the circular attacks had proven less than effective against Yukihana's art. Still, as befitting the Hard Fist, the proctor attacked first, aiming a right cross at the girl's face. Hinata dropped under the attack, catching the Jonin off guard. In the same move, the young woman's right hand darted out, raking across Yugao's abdomen. Had they not been sparring, the charka in Hinata's 'claw' would have seriously injured, or even killed the clone. As it was, the blow hurt. But Hinata wasn't finished; she spun her body, extending her leg. Yugao jumped over the expected sweep, however she miscalculated. The Hyuga scion turned her leg up, and the heel kick that had been aimed for Yugao's chin caught her left breast instead. The cloned Jonin used the attack's force to flip back, gaining some distance to form a new strategy.

'That's two mistakes,' Yugao chided herself, then repeated to herself the three basic tenants of the Tiger & Heron, 'Do not block; attack. Do not control; destroy. Do not dodge; unless it is to take advantage of an opening.'

Yugao switched to the Wolf Pack style, and launched a simultaneous left knife hand at Hinata's throat and a left knee at her right side. Hinata took the blow to her gut, but sandwiched Yugao's attacking wrist in between a pair of punches that broke both forearm bones. Still gasping in pain from Yugao's knee strike, Hinata slid in, slamming her right elbow into Yugao's temple, then bringing her foot around in a pulling kick that forced the Jonin into the ground, crushing her spine. The clone exploded, and Hinata froze with a look of horror.

"I'm so sorry, Yugao-sensei," she bowed to the original, her face bright red.

"Don't be to upset, Hinata," the Jonin counseled, creating a new Shadow Clone, "I stopped pulling my punches before you did. You just did a better job. And you were not using any chakra, right?"

"Still…"

"Do you want to stop?" Yugao pressed gently, "I have some idea of your skills, but I don't think I have the whole picture yet. And we still have more than ten minutes."

Hinata pondered this, and finally shook her head.

"No," the teen said softly but firmly, "I am so happy that Naruto let me learn this style with him, and I am proud of how far Naruto and I have advanced in our studies. I want to show you just what I can do."

"Good," Yugao agreed, "We'll just both have to be more careful."

Uzuki's newest clone placed both her feet together, and stood with both arms in front of her, openhanded. Hinata's eyes widened, recognizing the style. But she resumed her fighting stance, and honored the basis for both styles by attacking first.

As Yugao had deduced, the loose, defensive method of the Whipping Willow was a better match for the Tiger & Heron than other, more aggressive techniques. Hinata punched, clawed, and kicked, but the only time the Chunin landed any blows was during the Jonin's counter attacks. So long as Yugao only protected herself, Hinata could not hit her. But in turn, any hint of offense by the proctor was punished by the examinee. And Uzuki could tell that, had they been landing real blows, she would have been in much worse shape than the Chunin. Finally she noticed her opening.

"Stop," the purple-eyed woman announced, "Time is up."

Both Hinatas panted, and she released the Shadow Clone thankfully. A few seconds later, the clones in the other room also cancelled themselves.

"How did… I… do… Yugao-sensei?" Hinata asked in-between deep breathes. The Jonin considered the question for a moment. In her previous examinations, she had not told the candidate how they fared. But given Hinata's dichotomous nature of late, and her fondness for the young woman, Yugao decided it would not hurt to tell her.

"You did splendid, Hinata," Yugao told her, "I am genuinely impressed by your mastery of unarmed combat. You have passed, and will receive my recommendation."

Hinata blushed at the praised, but smiled sincerely, and said, "Thank you, Yugao-sensei."

* * *

"Are you sure about this?" Tsunade asked, turning her chair away from him, "Right now, if something happens to me before Naruto is ready, you would be my choice to be the next Hokage. If you do this, there is almost no way that could happen."

"I have no desire to be the Hokage," Kakashi Hatake answered simply.

"Neither did I," she said wistfully, "But I did it because the village needed me. And I'd say it's turned out pretty good."

"Nevertheless," the Copy Ninja was not swayed, "I have decided. This is what I need to do. And it isn't as if I can't change my mind later."

"No, I guess not," she sighed, "I guess I'll get the paperwork started. When are you going to tell those three?"

"I planned to wait until after the results of the Jonin Trials," he explained, "They have enough on their minds for now."

* * *

"I have never come this close to that nest of demons before," the Reaper told her companions, shifting the new weapon slung across her back. She shuddered, as she looked upon the five stone faces on the cliff not so far away.

"Frightened?" Zetsu asked, adding in a different voice, "Or is it anticipation?"

"You could say I am eager," the shield bandaged woman agreed, "There is someone down there I really want to see…"

"Just keep yourself under control," Deidara warned her sharply, "We have a job to do."

"Like he's one to talk," the white side of the plant renegade whispered to his new partner. She did not respond; she simply stared at the outline of the Konohagakure.


	67. Jonin Trials, Day 5

**Chapter 67: Jonin Trials, Day 5**

"I can do this," Hinata told her reflection, before grabbing the tube of toothpaste and smearing a little too much on her toothbrush. The Hyuga heiress forced herself to only think positive thoughts, because she knew that weapons were her weakest pillar.

Her teeth suitably polished, Hinata shed her camisole and panties, and moved quickly into the shower. The Kunoichi shivered under the cold water, but she was unwilling to wait for it to warm. She and Naruto were meeting at ten AM at his condo, and she wanted to get in a full three hours of practice with her weapons first. The pale beauty washed her hair, noticing that it was almost back to the length it had been before the battle with the vampire demon. She had become so accustomed to braiding it that she hadn't realized how long it had become. She debated getting it cut, but decided to hold off. Her locks rinsed, she caught up the soap and sponge and began to lightly scrub her skin.

As Hinata slipped on her uniform's top, and secured her obi, her thoughts drifted back to the previous night. Even though Naruto had not been expecting to pass the Genjutsu test, he had not expected to do so badly. But with a good meal, some reassuring words, and a little bit of _dessert_, Hinata had been able to lighten his mood. She blushed at the memory of his kisses, and the knowledge that she had been ready to make love to him. But Naruto had managed to show restraint, and fact that made her proud, thankful, and disappointed all at once.

Hinata picked up the duffle bag containing her practice weapons, and jogged down to the courtyard. Thankfully, it was empty, so the older daughter of Hiashi deposited her bag on the deck surrounding the atrium, and began to set out her weapons. First were the kunai, shuriken, and needles, the weapons grouped together as light throwing blades. Next was her original choice of primary weapon, the manriki-gusari. Under that were her swords, the short sword, wakizashi, and katana. After placing them on the patio, she assembled her quarterstaff. That task complete she took out the paired tonfas Neji had helped her learn. With all her other weapons ready, Hinata summoned her new primary weapon, the kote Ginmaki. As soon as the bracers appeared on her wrists, she removed them, and set them on top of her bag. The protruding edges of the forearm guards interfered with the tonfas, so Hinata decided to practice with those first, and then reequip her kote when practicing with all of her other weapons.

She stepped into the middle of the natural space, clearing her mind and holding the swinging clubs tightly against her wrists. She saluted her invisible opponent, and then stepped back into a fighting stance even as she swung the tonfa in her right hand at her enemy. She blocked the counterstrike with both weapons, and then rotated her left hand weapon into her target's shoulder.

A number of small clues spun Hinata around just in time to block her wooden practice katana as it descended towards her head. She shifted her right arm to look at her attacker, and was only mildly surprised to see her younger sister.

"Good morning, Hanabi," Hinata said evenly. Hanabi Hyuga had been in a particularly foul mood since returning from the Land of Lightning. Her team had been eliminated on the second test, and in the two weeks since, the girl had alternated between snappish and moping. The younger sister had been telling anyone who would listen that it was the fault of her teammates and their sensei Choza Akimichi. But now the only ones who would hear her out were the Branch Family members she cornered, and their increasingly unsympathetic father.

Hanabi swung the long blade again, this time aiming at Hinata's neck. She wore a particularly dark expression, and was attacking with all her strength. Even so, Hinata was able to stop her two-handed strike with only one of her tonfa, possessing superior strength from both age and training. After pushing the sword away, Hinata twirled the bar in her left hand, bringing it within an inch of Hanabi's face. The younger Kunoichi grimaced from the implied hit, and stabbed forward towards her sister's stomach. The Chunin easily sidestepped the attack, scoring two more near hits against her opponent's left elbow and the back of her neck.

The Genin practically snarled as she turned back again to face her target. Hanabi watched her sister carefully, but Hinata made no move to counterattack, nor did she indicate any anger or disappointment over the ambush. Instead, Naruto's beloved simply observed her younger sibling, waiting for the next blow. Her teeth clenched in fury, Hanabi tensed, not to attack, but to dash the practice katana against the grass. At the last instant she stopped, and returned the weapon to where Hinata had arrayed. Without saying a word, she stalked off.

"That was foolish," Neji commented, stepping out from one of the other hallways leading to the courtyard, "attacking you like that."

"She wasn't attacking me, brother," Hinata interjected quickly, "Hanabi was helping me practice for my weapons test."

Neji smiled slightly as he shook his head, "It is kind of you to cover for her, but there is no excuse for what she did. She may not have been trying to kill you, but she certainly wouldn't have been upset if she had given you a concussion or broken one of your arms. I think I may need to have a talk with Lord Hiashi."

"Please, don't," Hinata requested with all the strength she could muster, "I harbor no resentment to Hanabi over this, and being confronted will only make her feel more angry and alone."

Neji nodded slowly, unconvinced, but also unable to refute her reasoning. He bowed slightly, and left her to her training. Hinata returned her tonfas to her tote, and took up the quarterstaff. As she did, she exhaled and allowed her sadness to show on her face.

* * *

"Just a second," Naruto shouted. He quickly glanced at the digital clock next to his TV, which read h5:6. It was too early for Hinata, leaving Uzumaki puzzled as to who was at his door.

The teen dropped off his ceiling, flipping in mid-air to land on his feet. Instead of his normal orange jumpsuit, he was clad in a tradition stealth shozoku. He was covered from the neck down in matte-black, reinforced, silk, except for his hands. He quickly trotted over to his front door. After unlocking and opening the portal, he was confronted by the unexpected presence of his girlfriend.

"Oh, hey Hinata," he stammered slightly, "You're earlier than I thought you'd be."

He stepped out of her way, swinging his arm to indicate she should come in.

"I'm sorry," she said spritely, "I got done early and thought I would come over and watch you."

"Doesn't that contradict the purpose of stealth training?" Naruto murmured. Despite the young woman's smile and light tone of voice, he could sense something else. Once she was inside, he closed and secured the door before approaching the subject.

"Hinata, what's wrong?" he asked carefully, embracing her from behind. The Hyuga scion froze, before turning around in his arms to stare at him in mock confusion.

"Nothing," she countered weakly, her lips turning down for an instant.

"Hinata," he pulled her tighter, and whispered in her ear, "Are you trying to make me worry?"

She sighed, then settled her head on his shoulder.

"It's barely worth mentioning," she told him, "Just, I had a fight with Hanabi this morning. It isn't a problem for me, but I'm worried about her. She is getting more aggressive and selfish. I have even overheard father lamenting how he parented her. And since the she returned from the Land of Lightning, it has only gotten worse."

"Maybe we need to beat some sense into her," he suggested. Her head jerked up in surprise, but when she saw his expression, she realized he was joking. At least, mostly. She smirked back at him.

"No matter how much my father has accepted you, and regrets Hanabi's recent attitude, I don't think he will let you do that," she warned him.

"Actually, I was thinking of Gramma Tsunade," he informed her.

"That might work," she conceded thoughtfully. Then both started giggling.

"Better?" he asked, releasing her after giving her a brief kiss.

"A little," she nodded, "You can cheer me up, Naruto, but it doesn't change the underlying problem with Hanabi. I don't know how to help her."

"It might be you can't," he told her gently, "There was a long time where I thought if I could just find the right words, I could convince Sasuke to come back. But after I came back from my training with Master Jiraiya, when we fought I realized that there was nothing I could do for him."

"Not that I'm saying Hanabi's as bad as that jerk," he continued hastily, seeing her worried look, "Just that you might not be the one to help Hanabi. You might be too close to her."

She nodded again, looking at him with a gentle grin.

"Thank you," she told him.

"Anytime, Hinata-chan."

* * *

"Very good," Choza Akimichi walked over to the target, and admired the precision of the six-pointed star Hinata had 'sketched' with eighteen kunai. After the Jonin nodded his approval again, the young woman jogged over and retrieved the throwing knives, checking each one for damage. Most she returned to the main compartment her sack; but three were chipped or splintered, and she slid them into a separate pouch for recycling.

"This was easily your best weapon," he told her, "Far above even your manriki-gusari. Very top of the A-Rank. That makes seven weapons…"

"Mr. Akimichi," she interrupted him carefully, "if you don't mind, there is something else I would like to show for the light throwing blades."

"Of course," the rotund proctor nodded, "Please continue."

Hinata activated her upgraded Kekkei Genkai. Then she drew a single kunai in her right hand, while taking into her left hand a stack of shurikens so tall she could barely hold them all. The Chunin squared off with the now clean target. Except instead of throwing her dagger at the target, she hurtled in upwards at an angle so it would pass right over the tree containing the bull's-eye.

"Hina…" Choza started to ask something, but stopped as she flipped the first shuriken into her right hand, and released it at high velocity. Almost as soon as the first was gone, Hinata 'loaded' the second throwing star.

The first star hit the kunai, redirecting it downwards and to their right. The second star hit, and the kunai was flying straight again, but was going to miss the mark to the right. Her third star deflected the dagger back to the left, but now at a sharper downward angle. A fourth projectile diverted the kunai up without changing that it would hit to the left of the tree containing the target. The fifth shuriken put the knife's course back on a parallel to the original and third paths.

When the sixth throwing star struck the kunai, the Akimichi clan leader realized Hinata was causing the kunai to spiral in a hexagon pattern as it approached the target. His face went slack, understanding the dexterity, visual acuity, and mathematical skill necessary to execute the flashy display.

The next eleven shurikens continued the pattern, scribing a regular six-sided polygon around the target. The eighteenth and final throwing star diverted the kunai in a different direction, and the ninja blade buried itself in the center of the bull's-eye, though not as deeply as if she had thrown it directly. Hinata exhaled with a smile of satisfaction.

"Hinata, that was the Uchiha Deflection technique." Choza told her in awe. She nodded.

"Where did you learn that?" he continued forcing some of the wonder out of his voice, "Or more importantly, how did you learn it? The Uchiha carefully guarded that skill; they always claimed the technique was impossible without the Sharingan."

"Kakashi-sensei taught me," she responded softly, not knowing it was a secret art, "He thought my Suigin Byakugan, combined with my speed would be enough to let me perform the technique without the Sharingan. It was hard at first, but I managed to master it."

'Then where did Kakashi learn it?' Choza pondered silently. Hinata stared at him nervously, so he took out a pear, and bit deeply into it to help regain his composure.

"Well, then I will definitely have to say you are an S-Rank with throwing weapons," he declared, then added more softly, "For what it is worth."

Hinata nodded. She understood that the light throwing blades weapons set was considered a common skill. Unlike common Ninjutsu like the Shadow Clone technique, the hand projectiles were still allowed for the weapons test, but was generally frowned on as a soft choice, and only counted as a weapon one rank lower than the candidate actually displayed. Still, if Hinata was considered to have an S-Rank in light throwing blades, it could count for one of her two A-Rank weapons.

"You haven't shown me your signature weapon yet," the heavy Jonin noted, "Unless it was the weighted chain. But you only showed that at B-Rank…"

He sounded concerned at the end, and Hinata hurriedly contradicted him.

"No, my main weapon is something else," she answered delicately, "I'm just not sure about them…"

"Don't worry, you'll do fine," he reassured her kindly.

"That's not it," she smiled sadly, "My primary weapon is an unusual choice, so I am worried to won't be recognized."

"I'll be the judge of that," he said sternly, "So let's see this mystery weapon."

Hinata raised her arms, and summoned Ginmaki into position.

"My primary weapons are these kote," she announced. Her proctor frowned in thought as he considered the devices.

"Definitely a unique choice," he agreed, then ordered, "Show me."

Hinata backed away, and began to show her combat style. She began with the simple attacks, and then moved into more complex maneuvers. She had basically redesigned the style based on Taijutsu styles that focused on the lower arms, and a few older scrolls she had read, authored by the previous users of the weapon. Naruto had found most of the old information for her, and had helped her work out her way to use Ginmaki as a full-fledged weapon.

After exhibiting the strikes of the style, she began to launch into the forms they had created. Even as she fought her invisible foe, she could almost see Naruto opposite her performing the attacks and blocks with his infectious grin. She settled, and flowed smoothly through the kata, before ending with a bow to her 'opponent'.

"Very interesting. You have a surprisingly broad variety of strikes for forearm bashes and elbows. And your defense would be undeniably strong. But still, you had a large number of punches in there, more than are usual for a weapon style. And there were some strange attacks in there I couldn't quite understand."

"And my punches?" she asked, careful but not perturbed, "Were they not poorly executed? Too stiff, of the sort that would hurt my hands or wrists?"

He considered it, and then agreed, "Yes, I suppose they were."

"And my punches, would they make more sense if I was holding a katar?" she queried slyly. He nodded, still unclear where she was going.

"And those strikes you didn't understand," she continued, "Were they the attacks were I slash with my forearm, instead of striking?

He nodded again, and she smiled.

"The reason some of my attacks seem off, is because I am showing you the full style without show you my whole weapon," she explained, holding up her right arm. She sent a sliver of lightning chakra into the kote. Blades of purple energy erupted from the front and the sides.

"So the punches are stabbing with that blade, as are the slashes," he nodded looking at her arm.

"Yes."

"Show me again, with the blades," he instructed.

She repeated the set again, showing all of the maneuvers of her bladed kote, and the three kata. In the end she bowed again, and released the chakra.

"That is much more deadly than it initially appeared," he told her, "Though I can still see some room for improvement. Still, I would call it A-Rank style."

"Thank you, Mr. Akimichi," she bowed, smiling happily.

"Well, I would ask if you have any more weapons to exhibit," the expansive Jonin noted, "But your bag is empty, and our time is almost up. I was my pleasure to administer your Jonin weapons trial, Hinata."

"Mr. Akimichi?"

"Is there something else, Hinata?' he turned back to look at her again. The young woman's face was painted with worry.

"Do you have another test at three?" she asked nervously.

"No, you were my last exam," he said supportively.

"Then, if you have some time, I would like to talk to you about Hanabi."

Choza Akimichi's normally kind and jovial face creased with a frown.

* * *

"Hello, Naruto," Might Gai greeted the Chunin as he approached the outside of the arena. But Uzumaki noticed a strain in his eyes, and that Lee's hero was not so loud or grandiose as normal.

"Is something wrong, Gai-sensei," Naruto asked, more worried about his test than the melodramatic Jonin.

"No," Gai shook off his doldrums, flashing his teeth and giving the teen a thumbs-up, "But thank you… for asking!"

"Whatever," Naruto sighed with an exhausted look, "Can we just start this?"

"Of course!" Gai nodded, overjoyed by what he perceived as enthusiasm on the part of the Chunin.

"Inside the arena there are thirty event stations," the Jonin explained, "Each one designed to test a different facet of your non-combat, non-chakra skills and training."

"Wait, I thought this was a stealth and tracking test," Naruto interrupted.

"That is a common misconception," Gai said imperiously, "This test can also cover your knowledge of chemistry, your agility skills whether stealth related or not, and your information gathering skills. It is just that stealth and tracking often take center stage."

"So, as I was saying, there are thirty stations in the arena. You must complete twenty-five within the three-hour time limit in order to pass. You may attempt the tests in any order you desire. Each task has its own set of rules which must adhere to, though there is also the first universal rule."

"What's that?" Naruto asked, curious yet cautious. Gai took out four cuffs and showed them to the younger man.

"These manacles restrict your ability to use chakra. You are forbidden to use chakra for any part of this test, and these will be attached to each of your wrists and ankles to help guarantee that you are not tempted."

"Beyond that, you may do anything you want within the limits of the posted rules," Gai's voice was slightly bitter, "If you want to quit a trial and try it again later, you may do so unless the task specifically prohibits it or limits the number of times you can try it. You may use any equipment you brought, except for chakra-based equipment like scrolls and your weapon. Again, unless the station specifically prohibits the use of certain items."

He drilled the point home, understanding whom he was dealing with.

"I will also warn you that while most stations you cannot fail," the caterpillar-browed shinobi offered, "There are nine that you can fail, so if you are defeated by six of those, you automatically flunk out of the test."

Naruto nodded his understanding. The proctor handed the teen the four bracelets/anklets, and the blonde buckled them into place.

"Are you ready to begin?" Gai asked loudly.

"Bring it!" Uzumaki shouted.

"Then three hours starts… NOW!" the Taijutsu master shouted, clicking the starter on two of the five stopwatches around his neck.

Naruto rushed into the arena, taking note of the large, colorful flags that marked each station. Most where on the arena floor, but a number where spread amongst the stands. Some of the tests were obvious, like the track with the hurdles, and the 300-foot tall climbing wall. But many of the others were less obvious in their requirements, particularly the two large cages. The Chunin noticed a group of ten tables close together in the seating, not far from his current position, and he darted over to them.

The first station had a monitor, keyboard, and mouse on the desk. Naruto read the wooden plaque on the flagpole, even as he slid into the bleacher seat.

**COMPUTER SEARCH TEST**

**Find and open the file within 2 minutes. You may attempt this test up to three times, but the proctor will hide the video after each attempt. Do not damage the computer.**

"My newest, and in some ways most fiendish test," Gai commented behind him, "Even as these machines become more common, many shinobi remain ignorant of…"

"Done," Naruto said, as the images of Lee, Neji, and Tenten training began to flash across the screen.

"But… I never said start," the boisterous ninja deflated.

"Sorry, Gai-sensei," Naruto didn't sound apologetic, "But Shizune-neesan has been forcing me to learn to use a computer."

"I suppose that's a good thing, then."

Naruto stood, and jogged to the next station.

**MESSAGE DECRYPTION**

**Decode the provided message. There is no limit on time or number of attempts, but you can only use the pens and paper provided.**

Naruto looked at the slip of paper. Then he turned it on its side. After a few more seconds, he returned it to the upright position. He studied it for a minute, making some notes on one of the pieces of paper. Finally, he shrugged, scribbled something down, and handed it to the examiner

"Power of the Youth?" Gai read aloud, then shook his head, "That is not the message, Naruto."

Uzumaki did not even look at the code, but wrote something on the next sheet of paper and thrust it towards Neji's teacher.

"Handsome Devil of the Leaf Village?" the Jonin grinned, as he informed the Chunin, "Nice try, but wrong again."

"Never mind," Naruto announced hastily, "Let's keep moving and I'll come back if I have time later."

"A wise strategy."

**SPOT THE DIFFERENCE**

**There are twenty-four differences between these three images. Find and circle all discrepancies. Some might be the same in two pictures, but different in the third. Even if the change is different in all three it only counts as one towards the total.**

"This is a kid's game," Naruto complained.

"This is a test of patience and observation," Gai countered.

The three photos showed Gai and his three students. The first disparity was glaringly obvious, in the third picture Neji Hyuga was smiling. Naruto quickly began to note the discrepancies. The color of the wrap on Tenten's Leaf headband was green instead of blue. Rock Lee's bandages stopping before his fingers.

"Gai-sensei, are Neji's tonfas one difference or two?" Naruto asked. In the first picture both of Neji's weapons were visible at his belt, but the second picture he only had one, and in the last picture he had none.

"Just one," the proctor answered.

Uzumaki found most of the changes quickly, but as was often the case, the last two tripped him up.

"Oh, the number of straps on your vest pocket!" the teen shouted at the older Shinobi, marking the change.

"One more… One more…" Naruto chanted, scanning the pages. Then he noticed something, and his face spread in a goof grin.

"Gai-sensei, are your toenails painted in this one?" Naruto held up the middle photo, glancing back at the other two to make sure of the difference.

"Yes, well," Gai coughed, "That was a medicinal poultice the Hokage applied after I splintered my first two toenails on a penalty game of kicking a can around the village. I had Tenten color the rest so they matched."

"That's it," Naruto handed the printer papers to Gai. After a brief examination, the proctor nodded.

Naruto completed the next three tests in short order. Identifying the gender and weight of a person by their footprint was easy thanks to Jiraiya's perverted measurements training. He failed to pick the lock on the first of his three tries, but thanks to his training with Kakashi and Hinata, he was able to get it on the second try. And the table containing the five scented rags was practically a joke to him. Even with his chakra sealed, he still had the best nose outside the Inuzuka clan. Unfortunately Naruto failed the next test, the ability to name the pitch of notes played by Gai-sensei on a keyboard. Unconcerned, Uzumaki trotted over to the next event.

**FORAGING**

**Seven of the ten plants on this table are safe to eat, if not necessarily appetizing. Pick five of the seven, and sample them. None of the samples are deadly.**

The first two boxes were practically freebies, Naruto cracked open the walnut and ate it, then began chewing on the apple while he regarded the other eight pieces of flora. After he finished the apple, he took the large dandelion flower, and swallowed it whole. Then he paused, considering his remaining options.

"Oh, these are pine nuts," Naruto noted happily after sniffing the small seeds. He cracked a few of them open, and swallowed them.

"Those are birch leaves," Naruto decided looking in the fifth box, "Can't eat those."

"But those are hibicus," Naruto mangled the name of the plant, "Not my favorite taste, but edible."

He took one of the flowers and chewed on it quickly. He made a face as he swallowed.

"Very good, Naruto," Gai complimented him, "Shall we move on?"

"Wait," Naruto stopped him, "Can I take one of the mallow stems, to get this taste out of my mouth?"

Gai wasn't sure if the younger ninja was totally sincere, or if he was showing off, but he gave a thumbs-up never the less.

"You sure know your plants, Naruto," Gai observed.

"Yeah, well I had some bad experiences in some of my early missions, so I did some studying," the teen explained, "Plus, Pervy Sage made me cook and he has a taste for some strange foods. I couldn't tell you how many dandelion salads I made for him during those three years."

**POSIONS**

**Before you are three special teas. One is harmless. One will knock you out for 20 minutes. One will knock you out for 1 hour. Read the ingredients, and drink whichever one you want. Because this is a penalty test, you are considered to pass even if you drink one of the drugged blends.**

Naruto paused to consider the lists. He was more familiar with edible plants than drinkable herbs. Plus these were the scientific names, and he only new the common names. But it was an easy point, and he could count on his luck. He looked at the clock.

He had spent just over thirty minutes on the first eight tests. He could probably afford to lose twenty minutes, but not an hour. He glanced over the lists again, and one ingredient in the left cup caught his eye.

" Humulus lupulus," he read, "That's hops, like in beer. And drinking beer makes you sleepy. So if I count that one out, I have a fifty-fifty chance."

He pondered the herbs for another half a minute, before grabbing his head in frustration.

"Gah! What good does this do me if I waste too much time trying to figure it out?"

With that, Naruto grabbed the cup on the right, and slammed the beverage. The infusion was pleasantly warm on his throat. Uzumaki blinked purposefully, to see if his eyelids felt heavy. Noticing no change, he jumped up, and headed for the last table. But before he was halfway there, his knees gave out. The Chunin had just enough focus and control to slump into the bleachers, instead of falling on his face. But he was snoring before he was fully seated.

Eighteen minutes later, a particularly violent snore and the diminished effects of the drug caused Uzumaki to jerk back to consciousness. After checking one of the clocks hanging from the pillars, Naruto staggered over to the final sit-down test, and the penultimate station in the stands of the arena.

**EXPLOSIVES**

Use the ingredients to mix an explosive strong enough to destroy the house, but not the table. There is no limit on the time or number of attempts, but if you run out of ingredients or destroy the table, you fail.

The reinforced platform contained a number of carefully labeled chemicals, a mortar and pestle, and handful of vials, and over a dozen matchstick houses. With a happy yawn, Naruto plunked down, and began grinding the charcoal into powder.

'The boys always do better with the explosives than with the tea,' Gai thought to himself, as Naruto shattered the model on the first attempt. And he didn't even scorch the workstation. Without waiting for confirmation, the blonde man stood, and jogged unsteadily to the last flag in the seating.

**BALANCE BEAM COURSE**

**Navigate to the end. There is no limit on the time or number of attempts.**

"Easier said than done," Naruto groused. The two-inch wide beam was neither straight nor level. It had angled and curved turns, and inclined up and down. It meandered for over two hundred feet, through three levels of the benches.

"OK," Naruto took a deep breath and set his foot on the beam. Hinata's boyfriend edged carefully forwards, but after the first handful of steps, his vision went blurry, and he slipped off. Covering his face as he yawned again, he plodded back to the beginning. The second time, he made it almost halfway before falling. But on the third time, he nearly tripped on the sharpest downgrade, but he finally made it to the end.

"OK," Uzumaki exhaled out the last of the effects of the drug, and looked down, "Now into the arena."

Upon landing on the floor, Naruto quickly completed the simplest events; the 400-meter hurdles, the monkey bars, the long jump and the wall jump. He didn't even try the 'catch a butterfly' test. He had some trouble with sneaking past the guard dog, until he went back and dipped some mallow stems in the tea he had rejected. The Doberman ate the tasty snack, but did not warm to him. Not that it mattered, because a minute later the hound was sleeping peacefully. He then completed the tightrope walk, the weight lifting, and the pole hop. The blindfold course took him four tries to complete. And Might Gai was so mercilessly accurate with swinging log course that it took Naruto over eleven minutes to get from the beginning to the end. After taking a few breaths to recover from his new bruises, he proceeded to the next station. The spider climb was right next to the swinging logs, and Naruto was tall enough that and strong enough that it was a relative simple task for him to support himself between the parallel walls of the course, even as it curved upwards into a vertical path.

**IRRITANT COURSE**

Remove all clothing except for your undergarments, including your shoes. You must pass through the following hallway without vocalizing in any way. There is no limit on the number of attempts, but the course must be completed in under 3 minutes.

"Ummm, what is this, Gai-sensei?" Naruto asked dubiously.

"This specially built corridor is full of traps designed to make you cry out," Gai explained with a huge smirk, "Feathers to tickle you, sandpaper to scratch you, and other sorts of surprises. And by exposing as much of your skin as decorum allows, it makes it even tougher! So if you plan to do this, strip down."

"Fine, fine," Uzumaki removed his shozoku, and moved up to the entrance of the artificial tunnel. He stepped in and immediately howled in pain as he stepped on a pin. With a sheepish expression, Naruto took two steps back, and started in again. He shuffled his feet along the floor to scatter the tacks, until he couldn't feel any more. But just as he passed the upright nails, sticks with feather dusters began poking out of the walls and ceiling, lightly brushing his sides and neck. Naruto clamped his mouth firmly closed to keep from laughing. After the feathers, came random jets of hot and cold water. Next were the protrusions with the sandpaper, followed by a gross, slippery sludge. Finally, the floor sent minor sparks into his feet at random intervals. But that was the last challenge, and Naruto pushed through the curtain, taking a deep breath in relief.

"Not too bad," Gai noted, "You almost ran out of time though. And speaking of running out for time."

Naruto looked the clock on the edge of the arena again. He only had thirty-four minutes left. He finished dressing, and hurried to the next closest task.

**CAMERA EVASION**

**Travel down the hallway, avoiding being spotted by any of the surveillance cameras. You cannot damage the generator, turn it off, or disconnect the cameras. Limit of 3 attempts. Course must be completed in 2 minutes. **

Unlike the previous hallway Gai had built, this one had multiple turns and did not have a top. From the entrance Naruto could see two cameras with very little in the way of blind spots. He looked at the panel again, and then turned to Gai.

"These are the only rules, Gai-sensei?" the examinee prompted for confirmation.

"That is correct," the Jonin told him with a touch of trepidation. Naruto grinned, and turned and ran towards the stands. Gai followed him back to the explosives test. The Chunin quickly began mixing the components.

"What are you doing, Naruto?" Gai asked forcefully.

"Making smoke bombs," the teen answered shortly, paying close attention to the reagents as he added them to the vial. Inside he was cursing the delay as the chemicals mixed.

"Didn't you bring any?" Gai was confused but relieved, and he glanced at Naruto's backpack.

"Only paper smoke bombs," Uzumaki explained, "Since they're lighter. But I can't activate them without my chakra."

He finished four vials, and darted back to the test. After coughing his way through the soot filled hallway, he received yet another thumbs-up, and ran to the second cage. The first cage had contained the butterfly test, and Naruto was curious what this one was.

**STEALTH & TRACKING BASICS**

**Track down Hippity-dono. You must touch him before he runs. If you feed or injure Hippity-dono, you will be disqualified.**

"Hippty-dono?" Naruto gawked at the instructions. Gai lifted a much smaller cage, showing him the white rabbit inside.

"Hippity-dono is an ordinary bunny, and not fond of humans besides me," Tenten's teacher said sternly, "If you get too close, and he notices you, he will run. You must touch him before he runs. Chasing him down will not be accepted."

Inside of the cage was like a miniature forest, with logs setup like trees and leaves strewn thickly across the floor. Gai took Hippity out of the travel cage, and set him down inside the testing area. Once he was free, the rabbit scampered off, disappearing.

"How are you going to know if I follow the rules?" Naruto asked, approaching the door.

"Security cameras and Genjutsu," the proctor answered simply. Exhaling determinedly, Naruto stepped into the cage, and Gai closed the door behind him.

The Chunin was surprised how well the interior of the cage simulated a small section of woods. He looked at the scattered leaves from the rabbit's trail, and sniffed at the air. Then he stuck his pinky in his mouth, before holding it high in the air, to get the direction of the wind.

'I don't know how good a rabbit can smell, so better to approach from downwind,' he thought as he padded silently forward. The scent was getting heavier, and the teen moved off the trail to an alternate path where he could still see Hippity's path, but the breeze would be blowing his odor away from the hare. He slowed further, not wanting to risk rustling the leaves or stepping on a hidden twig. Still, he counted off the seconds, worrying about how long this was taking.

And there the rodent was, crouched in clear spot in the dirt, his ears straight up, and his nose twitching. Hippity's head swiveled around, and Naruto froze, breathing slowly and worrying about the volume of his heartbeat. But after another twenty count, the rabbit seemed to relax, slightly, and he stopped looking to and fro. Naruto eased in closer, getting within five feet of the animal. Suddenly the wind shifted, and the rabbit's nose began to twitch faster again. He turned, looking straight at the ninja. Uzumaki froze, hoping the hare could only see movement or something like that. But the rabbit stared straight at him. Naruto did not move, but neither did Hippity stop looking at the human. After five minutes in the uncomfortable position he had been caught Naruto's legs started to cramp up. Just when he thought he couldn't take it anymore, the rabbit moved. However, instead of looking away or fleeing, Hippity hopped cautiously closer to Naruto, eventually settling in against the young man's leg. Uzumaki reached down and gingerly touched the hare. It did not flee, but leaned into his hand. He gently stroked it, and the rabbit made a sound not unlike purring. Before Naruto had noticed Gai was standing next to him, picking up Hippity.

"I've never seen him act like that before," Gai admitted, "But I guess this means you passed."

Both ninjas exited the cage, and seeing he had less than ten minutes, Naruto darted to the next station, not waiting while Gai returned the hare to his enclosure.

**SINGING FLOOR**

**Cross the singing floor without setting it off. You have 5 attempts and no time limit.**

The Chunin looked at the floor as if it might attack him. It looked like a simple set of wooden planks, raised slightly. But Naruto knew better. The wood was shaped and set in such a way that stepping onto it would cause the grain of the different boards to rub, creating a melodic resonance.

"No time limit," Naruto whispered ironically to himself as Might Gai caught up.

"Well, I won't be able to do it on the first try, so I'll use that to scout," Uzumaki told himself as much as the Jonin. Unseen behind him, Gai nodded his approval.

Naruto put one foot on the plank, more softly than his normal gate, but not full stealth mode. Immediately a gentle yet loud sound filled the air, like a young woman humming incoherently. Naruto slid and stepped all over the testing platform, getting a feel for its most sensitive spots and a few safe points. Finally he reached the end, having spent four minutes testing it. He darted back to the beginning, and started again. He reached at as far as he could; softly, evenly putting his weight on one of the hard connections between the floor and the support beams underneath. The singing floor did not react, and Naruto exhaled in relief. He took his next step safely, but his third move set off a slight hum.

"Crap!" Naruto cursed and ran back to the beginning, not caring the noise he made, but still tracking it. As soon as he reached the beginning he started again, repeating the same first two steps. But in his haste and annoyance, he flubbed the second move, and the floor began to vibrate again. Naruto took a deep breath to center himself, and returned calmly to the beginning.

He started again, more focused. He didn't pay attention to Gai or the time. It was only Naruto and the singing floor. He set out smoothly and evenly, making it to the halfway point almost before he was aware he was moving. Then he paused, trying to remember the best route. He carefully pictured his first run again, and moved forward with deliberate confidence. Part of him said that despite this feeling, he was moving slowly, but he ignored that.

'I can do this,' he thought, 'I have to do this.'

Then he realized something. He was at the end.

"I did it!" he roared. But his excitement was drowned when he looked at the clock. As fast as he could, Naruto ran to the next station.

CLIMBING WALL

**Climb over this wall. Ropes, cords, cables, et cetera are not allowed, nor are climbing claws.**

Naruto felt on unusual bout of vertigo as he stared up the concave surface. But he forced it down; knowing time was short.

"Those are the only rules, right," Naruto said quickly.

"Yes," Gai sighed, hoping this wasn't going to be the same as his previous examinee. Naruto dug into his backpack, extracting two kunai. Ignoring the handholds carved into the wood, he buried the first blade, and pulled himself up so he could imbed the second blade higher. He extracted the first knife and repeated the process, pulling himself up quickly by the daggers. Gai's head darted back and forth between his stopwatches and the teen.

About two-thirds of the way up, the blade in Naruto's left hand snapped, and he nearly fell. Gai moved into position to catch him, knowing without his chakra, this fall would be as deadly to Naruto as to any civilian. Dropping the splintered dagger, Uzumaki caught one of the grips with his right foot, and went into his backpack for another kunai. Once he had another blade, he resumed climbing, trying to increase his speed even as the outward angle of the fake cliff increased. Nearly at the peak, one of his stabs hit a knot, and he was forced to try again. Pressing harder, he secured the kunai, and then swung his leg over the lip. Naruto clambered on to the top, and slid down the back side.

"Did I make it?" he demanded of the teacher.

"Six, five, four, three, two, one," Gai counted down, "Time is up. And with exactly twenty five points, you pass."

"ALRIGHT!!" Naruto shouted, jumping into the air.

"I gotta go find Hinata! Later Gai-sensei!" Naruto shed the chakra inhibitors unceremoniously and raced out of the arena.


	68. Deliberations

**Chapter 68: Deliberations**

"Good morning," the Fifth Hokage was in a remarkably good mood as she surveyed the stadium style classroom. Tsunade was at the front of the room, as were the ten proctors of the Jonin Trials. The seating area held the elders Homura and Koharu, plus the other thirty members of the Jonin council, and a handful of other Jonin and Tokubetsu Jonin who had come to watch the proceedings.

"For those of you who did not know, this is the evaluation meeting for the Jonin Trials completed yesterday," she informed the onlookers, "in case you responded to the summons without reading it, or just wandered in here. We will be going through each of the participants, and the proctors will let us know if that person passed or failed. After that, we will open the floor to questions and comments before deciding each candidate's fate. Any questions?"

No one spoke up, so she continued.

"If there are no objections," the Sannin's tone indicated there had better not be, "We will start will our three Jonin who are renewing their credentials. First on the list being me."

Shizune paled, while Gai started to weep softly. Neji, Choza, and Kakashi all were very careful not to display any reaction.

"Do any of my proctors object to my retaining my official rank?" Tsunade ignored their reactions. They all shook their heads.

"Good, then next..."

"Hold on," Koharu interrupted, "You seem to be skipping ahead. Not to mention it looks like you coerced these examiners into voting for you."

Tsunade's smirk did not fade, but she inclined her head and waved her hand to indicate the elder Kunoichi should continue.

"Shizune," the Third Hokage's female teammate addressed the Fifth Hokage's assistant, "You administered Tsunade's Genjutsu examination on Tuesday, correct?"

The younger medic glanced at her teacher, and then nodded.

"And she met the requirements?" Homura picked up the thread.

"Yes," Shizune said softly, "She more than met the standards for the test. She broke three Genjutsu each for ranks D through A. And she exhibited three S-Rank, four A-Rank, and six B-Rank techniques of her own."

This sent some murmurs through the gallery, but Koharu ignored them, and pressed, "And can you name them?"

Shizune shuddered, and then listed the thirteen jutsu. And as she did the other Jonin all noticed a common thread. Almost half of the techniques were for interrogation or breaking morale on a military scale. Understanding filled the elders' faces, and Koharu glared at the medical expert.

"You tormented her?" she demanded.

"That's a little harsh," Tsunade countered blandly, "Six out the thirteen is less than half of the techniques I showed, and some of the others are used for therapy. Heck, I didn't use my worst techniques, nor did I hold them so tightly Shizune could not break free. All in all, I'd say it wasn't much worse than watching a horror film… or two."

"Shizune, do you have any complaints?" Koharu asked.

"No," the medic shook her head, still a little green around the gills, "I knew going in where Lady Tsunade's Genjutsu specialties lie. As she said, she could have done much worse, had she wanted to."

"Gai," seeing this would lead nowhere, the female elder switched her target. Might Gai had halted his tears, though he still looked uncomfortable.

"Yes, ma'am!" Gai snapped to attention.

"Why are you so upset?" Koharu demanded, "Did something happen yesterday?"

"Yes," he said stiffly, "Lady Tsunade completed all thirty stations in my test in just over two hours."

"And that is cause for this sort of display?"

"Well..." he tried to hold it in, but couldn't, "She wrecked my climbing wall, disabled my singing floor, and fried all of my video cameras. I had to rebuild those four events in time for Naruto's test, and that's not counting all of the normal restocking I had to do."

"Tsunade?" Homura asked more civilly than his female teammate, "Is this true?"

"Yes," the Hokage said proudly, "It's not only true, it's completely within the rules Gai set down for the tests. The wall said I had to climb over it without using ropes or climbing claws. So I brought it down and climbed over the rubble. The singing floor didn't say anything about disabling it, which is a surprise, because back when people still used those things, it was a fairly common tactic. I guess Gai assumed no one would be able to do it without their chakra or special equipment, but that's hardly my fault."

Then her grin became slightly sheepish, "And the cameras were an accident. The accelerant I added to the generator was just supposed to run it out of gas. I never thought it would burn out the cameras. Still the rules said I couldn't damage the generator, and I didn't. The cameras weren't mentioned. Isn't that right, Gai?"

The normally loud Jonin nodded in defeat. Koharu looked annoyed, and turned her attention to the remaining three proctors of the Hokage's test.

"I suppose their isn't any point in asking you three, is there?"

Neither Choza nor Kakashi took her bait, but Neji smirked, and told her, "Lady Tsunade's Taijutsu was excellent, as one would expect from one of the legendary Sannin. She might even be a match for Gai-sensei or Lee."

"Fine," the elder sighed, "Let's move on then."

"Good," Tsunade's grin returned to normal, "Then next on the docket is the list for renewal is Shikaku Nara…"

* * *

"So Hanabishi will be staying a Tokubetsu Jonin," the Hokage set aside the folder, and picked up the next, "That bring us to Sakura Haruno. Gai, you were her first proctor, correct?"

"Yes, ma'am!" the bowl cut Jonin had recovered from his earlier trauma and was back to his usual self.

"Sakura did an excellent job," he informed the gallery, "She completed twenty-eight of the stations. She ran out of time during the Butterfly Catch, and flunked out of the Computer Search Test."

This set off a round of derisive grunts and eye rolling, even worse than when Gai had announced Choji Akimichi's inability to use a computer.

"So what?" someone shouted from the gallery, using ventriloquism to mask his or her identity. This set off a number of agreeing nods, which in turn riled up Shizune and Gai.

"That was a fully approved test, as important as any of the others," Gai proclaimed. This set off more chuckles.

"This isn't a joke," the normally calm medic shouted, "Computers are part of your job now, and they are not going away! We have been losing business to the Hidden Grass and Hidden Cloud villages because our shinobi can't keep up with technology. We have had to hire civilian contractors to work on programming and IT jobs in the village so we can send our tech ninjas on espionage missions because you people don't know how to perform a simple file search and retrieval. Not to mention how many of you are behind on your mission reports and team reviews."

"Come on," Shikaku protested, "We still get our reports in on the old schedule. And so what if we can't find files? We can just take the tough drive and have the tech guys do it later. You're making too much of a hassle, Shizune."

"Even if you knew how to find and remove the computer's _hard drive_," the younger woman countered scathingly, "Stealing it would make it pretty obvious to the owner that someone had been there, which negates the stealth factor of most of these missions."

"Settle down, Shizune," Tsunade ordered sternly, "While you have a point, this is hardly the time or place for this argument."

The Hokage's assistant returned to her seat, still glaring.

"However, the next person here to interrupt a proctor's report due to personal feelings of the value of a test will be undergoing that test personally," the Sannin stared the other Jonin down, "Do I make myself clear?"

No one answered, but Homura smiled appreciatively.

"Good," Tsunade smirked at her subordinates, "Gai, did you have anything else to say about Sakura's skills test?"

"No, ma'am," he shook his had vehemently.

"Then next would be Iruka," Tsunade turned to former teacher, "You gave Sakura her Genjutsu test on Wednesday. How did it go?"

"Sakura was able to break four D and C Rank Genjutsu, as well as two of the three B-Rank Genjutsu, and one of two A-Rank techniques," he informed the Jonin council, "Well above the required skill level. As for her techniques she had the requisite five C and three B level techniques, plus one extra A-Rank for a total of three. Most of her support and direct maneuvers are medical in nature. Though one of her A-Rank techniques is the Masking Storm, a powerful multiple target distraction art."

"So then she passed?" Tsunade pressed blandly.

"Yes. She was not the best, but she definitely went beyond the minimum requirements," Umino agreed.

"Yamato, how was Sakura's Ninjutsu?" the medical Sanin turned to look at the next examiner, on the other side of the table.

"Just beyond sufficient," he answered simply, "She exhibited a handful of techniques beyond what was required, and displayed ample mastery of water and air chakra."

"Anything else?" the Hokage asked, mildly amused.

"Not really."

"Fine. Neji how did Sakura do on the Taijutsu exam?" Tsunade focused on the youngest Jonin present.

"Sakura's unarmed fighting skills are excellent," the white-eyed teen noted, "Beyond the two C-Rank, two B-Rank, and three A-Rank styles, she exhibited S-Rank in both Hard Fist and Tiger styles. I believe those are the styles you favor, are they not, Lady Tsunade?"

The Hokage shrugged immodestly, and then asked, "Do you have anything else you wish to add?"

Neji shook his head carefully, and the attention of the Jonin council fell on its largest member. Choza Akimichi launched into his findings without prompting.

"Sakura is extremely skilled with both the battle-axe and the heavy club," Choji's father explained, "Both firmly A-Rank, with her axe skill on the verge of full S-Rank. For her B-Rank weapons, she had the nodachi, the scimitar, and the quarterstaff. And at C-Rank she displayed the mace, nunchacku, and manriki-gusari. Though she only showed eight weapons, her techniques were all crisp and precise, and she did substitute one B-Rank for a C-Rank."

"Well, then?" Tsunade addressed the gallery, "Sakura exceeded the minimum requirements for all five pillars. I propose we award her the rank of Jonin. Any objections?"

"She has quite the temper," the female elder spoke up.

"If that was a disqualifying offense, neither of us would have been promoted," Tsunade countered, "And probably not Anko either."

Mitarashi smirked, unable to refute the point.

"Also she is a skilled medic, and we are short on Jonin with that skill set," Shizune added. Other members of the council nodded, though a few looked nonplussed.

"Fine, then let's put it to a vote," Tsunade shrugged, "All in favor of Sakura Haruno being granted the rank of Jonin?"

Most of the attendees raised their hands, including all of the proctors; though some only added their assent once it was obvious the motion would carry.

"Wonderful," the leader of the Leaf Village smiled, "I love it when I don't have to break a tie. Then, the next candidate is... Hinata Hyuga. Kakashi?"

"Out of the eighteen required techniques," Kakashi had already taken out the hand written report he had prepared for Hinata. He read it carefully, "Hinata showed twenty-seven techniques. She displayed six C-Rank, eight B-Rank, nine A-Rank, and four S-Rank Ninjutsu arts. I can list her techniques at the request of the Council."

He paused briefly after reading the stock line of his form report, but as before no one asked for the full accounting. After a suitable wait, Kakashi concluded his prepared statement.

"Hinata also displayed mastery of lightning and earth chakra," he concluded, setting the paper aside. Tsunade started to move on, but the Copy-Ninja startled the assembled shinobi by continuing.

"On a personal note," he announced, "I want it on the record that there is one more specific S-Rank technique that Hinata knows, but could not have performed in the Jonin trials. Hinata has successfully executed the Zodiac Seal while I was watching. And that was under what could be conservatively called a stressful event. The seal was later confirmed by Master Jiraiya."

This sent whispers through the gallery, both because of Hinata's skill, and the probable reason she had been forced to use it.

"Well, then…" Tsunade was mildly stunned by Kakashi's deviation from his normal protocol, but not by what he had to say.

"Is there anything else, Kakashi?" the Hokage asked him.

"No, I think I have made my point."

"Then next is Shizune," Tsunade looked at her apprentice, "How did Hinata's Genjutsu exam go?"

"Very well," the younger medic answered, "She was able to break every Genjutsu I know, including every A-Rank and both S-Rank offensive illusions. And though she was somewhat hesitant, she also met the requirements for using Genjutsu. She also executed one extra B-Rank move, though I don't think she realized it at the time. Still, she did pass the test."

Shizune appeared apprehensive as she pointed out Hinata's minor oversight. Some of the other Jonin noted that, but the Hokage pushed ahead, shifted their attention to Anko.

"She made short work of my test," Anko said, only slightly bitter, "That Hyuga girl found all my clones in just under half the allotted time, and then two of her copies evaded me for the full seventy-five minutes. The kid's got some talent, and she's pretty creative to boot… That's it."

"Yugao?" Tsunade prompted simply, growing tired of stating the exam type or asking then his or her opinion when everyone already knew what was expected.

"Hinata was without a doubt the most skilled unarmed combatant I tested," Uzuki said, her voice carefully controlled so they did not think the compliment was due to any personally feelings.

"She demonstrated eighteen different Taijutsu styles of level C or higher. In fact, only four of those were C-Rank. She had two S-Rank Taijutsu styles, the Gentle Fist and Whipping Willow styles," then the former ANBU agent paused, unable to keep the awe from creeping into her voice, "And she also displayed A-Rank in the Tiger & Heron style."

This set off another round of murmurs in the gallery.

"Are you sure about that?" Koharu interjected dubiously.

"After another of my candidates had already exhibited the style, so I did my research," Kakashi's lover retorted directly, "I watched the old videos of the Fourth Hokage again, and spoke to both his student and his teacher. There can be no doubt that this is the genuine article."

"That is certainly something to note," Tsunade acting amazed, despite being fully aware of Hinata and Naruto's special training, "Is there anything else you wish to add, Yugao?"

"No, Lady Hokage, there is nothing more I can add at this point."

"I guess not," Tsunade glared at the throng until they regained their composure again.

"And that brings us to Choza."

"Unfortunately I cannot make things as easy as my four counterparts," the stout shinobi informed them. Kakashi raised his eyebrow at the statement, while Tsunade and Neji both looked annoyed.

"Explain," the Hokage demanded.

"Hinata was only able to show eight weapons," he explained, "four C-Rank, two B-Rank, one A-Rank, and one S-Rank."

"I don't see the issue," Kakashi interrupted blandly.

"The issue," Choza continued sadly, "is her choice of A and S level weapons. For starters, her S-Rank weapon is the Light Throwing Blades set."

Again this set the assembled ninjas buzzing. Inoichi Yamanaka frowned unhappily, and pointed out, "Light Throwing Blades generally aren't considered above the B-Rank."

"True," Yugao agreed deceptively, "But that is because so few candidates are able to use them at the S level. The traditional penalty assessed for using throwing blades as one of your Jonin weapons is one level. Which would mean Hinata could count Light Throwing Blades as one of her A-Rank weapons, if we don't choose to censure her further."

"Is she really that good?" Yamato asked neutrally.

"She knows the Uchiha deflection technique," Choza announced, "She was able to deflect a kunai eighteen times, in a simple yet precise pattern, before getting a bull's-eye."

The remaining rumbles in the seated shinobi died. Instead they turned to looks of amazement.

"How does she know that move?" the elders asked, almost in unison, though the female advisor was suspicious, while the male was simply curious.

"I taught her," Kakashi answered for Choza, "And before you ask, Itachi taught me when we served together in the ANBU. I thought with her speed and her Suigin Byakugan she could master the skill. Turns out I was right."

"So, assuming we accept Hinata's Light Throwing Blades as an A-Rank weapon, what is the issue with her other weapon?" Tsunade forced the conversation forward.

"Hinata's primary weapon, her A-Rank weapon, is her kote," Choza explained, "The kote have no standard style or common use was a weapon. And while unique weapons are something that comes up from time to time…"

He paused, glancing from Anko, to Iruka, and then to Temari.

"… bracers are armor, not weapons," the large warrior concluded, "And I don't think anyone here would approve of a helmet as a weapon. Despite that, Hinata has developed a complex, lethal, and definitely A-Rank style, combining parts of fist and elbow Taijutsu, katar techniques and some unique strikes."

"A point of fact," a thin, reedy voice announced from the back of the room. The Jonin turned to look Toshiro, an elderly Jonin who was the Academy's librarian and headmaster.

"There are five scrolls depicting the kote weapon style in the unrestricted section of the library," the octogenarian shinobi lectured, "written by three different Jonin. Of the three one Miu Akimichi considered forearm guards to be her primary weapon, and held an S-Rank with the kote. Naruto Uzumaki borrowed the scrolls for the months of December and January. Given his relationship with Miss Hyuga, I would assume her style is based at least in part on those established methods."

"My great aunt did?" Choza pondered, "I did not know that."

"So it appears there is no reason not to accept Hinata's weapons test as valid," Tsunade smirked triumphantly, then she settled quickly, asking smugly, "Is there any other reason Hinata should not be awarded the rank of Jonin?"

Hesitating slightly, Shizune raised her hand. Once their attention was back on her, the medical expert spoke.

"While Hinata my have the required skills to be a Jonin," she qualified, "I don't believe she is ready mentally…"

She was obviously struggling for the right words, and the Council waited for her to continue.

"We all have different sides to out personality," Shizune suggested, "But Hinata takes it to a dangerous degree. When she is around Naruto, she can be strong, confident, and decisive. But if he's not around, she reverts back to her old self. She is not as timid or uncertain as she once was, but I still worry that she is not ready."

Shikaku followed her train of thought, adding, "She's got a point. The two main responsibilities that separate a real Jonin from a Tokujo are handling A-Rank missions solo, and teaching a Genin squad."

He pointed at Tsunade, and said, "Would you be confident giving either of those jobs to Hinata, like she is now?"

The leader of the Leaf Village considered that, but couldn't answer.

"Even though you didn't say 'no', the fact that you couldn't say 'yes' should tell you something," he concluded, "It's a hassle but what can you do?"

"Make her a Tokubetsu Jonin," Kakashi suggested, "I expect Hinata will be more than happy with that."

Neji, though not entirely pleased with the suggestion, nodded his agreement.

"Fine lets put it to a vote," Tsunade insisted again, making it obvious she did not concur, "If you think Hinata should be given the rank of Jonin that she deserves, raise your right hand. If you think we should restrict her to Tokujo status, raise your left. And if you think she should stay a Chunin, cover your head with your hands and brace yourself."

Not a single Jonin kept both of his or her hands down, and the Hokage carefully counted each vote…

* * *

"And last on the list," Tsunade opened the last folder in the stack, "Naruto Uzumaki. Yugao, you are first this time."

"As per the normal limits of my exam technique, Naruto was able to show nine styles," her voice was tainted by her disappointment that Naruto had not found the same workaround Hinata had, "He had four A-Rank styles, three B-Rank, and two C-Rank. His best style was the Tiger & Heron, which was arguably S-Rank, but I decided limit it to A-Rank, as Naruto admitted his knowledge of the style was incomplete."

"Very good," Tsunade had stopped asking if the proctors were done, instead moving on automatically when they stopped speaking, "Kakashi?"

"Out of the eighteen required techniques," Kakashi did not even need to glance over his report on Naruto, "Naruto showed twenty-six techniques. He displayed five C-Rank, five B-Rank, nine A-Rank, and seven S-Rank Ninjutsu arts. I can list his techniques at the request of the Council. Naruto also displayed mastery of wind, lightning, and earth chakra."

"Seven S-Rank techniques? Name them," the Hokage demanded, but only to preempt the Koharu.

"Naruto can use the Fuuton: Rasengan, the Fuuton: Rasenshuriken, the Raiton: Rasengan, the Odama Raiton Rasengan, the Five Points Rasengan, and the Blood Clone Jutsu," at that point Kakashi paused and pointed out, "and all of those are unique moves Naruto developed on his own or together with Hinata. His last S-Rank move was the Weapon Forge Jutsu."

"Naruto was able to use the Weapon Forge Jutsu during a test, and still display twenty-five other techniques?" Neji's normal facade was shattered.

"Yes," Kakashi said, setting Naruto's creation on the table, "It took him just under a half hour to make this. I took it to the Emporium for confirmation, and Karin said it is one of the finer weapons she has seen."

"I would say there are no doubts about Naruto's Ninjutsu skill," Tsunade insisted, "Temari, how were his weapon skills."

"Top notch," she shrugged, "Even without his S-Rank in the staff-blade, he would have more than passed with his four A-Rank and six B-Rank weapons."

Anko smirked proudly, but Iruka could not, knowing his turn was next. When the Hokage started to speak to him he was already answering.

"Naruto failed the Genjutsu test," he informed the gallery, "In fact, he did so spectacularly. He failed to break any Genjutsu I used on him, even when the illusion was simple and obvious. And the only technique he was able to show was one D-Rank Genjutsu."

"That is unfortunate," Koharu said evenly, her opinion of the teen still divided.

"I do not believe his failure is Naruto's fault," Neji put forth, "I believe his ability to use Genjutsu has been compromised by the… his…"

The youngest proctor struggled to find a euphemism, so he did not break the law against talking about the Kyubi in public. He was rescued by the Hokage.

"For the purposes of this discussion, let's just call the fox demon what it is," she suggested, "to make things easier. And because I'm sure no-one here is stupid enough to degrade a hero of the village in my presence."

"Our presence," Iruka, Anko, and Yugao agreed in unison. Kakashi remained silent, but his innocently threatening gaze told where he stood.

"Very well," Neji nodded, "During our mission to the Lands of Greens and Birds, we came under a Genjutsu attack. Naruto's own statements during that attack, and my observations of his chakra network lead me to believe the Kyubi no Kitsune is interfering with Naruto's ability to disrupt or use Genjutsu. I cannot tell if the vixen is actively interfering or if this is some sort of side effect."

"I had the same impression as well," Iruka nodded, "He said the demon was telling him Genjutsu was pointless when he could do as much or more with Ninjutsu."

"I have read certain accounts that seem to indicate that the Kyubi is especially susceptible to illusions," Kakashi added, withholding that Madara Uchiha's journals were his source, "But that if the person creating the illusion is too weak, the fox can reverse the Genjutsu or even make it real. It is possible that Naruto's increased use of the Fox's chakra has transferred this vulnerability to him."

"Regardless," Tsunade sighed, "Naruto failed the test, and cannot become a Jonin. Still, Tokubetsu Jonin is definitely on the table. Gai, how did Naruto do on your tests?"

"Naruto… passed!" Gai informed them, his demeanor not effected by the weighty conversation, "He completed twenty-five of the test in under three hours, and had some fairly creative solutions as well. Also, **Naruto** _was_ able to finish the computer test! Had he not been knocked out briefly by the poison test, I have no doubt he would have completed at least two of the remaining stations. And he didn't break anything!"

"So he failed the poison test?" Koharu interjected again, but still decidedly neutral in her tone.

"No-one who attempts the poison test fails," Gai countered, "Willingness to risk a major time penalty if you don't know the ingredients is indicative of both luck and courage, two things that can be every bit as important as skill."

"More to the point," Tsunade told the thorn in her side pointedly, "This council signed off on Gai's exam. We can't change it now, whatever the reason."

"Which means Naruto passed four of the five tests," the Hokage continued, smiling, "And three of them by a notable measure. That is far more than what is required for Tokujo rank. Is there any objection to granting Naruto Uzumaki the rank of Tokubetsu Jonin?"

Given her earlier intimidation, and Naruto's performance, not a single member of the Jonin Council was in opposition.

"Then we are done here," Tsunade told them, "I will get all of the paperwork filled out, and we will post the results on Wednesday. Dismissed!"


	69. April 20th

**Chapter 69: April 20th**

"Hello, Naruto," Hiashi Hyuga inclined his head as he opened the door to the estate.

"Are you and Hinata training today?" the clan leader asked suspiciously, noting the younger man's civilian cloths, backpack, and cooler instead of his uniform and equipment.

"Nah, we're still taking it easy after the Trials," Uzumaki shook his head, "But we don't want to get too out of practice, so we're not just going to veg out like yesterday. We're going swimming, and then I'm gonna make lunch. And we're gonna play the afternoon by ear."

"Well, you two did work hard, I suppose two days off isn't out of the question…" Hiashi told his daughter's boyfriend, only half joking. Then the elder Hyuga glanced sideways, his face becoming pensive.

"Is something wrong?" the teen asked, craning his head slightly to see what Hiashi was looking at. But he didn't see anything, and the clan leader quickly composed himself.

"I just think it would be a bad idea to leave you alone here at this point," he told Naruto carefully. The younger man nodded appreciably.

"Hanabi still in a bad mood?"

"You could say that," Hiashi noted with mixed emotions.

"Naruto," Hinata smiled as she ran up. Like her beloved, she was wearing civilian apparel, and had a backpack designed for recreation rather than combat.

"Good morning, Hinata," the blonde man embraced her happily, but given the audience, withheld the kiss he wanted to lay on her.

"Are you ready?" Naruto asked, and she nodded joyfully.

"You two have fun," Hiashi told them warmly after Hinata stepped outside.

"Thank you, Father, we will," Hinata smiled sincerely at her progenitor.

"See you later, old man," Uzumaki added affectionately, as the couple started to walk away. Naruto reached out and gently took Hinata's hand in his own. They walked in contented silence, until they reached the outer wall of the Hidden Leaf Village.

"Hey," Naruto suddenly remembered, "Did you talk to Neji? What did he say?"

"My brother would not tell us about the council's deliberations," Hinata told him, "But he did say that the results will be announced on Wednesday."

"Great," Naruto frowned, "Now I'll be distracted tomorrow, too."

"We'll just have to find some way to take your mind off the Trials," Hinata suggested.

"Well, we could go back to working on the Doton: Rasengan," he mused, "Even if the earth chakra strings are thicker and less flexible, we should be able to find a way to form the sphere…"

"No work talk today," she told him, pouting sternly, "We need to relax."

"I'm always relaxed with you, Hinata," he squeezed her hand, then joked, "Well maybe not when someone is trying to kill us, but you know, the rest of the time."

She moved in closer, letting go of his hand so she could link their arms and lean her head on his shoulder. After almost an hour of tranquil strolling, the forest around the path began to thin, and the roar of the waterfall could be heard. They broke through moments later, stepping onto the sandy beach surrounding the pool at the base of the falls. The morning sun was especially warm for April, and the cool spray from the crashing water was welcome.

The couple separated to unpack. Naruto checked that the cooler was sealed tightly, then submerged it in the sand and cool water at the edge of the river, to help keep it chilled. Hinata had already set out her towel by the time he returned, and was in the process of removing her skirt and t-shirt. Naruto's jaw and tote dropped in unison.

Contrary to his expectations, Hinata was not wearing the cyan on navy one piece she had worn the last time they had come to the lagoon. Instead, she was clad lavender and grey bikini, composed of a halter top and hipster boy briefs. All things considered, it contained less than a third of the material of Hinata's previous swimsuit, and was the most revealing thing he had ever seen her in.

Noticing his rapt gaze, the young woman colored slightly, and asked, "Does it look OK? I let Tenten and Ino pick it out for me."

Despite her blush, the young woman posed slightly as she said it. Nearly stumbling over his bag in his haste, Uzumaki crossed the space between them, and swept her into his arms, kissing her passionately.

"Does that mean you like it?" she prompted playfully, when he finally released her.

"Hinata, you are beautiful," he said softly, "And if you think you could look bad in anything, I haven't been telling you that enough."

She blushed more deeply, but pushed him away, and darted towards the water.

"Hurry up and finish unpacking," she chided him spritely.

"Stop!" he ordered. She froze, and looked back at him, cutely confused.

"You can't go in the water until I put sun block on you," he scolded her.

"OK," she agreed eagerly. She jogged back up, and spread out on her towel. Naruto quickly set out his own towel and grabbed the plastic bottle from his bag. He kneeled next to Hinata, and rubbed the lotion all over her exposed skin. Though with the time and focus he put into it, it became more like a full body massage than a practical application. He ran his hands repeatedly and firmly up and done her back and legs. He cupped her face, staring deeply into her eyes as he gently knead the sun block into her cheeks, nose and forehead.

"All done," he finally announced, and Hinata let out a disappointed groan. Then she had another thought and stared at him with an expectant expression.

"That means it's your turn," she informed him, "Take off your shirt."

Naruto compiled, stripping off his t-shirt and laying down. She spread the oil all over his arms, face, and legs. Then she had him sit up, and pressed her bosom deliberately against his back, as she wrapped her arms around his body to apply the sunscreen to his chest. Naruto's cheeks turned red, and he couldn't suppress a lecherous grin. Only once she could no longer keep up the pretense of UV protection did she move to his back, quickly applying the lotion to his shoulder blades and moving down his spine. Having completed coating him in the sun block, she slid to her feet and ran back towards the water.

"Hinata, wait up," he scrambled upwards, but she just laughed.

"No, you have to catch me," she giggled, diving forward into the pool.

"So that's how you want to play it?" he growled in mock anger, pounding into the river after her. Once fully submerged, he darted towards her with a hungry look. She saw him approaching and swam away. Naruto torpedoed after her, throwing out tiny puffs of wind chakra to increase his speed. In relatively short order, he caught her foot, and pulled her into an underwater embrace. He kissed her intently as he pushed the both of them back towards the surface. As they broke into the air, he ended the kiss. The couple floated arm in arm for a few seconds, gasping. Then Naruto slipped free, flapping his arms to get some distance.

"Tag, you're it," he told her, before diving under the water. Her surprised look quickly became one of determination, and she followed him into the lagoon.

For almost an hour they continued their game, each chasing the other, until the hunter was able to steal a kiss. When they burst into the air the last time, Hinata broke off her lip lock immediately. Naruto started to ask why, but didn't have to as he noticed she was looking past him, turning her traditional shade of crimson. He turned around and saw two younger teens standing on the beach, staring at the couple in mortification that matched Hinata's.

"I'm so sorry, Lady Hinata!" the girl yelled, "We'll leave!"

"Keiko, Kei, wait!" Hinata shouted back, beginning to swim to shore at full speed. The two newcomers fidgeted on the sand, unsure what to do. After a moment of confusion, Naruto followed, using his chakra again to catch up to her.

"You know them?" he asked as they approached the beach.

"Yes," she confirmed, "They are my sister's teammates."

Naruto studied them more carefully as he and Hinata drew closer. Except for the gender differences revealed by their swimsuits, the younger pair looked identical. Their faces sported the same stub nose, high cheekbones, and gentle green eyes. Keiko and Kei shared the same deep grey hair, which hung to the middle of their respective shoulder blades in a ponytail. Even from the neck down, their builds were remarkably similar, differing only in the slight swell under Keiko's bandeau bikini top, her moderately narrower waist, and the faint hint of a bulge under Kei's trunks.

"Are they twins?" Naruto asked as he and Hinata walked out of the water to meet the Genin. Kei smiled slightly, and Keiko bowed in gratitude.

"Thank you," the thirteen-year-old girl said happily.

"They are cousins, but they look so close that they use the resemblance to their advantage," Hinata informed him.

"You should see us in uniform," Kei's voice was a bit deeper, but he spoke more softly, "The swimsuits are a dead giveaway."

"What do you mean, they look close?" Naruto goggled, glancing back and forth between the younger ninjas, "They are the same."

"No, Kei's nose and chin are a little wider," Hinata shook her head as she explained, "And Keiko's eyes are a little darker in color."

"How much wider?" Naruto asked suspiciously.

"Less than a sixteenth of an inch," the other Chunin admitted.

"So something you'd need a Kekkei Genkai or Genjutsu to notice," Naruto groused.

"Excuse my impertinence, Lady Hinata," Keiko interrupted, "But why did you want us to wait? Is there something we can do for you?"

Hinata frowned slightly, "I've asked you not to call me that, Keiko. And I wanted to know why you were here."

"Kei was just given a clean bill of health," the younger woman said hesitantly, "But Choza-sensei gave us the morning off. So we thought that swimming would be a good, low-impact way to get some exercise."

"Then why were you going to leave?" Naruto asked, confused.

"You two were here first, and we did not want to interfere in La... umm Hinata's... fun?" Keiko's voice faltered, unable to find a good way to describe what they had caught Naruto and Hinata doing.

"Please, don't leave on our account," Hinata requested.

"Yeah, the more the merrier," Naruto agreed. Hinata turned bright red, as did Keiko, and Kei looked away. Realize what he had inadvertently suggested, Naruto rubbed the back of his head, and redirected his accidental innuendo by adding, "Now we have enough people to play some volleyball."

"I'm Naruto, by the way," he announced suddenly, realizing he hadn't officially introduced himself, "Naruto Uzumaki."

He extended his right hand, and they shook it in turn.

"I am Keiko Takamichi," the girl bowed slightly after releasing his grip, "And this is my partner Kei Takamichi."

"Nice to meet you," Kei said with a nod, then added sourly, "We have heard a great deal about you."

"I'm sure," Naruto said in a similar tone. The near twins grinned nervously, but Naruto laughed it off.

"We take what Hanabi says with a grain of salt," Keiko reassured him, "Particularly after she changed her tune so quickly last September."

"Then why don't you stay for a while, and decide for yourselves," Hinata suggested. The Genin pair gazed at one another, almost as if discussing the offer telepathically. Eventually they both looked back at the couple and nodded. Naruto grinned, and started digging in his bag for the poles and net.

* * *

They played a few games of volleyball, first boys against girls, then Naruto and Keiko vs. Hinata and Kei. After that they went back into the water, having a splash fight. It was then that Naruto recognized that he was at a disadvantage. Both in spiking the volleyball and throwing the water, the two younger teens were avoiding Hinata as much as possible.

"So what's up with you two and Hinata?" Naruto asked them when the 'battle' finally wore down. Both of the Genin looked at him with a mixture of surprise and worry.

"What do you mean?" Keiko asked evasively.

"I mean you tiptoe around her like you're afraid of her," he countered, "And you have to struggle not to tack 'Lady' onto her name. You don't seem to think the same way about Hanabi, and she's the one who's all touchy and imperial."

"We used to," Kei admitted.

"But Choza-sensei made us stop," Keiko added, "And Hanabi... agreed. In time we became accustomed to acting normally towards her."

"That doesn't explain why," he insisted.

"Naruto, don't," Hinata said gently.

"No, it is OK," Keiko said, "It isn't something we find shameful."

She sat down, her feet trailing in the water, and Kei sat next to her. Naruto took a place across from her, and Hinata hesitated before kneeling very close to Naruto.

"You see, before the founding of the Hidden Leaf Village, almost since the beginning of the modern ninja age, the Takamichi Clan served the Hyuga Clan," Keiko explained, "We were their servants and bodyguards. In addition we would take in most of those born into the Hyuga clan but without the Byakugan, and in turn those few of us born with the white eyes were adopted by the Hyugas. "

"An arrangement some refuse to forget," Hinata whispered.

"Not just in your family," Keiko managed to agree with Hinata's statement while disagreeing with her tone, "Our fathers both taught us to respect the Hyuga Clan."

"So where the Takamichis branded with the Caged Bird Seal?" Naruto asked angrily.

"No, it was our honor to serve," Kei was upset by the mention of the mark, but seemingly not by the suggestion it had been used on his forbearers.

"Then what changed?" the blonde man queried.

"Hoshi Hyuga," Keiko said evenly, "She disapproved of our clans' relationship, just as you do. During the founding of the Konohagakure, she 'freed' our clan, and asked us to join the village as equals. Some members of our clan were pleased, and the rest went along so they could stay close to the Hyugas.

"Over the last few generations, most members of the Takamichi clan have taken the separation to heart," Hinata added, "but there are those who still display uncommon loyalty to my family. And there are a few in my family who are willing to exploit them."

"Which is why we are more comfortable around Hanabi," Kei spoke up darkly, "Her obvious intent to take advantage of us makes it easier to dismiss her as unworthy."

"Huh?" Naruto grunted in confusion, "What does that mean?"

"The Hyuga clan was once a noble institution," Keiko said uncomfortably, "Though they would not allow children without the Byakugan into the clan, they helped our clan make sure they were cared for and protected. With a few… _notable…_ exceptions. They were proud, but not so arrogant as they have become. And they did not use that repugnant seal you mentioned earlier. That is who our family served with pride, those like Hinata and her great-grandmother Hoshi before her."

"I'm afraid that they have a somewhat idealized view of my ancestors," Hinata chided them. Keiko glared at her, before realizing what she was doing and looking down in chagrin. But Kei considered the suggestion thoughtfully.

"Well, we're all here to have some fun," Naruto said quickly, mildly regretting starting the conversation despite the interesting tidbits about Hinata and her family, "So I'm going back in the water."

* * *

After a more traditional game of swimming tag and a few races across the pond, the sun had reached its zenith, and Naruto announced it was time for lunch. Hinata asked the younger teens to join them, but Keiko begged off, stating that they needed to get ready for their afternoon training. After saying goodbye, Naruto began to gather firewood while Hinata set up a ring of stones for the fire pit. When the temporary grill was ready, Hinata started the blaze with part of the first load of wood, while Naruto retrieved the cooler. He set up the cooking grid and grinned happily as he threw down the ribs and ears of corn. Hinata sat back to watch him, clearly amused. Naruto poked at the meat, smiling more as he observed the progress of the flame.

"I thought you didn't like cooking?" Hinata asked, with just a hint of affectionate mocking.

"This isn't cooking, Hinata," he told her, "This is grilling. Just a man and the flames, with almost none of the prep time and cleanup. If other kinds of cooking were like this, I'd probably eat less ramen. Well, maybe not."

She beamed back at him, sliding closer. But as she reached out to touch him, her expression suddenly changed. With a look of alarm she turned away from him, sliding to her feet. Once she was upright, she continued her rotation.

"Eight Trigrams Palms Enfolding Dome," she exclaimed knocking away the bird that was diving towards them.

"Ginmaki," she summoned her kote with a single word, as soon as her jutsu had ended.

"Hinata, why did you..." Naruto rose in amazement, but his question was cut off when the 'hawk' exploded just before it hit the water. Then he looked skyward, following her attention. Dozens of the false avians were circling them, and the first wave had already started to dive.

Without a word, Hinata activated her Byakugan and shared it with her boyfriend. Naruto placed his back to hers, sharing his vast chakra reserve with her.

"Double Vision," the couple announced in unison, "Protection of the Eight Trigrams, One Hundred Ninety Two Palms."

Streams of sharpened energy shot out from their palms, destroying the missiles before the birds came close enough for the explosions to hurt the young adults. As the remains littered the ground around them, Naruto could now tell that the raptors were clay, not flesh. A second attack approached them, vines sprouting from the ground, trying to ensnare and crush the Leaf shinobi. But they sliced the plants apart, without impacting their deflection of the avian attacks.

After the last of the flying bombs was destroyed, the vines began to pull back. Hinata and Naruto ceased their jutsu, but even as they did, Naruto sensed the next attack. He too summoned his weapon, and swept Hinata behind him. He formed the wind chakra blade even as he drew Kitsune, making the projection as wide as possible before interposing the staff-blade between himself and the column of black energy rushing towards them. The negative chakra jutsu was stronger than the last time, but Kitsune was still able to resist and block the attack. Following just behind the inverted energy beam came the Reaper herself, stabbing out with a trident. Except, instead of tines or spearheads, the head of the trident consisted of three short-sword blades. Naruto dismissed the wind chakra blade so he fit the pole of the staff-blade between two of the extensions. He tried to twist the trident out of the Reaper's hands, but she resisted, growling at him from under her armor of ninja headbands.

"Out of my way, Jinchuriki," the Reaper demanded, trying to sweep Naruto to the side, "You are not my prey this day."

She stepped around Naruto, stabbing towards Hinata, who was using Ginmaki's lightning blades to slice apart the ivy that was again trying to trap them. But Uzumaki was able to block the trident again, forcing the off balance Reaper back.

"Why do you want Hinata?" Naruto slashed at her neck, and the Reaper blocked with the back end of her weapon.

"I have been ordered not to kill you this day," the assassin hissed, slashing at his legs, "And I owe her. She stopped me from killing you in both of our previous encounters, and she killed the majority of my former troops. So today, she is mine."

"So you are working with the Akatsuki now?" Hinata asked bluntly, slicing through one of the grasping stalks.

"The Akatsuki?" Naruto blinked in surprise as he tried for a second time to disarm the Reaper. She held fast to her new weapon, and nearly stabbed his leg.

"The exploding clay pigeons appear to be the work Deidara," Hinata explained, destroying another stem that shot towards her leg, "And I think, based on his plant like appearance, these vines are probably the work of the one called Zetsu."

"Pigeons?" Deidara shouted mockingly, landing in the middle of the pool, "You have no style. Each one of those explosives was a hawk or falcon, custom made to have a distinct appearance and blast profile."

"Why are you with the Akatsuki?" Naruto demanded, noticing the ring on his opponent's left pinky finger, "A group of evil, demon collecting ninjas should be everything you claim to hate."

"True," she answered simply, "But if their mission succeeds, they will kill ninety-seven percent of the shinobi in this world, more than I ever could alone. Then I will just need to finish off the Akatsuki themselves. Besides, they have offered me training, as well as this Gryphon's Claw to replace the Arcmoon Blue you destroyed."

The blonde rogue slung forward his left arm, releasing three earthen shurikens towards Hinata. The Leaf Kunoichi signed in response, while still slicing at Zetsu's tendrils, exclaiming, "Raiton: Spark Darts."

Five barbs of lighting shot from her right hand; three intercepted Deidara's weapons, detonating them, while the remaining two raced towards the villain. But the ring bearer dropped an unformed lump of clay into the water, and the large wave created by the explosion engulfed Hinata's jutsu, channeling its energy away.

Naruto was annoyed to find that, despite his previous win and subsequent training, the Reaper was matching him. Her skills were sharper, and she was stronger and faster as well. She tripped him with the reverse end of her polearm, and before running through a set of hand signs and stating, "Doton: Mire."

The ground became soft under Naruto as he expected, but this time the mud covered a larger area and seemed to be actively pulling him in. Both of the teen Chunin escaped the snare, and in the air Naruto sliced his left palm with the fox teeth on Kitsune's pommel. He continued to let the minor wound bleed as he landed.

"Blood Clone Jutsu!" Uzumaki created three clones. The first intercepted the Reaper, the second took up Hinata's gardening, and the third charged towards Deidara.

"We're losing," Naruto whispered.

"We've been fine so far," she countered, worried by his pessimism.

"No, they are toying with us. You've seen Gaara's reports," he explained, "About what Deedee over there can do. And the Reaper is stronger now, too. She was matching me move for move, and I get the impression she isn't wasting chakra like she was last time. And Zetsu hasn't even shown himself yet."

"What do we do then?" she asked.

"I was hoping you had a better idea," he whispered, "But I was thinking we should have my clones distract the other two, and then you and I double team the Reaper. Once she's out of the way, we can probably handle aloe vera and bomb boy one on one."

"It's a _workable_ plan," white Zetsu agreed dubiously, as the plant man sprouted in between the couple. Naruto glanced back, and noticed the plants had wrapped up the Blood Clone fighting them, while the other two facsimiles were still managing to hold off Deidara and the Reaper.

Both teens tried to jump away, but Zetsu followed after Naruto, while more vines erupted in front of Hinata. The dichotomous renegade stabbed out with his right hand, his fingers lengthening into thorns aimed for Naruto's exposed left bicep. The Leaf Ninja tried to knock them aside with Kitsune, but the altered phalanges wrapped around the staff-blade, holding it in place. Naruto started to create the wind blade, but before he could, Zetsu's left fingers stabbed lightly into his gullet. The Akatsuki scout shoved Naruto away just before they reached the ground. As Uzumaki tried to land, he stumbled, suddenly weak and off balance.

"Naruto!"

"What did you do to me?" the young man mumbled, trying to stay upright.

"I poisoned you with the neurotoxin of a particularly rare breed of azalea," black Zetsu said, "Though it may kill the young, elderly, or infirm, most just end up in a coma for ten days or so."

"But with you, we'll be lucky to get two days out of it," white Zetsu conceded.

"It will still be enough," black Zetsu made their body shrug. The Kyubi's host fell to his knees, still trying to keep Kitsune up.

"Naruto!" Hinata shouted again, diving forward, blades first. She managed to cut through the stalks and stems blocking her, but the opening was too small, and the edges of the cut plants tore at her skin and bikini, leaving her scraped up and close to losing her already minimal clothing. This also slowed her enough for Zetsu to kick her away, back into the next layer of vines. The roots wrapped her limbs, even as Naruto fell, the weapon slipping from his grip.

Hinata started send sent out small Gentle Fist chakra spikes from chakra points al over her body, however the tiny cuts where not enough to set her free and the greenery grew back as fast as she could damage it. She rotated her wrist and elbow, managing to slice away the stalks holding he right arm with Ginmaki.

"Good," Zetsu walked over to Naruto, as the tendrils lifted him, and began to cocoon him. Hinata cut her other arm free, and tried to surge forward. But her legs remained locked and she nearly fell.

"I should bring that, too," the flytrap rogue's extensions swept up Kitsune, sliding it into its scabbard as the vines pinned Naruto's limp arms to his sides.

"I'll be taking him now," Zetsu informed his teammates, "Follow when you are done here. Mayfly Jutsu."

Zetsu and Naruto vanished into the ground. Deidara nodded, launching another clay kunai at the clone fighting him.

"No, Naruto," Hinata's silver eyes darted over the ground instinctively, trying to track them. The plants holding Hinata and the Blood Clone began to wither and collapse without Zetsu's chakra. The other two Blood Clones looked to their freed brother, who nodded. He used the Body Flicker to appear next to Hinata, and then began to teleport them both away.

"What are you doing?" Hinata demanded of the duplicate once he stopped using the Shunshin. After almost sixty jumps, they were more than a mile into the woods, closer to the Konohagakure. The double looked at her sadly.

"There is nothing more you can do back there," he told her, "They have the real Naruto. That plant guy's technique is too fast for you to follow, even if you could potentially track him with your Byakugan. Besides, with Naruto gone those two could use attacks that might have been too powerful and killed him too."

Hinata nodded in spite of herself, trying not to tear up.

"Now what?" she asked weakly.

"We'll hold them off for as long as we can. But I don't know how long we'll last with our real body unconscious and getting further away," he told her, "You have to get back to the village. You have to get reinforcemen… crap… I used up too much chakra."

The clone ceased to be, and Naruto's blood fell to the ground. Hinata wanted to cry, but she forced herself up.

"They'll be coming soon," Hinata knew that the Reaper would not want to let her escape. She activated the hand seals, and two Shadow Clones split off, leaving trails into the forest. Then she bit her finger, and spread out her blood across her digits.

"Summoning Jutsu," she announced, slamming her palm into the earth. In matched billows of smoke, Sol and Luné appeared.

"Mistress Hinata, what…" Sol started to ask, noticing Hinata's attire and condition. But the human shinobi cut off the squirrel.

"The Akatsuki have captured Naruto," the young woman explained quickly, "And they will be chasing me shortly. This information has to get back to the village, no matter what. You two split up. Take different routes and go to the village as fast as you can."

"Yes ma'am," Luné acknowledged, and rodents scampered off in different directions. With no more ideas, Hinata charged straight towards the village.

* * *

The last Blood Clone looked down sluggishly at the charred remains of his left leg, even as the Reaper rammed her trident into his chest. The copy disintegrated into Naruto's life essence, and the ninja hunter turned towards the Hidden Leaf Village. She took a step forward, but before she could leave, Deidara stopped her.

"Don't bother," he told his junior comrade, "She may only have a six minute head start, but this is her home turf. Besides, we already did our job. So if you don't want to be fighting the entire Hidden Leaf Village, we need to get moving."

* * *

The Reaper nodded stiffly, obviously unhappy, but followed him anyway.

"Was that…" Rock Lee was roused from the monotony of guard duty as a familiar blur ran past him without pause. Tenten nodded, recognizing the purple and grey parts of the blur.

Hinata continued at full speed straight towards headquarters. She was pouring chakra into her legs, and every few dozen steps she used the Body Flicker to cover an extra hundred feet instantly. Her lower limbs were sore, her bare feet bloody, and she was running out of chakra, but she didn't care. Especially now that her target was visible.

"Hinata?" Sakura noticed her teammate racing up the stairs outside Ninja Ops, and surreptitiously followed. Hinata charged past Shizune, practically blowing the Hokage's office door off its hinges.

"Hinata, what is the meaning of…" Tsunade roared, jumping to her feet. Shizune cringed as she stepped into the room after the other Kunoichi.

"The Akatsuki have Naruto," the younger woman cut her off fiercely.

"Naruto!" Sakura whispered, standing outside the door.


	70. Gathering the Troops

**Chapter 70: Gathering the Troops**

"What?" Tsunade grunted, looking like she had been punched in the stomach. Then she forced her surprise and fear away, and demanded, "Explain."

"We went to the waterfall lagoon this morning," Hinata started. She took a deep breath, trying to control her emotions. Then she gave Tsunade and Shizune a quick rundown of the morning's fun, and a more detailed accounting of the battle.

"… he dragged Naruto into the ground," despite her best efforts, Hinata was crying with frustration and worry by the end, "I was ready to go after them, but one of Naruto's clones grabbed me and flash-stepped me away from the beach. He told me that I had come back and get reinforcements. So I ran back here as fast as I could."

Hinata wiped her eyes with her wrists and glared at the Hokage again.

"We have to go, we have to save Naruto," the pale beauty insisted.

"It's not that simple, Hinata," Tsunade sighed. During the tale the elder medic had remained composed and thoughtful, though she too struggled. But now the Hokage was in full leader mode, thinking strategically.

"What? Why not?"

"Hinata, Itachi gave us the locations of fourteen different Akatsuki safe houses," Shizune put a comforting hand on the younger woman's shoulder while she explained. At the same time the healer began to subtly close the cuts and bruises the Hyuga heiress had acquired during the battle and her heedless escape.

"They could have been heading to any one of them," Tsunade nodded, "or none of them. On top of that, only one is in the Land of Fire. We can't just send a whole platoon into another country; it would be considered an act of war. Well, we might be able to get away with it in the Land of Air if we send Temari."

"The extraction takes at least three days," the Hokage said reassuringly, "And if Itachi's report is correct, even longer if they don't have at least nine rings. So our best bet right now is not to rush in too fast."

Hinata looked down so they couldn't see her eyes. She nodded once, and turned to leave.

"Excuse me, Lady Tsunade," the Chunin said hoarsely, "I need to go clean up and get into my uniform."

"Go ahead," the Sannin agreed, "We will let you know if we have any more questions, or if we find out anything."

Hinata hurried out, not noticing that her aches were mostly gone.

"I'm sorry, Lady Tsunade, I can't wait," the teenaged Chunin whispered fiercely, as she ran down the stairs.

"What now?" Shizune asked after watching the girl leave. The Hokage did not answer in words. Instead she took an ornate key from inside her shirt and opened the bottom left drawer of her desk. The inside of the drawer was filled with an unusual crystal, and the leader of the Leaf Ninjas invoked an elaborate Ninjutsu. The protective material melted away, leaving behind only a small, black candle. Shizune closed the door and the window shades as Tsunade set the talisman on the desk. She wrapped her fingers around the chakra-laced tallow, and stared intently at the wick.

"I am Tsunade Senju," she flinched, hating using her surname, "the fifth Hokage of the Konohagakure. I request an emergency meeting of the Conclave of Shadows."

A black flame instantly appeared on the dark string. Instead of casting light into the room, it sent out a thick outline. The silhouette crept up the empty wall to the right of her desk, and then began to deepen and change. A black and grey door formed on the blank space. Once the portal was fully revealed, Tsunade stood, releasing the candle. She walked intently over to the previously hidden exit, and turned the handle.

* * *

As soon as she was safely in her room with the door locked, Hinata stripped off the remains of her bikini and threw it unceremoniously in the trash. She opened the top drawer of her nightstand and withdrew two food pills, quickly swallowing them. Though it was generally considered a bad idea to take more than one food pill at a ttime; unless you were of the Akimichi clan; Hinata ignored common sense. She was almost out of chakra, and she would need to be at full. As she began to feel her energy recover, she activated the regeneration jutsu Tsunade had taught her, trying to heal her injuries. The young woman was surprised to find that except for the deeper cuts on her feet, all of her wounds were gone. So she focused the restorative energies down into her soles, and charged into her bathroom. The incensed Kunoichi took a hurried shower to clear her body of the dirt, blood, sweat, and sap from the battle and her retreat.

Her chakra starting to overflow, Hinata blasted the water from her skin instead of using a towel. She quickly slid on her armored undergarments and covered her body in the reinforced silk of her shozoku. Clothed, she pulled on her stocking and shoes. Then she remembered something, and opened another drawer with a look of annoyance. She extracted her backup cellular, and flipped the phone open. She rapidly typed in the cancel code that would destroy her original phone, which was either still in her backpack on the beach or in the possession of the Akatsuki. She entered the second sequence to activate the spare, angrily lamenting the thirty-minute activation time, during which she could only call ops.

Hinata double checked the equipment in her mission backpack, and slid the new phone into its pocket. Finally she picked up her Leaf headband, and started to place it around her neck. The young woman paused, staring at the blue cloth covering the back of the metal shield. She took a deep breath, and placed the insignia against her forehead, tying the knot firmly it into place under her braid.

Hinata heard her father approaching. She wondered briefly if the Hokage or Shizune had asked him to look in on her. Unwilling to risk any delay, Hinata opened her window, and jumped to the ground, racing away even as she touched down.

* * *

Behind the black door was a circular room only slightly larger than the Hokage's office. There were four other doors in the outer wall, and a ring shaped table with five chairs around it in the center of the room. As she stepped forward, the door on her immediate left opened, and a slender young man with a short shock of red hair and a long crimson coat stepped out. Another shadow flashed out of the door and darted back out through the door behind Tsunade. The Hokage smirked at the Kazekage, who shrugged while his mouth turned up ever so slightly.

The door on Tsunade's right opened, and the eleventh Mizukage stepped through. Yasuo Mizuno was taller than Tsunade, and had a more muscular build than Gaara. However the Mist Ninja was not overly brawny, either. His hair and goatee were more salt than pepper, despite being a few years younger than the Sannin's fifty some years. His blue-grey eyes addressed them sorrowfully through his smart, oval glasses. Another figure appeared behind him, and also vanished through the Hokage's door. Frowning, the medic closed the portal.

"You could get in trouble for that, Yasuo," she scolded him. He shrugged, smiling sadly.

"There is only one reason you would call for this meeting," he told them both, "And my daughter has a certain fondness for some of your people. Unfortunately, her actions may not reflect my own decisions."

Tsunade nodded, respecting his candor and understanding his position. The three leaders all looked at the last two doors, and Tsunade started to tap her foot impatiently.

"You know, I expect Mitsuru to be late," she grumbled, cursing every second they were delayed, "But Goro is usually the second one here."

The other door next to Gaara opened, and Mitsuru Jishin stepped through. The leader of the Village Hidden in the Rocks was best described as compact. She was a full head shorter than Gaara, and weighed as much. Her build was thick without being fat, a fact her chain mail vest and skirt emphasized. The lines etched into her face marked her as being Tsunade's true age or older, but her brown hair trailed loose to the middle of her back, without a hint of grey or white.

"I apologize for my tardiness," the Tsuchikage told her counterparts, as was her custom. Her voice was deep and had an odd echoing quality, as if she were always speaking from a cave. Then she recognized that she was not the final Kage to appear.

"It appears I am not the last to arrive, for once," the Land of Earth Jonin added.

* * *

'I cannot do this alone,' Hinata told herself, 'Itachi did not know about the Reaper, which means there should be seven rings, if no others have been killed, plus who knows how many lesser members. And possibly Madara Uchiha as well. I'll need help.'

As she thought that, she remembered something else. She paused, canceling her Shadow Clones, before summoning Sol and Luné again. The two squirrels appeared before her, looking slightly confused.

"Mistress, I was..." Sol cocked her head, noticing the human's change in appearance.

"I have already spoken to the Hokage," Hinata interrupted, "Thank you for your help. Dismiss."

The ninja rodents looked dismayed as Hinata returned them to their homes. The Kunoichi regretted being short with them, and promised herself she would apologize later.

'Allies,' she forced her mind back on track, 'The more the better.'

She expected she could count on their friends. She was tempted to ask Kakashi and Iruka, but she was afraid they would try to dissuade her.

'Lee and Tenten are on guard duty,' she reminded herself, 'I should start there.'

She changed directions, running through the village. Though she did not spend her chakra to teleport or increase her speed, she brooked no delays, darting into alleys twice when the main streets became too crowded. After two long minutes, Hinata reached the main gates. But her heart fell when she saw Genma and Raido instead of her peers.

"What happened to Tenten?" she asked quickly yet carefully, "I thought she was on guard duty?"

"We relieved Tenten and Lee," Raido sad, "I don't know where she went."

"Oh, thank you," Hinata made sure she had moved away before she let herself frown. She dashed away, considering her next move. But her deliberations didn't take long; she knew whom she needed to seek next. The person she would have sought first, had she not expected to be able to find two allies in one place.

The Haruno family's home was closer to the entrance than the Hyuga estate, and Hinata arrived in just over a minute's travel. She took a moment to compose herself, and knocked on the door. She struggled not to fidget as she waited.

"Just a minute," a gentle, mature voice called from inside the house. A few seconds later, the door swung inwards, revealing Sakura's mother, Sakuya Haruno.

"Hello, Hinata," she inclined her head to the younger Kunoichi, "Are you looking for Sakura?"

"Yes, ma'am," the Chunin nodded her ascent.

"I'm sorry, but she's not here now," the bookseller said regretfully.

"Oh," Hinata sighed, "Do you have any idea where she is?"

"She was working in the hospital this morning," Sakuya pondered the question, "I think she was going to train with Lady Tsunade after lunch, so she might be at Ops."

"Thank you," Hinata bowed, "I will check there. Good afternoon."

"Good afternoon, Hinata," the Haruno matriarch inclined her head, and as she closed the door wore a slightly worried look. Hinata sighed again. She knew she should tell Sakura next, but did not want to risk going anywhere near headquarters. Similarly, her next choice would be Neji, but the most likely place to find him would be at the clan's manor, and she did not think that would be a good idea either.

'Kiba and Shino,' she thought, 'I can count on them, and they can help me contact Sakura and the others. The Inuzuka lodge is closest.'

* * *

The first four Kages to arrive had all taken their seats, still waiting for the Raikage. The Tsuchikage was waiting patiently, while the Hokage was obviously annoyed. The Mizukage tapped one finger, indicating his growing irritation. And a deep frown and a furrowed brow creased the Kazekage's normally impassive face.

The door to the Land of Lightning opened, and the Raikage, Goro Yotsuki strode into the Conclave. The Leader of the Hidden Cloud village glared around the room imperiously, before dropping heavily into his chair.

"Why have you summoned us, Tsunade?" he demanded, ignoring their incredulous glares. Even Mitsuru was stirred by his gall. But considering what was at stake, Tsunade bit back her angry retort, and answered directly.

"The Akatsuki have captured Naruto Uzumaki," she informed them. Neither Gaara nor Yasuo reacted; both of her allies had already deduced the reason for the meeting. Mitsuru looked mildly shocked at the news. And Goro snorted derisively.

"And?" the Raikage shrugged, "What would you have us do?'

"Ideally, I want you to help me find and recover him," the Sannin medic was losing control of her infamous temper, "But baring that, any updated intel you have on the Akatsuki. Or at the very least, sanction a rescue mission by my people if Naruto is being held outside the Land of Fire."

"Why should we do this?" the Mizukage asked quickly after she was finished, "Isn't this an internal matter for the Hidden Leaf Village?"

Tsunade was able to calm herself at his query. Yasuo was a natural Devil's Advocate, questioning everything thoroughly and from all sides. The Tsuchikage respected his opinion, as did the Raikage, to a lesser degree. If she could put aside his doubts, it would go a long way to convincing those two.

"Multiple reasons," the Fire Shadow addressed the Water Shadow directly, "The Akatsuki grow stronger daily. When they bring together the rogue ninjas and bandits they have recruited, and the mercenaries they have hired, they will have an army that can crush any of the lesser villages, and maybe even rival one of our villages. They have recently enlisted the woman who calls herself the Reaper of Ninja into their inner circle."

"What does that have to do with this kidnapping?" Goro interrupted.

"Directly, nothing," Tsunade conceded with a shrug, and a smug expression, "Just pointing out if we keep waiting and watching, secure in our supposed superiority, it could be too late sooner than you think."

"And that is way we should work together to save Naruto," Gaara argued softly, "Handing over the Kyubi to the Akatsuki is lunacy, as is giving up our only reliable bait."

The Tsuchikage nodded slowly, but the Mizukage remained carefully neutral, and the Raikage was jovially dismissive.

* * *

"Strap him down," the scientist ordered. She was in her mid to late thirties, of average height and build, with pale, watery, blue eyes. And her face split with rage as her assistants started to follow her instructions.

"No, you idiots!" she shouted, "Take that thing off his back first!"

"Why did you bring that anyway?" the researcher asked calmly, glancing back at Zetsu.

"It is a chakra bonded weapon," the black side noted, "Connected to him. We thought even if it isn't helpful as a point of reference in the extraction, you might want to study it on its own merits."

"A weapon with the Kyubi's chakra," she purred, looking at Kitsune with interest, "We've never had something like that before."

Then the scientist shook her head, forcing her mind back to the matter at hand.

"What did you dose him with?" she asked.

"Nighttrap Azalea," the white side answered glibly.

"Really? That seems a bit excessive."

"He regenerates," the black half of the renegade explained, "Very quickly, from what we've heard. I was afraid anything less wouldn't keep him out long enough to bring him back here."

"Fair enough," she conceded, "Would you please tell Tobi that we are beginning the examination?"

"Tobi?" the two parts of Zetsu asked in unison.

"Lord Pein and Lady Konan had other issues to attend to," she shrugged, unconcerned, "And when he left, Lord Pein told us Tobi was in charge."

The plant shinobi nodded, and left.

* * *

Hinata was starting to wonder if she had earned some bad karma. She hadn't been able to find anyone. Kiba's mother had told her that Kiba, Shino, and Sasame were out training. She suspected she knew where they were, but she didn't want to leave the village yet, especially if she happened to be wrong. Shikamaru had been neither at home, nor at his favorite cloud watching spot.

Not long after leaving the Nara house, Hinata had been forced to hide from Iruka Umino, but his demeanor told her that the Hokage had not told anyone of Naruto's abduction. She considered approaching the Jonin, but was not sure she could count on him not to advise her to wait, or even contact the Hokage and tell her what Hinata was doing.

After he was gone, Hinata pondered who she should try finding. As if in answer to her earlier worry about her fortunes, her next move fell into her lap.

"Hey; Hinata," she heard a familiar voice call out. She turned with a look of intense gratitude towards Ino. The other Chunin was in civilian clothes, and was carrying a shopping bag.

"Are you going on a mission?" the blonde woman asked in surprise, "I though Choji said you guys wouldn't have any missions until the results of the Jonin trials were announced."

"Ino, thank the gods," the pale Kunoichi almost sobbed in relief, "I've been looking all over, but I haven't been able to find anyone."

"Hinata, what is it?" the older teen asked, worried by the Hyuga heiress's reaction.

"Naruto has been kidnapped," Hinata told her softly, stepping over to the side of the road. Ino followed her away from the few people in the street, her eyes becoming like saucers in astonishment.

"What? When?"

"Just over two hours ago," the dark-haired girl answered, "We were attacked by the Akatsuki, and they captured Naruto. His clone forced me to get away."

"Gods," Ino's jaw dropped, "You have to tell the Hokage."

"I did," Hinata said bitterly, "She said that since it will take three days for them to kill Naruto, it isn't a priority yet."

"No way," Ino gaped even wider. Then she closed her mouth nodding, "So that's why you're looking for everyone. OK, count me in."

Yamanaka paused and tilted her head in confused curiosity, "But why are you running around? Why not just call everyone?""

"I was forced to leave my phone behind when Naruto's clone used Body Flicker to take me away from the fight," Hinata told her.

"And your spare in still initializing," Ino deduced.

"Yes," Hinata nodded, then she brightened, "Wait, what about your phone?"

"It's at home," Ino said guiltily, "I was just running a quick errand, and I didn't want to go up to my room to get it."

"Then let's split up for now," Hinata suggested regretfully, not wanting to be alone, "You can go home, get your equipment, and start calling everyone. I will keep searching. I can call you when my phone is ready."

"OK," Ino agreed with a sad smile. Then she embraced Hinata gently, and whispered, "We'll get him back Hinata. No way we'll let those assholes kill that knucklehead."

"Thank you, Ino," the pale beauty barely contained a sniffle.

* * *

Tsunade wanted to punch something.

The Earth Shadow simply sat there, listening. The Fire Shadow knew that the grudge from the last war was still there, however she also recognized that Mitsuru was pragmatic enough to take the longer view. But she was not called 'the Avalanche' for nothing. She was tough to move, but once she started, she would do her best to steamroll everything in her path. The Hokage was counting on finally turning that impetus towards Madara and Pein's organization.

The Lightning Shadow was a greater annoyance. He still held the Leaf Village responsible for the death of his cousin at the hands of Hiashi Hyuga thirteen years prior. And aside from that, he did not appear to consider the Akatsuki as worthy of his notice. As a result, he was flippant during the entire meeting, tossing aside every bit of logic.

But the Water Shadow was the one who was really making her mad. She knew he liked to make sure every issue was fully explored, taking the opposing side if he found a flaw in the original argument, whatever his personal opinion was. But today he was taking it too far. She had counted on the fact that he would support her, both because of their strong alliance, and because her knowledge that he had not told the Conclave the identity of the Seven-Fins' Jinchuriki.

They argued back and forth about the merits of having Naruto's strength against the Akatsuki, versus the Leaf Village having his power should the great villages go to war again. They debated the possibility that the Six -Tails Chameleon, or the Seven-Fins Shark, or both, had been captured. They discussed the potential to use Naruto to lure out Pein and Madara if he was rescued, as the Wind Shadow had previously suggested. The Hokage then made a less than subtle comments about the Raikage's manhood and parentage. For a second he appeared ready to attack her, or at least stoop to her level, but then he just shrugged and ignored the insult.

"I should have know better," Tsunade wrested control of her voice back from her temper, "Yugito Nii was a respected Hidden Cloud ninja, and you didn't lift a finger to help after she was taken out of your very village."

"Why you arrogant wench…" he started to growl, but was cut off.

"The truth hurts, doesn't it?" Gaara asked quietly. The simple statement left Goro sputtering. The Kazekage turned his attention to the Tsuchikage.

"Lady Mitsuru," Gaara addressed her by name, "We know that you tried very hard to rescue the one called Roshi, after he was captured. Do you not want revenge, as I do? Do you not want to spare another shinobi from being subjected to that fate?"

For the first time since Goro's disrespectful arrival and Tsunade's announcement of the abduction, Mitsuru showed a sliver of emotion, determination. Tsunade prevented her joy from showing.

'Nice job, kid,' she commended Gaara silently.

* * *

"Tobi," the scientist inclined her head slightly as the ring-bearer entered the lab. Though the head researcher's reaction was casual, her assistants scrambled to put the finishing touches on the chakra seal they were inscribing on the floor and walls.

"My, my," the masked renegade bent low over the Leaf Ninja, "What a big fish they caught. Are you ready to gut him?"

"The preparations for the Five Elements Seal Drill are nearly complete," she said hesitantly, "But there is a problem."

She placed her hand on Naruto's stomach and probed with her chakra. The black Eight Trigrams Divination Seal appeared, as did the purple Zodiac Seal over the top of it.

"There's another seal," Tobi noted blandly, "What does that mean?"

"It will take much longer to drill through safely," the chakra expert answered.

"How long?" Tobi asked, seemly worried, "You told Lord Pein it would take four days to breach the Eight Trigrams seal. Does this mean it will take eight days? He won't be happy with that."

"Actually, ten to do safely," she shook her head, "The Zodiac seal is stronger and the interaction makes the process more tenuous."

"Can't you do it any faster?" Tobi whined, pleadingly.

"As I told Lord Pein, the Five Elements Drill can go quite fast. But the faster I go, the more chance of the host dying, or the demon escaping. I could probably break through both seals together in only five days, but there is more than a sixty percent chance Uzumaki would die, and roughly a seventy percent chance the Nine-Tails Fox would escape and kill us all."

"And what if you just broke the Zodiac Seal?" he asked, already expecting the answer.

"That would only take about four hours," she conceded, "But given how the two seals interact, there would be almost a ninety percent chance that the demon would escape. And then kill us all."

Tobi nodded sagely, noting, "I'd like to avoid the 'killing us all' part."

"Then I guess I'll have to unravel the seal," he continued, his voice oddly serious.

"You know how to do that?" the scientist was amazed.

"Maybe?" Tobi reverted to his more normal tone, sounding humorously unsure. Then he spoke hard again, instructing, "Everyone leave."

"Why?" she asked.

"Oh, in case something goes wrong," he shrugged, "Besides, I need my secrets."

Something in his voice at the last made the normally taciturn researcher shudder. She nodded to her aides, who quickly left. Then she looked back at the Akatsuki member reluctantly.

"Are you sure about this?" she asked, her eyes narrowing, "We could contact Lord Pein."

"Nope," Tobi countered glibly, "Deidara just reported in. Hinata Hyuga escaped. The Konoha already knows we have the kid, so we probably don't have a lot of time. This should only take me ten hours, and it is safer than breaking the seal."

She nodded again, and left the lab. Madara locked the door behind her, and removed his both his literal and figurative masks. His red eyes stared down at Naruto's stomach, the indicators of the Mangekyo Sharingan circling rapidly from his excitement.

"It has been a long time, my rebellious servant," he purred

* * *

WE ARE FIGHTING DREAMERS! Takami wo mezashi…

Hinata skidded to a halt, fumbling for her phone as it started 'ringing'.

"Na… Naruto?" she stammered into the receiver, frightened yet cautiously hopeful.

"No, Hinata, it's Sakura," the familiar voice on the other end was confused.

"Oh," Hinata mumbled, "I guess I need to update the ring tones on my backup."

"Where are you?" Sakura nearly shouted at her teammate, "Everyone is waiting for you. We're at the number three target range. I thought we should meet up outside the village. Get over here as fast as you can."

'Everyone is waiting for _me_?' she thought as Sakura disconnected. She quickly pocketed the cellular, and sped through the village towards the main gate. For the second time that day, she did not slow as she passed the guards.

"Call Ops," Raido instructed Genma, "Something's going on."

Hinata ran down the path, carefully controlling her confusion, her disappointment, and most importantly her hope. Finally she reached the clearing, and found it far more full than she had expected.

Sakura was there, of course. Hinata was also unsurprised to find Neji, Ino, Choji, Shikamaru, Shino, Sasame, and Kiba and Akamaru waiting. She was slightly surprised to see Lee and Tenten standing by Neji, as they had just gotten off guard duty. Given Shikamaru's presence, Temari's attendance was also something that did not shock Hinata, but the last two shinobi were completely unexpected. Both Kankuro and Kaede Mizuno were mingling with the Leaf Ninja. She looked around at her friends and allies thankfully, before settling on her first recruit.

"Ino, did you?"

"Not me," the stylish blonde shook her head, "Sakura did this. I had a voicemail from her waiting for me."

"Sakura, how?"

"I was at Ninja Ops when you arrived," the pink-haired Kunoichi explained, "I was worried when I saw you, so I listened in. When the Hokage said we had to wait, I knew she was wrong, and I was pretty sure you would agree."

"Speaking of not waiting," Temari said tensely, remembering what happened to her brother the previous year, "We should get moving."

"Wait," Hinata said softly. She took a deep breath to steady herself, and the announced, "Before we can leave, there is something you all need to know."


	71. Where You Are

**Chapter 71: Where You Are**

"Naruto was worried this day would come," she said softly, apprehensively, "so he made me promise that before I let his friends try to save him from the Akatsuki, I would tell them why this was happening. The Hokage told us that the Akatsuki were a threat, but she didn't tell us the entire story. Naruto wanted you to know the truth before you put your lives at risk."

"Hinata, don't" Sakura ordered her harshly, "You know the law. And we need their help."

"The Third Hokage's restriction doesn't apply, because it is Naruto's wish," Hinata countered, "And this is not a mission. We could all be counted at renegades for doing this. They need to know."

Many of the assembled shinobi looked confused by the exchange, but the number who did not surprised both women. Sakura stared sternly at her younger teammate for a moment, and then nodded.

"If it was Naruto, he would probably give you the back story and the guilt trip first," Hinata told them, "But I am just going to say it outright.

She took a deep breath, and looked at them determinedly.

"Naruto is the Jinchuriki of the Nine-Tails Fox Demon," she announced, steadying herself for their reactions. Neji just nodded, as did Shikamaru. None of the three foreign ninjas were surprised by the news. And Shino betrayed no more emotion than usual. Lee frowned, taking in the news. Tenten looked visibly frightened, as did Sasame. Choji's mouth dropped open. Ino was disturbed, but her expression was more sad than anything else. The only one to vocalize more than a gasp was Kiba.

"What the heck, Hinata?" the dog trainer roared, "This isn't the time for jokes."

"This is no joke," Sakura snapped back, "Not to us, and especially not to Naruto."

"The Kyubi is the reason why the Akatsuki captured Naruto," Hinata added, "And he wanted his friends to have the whole story before you tried to rescue him."

"What rescue?" Kiba chuckled harshly, "Why should we go through with this?"

"Naruto is a comrade," Shikamaru said, "And more than that, a friend. He's done good by us, though with the way we used to treat him, none of us deserve it. Well, except for Hinata."

"But we would be saving the demon that nearly destroyed the village," Tenten objected softly, "that killed so many people, before the Fourth Hokage defeated it."

"Iruka-sensei does not appear to begrudge Naruto the Fox's actions," Neji told his lover, "And the demon killed both of his parents."

"Yeah, Iruka-sensei's some kind of saint," Kiba growled, "But that doesn't mean we should put ourselves out there for that monster..."

SMACK! Kiba's head spun from the force of the slap, and he tumbled to the ground. Everyone blinked, and glanced at Hinata, but Naruto's girlfriend had not moved. Instead, Ino Yamanaka was standing over Kiba, tears streaming down her face.

"He's not a monster," her voice was livid despite her tears, "He's a human being who was forced to contain a demon. HE protected us from that thing, and we tortured him for it. He was lonely, with no one to trust. We should count ourselves lucky that Mizuki was the only one who tried to use Naruto, if it had been someone smarter..."

Choji put his hand on Ino's shoulder and she dove into his chest. Like Ino's lover, Shikamaru and Temari recognized that Naruto was not the only Jinchuriki Ino was thinking about. Indeed, everyone expect Kaede had heard the tale of Ino's encounter with the vessel of the Shadow Roc.

"I know I'm still the newcomer," Sasame said softly, meeting Hinata's gaze reassuringly, before looking at Kiba and Tenten, "and I was shocked and a little afraid when Hinata said that Naruto contains a demon. But Naruto is the one of the kindest, most generous people I know. I betrayed him, and he not only forgave me, he helped me. So it doesn't matter to me that he is a Jinchuriki, I will help Naruto."

"You're right," Tenten nodded, looking chagrinned, "I'm sorry, Hinata, of course I'm with you."

"You don't have to apologize," Hinata shook her head, "Naruto expected everyone would react like this. He didn't want anyone to feel they were tricked into this."

"Well, I do have to apologize then," Kiba backed away as he stood, "Because I'm out. Even if I accepted that Naruto and the Fox are separate, that demon killed my uncle and his wife, and my aunt. So I think it deserves whatever the Akatsuki do to it."

"Idiot," Neji snorted.

"What was that?" Kiba snarled at Jonin.

"The Akatsuki intend to use the Kyubi as some sort of weapon," Neji answered condescendingly, "How many more will die if we let those rogues take the beast?"

"Naruto," Temari said, "Naruto will die if the Akatsuki remove the demon. "

"Akamaru," Shino interjected, "Do you want to come with us?"

The large hound looked at his partner, and then back to Shino, barking loudly once.

"What?" Kiba looked at the dog in confusion, "Why?"

"When Akamaru was infected with the bio-weapon," the insect user reminded his teammate, "he attacked Naruto, and despite that, Naruto defied the Hokage and risked his life to help save Akamaru. I'm sure Akamaru hasn't forgotten that, either."

"So, even though Naruto wanted us to have a choice in the matter," Kiba grumbled, "If I don't choose to help, I'm a big, insensitive, ungrateful, bigoted jerk?"

"Don't forget you'll be helping the enemies of your village," Kankuro reminded him sarcastically.

"If you decide not to help Naruto, I'm sure it will make Hanabi happy," Hinata suggested innocently. A shudder went done Kiba's spine.

"OK, fine, I'm in," he told them guiltily, "But when I see that guy, I'm gonna slug him in the gut for not telling us sooner."

* * *

"Twelve Zodiac animals," Madara examined Hinata's seal, "forming a dodecahedral web. But where did it start and where does it end..."

He probed each of the anchors in turn, studying how they connected, and how they reacted. The Uchiha founder was forced to admit a grudging respect for whoever had crafted the secondary cage; it was perfectly balanced. Unable to find the loose thread from the outside, Madara moved to hover over Naruto's face. He pried open one of the younger man's eyes and stared deeply into it with his own red orb.

"Tsukiyomi," he incanted, pouring his thoughts into the Leaf Chunin's mind. Madara was amused to find himself in the middle of a vast field of flowers. He could feel the divide, with the teenage human on one side and the fox demon on the other. Uzumaki responded sluggishly to the new arrival, looking at him in confusion.

"Who are you?" the blonde asked lazily. This caught the Kyubi's attention. She lifted her head, and her crimson eyes flared.

"Uchiha?" she screeched, "How did you get here, you bastard?"

"Is that any way to speak to your master?" Madara taunted. The demon roared in response, and charged him. But the Sharingan user was on Naruto's side of the seal, and the net of flowers stopped the Bijuu. She howled again, and sent her chakra crashing through the floral barrier, trying to force him out of Naruto's soul. But the raw energy had no effect, if anything Madara appeared to drink it in and become more solid. Uzumaki blinked at them, too deeply drugged to recognize what was happening.

"Why are you here, Madara?" the fox stepped back from the boundary, still livid but now more in control.

"To set you free," he answered, watching closely as the web of vines retracted once again, "I need to find the key to unraveling the Zodiac Seal. Then my followers will be able to take you out of Naruto."

"Bullshit," the demon scoffed, " You don't want to free me. You're going to take me from the kit, and seal me in that statue, so you can use my power."

"Of course. You belong to me. This little vacation has made you mouthy again, but soon I will remind you of your place."

He sneered viciously as he turned at started to walk towards the edge of the field.

"Look forward to it," he offered as parting shot, as he faded back to the real world.

Madara lifted his head, and turned back to Naruto's belly. The fox's display had inadvertently given him the information he needed.

"Start with the Dragon," he noted as he began to craft the hand signs that would remove the anchor and pass its links to him to continue the removal of the seal.

* * *

"How do we find Naruto?" Lee asked. The assembled rescue team paused, and looked to Hinata.

"Well," she froze slightly at being the center of attention, but remembering Naruto being pulled into the ground drove out her hesitation.

"We should go to the Akatsuki base in the Land of Fire," she told them, "It is closest, and if Naruto isn't there, we can probably find out where he is."

Kaede and Shikamaru both nodded, but Shino shook his head.

"If you don't mind, I may have a faster way," the insect user noted, taking out a miniature cage. Inside was a small beetle with bright blue eyes and a long, elephantine nose. Its shell was mottled brown and grey, but Sakura, Hinata, and Kiba recognized it anyway.

"It's the Bikochu," Hinata noted.

"Yes, we have been breeding her these past few years, with moderate success," Shino explained, "But this species does not live much longer than four years. So I thought she might like one last chance to fulfill her primary purpose."

"Then we should go to the lagoon and start from there," Hinata suggested.

* * *

"Why are we stopping again?" Temari demanded grumpily, "We just took a half hour break three hours ago."

"The Bikochu is near the end of her life, and I feel it is best if we do not tax her too much," Shino explained, feeding the beetle and also providing her with some of his chakra.

"It's almost nightfall, and we are at the edge of the Land of Fire," Hinata suggested, "So perhaps we should make camp and continue after we've all had a chance to rest. After all, this is no mere group of bandits we are facing. We need to be at our best."

Neji and Temari both nodded. Then the four Jonin took charge, arranging smaller groups to find food and set up a perimeter. Somewhat conspicuously, they avoided assigning any tasks to Hinata. Their de facto leader slumped down against a tree. Now that she was no long charging forward, she found it even harder to keep her emotions in check. Then a blanket was draped over her shoulders, and Tenten sat next to her.

"How are you doing, Hinata?" the older Chunin asked. Hinata tried to smile, but couldn't.

"It's hard," the Byakugan expert whispered harshly, "Not even nine hours ago, Naruto and I were having fun at the beach. Our biggest worry was the outcome of the Jonin Trials. Now we're all AWOL, getting ready to attack a group of S-Rank criminals, and Naruto's life hangs in the balance."

Hinata trembled as she sighed, determined not to cry, "The only bright spot is that everyone is here. Naruto was so sure that most of you would turn your backs on him."

"It was a big shock," Tenten admitted, "And I guess that explains why Naruto had it so rough. But what Ino and Sasame said is right. Naruto is our friend, and he wouldn't hesitate to do this for any of us."

"Get some rest," the weapon specialist advised as she stood, "I'll come get you when the food is ready."

"Thank you, Tenten," Hinata finally managed to smile, even as her eyelids grew heavy.

* * *

"Are you sure about this?" Choji asked Kiba suddenly. The two young men had caught a moderate sized buck, and were bringing their prize back to the makeshift camp.

"What about you?" Kiba countered carefully, "You didn't look to happy to find out Naruto is a... Naruto's little secret."

"I was surprised," the large youth conceded, "But after what happened in the Sound Village, I can understand how hard a Jinchuriki can have it. And _I_ don't have any doubts that Naruto and the Kyubi are separate creatures, like Yori and the Roc. Besides, Shikamaru apparently figured it out years ago, and I trust him."

"Hmm," Kiba didn't have anything to say.

"Choji," Kankuro's voice emerged from the twilight seconds before the puppeteer himself, "Can you take the deer alone? I'd like to have a few words with Kiba."

"Sure thing," Akimichi shouldered the carcass, and lumbered back towards camp.

"You got a problem?" Kiba asked loudly, not entirely comfortable being alone with the Hidden Sand Jonin.

"Yes, I do," Gaara's older brother said directly, and Inuzuka tensed.

"But for Naruto's sake, I'm not going to make an issue of it now," Kankuro elaborated, "I just wanted to say if you're really not sure you want to help, turn back now."

"And no one will think the less of me, I suppose?"

"Oh, no," Kankuro grinned wickedly, "Everyone will know just what kind of man you are. I expect even Hinata won't be able to totally overlook it."

The Sand ninja turned back towards the camp, and started to walk away.

"Why are you here?" Kiba suddenly asked, "I mean, Naruto's not even from your village."

"Yeah, but we owe him, big time," Kankuro admitted, "I don't know how much you know, but Naruto saved Gaara's life and his sanity. If it weren't for that punk, my brother would still be a sadistic killer, instead of a noble, respected leader. And Temari and I would probably be dead by Gaara's hands."

"So make up your mind, Kiba," Kankuro instructed firmly, "If you're not fully committed, you'll just drag us down."

The older shinobi walked away, leaving the Chunin alone with his thoughts.

* * *

"Enough," Tsunade sighed, "We've been over and over this. At this point, it almost seems like you're just arguing to be contrary."

She directed the complaint at the Mizukage and Raikage. Yasuo looked upset, but Goro chuckled at the statement.

The leaders of the five great villages had discussed and debated the Akatsuki and Naruto all afternoon. They had taken a break for dinner, before resuming their talks. The hour had been quickly approaching midnight, when the Hokage had her outburst.

"Everyone is tired," Mitsuru offered, "Perhaps we should take a short recess?"

Gaara nodded, but Goro had other ideas.

"Maybe we should just drop this for tonight, and resume in the morning," the Lightning Shadow suggested, yawning hyperbolically for effect.

"I can agree to a fifteen minute break," the Wind Shadow shook his head, "But any longer would be negligent."

"Fine, a quarter hour," Goro waved his hand, "Unless there are any objections?"

He directed the question to the Water and Fire Shadows, but neither said anything. The Raikage stood with a theatrical groan, and exited out his door. The Earth Shadow closed her eyes, and began to snore lightly

"Yasuo!" Tsunade whispered angrily, closing in on the Mizukage, "What are you doing? I know you like to 'cover all the angles', but this is getting ridiculous. Why are you still arguing with us and with the Raikage? Are you really still trying to decide?"

"No, my mind is made up," the Mizukage informed them, as Gaara moved closer, "I am still hoping I can sway Goro. A unanimous agreement would serve us better than a four to one vote."

"You won't convince him" the Kazekage told his counterparts, "He has already made up his mind. He is stalling us at this point, and possibly hoping to sway Lady Mitsuru."

"You think he is trying to keep us here?" Tsunade turned back to her younger ally, no longer keeping her voice in check.

"As do I," the Tsuchikage abandoned her pretense of sleep, and stood to join them.

"Why would he do that?" the Leader of the Village Hidden in the Mist said darkly, "Doesn't he realize what's at stake here?"

The query left them silent in worried thought, until the Hokage spoke again.

"Unless he's not concerned about the possibility of the Akatsuki capturing the Nine-tails," Tsunade mused angrily.

"What are you suggesting?" the Stone Village Leader prompted.

"I can think of two reasons he wouldn't care if Madara got his hands on the Nine-Tails again," the younger Kunoichi answered, "Either he has the Six-Tails or Seven-Fins in custody, and knows that there is still time. Or he is in league with the Akatsuki."

* * *

Madara Uchiha stepped back from the comatose form of Naruto Uzumaki with a harsh sigh. He fumbled for his mask, and took a deep breath to steady himself to resume his Tobi persona. After Orochimaru's defection, he had started to second guess allowing Pein to lead the Akatsuki; so when Sasori was destroyed and Deidara allowed Gaara to 'escape', the Uchiha founder inserted himself into the ring-bearers' ranks under the guise of lovable Tobi. The façade amused Madara, both because it was fun to be Tobi, and because it thoroughly annoyed Konan.

Madara shook his head, smirking darkly under his mask as he glanced back at the still visible Eight Trigrams Divination Seal. He supposed his encounter with the Kyubi was making him nostalgic; sixteen years was a long time, even for an immortal with more than a century under his belt.

Realizing he was doing it again, he unlocked the door, and trudged out. After all, Tobi was the type to slump and shuffle when he was exhausted, and disguise or not, the Akatsuki founder was drained.

"All done," he told the waiting chakra researcher, with a thumbs-up, "It was a little tougher than I thought."

"Good, we'll get started on the removal," the scientist said, ushering her assistants back into the extraction room. As he turned to head back to his room for a nap, he was instead confronted by Mayuko Kakuyoku. The rogue Chunin from the Land of Snow bowed slightly, and delivered her report.

"Lord Tobi," she started, but he raised his hand to interrupt her.

"Mayuko, I'm tired, so can you make this quick," he yawned, "And for the seventeenth time don't call me 'lord'. Or 'master', or 'boss', for that matter. However I wouldn't mind if you called me Tobi-oniisan or just Big Brother."

"OK, Tobi…" she said hesitantly, "Making it quick. Deidara and the Reaper returned about two hours ago, they are resting. Our spies in the Leaf Village report a small group of the Jinchuriki's friends have disappeared."

"What, that's all?" he pouted. The he grew slightly serious, and instructed her, "Send out harrier units to intercept Leaf ninjas, we need to buy as much time as we can."

"Yes, sir," she answered, and then darted away. Tobi yawned again, and resumed his exaggerated hobble back to his quarters.

* * *

The Shadows of Earth, Fire, Wind, and Water had all returned to their seats by the time the Lightning Shadow returned. They quickly drew the Raikage back into the debate, but this time with a plan. Though on the surface their positions were unchanged, they now structured their arguments to try to determine Goro's reasoning. But knowing the Cloud Ninja would not slip up easily, the four other leaders also set a time limit of two hours.

Unfortunately, Goro lived up to their expectations, and as the clock struck two, they were no closer to an answer.

"I grow tired of this," Mitsuru finally rumbled, "The issues surrounding the Hokage's proposal have been more than thoroughly discussed. I do not believe there is anything that can be said now that will change any of our minds."

She directed her attention to Tsunade, and continued, "I do not intended to provided you assistance in terms of manpower. However I am willing to share all of our current intelligence on the movements of the Akatsuki, and to sanction this rescue mission so your troops may enter the Land of Earth or the lesser nations allied with us. Shall we put that to a vote? All in favor of an open exchange of data and officially endorsing the mission to rescue Naruto Uzumaki?"

"One addendum, if you don't mind," the Mizukage put forth, "I would like it stipulated that any Hidden Village that sees fit to officially assist in this rescue be allowed to do so. I understand Naruto has made some friends outside the Leaf Village, and it would be a shame to start an international incident because they decided to help in this."

Mitsuru and Gaara both nodded, and Goro rolled his eyes.

"Shall we vote then?" the Kazekage prompted, raising his hand. The Hokage quickly followed suit, with the Mizukage and Tsuchikage also indicating their agreement. Then all four turned to look at the Raikage.

"Fine," he exhaled grudgingly, putting up his arm. Then he reached into his jacket, and withdrew a CD-ROM, which he threw viciously at Tsunade. The Sannin caught the disc and set it on the table.

"That's everything my intelligence units have gathered on the Akatsuki, for all the good it will do you," he grumbled standing, "And I will be expecting copies of your data in return, by the end of the day. Now, since you don't need me any more, I'll be going to bed."

Goro exited out the portal leading to the Kumogakure, slamming the door behind him. A few seconds later, the door became a shadow, and then faded away. After he was gone, Mitsuru stood, and walked around the table to Tsunade. She took out a scroll and handed it to the slightly younger woman.

"I am guessing you won't need me any more, either," the Earth Ninja told them, "But I do wish you luck, for what it is worth."

"Thank you," Tsunade told her counterpart warmly. Mitsuru just smiled in response and headed back to her gate. But before she left, she turned back to them and grinned ruefully.

"And while I see no issue with you three planning here," she warned them, "I would remind you it is against the covenant to use this room to transport troops…"

"Of course," Gaara agreed with a straight face, but Tsunade and Yasuo both looked away sheepishly. The Tsuchikage nodded as she withdrew, and as with the Raikage, her portal vanished with her.

* * *

During the early morning guard switch, Sakura convinced Hinata to submit to a Genjutsu so she could get a few hours of sleep. Naruto's girlfriend had taken a brief nap before dinner, but as the others settled down, the Hyuga heiress found herself wide awake. She had been trying to figure out how much time they had left. And she had felt guilty for risking her friends' lives and careers; even if it was for Naruto. It was only thanks to Sakura's illusion that Hinata was able to get any rest.

Though Hinata was forced into a deep slumber, it was hardly restful. Her dreams were plagued by shadowy figures in red and black cloaks, and the half-formed shapes of the nine Tailed Beasts. It almost came as a relief when Shikamaru's chakra touched hers, removing the spell. But the loss of the nightmare was replaced by the knowledge that they were into Naruto's second day of capture.

The fourteen shinobi were already on the move when the sun crested the horizon. They had forgone breakfast, knowing that in two and a half to three hours they would be taking another rest for the aging beetle. But before that occurred, the rescue party crossed into the Land of Forests, which along with the Land of Silver, occupied the space between the Land of Fire and the Land of Lightning.

There were three of the known Akatsuki hideouts in the general direction they were heading; one in the Land of Forests, and the other two in the Land of Lightning. The Land of Forests did not worry them; the country was sparsely populated, and did not possess a Hidden Village, since the Kyubi had annihilated the Village Hidden in the Lakes seventeen years earlier.

However, the Land of Lighting was more dangerous. The matter of entering one of the five great nations and potentially clashing with the Hidden cloud village aside, to reach the Land of Lightning they would either have to travel by sea, or pass through the Land of Silver. As the name implied, the small country was known for its mineral resources. The country was guarded fiercely by the Village Hidden in the Mines, a shinobi village known for having never lost a defensive battle. Being discovered by the Mines Ninjas could slow or even end their mission entirely. But crossing the sea between the Lands of Forests and Lightning could slow them down even more.

But all considerations about the difficulties reaching their goal left the minds of the ninja when a cloud of shuriken crossed their path. Following close behind were more than a dozen warriors, clad in full stealth gear.

* * *

Tsunade emerged from the portal, and quickly snuffed the candle. As she dropped heavily into her chair, Shizune rushed over.

"Lady Tsunade…" her apprentice started, but the Hokage cut her off. She set two scrolls, a manila folder and the CD-ROM on her desk as she spoke.

"We have their approval," she told the younger healer, "And their intel. The Mist and Sand are each sending a five-man strike team each to assist us."

Tsunade finally looked at Shizune's face, and saw her anxiety.

"What?" the Leader of the Leaf Shinobi asked grumpily.

"They're gone," Shizune told her, "Naruto's friends."

"All of them?"

"Not Konohamaru's group. But all of the members of Teams Gai, Kakashi, Anko, and Yugao, along with Temari, Kankuro, and Kaede Mizuno," Shizune confirmed, "Also the Aburame clan leader informs me that the Bikochu specimen keyed to Naruto's scent 'went missing' yesterday."

"Hmm," Tsunade grunted appreciatively, "That's a pretty good idea."

"You're not mad?" Shizune settled slightly at the Sannin's reaction.

"I expected Hinata or Sakura would do something like this," the Hokage answered, "If I didn't want them to leave, I would have ordered the ANBU to watch them."

"Anyway, get their team leaders in here, and Iruka for good measure. We'll send them out to intercept the kids and meet the teams from the other villages."

Tsunade picked up the disc and extended it to her assistant, "And then give this to the tech boys. Have them triple check it on isolated system before they start analyzing the data. I wouldn't put it past Goro to have some sort of intrusion program on there."

The younger Jonin bowed and hurried out.


	72. The Canyon of Dawn

**Chapter 72: The Canyon of Dawn**

Rock Lee wore an expression of annoyance as he disassembled his quarterstaff and replaced the individual weights back in his arm and leg bands.

"I was under the impression the Akatsuki were a dangerous group," he stated, "But this display makes me wonder if their reputation is exaggerated."

"It isn't," Shikamaru shook his head, "I don't know about these guys, but Hidan alone was as strong as a normal ninja squad."

"This was a harrier unit," Temari recalled the intelligence report, "The Akatsuki has too many bandit and mercenary recruits for their rogue ninjas to train them completely. So instead they give them more specialized training. A harrier group is a sixteen man squad designated to use speed and stealth to delay and distract the enemy. But they are only supposed to go up against a tradition four man ninja squad, so we had them outnumbered and outmatched."

Shino extracted a whistle and recalled the Bikochu; the beetle had continued to track Naruto, heedless of the battle.

"We should have left one alive, to interrogate, " Kaede sighed.

"Next time," Kankuro suggested agreeably.

"We need to get moving," Sakura insisted, as their insect guide reappeared, "When this group doesn't report in, they'll have our location."

The other shinobi nodded, and the rescue team set out again.

* * *

"Lady Tsunade, can I have a word in private?" Kakashi asked carefully. The Hokage had just informed the five Jonin of the situation and their new mission. She instructed them to go to the tech ninjas and determine if they could locate the cell phones of any of their students. As the others turned to leave, the Copy-Ninja instead stepped closer to the Sannin's desk.

Tsunade nodded, and said, "The rest of you go ahead. Kakashi will meet you."

"What's on your mind?" she asked after Anko closed the door. Kakashi met her gaze with an odd mixture of self-recrimination and determination.

"I would like you to remove me from this mission," he said directly.

"Why?" she asked, curious but also close to losing her temper.

"I'm worried that about Rei," he explained, "I don't think I should leave her right now."

The Hokage relaxed, almost amused.

"Kakashi, I'm glad you're bonding with the girl," she told him, "But don't you think you're taking this overprotective parent thing too far?"

"That's not..." his denial died off, and he shrugged in acquiescence, "That's not the only reason. The Akatsuki work in pairs. If we assume that the Reaper is Zetsu's partner, then we're still one short. According to Hinata, Deidara was here, but his partner Tobi was not. But what if Tobi did come with them? What if he is waiting for us to get distracted and deplete our forces on the rescue mission, so he can take Rei back?"

Tsunade considered that. The argument was not unreasonable, it was the sort of thing the Sannin would have tried, back in the day.

"I want to save Naruto," Kakashi waffled, "But with those kids out there, we have already sent out a substantial force. I'm not sure I'm needed there, but I am needed here."

"This is the Akatsuki," she reminded him, "I'm doubt either of us could take on Madara single handed, and the same probably applies for Pein. So these kids will need help they can get. The best help they can get. And time is of essence."

Kakashi nodded, clearly torn.

"I'll tell you what," Tsunade smirked at her own genius, "Jiraiya has been milking his injury for a bit too long. So in return for letting him stay in the hospital a bit longer, I'll have him protect Rei while you are gone. And I'll also have Shizune there the whole time to baby-sit the both of them. Will that satisfy you?"

"Yes, Lady Tsunade," he grinned ever so slightly, "Thank you."

"Good, then get out of here," she ordered, unable to keep a touch of worry out of her voice, "Go save our nephew."

* * *

Having your head clear while still being unconscious is a bizarre sensation, but Naruto experienced it as he suddenly became aware that he was sitting in the field of flowers illusion, facing the fox.

"What's going on?" he asked, "What am I doing here?"

"It looks like the poison is finally wearing off," the Kyubi commented, oddly subdued, "It's just a medical sedative that's keeping you under now."

"There was someone here earlier," Naruto noted vaguely.

"Madara Uchiha," the demon agreed.

"What?" he shouted, "How? Why?"

"Settle down," she cautioned, "Madara removed the Zodiac Seal, so if we upset the balance here, the Eight Trigrams Seal will pop back up, and we'll be in that stinking sewer again. You remember you were captured by the Akatsuki, right?"

Naruto nodded, recalling Zetsu poisoning him, and not much else. He also had the memories of the Blood Clones, the clone that forced Hinata to escape and the two that were destroyed by Deidara and the Reaper.

"Well, Madara removed your girlfriend's seal," the vixen informed him, "And it feels like they are starting to do something to the Hokage's seal."

"Isn't there anything we can do?" Naruto stared at her.

"We?" the fox chuckled, "This is my chance for freedom. For now, I'm just going to sit back and wait for them to make a mistake."

Naruto glared at the demon, but there was nothing more he could do.

* * *

The Bikochu led them straight to the ocean, and Shino had to call it back as the insect started to fly across the water.

"Now what?" Kiba asked Hinata and Sakura, trying to sound like he wasn't blaming them, "We can't cross the ocean on foot, we'd run out of chakra."

"Shino, can you make the Bikochu follow the shoreline?" Choji asked.

"We don't need to do that," Tenten said happily, "Neji, if you could give me a boost?"

He nodded, and placed his hand on her shoulder, augmenting her chakra supply with his own. Tenten sliced her left thumb with her fingernails, and then spread the blood to the digits on her opposite hand. Neji followed her as she kneeled.

"Ninja Arts: Summoning Jutsu," she announced, and a large seal spread out from her hand. Then smoke erupted and a large tortoise occupied a substantial portion of the shore. The shelled reptile was not quite as large as Katsuyu or Gamabunta, but due to her natural armor, weighed as much as the toad and the slug combined. She rotated around slowly, until she could see the shinobi.

"Good morning, Tenten," she said in a high-pitched, pleasant voice, "What can I do for you this fine day?"

"Not so fine, Kameko," the weapons expert shook her head, "Though good morning anyway. We are trying to rescue a kidnapped comrade, and the trail leads across this bay. Can you transport us?"

"Is that all?" the tortoise smiled and did an approximation of a shrug, "Nothing easier."

She turned to the water, and walked into the surf, faster than her kind's unhurried reputation would have suggested. Kameko continued until only her eyes and the top quarter of her shell were visible.

"Climb on," she directed, her voice bubbling out of the brine. The rescue party quickly complied. They found ridges on the top of her shell, almost like handholds.

"Which way?" their ride asked. Shino released the tracking beetle again.

"Follow that bug," Tenten answered.

"OK, hold on."

With a speed that easily matched their previous overland rush, the summoned tortoise darted through the water, leaving the shore of the Land of Forests behind.

* * *

Madara finished his nap, and left Tobi's room intent on finding a status update. To his slight surprise, two were waiting for him. First he saw the head scientist, and briefly made note to someday learn her name. The researcher was glaring at the person next to his door. He turned his head and recognized Mayuko, standing in a guard position outside his quarters. Both women turned to stare at him anxiously.

"What's up?" he asked innocently.

"Mayuko would not let me speak with you," the scientist tattled.

"Well, I was asleep, so I probably would not have heard you," he told her dryly.

"You know what I mean," she snapped angrily, then she paled and continued worriedly, "There is a problem with the extraction."

"What problem?" Tobi asked dangerously.

"When you removed the Zodiac seal, it damaged the Eight Trigrams Seal," she explained, "We will either have to slow down to play it safe, or go faster and take the risk."

"I don't understand," he frowned vocally, "Why do we have to go faster or slower?"

"Because of the damage, the risk function has shifted," she told them, "There is a point where the function dips, and the risk increases severely. That dip used to be centered around fifty-six hours, but now it is centered around ninety-three hours."

"What's the risk?" he queried thoughtfully.

"Right now the top of the first crest is right around two days, and carries a seventy seven percent chance of success," she recalled, "Otherwise, if we want the ninety five percent chance that Lord Pein signed off on, it will take more than six days."

"For now, go with the two day schedule. I will contact Lord Pein to confirm this," he instructed her, though the second part was a lie; inside Tobi, Madara had already made his decision. The expert nodded her understanding, and hurried off. Tobi turned his attention to the Show Chunin rebel with a deep sigh.

"Was there something you wanted, Mayuko?" he asked the young woman.

"Yes, Lo... Tobi," she said quickly, "I have news."

"And?" he prompted

"Harrier team number three from the Deep Woods base was wiped out. Team number two found them, and while they are not forensic experts, they believe the third squad was wiped out on the initial pass through attack. The dead were all 'cut down', but whether that is slang or an indication of actual slashing attacks is unclear."

She finally paused for breath, waiting for her superior's reaction.

"Hmm," he pondered briefly, "There are Leaf Shinobi who could potentially take out an entire harrier squad in a single attack. Given the current situation, the two Hyuga teens and Tenten spring to mind."

"If the Kazekage's sister is with them, she could do so as well," the renegade teen from the Land of Snow suggested.

He looked at her directly, and continued, "We need to determine who we are facing. Instruct the remaining harrier teams that their priority is to determine the members of this rescue team. They are not to attack until they report back descriptions of the enemy shinobi. Is there anything else?"

"No, sir," she said, bowing, before disappearing. He thought about it after she was gone, and wondered if the specialized bandits would be up to the task.

* * *

After over four hours on the water, just after noon, the giant tortoise dropped them off on an empty shore in the Land of Lightning. Tenten thanked the reptile profusely, before returning her home. Shino quickly caught up the beetle, and put a few drops of nectar in his hand for the tracking insect.

"How is she?" Hinata asked, recognizing the slight furrowing in her former teammate's brow.

"Not well," Aburame answered sadly, "Not only is she approaching the end of her lifespan, but she has never flown this far before."

"Are you sure she's leading us in the right direction?" Kiba queried carefully. When Sakura and Ino both glared at him, he elaborated, "I mean, why would Zetsu go under the ocean, instead of heading straight into the Land of Lightning. It seems like he could be leading us on a wild goose chase."

"He was avoiding the Land of Silver," Temari explained, "They have a variety of underground sensors, both to detect invaders and to protect against seismic instabilities in the mines. If Naruto's captor had gone through there, the Hidden Mines Ninjas would have certainly heard him. And the leader of the Hidden Mines Village has a grudge against the Akatsuki for some reason. If he found Zetsu, he would relay that to the Hokage and Raikage as quickly as he could."

"And that is why it was a good idea to bring the liaison officer between the Leaf and the Sand," Kaede murmured under her breath. Then the Mist Ninja addressed the darker blonde directly.

"So what can you tell us about the Akatsuki bases in the Land of Lightning," the Mizukage's daughter prompted the Kazekage's sister.

"Not much," Temari looked apologetic, "The Cloud Ninjas have not been very forthcoming with information, and neither the Konoha or Suna have been able to get anyone close. I know that Stratosphere is the base close to the Hidden Cloud Village, while the Canyon of Dawn is in the mountains further north, near the western shores of the Land of Lightning. Beyond that, they are a mystery."

"Is the Bikochu ready?" Sakura asked, anxiously.

"I would rather let her rest for a few hours," Shino answered softly, "But I also understand time is of the essence."

"Is there anything we can do to help?" Neji asked.

"No, but thank you for asking," the insect raiser answered.

"We can spare a half hour or so," Shikamaru noted with a false expression of apathy, "After all, it won't do us any good if we run the beetle into the ground, so to speak. Then we'd have to guess where they took Naruto."

The others nodded their approval. Choji broke out some of the venison they had smoked the previous night, and bit into it worriedly. Sasame began to recheck her needles and threads. Rock Lee sat with his legs crossed staring at the Bikochu as if to send the beetle his strength. The others milled about, to wound up to eat or rest.

Before any of the other shinobi recognized she was moving, Hinata raced into the forest at the edge of the beach. Even as her allies started to react, a deep, masculine howl of pain reached their ears. The clash of metal on metal met Sasame and Lee, the first two to reach the tree line. Both saw Hinata block another sword strike with Ginmaki, before slipping in, and lightly tapping her opponent's chest, stopping his heart. The warrior joined his two fallen comrades on the dirt, while a fourth stealth-garbed warrior moved in to try to strike Hinata. As the white-eyed woman raised her arm to ward him off, the Akatsuki minion was stopped cold by the four shurikens Tenten buried deep in his chest. Sasame locked up a fifth enemy, anchoring him between two nearby trees with her threads; but mindful of Kaede's earlier warning, she left the cords slack enough that they neither throttled the converted bandit, nor sliced into his skin. The remaining interceptors broke and ran.

"They're getting away," Hinata shouted, as the rest of the rescue squad joined them.

"They are splitting up," Neji noted, his Byakugan also active, "Two heading north, one northeast, two northwest, three more or less west, but one is solo and the other two are a pair. And the last two are heading southwest. Lee, go after..."

"Hold up," Shikamaru interrupted the Leaf Jonin's orders, "That's what they want. We're supposed break ranks to follow them. It will cost us time, and make it easier for them to lead us into an ambush."

"Shikamaru's right, of course," Ino agreed, "Besides, this time we have a prisoner we can question."

As the majority of the group rounded on the spider-webbed renegade, Hinata's thoughtful look caught Temari's attention.

"What is it?" the Sand Kunoichi asked.

"When I noticed them, they were just watching us," the Hyuga heiress answered, "Why didn't they attack right away, like the first group?"

Temari looked contemplative, over the sound of Rock Lee cracking his knuckles theatrically.

* * *

Tobi and Deidara had taken over the conference room, and were going over the latest batch of rumors and reports about the whereabouts of the Jinchuriki of the Six-Tails Chameleon. The former Hidden Grass Kunoichi was particularly hard to track, her demon afforded her the power to change her shape at will, indefinitely, and without expending any chakra. The only limitation appeared to be the confines of the human form itself. While this did not have combat applications of sand control or regeneration, it had allowed her to slip through the Akatsuki's fingers again and again.

They set aside a report of a woman in the Land of Earth who lost weight and suddenly changed her hair color, but before they could look at the next file, Mayuko burst into the room. The young woman wore an expression of both fear and expectancy.

"Lord Tobi, Lord Deidara," in her excitement she forgot to leave the title off Tobi's name, "We have a report from the fourth harrier team from this base. They lost five men on the southern seaboard, but the survivors have sent back a description of the rescue team. Based on the what they saw, we know who most of the attackers are."

"And?" Deidara demanded. Tobi mouthed the word 'most', but didn't interrupt his hotheaded partner.

"And they saw fourteen individuals and one dog," she told them, "Assuming the harriers didn't make any mistakes in the descriptions, we are facing Hinata Hyuga, _Sakura Haruno_, Neji Hyuga, Tenten, Rock Lee, Shino Aburame, Kiba Inuzuka and Akamaru, Sasame Fuma, Shikamaru Nara, Ino Yamanaka, Choji Akimichi, Temari, and Kankuro."

"Wait that's only thirteen," Tobi said, recognizing the vicious joy in Mayuko's voice when she said Sakura's name, "Who is the last one?"

"We haven't been able to identify her," the rogue Chunin admitted, "She is described as a woman about the same height as Temari with long white hair. Other then that all the scouts could offer was vague comments about a 'perfect' face and an 'amazing' or 'stunning' body in between drooling."

"Was she wearing a Leaf symbol?" Deidara asked.

"That's not in the report," Mayuko stepped away from the bomber and closer to Tobi as she admitted the omission, "But we checked against both Leaf and Sand personnel."

"Go check against Mist shinobi," the explosive artist ordered, "That sounds like it could be The Face herself..."

Mayuko did not move, and Deidara glared at her.

"What else?" Tobi prompted gently, realizing the girl was expecting to be a sacrificial messenger. But she was skilled, and Madara found her crush on his alter ego both useful and entertaining, so he was not about to let Deidara kill her.

"I also have a report of teams leaving the Sand, Leaf, and Mist villages," she relayed, "Normally this would not raise an eyebrow, except that each team left at the same time, and they all seem to be heading this way. Also, though we don't have a clear picture of the group from the Hidden Mist, the Leaf and Sand teams appear to be composed of five Jonin rank ninjas. And the Sand team is being lead by the Kazekage."

"Reinforcements," Tobi concluded, "This could be problematic, with our forces spread so thin…"

He looked to his partner in a false plea for help, but the firebug grinned viciously, stating, "Lord Pein left you in charge, you deal with it."

"Fine," a tiny bit of Madara crept into Tobi's voice, and both of the younger rogues shuddered without fully understanding why.

"Mayuko, send word to Stratosphere and Deep Forest," he ordered firmly, his fake personality restored, "I want them to send whatever reinforcements they can. Particularly Chunin or higher ranked warriors. Strip those two bases down to minimal operating personnel. Then direct all harrier groups to the mid point between where Neji's group was spotted and this base. Their job is to hold the first rescue team off for as long as they can, in any way they can."

The young woman nodded, and hurried out.

"You are taking this too seriously," Deidara admonished after the girl had left, having just enough respect for Tobi not to chastise him in the presence of an underling, "Yeah, those kids are close, but they're just that, kids. A bunch of Chunin and a couple of Jonin. That group is still at least four hour away , and the real threat is almost sixteen hours behind them. Longer if the harriers can do their jobs."

"You don't get it," Tobi shook his head, "Rank doesn't necessarily equate to strength. One of those Chunin even figured out a way to kill Hidan. On top of that, those 'kids' are all Uzumaki's friends. They'll fight tooth and nail to get him back. Plus we have to defend the Demon God statue while it is here for the extraction. Which gives me an idea…."

* * *

"Well?" Choji asked as Kaede returned to the rest of the group. She re-adjusted her shozoku, so it did not reveal so much of her cleavage or bind so much at her waist. The seductress did not fail to notice Kiba and Kankuro's interest, but she changed her costume from interrogation mode to combat mode nonetheless.

"He didn't know much," she informed them, "He was just a low level flunky. They have harrier groups scouring the countryside for us, with orders to report back on who we are. He was sent out from the Canyon of Dawn base, but he can't confirm that's where Naruto is. He did say his home base was on high alert, but so was the Land of Forests base when they were in contact with that hideout."

"Was?" Tenten frowned, "Past tense? Did you kill him?"

"No, I just hit him with a cocktail of drugs and Genjutsu to erase his mind," the Mist ninja answered, "Unless someone releases him from the illusion, he'll spend the rest of his life thinking he's a fisherman."

Sasame recovered her threads, and the former bandit slumped to the ground, asleep. Shino released the Bikochu again, and the team took off after the tracking bug.

* * *

"Gaara's team is going to try to meet us when we reach the Land of Forests," Kakashi informed the team, hanging up his phone, "We'll take a break then, since the Sand Ninjas are moving double time to catch up. And the Mist team will meet us southeast of the Hidden Cloud Village."

"Do we still have a trace of Shikamaru's phone?" Gai queried boisterously. The five Jonin were running in a wedge formation, Kakashi leading in the center, with Iruka and Anko on his left, and Yugao and Gai on his right.

"Yes," the Copy Ninja nodded, "They are about five miles inland in the Land of Lightning, and moving north. It looks like they are heading for the base the Akatsuki call the Canyon of Dawn."

* * *

The next attack occurred three hours later, just after the rescue team had taken another break for their aging tracker. After that, the groups of retrained bandit struck frequently; ever y hour or two the team was accosted by a harrier squad, or in one case two squads together. Though they proved no match for Naruto's friends, the rogues served their purpose, slowing and tiring the teens. By nightfall they had barely reached the edge of the mountain range containing the Akatsuki base they hoped held Naruto Uzumaki.

This lead to a brief schism in the group as to whether they should continue or make camp. Hinata and Sakura wanted to continue, while Kankuro, Kiba, and Choji advocated resting. Even Ino, almost as gung-ho as Naruto's teammates, wanted to take a break. They appeared to be at an impasse, until Shikamaru stepped in. The genius Chunin pointed out that the longer they waited, the more chance the Akatsuki had to prepare their defenses, and to send more cannon fodder out to fight them. Given Shikamaru's well-known sedentary nature, the arguments carried additional weight, and the others relented.

The canyon was an extinct riverbed, winding its way through the mountains in a generally east to west path. The ninjas continued for another hour, until well after the sun had set. Then they encountered a split in the chasm, three separate paths each still leading more or less east.

"Now what?" Sasame asked carefully, not wanting to start another debate.

"We need to scout ahead," Lee announced, "Perhaps someone can send out some Shadow Clones?"

"We should conserve our chakra," Shino shook his head, "I will send out my forerunners to determine which path is correct."

The others all settled to wait, while Shino sent a handful of bugs down each ravine. Except for Hinata, who paced, her Byakugan active to watch for the insects return. After watching her for a few minutes, Sakura walked over to Hinata, and gently grabbed her rival's shoulder to stop the white-eyed woman.

"Hinata you need to relax," the medic advised strongly, "You want to be at your best, right? Don't waste your energy or your chakra."

"But we're so close," the pale beauty retorted, "I can feel it."

"All the more reason the take advantage of this break," the pink-haired explained, then she frowned commandingly, "Or do I need to put you to sleep again?"

"That won't be necessary," Neji interceded, "Shino is done."

Aburame collected his spies, and assimilated what the insects had seen. The others gathered around him to wait for his news.

"So which one is it?" Ino asked when Shino finally lifted his head.

"All of them," the insect user answered flatly, "Each chasm proceeds for eight or nine miles, before being blocked by a heavy wall and gate. Beyond that they widen, and eventually merge again after another five miles. Not far beyond that there is a large fortress built into the base of an old waterfall cliff. Presumably that is our goal."

"So what do we do?" Temari asked Hinata, turning their attention back to their inconsistently acknowledged leader, "Split up or take one route as a team?"

"We break for six hours," Naruto's girlfriend decided, "Split into four watch teams so we can each get a few hours sleep. Once we're recovered, we'll split up and hit them while they're sleeping."

* * *

The field in their shared mindscape rumbled, and Naruto glanced around in concern.

"What was that?" he blurted out.

"The Hokage's seal is starting to crack, and it is absorbing the remnants of your little girlfriend's seal."

As the demon answered Naruto realized he could see the metal bars separating them once again, though only dimly, and the rest of the garden remained unaltered.

"In fact, I'm thinking…" the Kyubi growled dangerously. Then her body began to contort, and the humanoid form of Naruko seemed to pull herself out of the fox's body. His feminine doppelganger still wore the armored bikini she had created in the Hidden Sound Village, and she stalked slowly towards the barrier. When she reached it, she carefully stuck her arm through, but there was no reaction.

"As I thought," both versions said in unison, "the damage allows a small piece of me to move without triggering the seal. But just how small?"

The female construct's red eyes began to glow, and a tail of red chakra erupted behind her. Still nothing in the environment changed. She slowly drew in more power, creating a second tail, and then a third. At this point, there was another minor quake, and the spirit paused. Then she started to create a fourth tail, but the seal reacted. The smell of flower was replaced by the stink of the sewer, and the bars turned solid, and began to narrow the gaps between them. The Kyubi quickly sent the energy back to her main body, reverting to two tails mode. Hinata's prison stabilized, though neither the smell nor the bars completely returned to what they had been before. With a nasty grin, the demon girl slipped between the rods, and addressed the stunned Naruto directly, and without her original form speaking.

"Looks like I finally get my shot at you, punk," the demon snarled happily, leaping for him with her clawed hands extended…


	73. The Power of the Tailed Beasts

**Chapter 73: The Power of the Tailed Beasts**

At three AM, the darkest part of the night, Temari, Kankuro, and Shikamaru moved amongst the others, waking them. The rescue party had found an indentation in the wall of the ravine, deep enough to almost qualify as a cave. They covered the entrance with their chameleon tarps, and took their rest before the assault. After they were all roused, the shinobi took a few brief minutes to awaken and prepare.

"So what's the plan?" Kiba asked openly, seemly resolved at last. They had finished taking down the makeshift camp, and were ready to deploy.

"Team Anko and the Sand Siblings will take the north path," Hinata told them, "Team Yugao, Kaede, and Rock Lee will take the south path. Neji, Tenten, Sakura, and I will take the middle path. Try to stay hidden as long as you can. Remember, our goal is to rescue Naruto, not to fight the Akatsuki."

Each shinobi indicated his or her understanding, and they split up as ordered. Hinata's team darted down the middle gully, sticking close to the wall despite the thick blanket of night. After the first few minutes of cautious advancement, Neji suddenly broke the silence.

"Hinata, may I ask how you determined these groups?" he asked in a controlled whisper.

"I wanted to keep a certain balance," she replied just as quietly, "I made sure each team had one of the four Jonin. And since Sakura, Ino, and Shino are all fully qualified medical ninjas, I chose so that one of them was part of each group. Finally, except for Lee, I kept the squads together to preserve teamwork."

"Why did you send Lee with Sasame and the others?" Tenten joined the conversation with her own query.

"Because I was worried about that team," Hinata admitted, "Even after the break, Shino is somewhat tired from caring for the Bikochu. Kiba did not want to be here in the first place. And Kaede is too much of a mystery, in both her motives and her combat abilities. So I sent Lee to reinforce them."

"Shh," Sakura silenced them, as the outline of the battlement became visible due to the torches on top.

Neji used his conflicting emotions to keep his expression neutral. He was impressed by Hinata's reasoning, but it also brought back memories of the deliberation of the council, not three full days prior, and the Council's underestimation of Hinata. The Jonin bottled his feelings, for the sake of the task at hand. Tenten was watching him, recognizing her lover's introspection.

The lights moved away, and the Leaf shinobi slipped silently forward towards the barricade. When they reached the base, they waited for the guards to move to the opposite side before they began scaling the wall, spider style.

* * *

"What the heck are you doing, you stupid fuzzball?" Naruto shouted, falling away from his counterpart's chakra wrapped fingers. He rolled to his feet, and hopped back as Naruko closed in again. This time she kept up with him, and the young man grabbed her hand, flipping the humanoid projection over his shoulder. The demoness was both faster and more flexible, and she twisted about in mid air, slamming her left heel into the side of Naruto's head.

"I'm taking my chance, possibly my last chance," she sneered as he stumbled away, "I have to kill you now, before the Akatsuki do..."

The human shinobi took the stance of the Whipping Willows, and dodged the demon's next two attacks.

"Won't you die too?" Naruto demanded, as she caught his counterattack, cutting into his arm. He snatched his limb back, and tried to slip around her next kick, but her greater speed allowed her to clip him anyway, nearly knocking him down.

"Probably not," the Bijuu in human form smirked. She hopped back, and began to sign.

"After all, I can destroy your mind and soul, but your body will live," she explained, "In which case it becomes my body by inheritance. And if I'm wrong..."

Naruko shrugged with a mildly sad expression, and then completed her technique.

"Fire Style: Burning Tails Jutsu." The Bijuu spun around and her two chakra tails lengthened and caught fire, lashing out at her host. Naruto was forced to abandon his defensive style, flipping backwards awkwardly to escape the attack. But the ignited extensions followed him. The right tail clipped his right elbow just before Naruto made it out of range.

"Cyclone Spikes," Naruto crafted the jutsu without signing, and as a result only created three missiles. Naruko's tail batted them away dismissively. She charged in again, swiping quickly with her claws. He knocked her first attack away, but her second slash cutting through his shirt and the outer layer of his skin, drawing a small amount of blood.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu," Naruto tried to spawn duplicates, to buy some time, but nothing happened. The humanoid projection of the fox laughed at him.

"You can't create duplicates within your mind," she mocked him.

"You did," he countered.

"This body is not a Shadow Clone, it is a mental construct," she explained condescendingly, "Two completely different things."

"Kitsune," he tried to summon his staff-blade, but the weapon did not appear either. He focused and called again, but still remained empty handed.

"Same thing," she laughed, "This is the world created by our minds and the seal that joins us. What's real won't necessarily work here, and vice versa."

* * *

"What in the world?" the scientist paused in the extraction when the subject's weapon suddenly teleported on top of his chest. One of the assistants darted in and returned the staff-blade to its previous position on the table in the corner.

* * *

"Rasengan," Naruto announced, and looked relieved when the sphere formed over his hand. His triumph was short lived, however.

"Fuuton: Rasengan," Naruko held up the wind orb, and charged him again.

"How can you do that?" he groused, avoiding her attack, and missing her by a wide margin with his return strike.

"Anything you can do, I can do," she boasted, "I know all your fighting styles, all of your Ninjutsu. Unfortunately for you, the reverse does not apply. And on top of that, I have better mental focus and chakra control."

She swung the Fuuton: Rasengan down, and Naruto brought his own sphere to intercept. The fox's human face grinned smugly, knowing his Rasengan was no match for her enhanced orb. But at the last instant, the Leaf warrior conjured a second chakra ball in his left hand, and caught her attack between both of his. Though the elemental jutsu would have easily overpowered one of its vanilla predecessors, the two plain Rasengans together and at different angles were enough to destabilize the Fuuton: Rasengan. All three spheres exploded, but Naruto pushed forward, taking a handful of minor cut for the chance to land a knee to her gut, and then a backhand strike to her face. Naruko bounced away from him, but landed on her feet, scowling.

"Don't go thinking I'm some pushover," Naruto warned her, with more confidence in his voice than he felt in his heart, "I'm the guy who outsmarted Zabuza and Neji."

"Noted," she hissed, charging forward in an erratic pattern, faster than she had been before. She struck at his left, and as he turned to defend, she circled around, too quick for him to follow. The Kyubi slashed twice across his back, and Naruto allowed the force of her first blow to knock him away so he was spared the worst of the second. As he rotated dully to face her, he realized his injuries were not healing like normal. He signed while moving back, activating the regeneration jutsu Tsunade had forced him to learn. The fox watched him, but did not move to interfere.

"You're causing this?" he asked, "Some sort of Jutsu, like Kabuto?"

"Nothing so grand," she shook her head, "I'm just withholding my power. No sense in healing you while I myself am trying to kill you."

Naruto's eyes narrowed in annoyance, but also in thought.

'She's in Two-Tails mode,' he considered, 'Which means she's at least half again as strong and fast as I am. And I don't have her power right now. I need to think of some way to even the playing field. Wait 'think'... That's it!'

Naruto held out his arm, and Naruko paused to stare at him in amusement. He focused his thoughts, and then called out again, but this time to create, not to summon.

"Kitsune," he proclaimed, and the demoness looked ready to laugh. But a shadow formed above his hand, becoming more solid and opaque, until the staff-blade dropped into his waiting palm.

"Cute," she hissed, darting in. This time Naruto was able to block her blows, using the weapon's reach to help him negate her speed. In addition, while Naruto had been unable to stop her flame-wrapped claws with his bare hands, the same did not apply to the metal staff-blade. The heat had no impact on Kitsune, allowing Naruto to fight with less fear.

"Like you said, this world is mental. Since I made Kitsune with Ninjutsu, I crafted it with my mind in the first place."

"I will have to be more careful with my taunts," she groused, "A lesson I should have learned the last time."

She caught his downward stroke with her wrist, and though Naruko winced, there was not the breaking sound he was hoping for. He spun back for a horizontal slash, but he was still slowed by closing cuts in his back. The demoness was able to jump over the attack, while launching a roundhouse kick at his head. Uzumaki leaned back so her foot harmlessly passed over his head, but she shifted her body as if she expected this, and caught Kitsune's pole. She had almost freed the weapon from her container's grasp when he manifested the wind blade, forcing her to let go. As a result both of them ended up off balance and they stumbled apart.

When Naruto straightened, he found his gender swapped duplicate beaming at him in vicious happiness.

"For a few minutes, I thought you were going to make this easy," she told him, he fingers and nails growing into even longer claws, and the lightning of Ranshinsho mingling with her fire chakra.

"But it looks like you are going to make this tough enough to be fun, but not enough to be a real threat," she continued, "Just the way I like it."

Naruto frowned as he cinched his grip on the cerebral version of Kitsune, and then took the offensive. He lengthened and widened the blade further as he strode back into range, slicing back and forth wildly with a two-handed grip. She laughed at his poor form, but when she blocked his attack, Naruto quickly dropped the pretense of desperation and returned the blade to its regular size to slide past her defenses. She stopped what could have been a lethal blow at the last instant, closing her claws to pin the blade and twisting her torso. She still took a light cut to her uncovered left side.

With the flat of the blade sandwiched between her palms, she kicked repeatedly at Naruto's knee. The human was forced to relinquish his blade, or be crippled. As he released Kitsune, the construct faded away. He limped away, barely able to stand, having held on for too long. He started to re-form the weapon, but the Bijuu charged in again, slashing with her left claw while quickly forming a basic Rasengan in her right hand. The human was forced to direct his attention towards keeping her at bay, while trying to heal the damage to his leg so he could both move and kick. Naruko's Rasengan came close enough to his nose that the air currents around it reddened Uzumaki's cheeks. Then her claw scored four deep, burning cut in his forearm when he blocked it. The Chunin launched a quick, feeble jab at her jaw, but had to divert his assault when she raised the spiraling sphere into his path.

Sighing disappointedly, Naruko swept his legs, sending him plowing into the flowers. Withdrawing her chakra, so that her claws reverted to normal human fists, she kicked Naruto in the belly, to flip him over onto his back. She knelt on his shoulders, while her two chakra tails pinned his legs.

"Weak," she punched him in the face.

"Pathetic," her second strike bloodied his nose.

"Insignificant," her fist cracked his cheekbone.

"Human," her last blow dislodged one of his incisors, sending the tooth flying across the once idyllic field.

"But don't worry," she patted the less injured side of his face mockingly, "I'm going to end it now. And I'll even do you another favor; I'll kill Madara for you. After all, he is as much the source of our conjoined misery as Minato was. Since I know he's here, he will be my first target, before I move on to my other plans for your body..."

'Other plans...' he echoed silently. Then he remembered the fox's threat to hunt down Hinata for putting the Zodiac seal on them.

The fox raised her left hand, once again forming it into a claw wrapped in fire chakra. Naruto dug his hands into the earth for leverage, and tried to dislodge her. But in the two-tails form, her strength was too great, and Naruko smirked at his efforts.

"Give it up," she counseled, "Make it easier on both of us. If you do, I promise to make sure Hinata doesn't die… _lonely_."

Naruto stopped struggling, but his fingers began moving, as the fox pointed her nails at his heart. As her hand started to descend for the final blow...

"Doton: Stone Spears Jutsu!" Uzumaki roared, completing his disconnected hand signs. The Kyubi sprang away as spikes of rock erupted from the ground towards her, but she could not escape entirely. One of the spears took off the middle and ring fingers on her right hand, while another impaled her left leg. Her wounds were already regenerating when she landed, and the earthen Jutsu dissolved, as Naruto unsteadily regained his feet.

"It was Hinata again, wasn't it," the demoness chided herself, "But I suppose prolonging the fight a little isn't bad. Because you still can't beat me. I am stronger, I am faster, I have more chakra, and I still heal on my own. You have no Shadow Clones. I can beat your Rasengan with a stronger one, and you already used up your double teaming trick. So what will you do?"

Naruto glared at her helplessly, knowing she was right. She had seen all his crazy plans, not that he could think of one right now. She took half a step back, loosening her stance and grinning in amusement at his despair.

'She like a better version of me,' Naruto told himself, 'I can't beat her. I can't do it without her power. And… and what?'

He paused, taking a good look around, and then he suddenly grinned.

"What?" the demon demanded. Naruto ignored her, and began to sign.

"Tatsu, Inu, Tora, Ushi, Saru, Kitsune…"

At the sixth hand sign, Naruko's eyes widened in recognition.

"What are you playing at?" she demanded nervously, "That won't work!"

"Kitsune!" Naruto ignored her, ending his jutsu by repeating the unique hand seal for a fourth time, "Ninja Art: Ascendant Fox Jutsu."

Naruto changed as he had during the battle with the Blood-drinker Demon, gaining a vulpine face, a thick pelt of yellow fur, and a single fox tail ripped through the back of his pants. The pain eased from his bright blue eyes as his regenerative powers returned.

"How?" she hissed, crouching down to pounce. She leapt forward, but this time Naruto knocked her claw away with little effort. She struck again, but the teen now matched his duplicate's speed, and his fur was not even singed by her burning aura.

"It's not like I haven't stolen your power before," he reminded her, catching her wrist and then flipping her over his shoulder, "Not that I need to. You had me so wound up before, that I didn't notice. Even without you sending me your power, you are flooding it over here to support your splinter. All I had to do was take what you were offering."

She growled again as she launched a series of rapid punches and kicks at his face and chest. He deflected them effortlessly, all while staring intently into her glowing red eyes. Her snarl increased with each blocked strike. She moved her right foot back, and positioned her right arm for full power right cross. But as her fist began to move forward, she opened her hand, hoping to catch him off guard.

"Fuuton: Rasengan," she announced as her arm passed the halfway point. The deadly sphere was pushed towards Naruto's head with all the strength and speed she could muster.

"Fuuton: Rasengan," he neutralized her attack with his own, almost lazily, and then in his other hand, "Raiton: Rasengan."

Her body jerked wildly as the electrified sphere sparked and cut its way through her wrist. She darted back, leaving her hand behind, but already starting to grow a replacement.

'He's got the edge on me now,' she grimaced, 'I could summon more power, but it might trigger the seal. Besides, he might be able to feed off that too. But I still have a few tricks he doesn't know. I'll just have to get him off balance, and finish him quickly.'

But her contemplation cost her, because unlike the demoness, Naruto was not one to toy with his opponents. And he knew there was no point in offering Naruko a chance to surrender. He gathered himself, and ran towards her. She noticed him coming just in time to catch his punch with both of her forearms. She felt her wrist bones crack, and she was pushed back by the force of the blow. She barely leaned away from the snap kick Naruto aimed at her chin. But as she fell, she was also signing.

"Katon: Scorching Kunai," she announced, and a half-dozen knives of fire sprang at Uzumaki. As the human dealt with the constructs; she continued to craft hand seals for a more powerful technique.

"Double Art: Magma River Jutsu," she yelped as she hopped back twice. Fire and earth chakra combined, changing the ground into a stream of superheated liquid rock, quickly flowing towards the teen. Naruto jumped to the side, but Naruko directed her right hand towards him, and the river of lava spread in his direction. The young man continued to dodge the spirit's attack, but she was pushing him towards the cage, with no safe place to escape.

"Do you like my ultimate technique?" she asked, mockingly. Naruto's back was nearly pressed against the cage, and the molten earth was closing in. He could feel the heat, and knew that if this were real, he would be having trouble breathing.

"Goodbye," Naruko waved with her left hand, while directing the magma to surge over him with her right. Naruto jumped straight up, and she laughed at his weak response. Until he raised his right hand above his head, and a sphere of silver chakra began to form over it. The orb grew, and then flattened.

"No, you can't," she screamed, even as Naruto reached the apex of his jump, and started to fall towards the lava.

"FUUTON: RASENSHURIKEN!"

The disc hurtled towards her, and by the time she ended her jutsu and was able to try to dodge, it was too late. The technique engulfed Naruko, shredding her mental body.

"How?" she croaked, as the energy creating her limbs broke apart

"It wasn't that hard," he said gently, as the ground started to harden underneath him, "This form unifies our chakra, which is why I can form the Fuuton or Raiton Rasengan without clones, I have more power and less meddling from you. On top of that, this mental world lacks many of the drawbacks of the real world."

The last few hairs that the fox had used to form her duplicate drifted down, finally free of the Rasenshuriken's field. Naruto landed in the filthy water, back in his normal form.

The destruction had eliminated the last of the garden. With her shadow's destruction, the fox had stopped broadcasting her energy. Without free access to her chakra, Naruto had become unable to hold on to his vulpine transformation. He turned to face the bars with a triumphant grin, but the demoness was not looking at him. Instead of the giant shadow he had always seen before in the Fourth's prison, the fox retained the smaller, definite shape she had worn in the garden. She faced away from him, ignoring petulantly.

"Sore loser," he called out, mildly annoyed.

"You didn't win," she growled back, "You're still going to die, and I will still be returned to Madara's domination."

* * *

Neji placed the body of the last sentinel next to the other four, and then Tenten activated a Ninjutsu that caused the stone rampart to absorb the corpses. Hinata moved to the inner edge of the wall, using her Byakugan to search the dim for any guards on the ground below them. Seeing no one on the inside of the fortification, she signaled her teammates. The four teenage warriors slid down the inside of the wall, landing on the dry riverbed in nearly silent puffs of dust. The quartet paused to make sure they had not been noticed, and then darted forward.

Before they had covered half of a mile into the widening gully, the electric lamps high on the walls burst to life, illuminating the canyon like the noonday sun. The Leaf ninjas were all blinded by the sudden, intense light. They turned towards a crunching noise that approached them, taking defensive positions and blinking to clear their eyes. By the time their vision had recovered; part of the glare had been blocked by the shadow of the seventy-foot long feline, stalking slowly towards them, ready to pounce.

* * *

Due to the presence of Akamaru, and to a degree Rock Lee, the southern team was unable to simply climb over the wall. Instead, Kaede had distracted the ground level guards, 'convincing' them to open the gate so she could enter. As soon as she did, Lee and Sasame rushed in, and disabled the Akatsuki minions. The rescue team raced through the bastion before they were noticed.

After they were past the wall and well on their way down the ravine, they heard the doors slam shut, and the portcullis descend.

"What smells like swamp?" Kiba whispered as they tensed for an ambush. He received his answer when lights flared to life in canyon, revealing a turtle even larger than the one they had ridden on the previous morning. Except this reptile had three whip-like tails lashing excitedly behind it.

_

* * *

"Do you remember the original plan?" Tobi asked Deidara._

_"Original plan?" the artist wasn't sure what his partner was talking about._

_"We were capturing the tailed beast to use directly," Tobi reminded, "Not this nonsense about using their chakra for a massive jutsu. No, we were supposed to turn the Bijuu loose on our enemies, controlling the beasts while making it look like a natural disaster. That way we could kill our foes, and gain good will and money by stepping in to 'fix' the problem. A much more reasonable plan, wouldn't you say?"_

_"Tobi, you're not…"_

_"I'm going to kill two birds with one stone," the masked warrior answered smoothly. He held up three simple, silver amulets, each with a different large, fancy cut gemstone. _

_"These pendants can partially extract one Tailed Beast from the demon god statue. The monster's spirit and about sixty percent of its chakra will be in the pendant. The wearer will be able to manifest and control the demon. But at the same time enough of the demon will remain in the statue to maintain the power balance that prevents the others from breaking free."_

_He looked directly at Deidara, even though his partner could not see the manic glee in his black eyes. _

_"I will take out the One, Two, and Three Tails, and entrust them to the candidates to replace Hidan, Kakuzu, and Itachi," Tobi explained, "If they can handle the beasts and slaughter Naruto's friends, they will prove their worth. And at the same time, we will show the five great villages what happens when they try to attack us!"_

* * *

Kankuro looked up at the giant tanuki of sand, towering over them, and only one thought occurred to him.

"Oh shit."


	74. A Jinchuriki's Fate

**Chapter 74: A Jinchuriki's Fate**

The Two-Tails Cat Demon looked like the incarnation of deadly grace to the Leaf ninjas. Her gigantic form was sleek and toned like a panther, muscles rippling under her skin with every movement. White-hot flames flickered and pulsed across her soft blue fur. Her three-foot long claws dug into the stone floor of the ravine like it was soft dirt. The feline's fangs were longer than Neji was tall, perfectly straight, painfully sharp, and completely unmarked. Her deep yellow eyes watched them, her slitted pupils almost a vertical line in the brightness of the floodlights. At the same time, her ears swiveled around, searching for the sounds of any creature she might not be able to see. The expression on her face was incomprehensible to the teens, but her posture seemed to be completely at ease, her hackles were not raised and her twin tails hung flaccid behind her.

The Two-Tails cat took a deep breath, blue flames shimmering in the corners of her mouth. After filling her lungs, she spit out a cone of cyan fire at the four Leaf shinobi. The teenage warriors scattered to avoid the inferno. Hinata activated her improved Byakugan, and both she and Neji studied the demon's chakra. The four ninjas spread out as they had been trained; knowing that if they separated, at least they could divide the monster's attention, and prevent her from attacking more than one of them at a time. But as soon as they were out of the path of her attack, the feline stopped as if confused. After a few instants of consideration, the cat turned to her left, following Hinata and Tenten. The weapons expert was already signing when the demon's jaws opened again.

"Hinata, get clear," she advised, before finishing, "Doton: Rockslide Jutsu."

The walls of the canyon on either side of the young woman broke apart, and tumbled towards the creature. The cat demon continued her clockwise rotation another half step, and breathed fire on the stones rumbling forward on Tenten's right. The inferno nearly caught the human, and fused the rocks together. But the boulders on the other side of Gai's student continued unimpeded, crashing into the demon's face and front left leg. Hinata, having taken her friend's warning, continued to observe the creature through her silver eyes.

To the monster's rear, Neji completed his own technique, incanting, "Water Style: Extinguishing Deluge Jutsu."

A column of water erupted from the male Jonin's hands, expanding into a wave that washed over the demon. The flickering embers across the cat's body expired, and between the rocks and the flood, the monster nearly fell over. Sakura charged in, hammering her lightning charged fists into the feline's right rear leg. The girl's strength, combined with the numbing effect of the Ranshinsho proved to be enough to knock the demon on her side.

"Get up," a new voice shouted, "Kill them. Burn them to ash!"

Previously hidden behind the Two-Tails was a teenage girl, perhaps fourteen or fifteen years of age. Her build was balanced, neither slender nor bulky. She wore a Hidden Snow headband, with a ragged line cut through the insignia. Her pale green eyes stared wrathfully at the Leaf ninjas. Her hair was a deep shade of pink, bordering on purple, and was done in five short, tight braids. Her uniform consisted of a tight, light grey jumpsuit, with a metal breastplate covering the upper part of her chest. She held a mace loosely in her right hand, and a silver amulet tightly in her left hand. The Snow renegade realized she had been spotted, and gripped her weapon more firmly.

"We meet at last, Sakura Haruno," she announced, "Now I can finally pay you back for killing my sister."

"You must be Mayuko Kakuyoku," the medic realized, "You look a lot like your sister."

"It's too late for flattery," the renegade snorted, and then she noticed the cat demon was lying where she had fallen, licking her stunned leg.

"What are you waiting for?" Mayuko yelled at the demon, "Hurry up! Kill the male, then the other two females. But save that one for last."

The cat lurched to her feet, faster than she had been moving before. She jumped towards the wall above Tenten, knocking the human aside almost gently with one of her tails, and then rebounded at Neji, her teeth spread wide enough to consume him in one bite.

"Eight Trigrams, Empty Palm," Hinata struck the demon's neck, diverting her away from Neji. The Hyuga heiress caught onto the feline's hair, and began jabbing her fingers into the monster's chakra points.

"No! Burn her off! Stop the other one!"

Hinata jumped clear as the cat's coat ignited again. Tenten had been charging towards the Akatsuki ring candidate, but the demon hissed and plume of steam cut off Gai's female apprentice. Hinata's eyes narrowed as she considered the scene.

* * *

Naruto slumped up against the wall, defeated. He had been stalking around the sewer outside the fox's prison, still riled up by the battle and by the Kyubi's last barb. He could tell that the demon was still withholding her power, and he thought if she would just give it to him, he would be able to kick his healing powers up to a level where he could overcome the drug keeping him unconscious. He argued the point with the spirit, but she ignored him. After almost twenty minutes of pacing and trying to convince his 'tenant', he gave up and decided to rest.

"Let me ask you something," she said suddenly, a few minutes later. There was an odd timbre to her voice, and he squinted at her curiously. When he did not deny her, she continued.

"Pretend Orochimaru had captured you," she posited, "and was going to make you his new host. But you had a way to kill yourself, and destroy his hideout in the process. What would you do?"

"Would I kill him; if I do the kamikaze thing?" Naruto asked after some consideration.

"You don't know," she told him, "But you will ruin his plans."

"Well, if he takes over my body, I'll be dead in three years either way," he shrugged, "So it doesn't matter either way."

"And if that wasn't the case?" she countered, "What if he had upgraded his possession; and between that and your regeneration, you'll live your full lifespan."

"Well, in that case wouldn't it be better to live?" he suggested, "After all, Hinata or Sakura or Gramma Tsunade might find a way to save me."

"Maybe," she agreed, "But it would be a million to one shot. And not like those books you read, where a million to one shot is really a two to thee shot. And in the mean time, the snake would be using your body to do all sorts of things you'd hate."

"Basically, would you rather die on your own terms, or live as a slave to someone you hate," she simplified.

"That's a heck of a choice," he told her, "I mean, as a ninja I'm prepared to die on a mission, but I still do everything I can to stay alive. But being enslaved by an enemy... That's not much different from being dead. And besides, Orochimaru would probably want to find a way to kill my mind, kinda like you. So who knows how long I'd live."

The demon ignored the barb, and watched him closely. Naruto closed his eyes and rubbed his chin in thought. Finally his blue orbs slowly reappeared and he exhaled in decision.

"In that case, I'd rather die to try to take down Orochimaru, then let him use me," Naruto told the fox.

"Why?" he added, looking confused now that he was no longer focusing on the quandary.

"That's what I thought you would say," the fox nodded her head, before turning away from him again.

'She obviously was talking about herself,' Naruto was not totally dense, 'but how could she hurt the Akatsuki by dying? And for that matter, how could she die?'

* * *

Hinata was thrown into the cliff as she stopped the cat's razor sharp claws with Ginmaki. The demon's other forepaw collided with Sakura, but the powerful medic accepted some minor burns to catch the limb and force the monstrous feline back. Both the cat and her controller's eyes widened at Sakura's show of strength. Neji hurried over to his cousin, while Tenten darted around the demon towards Mayuko again. The Snow rogue barked another order, and the cat's tails slammed into the ground, nearly knocking the weapon mistress down, and blocking her path.

"Are you alright?" Neji asked Hinata quickly, helping her stand.

"I am not in any danger," she answered, "just some bruises and a cracked rib."

"Wait here," he told her, "I will get Sakura."

"No," she shook her head, "You need to keep distracting the cat. I have another idea."

Hinata quickly summoned her familiars. She dispatched Sol to fetch Sakura, and Luné to help keep the feline's attention. Neji nodded to her, and then followed the male squirrel. Hinata returned to observing the battle as she clutched her injured side. She had downplayed the damage she had taken from hitting the rocky wall, and she knew that Neji could see just as well with his Byakugan. But she felt there was something else going on here, and she wanted the chance to observe from a distance for a few moments.

Luné darted in, unnoticed by the demon or her handler, at least until he drew a kunai shaped short sword from under his sash, and stabbed the cat in the paw. The feline yelped, more from surprise than pain, and she turned to look at the new annoyance. But the black squirrel was already scampering away, and his action gave Neji an opening to hit the cat with another water jutsu, dousing the monster's flaming fur once more. Sol reached Sakura at that point, whispering her message to the medic, before drawing her own blade and joining the fray. Mayuko continued to bark orders at the cat, while Tenten remained intent on reaching the demon's mistress.

"Like fighting the porcupine," Sakura noted, as she began to knit Hinata's injured bone, "Only about twenty times worse."

"No," Hinata shook her head carefully, so as not to disrupt the jutsu, "The Two-Tails Cat is much more dangerous than that, or at least she should be."

"What do you mean?" the medic queried her teammate. With the fires out, Sol was able to climb up the demon's right front leg, and slash at her shoulder. The cat shook the albino squirrel off, and was nearly knocked over again when Neji and Tenten hit her with tandem earth jutsus.

"It looks like the cat isn't really trying to hurt us," Hinata suggested, sounding slightly dubious of her own assertion.

"If this is not trying to hurt us, I'd hate to see that demon get serious," Sakura said darkly, moving to the second crack rib that Hinata had tried to conceal.

"No, she is doing exactly what she is told, and no more," Hinata explained in a whisper, "And when she is able, the demon appears to be bending Mayuko's orders to avoid hurting us. Like every time Mayuko orders her to go after Tenten, the cat does so immediately, even if she is in a position to kill one of us."

As Hinata offered that, Sakura looked back and was treated to a live example. The cat was preparing to unleash another gout of flame, this time at Hinata's summoned allies. But then Tenten used her Shuriken String Jutsu, and the Hidden Snow renegade again yelled for the demon to defend her. The cat stopped her attack, and absorbed the mass of blades with her left rear leg, even though she could have blocked while still attempting to barbecue the ninja rodents.

"Why is the demon doing that?" Sakura wondered.

"I don't know. Maybe whatever process they are using to control her limits her will," Hinata suggested, "Or maybe she resents the Akatsuki."

"It doesn't matter much," the healer noted, "We're basically at a stalemate right now, but it won't last forever. Eventually the cat will put one of us out of commission, and it will be all downhill from there."

"That is why we need to find a way to turn this hesitation to our advantage," Hinata noted, watching the cat again.

* * *

As expected, the Leaf and Sand teams had met in the Land of Forests, and had continued after a short break. Just before nightfall, the allies had rendezvoused with the Mist shinobi, just north of the Hidden Cloud Village. By two hours after midnight on April 22nd, they had reached the entrance to the canyon.

* * *

The Nine-tails Fox Demon rose slowly, almost majestically, and walked to the bars of her cell. She sat down, and stared intently at her Jinchuriki.

"What?" Naruto fidgeted, uncomfortable, "Are you going to attack me again?"

"Unfortunately, that wouldn't work," she said sadly, "I haven't been able to figure out a way to prevent you from assuming that hybrid form of yours."

"Then are you committing my face to memory, before you get stuffed in that ugly statue and become Madara's slave again?"

"I hate you," she told him simply, after a moment of thought, "It goes without saying that I detest your species. You should be the servants, the playthings of my kind. Instead, you imprison us in rings, in statues, and in your own bizarre bodies. You spread across this world like a fungus."

"But _you_ hold a place of honor," she paused in her calm rant, glaring at him, "If I could, I would burn your limbs off, centimeter by centimeter. And then I would eat your organs one at a time, until you were begging for death. And once you did, I would let your body regenerate, and start the process over from scratch."

"And?" Naruto tried to sound unimpressed.

"And despite that, I don't totally despise you," she admitted. Naruto shuddered, wondering what she would want to do to him in that case.

"You have provided me with amusement, a few interesting experiences, and some annoying yet compelling insight," she informed him. Naruto rubbed his eyes in confusion, he could have sworn the fox looked smaller.

"You are the best of the three Jinchuriki that I have been consigned to, not that that is saying much," she complimented him in a backhand fashion, "There are times I think we almost understand each other."

"So what is the point of all this?" Naruto continued to look uncertain.

"The point is," the fox seemed amused by his naiveté, and saddened as well, "right now I have to choose between you and Madara. Madara Uchiha, the creature I hate most in this world, the one I despise completely; or Naruto Uzumaki the helpless pup who had kept me trapped for more than sixteen years."

"As things sit now, you could not escape even if I sent you all of my power," she answered his earlier inquiry, "The jutsu they are using to extract me is altering our perception of time, and the way our powers mix. I have already tried send power to your body, and they increased the dosage of the drug to match. And since you cannot access you body, how much power I can send it is limited."

The Kyubi was definitely smaller now, just a shade over twenty feet in length.

"Then I guess you don't have a choice after all," he noted in resigned defeat.

"No, there is one way," she shook her head, "One way to potentially escape the Akatsuki, and to thwart Madara's desires forever."

The demon was shrinking noticeably at that point, she was barely larger than he was. At the same time, Naruto realized he could feel the Jutsu drilling through the seal, and the sedatives coursing through his blood. He felt truly clearheaded for the first time since waking up in their mindscape. And then he took a step back in fear as the five-foot long fox demon walked cleanly between the bars, her nine tails twitching nervously.

"Good bye, Naruto," she said hatefully yet fondly, "I wish you good luck, but only because I don't want this to have been a waste."

The demoness crouched down, and then pounced at him. Naruto crossed his arms before his chest to block the expected attack. But instead of colliding with him, the Kyubi no Kitsune became insubstantial and passed right through him. Naruto felt a new, powerful warmth infuse his chest, even as he spun around to look for the demon. But the spirit was gone, and the sewer faded away, leaving him in an empty, silvery void.

* * *

"Mistress," one of her assistants called out to the lead scientist nervously. The Akatsuki's chakra and jutsu expert was taking a break, and she raised her head to look at the underling.

"What is it?" she asked grumpily. The answer she received was full of fear and confusion.

"The seal is gone..."


	75. Sharingan Vs Sharingan:For Eternal Life

**Chapter 75: Sharingan Vs. Sharingan: For Eternal Life**

Red eyes, touched by triplicate black tomoe, watched with sadistic delight. The three Leaf and two Sand ninjas hopped and dodged frantically around the valley below, while the One-Tail Tanuki lashed out at them with sadistic joy. Still cloaked in the form of Sasuke Uchiha, Orochimaru watched their desperate struggle from the cliff far above, unhindered by the lingering jutsu that prevented most shinobi from adhering to the rock with their chakra. Of course, he was the one who had created the technique, during his tenure with the Akatsuki, so he knew how to bypass it.

The body thief took a few steps closer, making sure to stay outside the glow of the floodlights. The Sharingan did not have the same distance as the Byakugan, and he wanted to get a first-rate view of the battle.

* * *

"Not good," Shikamaru barely kept his bland tone of voice as he jumped backwards.

"No, no, it's very good, little monkey," the sand demon rumbled happily, "I thought I'd never get to see my beloved older siblings again, and now here they are."

He lifted his right forepaw and pointed it at Temari. A tendril of dust shot towards the young woman, who quickly pulled her fan over her shoulder and blocked the attack. But the sand kept flowing, pressing against her weapon, and starting to wrap around it to grab her. Shikamaru jumped forward, slicing through the sand with a pair of kunai. No longer connected to main body, the One-Tails' silicate dropped to the stone below, and the young couple separated and moved back.

Kankuro had used the initial exchange to free his four puppets from their scroll. He held Black Ant and Salamander close, while sending Crow and Moon out to slash at the demon's other front leg. Though they were able to dislodge a few small lumps of sand, Shukaku just look down at them with joyful disbelief, and then kicked them back at their controller.

"You two are the smart ones," the puppeteer shouted at his sister and her boyfriend, as he forced his marionettes back to their feet, "What's the plan?"

"Don't look at me," Shikamaru groused in response, "You two know more about this monster than we do. What even works on it? I'm guessing earth and lightning jutsus are out of the question."

Temari nodded, while Ino barely avoided the tanuki's tail. Choji punched with his enlarged fists, but the sand absorbed the impact almost gently, and Shukaku snorted. He sent out a blade of sand, which the big Chunin rolled away from, however in the process he took a deep cut in his left shoulder.

"Lightning does nothing," the elder blond agreed, "Neither does fire. Earth jutsus can knock off parts of Shukaku if the technique is powerful enough, but it's much easier to do with wind. And a large enough water jutsu can slow him down, but doesn't hurt him."

"Then what do you suggest?" Shikamaru grunted in annoyance.

"Wind and water attacks until we can escape," she shot back, "Unless you know a sealing expert?"

"Yeah, two of them," the genius smiled ironically, "But neither one is here."

"Wait, why doesn't fire work?" Ino asked. She had finished tending to Choji, and the both of them narrowly dodged another giant kick.

"He's a desert spirit made of sand," Kankuro couldn't keep the touch of mockery from his voice, "a little heat doesn't bother him."

"But what about a lot of heat?" the Leaf Kunoichi countered, "Both Sakura and Hinata told me that during the Sound liberation, Kankuro fought Gaara by fusing his sand into glass, which Gaara couldn't control. Can Shukaku control glass?"

"That could work," Temari admitted, with a hopeful glance at Shikamaru. But her boyfriend didn't share her optimism.

"Yeah, but where are we going to get enough fire power to fuse this guy solid?" he asked.

"You guys are from the Land of Fire!" Kankuro yelled, " Aren't your leaders always rambling on about 'The Will of Fire'. You should know all kinds of fire arts."

"Not us," Choji shook his head ruefully, "Ino and I both know a few minor techniques, but this team is mostly earth style, with some water thrown in. What about you?"

"I'm air, and Kankuro is earth," the elder sister added.

"We need Kiba or Tenten," Shikamaru complained, "Or even Shino."

"Are you done down there?" the Bijuu asked, and they all suddenly realized he had not been attacking.

"Because I'd like to get back to killing you now," Shukaku's statement seemed to be directed at the five teens, but the monster kept looking back over his shoulder at the wall.

* * *

Amusing though it was to watch them try to formulate a plan, Orochimaru had a different reason for returning to the Canyon of Dawn. So, reluctantly, he turned his attention away from the fight against the demon, and continued down the valley at a brisk trot. The Leaf renegade saw a burst of blue fire rise above the edge of the middle passage, and splash of green water flow over the southern ravine, and he shook his head in shocked amusement. The snake summoner would not have expected Pein to unleash three of the Bijuu to guard one base. But there could only be one reason such a large group of Leaf and Sand ninjas were attacking this fortress, the Akatsuki had finally captured the Nine-Tails Fox. The thought worried him slightly; he wondered how close his old allies were to completing their plans. And then he immediately started run through his mind ways to use this to his advantage. He had already allowed the Leaf to have Itachi's final report on the Akatsuki's movements. Though he wanted the conflict to continue, he could not think of a way it would benefit him to rescue the boy. And killing him was too much of a risk; the demon might escape.

Orochimaru passed a few dozen mid-level Akatsuki soldiers, apparently backup in case the invaders escaped the monsters. None of the retrained bandits looked up, confident that no one could bypass that particular defense.

'I guess they didn't think I would come back,' Orochimaru whispered to the soul of Sasuke Uchiha. But the trapped teen did not acknowledge him, and the rogue Sannin returned his attention to his infiltration. The entrance to the citadel was just ahead, and the snake angled downward on the wall until he reached the bottom of the ancient lakebed. He crept along the wall, his skill rendering him invisible to all but the sharpest eyes. Not that anyone was looking in his direction.

Outside the massive steel doors was a familiar face. Deidara watched the three chasms with a look of annoyed indifference. Orochimaru padded forward, passing within eight feet of his former ally. He wanted to laugh, wondering how someone with a total lack of stealth and perception ever became an elite ninja. The serpent briefly considered murdering the explosives expert, but decided now was not the time to play. He was there for a reason, and getting discovered this early would only hinder his goal. Instead, he did something else he knew the Akatsuki believed to be impossible; he used the Body Flicker Technique to bypass the door, reappearing inside the entrance hall. The Leaf traitor brought the floor plan of the building up from his memory, and started plotting the most likely places his target might be.

* * *

"Ino hit him with you best water techniques, and then Temari, tear him apart with your wind," Shikamaru ordered, throwing three kunai at the demon. Each knife had a paper bomb around its handle, and the explosions blasted off sections of Shukaku's stomach and left rear leg.

"It's tickles," the monster tanuki giggled, and his tail swept over the dislodged sand, reabsorbing it. The two women quickly began to follow the genius's direction, Ino launched into a string of hand signs, while Temari summoned Kamatari to double her wind power.

"What about us?" Choji asked. Kankuro nodded his agreement for the sentiment.

"There isn't much we can do right now," Shikamaru told him, "Defend the girls, and if you have any paper bombs, try to help take him apart."

But he also caught Kankuro's eyes, and indicated the Jonin should close ranks.

"What?" the Sand warrior whispered as they closed ranks around Temari.

"Suiton: Hand of Waves!" Ino completed the technique, and fired a jet of water at the demon. His light brown material absorbed the liquid, turning darker. The leg she hit moved sluggishly, and the lash of sand he sent after the Kunoichi in response only scraped Choji's arm slightly when he intercepted it.

"There is no way the Akatsuki would just turn one of the Bijuu loose," the apathetic Chunin answered the puppeteer's question, "They have to have someway to prevent the demon from escaping, or maybe even a way to control him. And I'm guessing whoever is holding that leash is close by. While we keep the One-Tails busy, you find his handler."

Kankuro nodded with an impressed grin, and darted away from Shukaku's outstretched paw, towards the opposite side of the ravine.

"Double Cutting Whirlwind," the Kazekage's sister proclaimed, as she swung her fan and her weasel familiar swung his scythe. Translucent blades of wind chakra shot towards the lowest of the Bijuu, slicing clean through his left front leg. The monster collapsed, but he fell on the disconnected sand, pulling it back into his body and reforming the destroyed limb.

"Suiton: Hand of Waves!"

"Partial Expansion Jutsu!"

Ino drenched Shukaku again, and Choji hammered the monster down with both enlarged hands. The demon's body pulled in Akimichi's fists, and started to crush them. The large warrior canceled his jutsu, returning his limbs to normal size before the demon could render them unusable. Despite his quick action, Choji's fists were moderately injured

"This would be a lot more fun if I was at full strength," the demon complained, as he sent spikes of sand after Temari, Shikamaru, and Kamatari. As the wind chakra experts were engaged in crafting another jutsu, Shikamaru had to push Temari out of the way, and then he scooped up Kamatari in his arms as he dove to the side. But the delay cost him, and the cloud admirer took a serious hit to his back, stripping skin and muscle nearly to the bone. The Shadow user landed in a crouching position, taking the strain to his legs to avoid falling on his damaged back.

"Shikamaru!" Ino shouted.

"I'm fine, stay there. Keep up the plan," he ordered her, gritting his teeth through the pain. Kamatari hopped down, but looked back at the injured human.

"Thanks, kid," the weasel offered.

Despite being shoved, the Sand Kunoichi was able to finish her jutsu, and she destroyed the projections that had attacked them, while carving a few furrows into Shukaku's belly.

Kankuro darted around the edge of the canyon, until he felt a queasy feeling in the pit of his stomach. It was the miasma of the One-Tails, but he was too far from the beast to feel it directly. The middle child turned away from the demon, following the trail in the other direction. But the trail ended at the rock face, and the puppeteer began a jutsu to search for signs of concealment. Before he could complete his technique, a fist appeared from the wall and clocked him in the jaw. Kankuro felt some of his teeth loosen in their sockets as he forced himself back upright. He drew his constructs back for a counterattack, but was too slow. The teen gaped in recognition of the face that emerged from the stones, and was knocked back by a powerful kick. He landed nearly twenty feet away, right next to his sister and her boyfriend.

"Temari, it's Shima," Kankuro grumbled, forcing himself up on one shoulder to view his attacker. The man appeared to be in his late twenties or early thirties. He had sandy blond hair, and his navy blue eyes were covered by reinforced goggles. The Akatsuki aspirant wore light robes of tan and brown silk, and his hands were empty. The belt at his waist had a Hidden Sand shield, marred by the Akatsuki's rough slash through the insignia. Shima took another half step forward, smiling slightly at them.

"Who?" Ino demanded, moving to check on Kankuro, and Shikamaru's back while she was at it.

"Shima was a Jonin from the Sunagakure," Temari explained, "But he quit the village, because he refused to accept Gaara as the Kazekage."

"What a hassle," Shikamaru noted, "But now that we've found him… Ino?"

The young woman looked up from her counterfeit medical examination, creating a loop with her hands and stating, "Ninja Art: Mind Transfer Jutsu."

Shima did not even react, and a few moments later Ino cried out in pain and terror. The mentalist healer fell backwards from her crouching position onto her butt. Shikamaru frowned at her for an instant, and then returned his attention to the renegade. Shima was still just far enough outside the floodlight's perimeter that the Nara clan member could not use his Shadow techniques. His paramour had no such limitations, however.

"Wind Scythe Jutsu," she intoned. But again the Sand traitor did not react. The blades of air struck him, and his surface cracked, and some dust blew off of him. But the next instant the cracks sealed, and his appearance was unmarred.

"I have taken a page from your beloved Kazekage's book," Shima noted, "I have a layer of Shukaku's body covering me as armor. Miss Yamanaka's attempt to invade my mind thrust her into the demon's psyche instead."

"Speaking of me, aren't you forgetting something!" the monster tanuki roared, sending dozens of spears of sand at the closely grouped shinobi.

* * *

He tapped his fingers on the table. He was not concerned about the battle; sending out the first three Bijuu was overkill, even as a show of power. No, he was worried that he had let the persona of Tobi slip too far in making the decision. The look Deidara had given him told Madara his 'senior' was suspicious. Or more accurately, more suspicious than he had been previously.

Still, the bomb artist had always been a borderline liability to the Akatsuki due to his rebellious and destructive nature. His usefulness was limited, and Madara would have been more than happy to remove the firebug. If the three replacements he had chosen succeeded, the Akatsuki would be able to absorb the loss of Deidara. Madara could make Mayuko Tobi's partner, in more ways than one, and assign Shima and Daisuke as the fourth team.

Despite having worked through his concerns, Madara continued to drum the table. It was the sort of nervous tic Tobi might display when forced to lead a major battle. His acting was rewarded when the door burst open. But instead of a messenger, one of the guards flew backwards into the makeshift command center. He landed on the table, quite dead. Tobi leapt to his feet in surprise, when a familiar face strode through the door.

"Orochimaru-senpai?" the masked ninja asked in confusion, upon seeing Sasuke's face, "What are you doing here?"

The stolen Sharingan observed him for a moment, and then the invader burst into laughter, Orochimaru's voice issuing from Sasuke's lips.

"Is this his last revenge, trying to trick me into confronting you?" Orochimaru asked himself, "Or was he truly unaware of how close his target was?"

* * *

_"I don't know where Madara is," Itachi shuddered in pain, as his brother's hijacked face leaned in close, "If I did, one of us would already be dead."_

_"But you have a suspicion," Orochimaru purred, "I heard your whole conversation with my old friend; you must think you are close, to want to stay undercover at this late stage of the game."_

_The double agent wanted to tell the snake where he could go, and what to do when he got there. But another part of him, the very Uchiha part, wanted revenge against his villainous ancestor at almost any cost._

_"Tobi," Itachi finally relented, "He was inducted into the Rings with no testing. And Lord Pein tries to hide it, but he always defers to Tobi or agrees with his plans. I think Tobi is Madara's mole, inserted in our ranks to keep a closer eye on us."_

_"Good boy," Orochimaru congratulated him, "And now as promised, your reward. Amaterasu."_

* * *

"You can drop the act, Madara," Orochimaru said conversationally, "That doesn't fool me. I recognize your movements, especially now."

He tapped the left side of his borrowed face right next to his red eye.

"You already have the Sharingan active?" Madara mocked, dropping the pretense and removing Tobi's spiral mask, "Did you have that much trouble getting here?"

"Oh no," the snake shook his head, "I have trained this body to the point where the first stage of the Sharingan is my default mode. I actually have to expend chakra now to suppress it, when I need to look normal."

Madara looked impressed in spite of himself.

"So why are you here, Orochimaru?" the first Uchiha asked in false civility.

"You have something I desire," the Sannin answered honestly, "And I am here to get it."

"You plan to steal from me?" Madara's response was incredulous.

"Not steal," the former ring bearer countered evenly, "It is knowledge that I want you to share, and I am prepared to offer something of value in return."

The Akatsuki leader's eyes widened, and he indicated his former ally should continue.

"You possess the one thing I want most in this world, the secret of immortality. It is the main reason I acquired this body."

Madara blinked in amazement, and then his face turned dark.

"I don't think so," the immortal countered, "Aside from the fact you killed the last two members of my family, I don't need the competition."

"You abandoned your family decades ago," Orochimaru disagreed smoothly, " And what competition? You want to rule the world, and I want to master every jutsu; and we both want to see the Konohagakure burn. Our goals are not incompatible."

Madara shrugged to concede the point, but his face still looked deadly.

"Nevertheless, there is nothing you can offer that is worth sharing that power."

"Not even my services?" the body-thief offered smugly, "Give me the secret to eternal life, and I shall happily rejoin the Akatsuki. Having an immortal ally with my knowledge and power could only benefit you."

"As if I could trust you," Madara said coldly, his eyes boring through the snake, "But for the sake of the current operation, I will allow you to go in peace. Leave."

"Now that is a problem," Orochimaru was unperturbed. His eyes transformed, the tomoe transforming into daggers pointing at his pupils.

"If you will not share this power with me willingly, I will have to extract it from you, by any means necessary."

The sound of birds filled the room, and the whites of Madara's eyes turned jet black.

* * *

Salamander and Black Ant tumbled free from the attack. Salamander's compartment opened when it hit the side of the valley, spilling out Temari, Shikamaru, and Kamatari. After Ant stopped rolling, his doors were quickly pushed open from the inside, and Ino extracted herself.

"Expansion Jutsu!" roaring with rage, Choji grew until he was roughly the same size as the demon. He charged forward, body-slamming Shukaku into the wall, knocking the sand monster away from Kankuro. At the same time, Kamatari pragmatically began to send wind blades at the tanuki again. Shukaku sent more barbs of dust at Choji, who took a few hits but was able to shatter most of them with his enhanced strength. The One-Tails struck out again, shaping his paw into a hammer, and knocked Akimichi into the battlements. As Choji pulled himself to his feet, he coughed once, and blood wet his lips. With the enlarged human temporarily disposed of, the demon fired gobs of sand at the weasel, willing to briefly lose control of the silicate to try to eliminate the small annoyance.

The other three shinobi rushed over to the puppet wielder. As they approached, Shikamaru recognized the remains of Crow, shattered into a thousand pieces. The two women knelt over the Sand Jonin, and despite her training, Ino almost vomited. Kankuro's torso and limbs were riddled with dust covered stab wounds, leaking blood across his uniform, staining the black material red. Most of the makeup on the right side of his face had been scoured away, and the skin underneath was scratched and bleeding. The medic swallowed her bile, and started to try to heal him. But the damage was too great. Ino recognized that even if she had Tsunade, Shizune, and Sakura with her, they still might not be enough.

"Heh," Kankuro coughed hollowly, "Just like I always expected…"

He gasped again, and then stopped breathing. Ino turned her attention to his heart and lungs, but the medical jutsu was not up to the task. She looked over at her friend with tears in her eyes.

"I'm sorry, Temari," Ino said sadly, reaching up to close Kankuro's eyes. The Kazekage's sister did no respond. Her eyes were red and wet, but they were filled with a hateful gaze. She stood slowly, deliberately, and spread her fan to its widest configuration. She turned back towards Shima with murderous intent.


	76. Kitsune No Chishio

**Chapter 76: A Kekkei Genkai is Born: Kitsune No Chishio**

Naruto suddenly gasped as the warmth in his chest grew, and spread to the rest of his body. He felt like he somewhere in between the two and three-tails states in terms of strength, speed, and physical energy; except his body was not tearing itself apart, and he was not filled with the fox's hatred and aggression. He could now sense the drugs keeping him sedated, as well as the jutsu attacking the recently expired seal. And on top of that, he had more chakra than he had ever felt before, more than in the four-tails form.

Naruto wanted to call out to the fox, and demand she explain, but he understood that the demoness was gone. The idea that she had given up her existence to escape Madara both saddened and angered him.

"You stupid fuzzball," he exhaled harshly, "I promise you; I'll kill that guy for you."

Naruto took a deep breath and turned his attention outwards.

* * *

The intravenous drip in Naruto's left arm exploded free in a burst of lightning chakra. The scientist and her assistants stared at it dumbly, too surprised and confused to react. The captured Chunin's eyes snapped open, and he flexed his newly empowered muscles, snapping the restraints. As Uzumaki sat up, one of the underlings finally recovered enough to produce a kunai and stab at the teen. Naruto caught the older shinobi's arm, and tossed him easily into the wall with a sickening thump. As the three remaining subordinates attacked, Naruto raised his hand, summoning Kitsune with a thought. He parried the first two strikes, and then killed or disabled the closest attacker with a ringing blow to the side of his head. The remaining two researcher ninjas fell in rapid succession, and he turned to their mistress. The Akatsuki's expert was cowering in the corner, her eyes wide with terror.

"Please, don't kill me," she begged, "I'm not a ninja, I just study chakra and jutsu."

He studied her dubiously, but finally lowered his staff-blade.

"Where is Madara Uchiha?" he demanded.

"What? The founder of the Uchiha clan? But he died eighty some years ago," she stammered nervously, thinking he had been driven mad.

"He was here with me earlier," Naruto didn't buy her protests, "Tell me where he is."

"That's impossible," she argued, "my team and I have been with you the whole time. The only other people who have been in this room with you were Zetsu and Tobi."

Naruto believed her desperation, and turned to leave. He grabbed a lab coat hanging near the door, deciding it was slightly better than running around in his swimsuit. Then he looked back at her, deadly serious.

"Run," he suggested, "This place won't be here much longer."

She nodded vigorously, as he exited the lab. But as soon as the door was closed, she grabbed her phone and punched in Tobi's number.

"Please answer," she begged, her dread lightening to mere worry.

* * *

The demon turtle loomed over them, blocking much of the light with its bulk. The Three-Tails opened its mouth slowly, and disgorged a small pond's worth of brackish water at the shinobi. Though they managed to avoid getting hit, the smell was sickening. Kiba and Sasame were both put off balance by the stench and landed roughly. Shino and Lee were already reacting as those two recovered, but Kaede beat them all.

"Raiton: Least Resistance Strike," the Mist hunter intoned, sending a powerful lightning attack towards the terrapin, through the water. The monster shuddered slightly when the voltage coursed through its body, but it turned to attack the Mizukage's daughter with another burst of putrid liquid. Before it could open its mouth, Rock Lee bounded up the demon's shell, and jabbed his now assembled staff into the creature's eye. Even though it was not injured, the turtle roared and reared back in pain. It swung its head towards the wall, and the Taijutsu expert had to drop back to the ground to avoid being crushed.

Shino completed his Jutsu, and his swarm covered the face of the Bijuu, hiding its eyes and bleeding off its chakra. But even in its current, limited state, the Three-Tails energy reserves far outstripped any normal human, and the insects quickly fell away, bloated with chakra. The beast looked at Aburame blandly, and shot out the deluge that Lee had delayed. Caught dead center in the cone of water, it appeared Shino would be unable to fully dodge the breath weapon.

"Katon: Abyssal Flare Jutsu!" Kiba shouted, bracing against Akamaru as the column of purple hellfire erupted from his palm. The flames boiled away the water an instant before if engulfed the bug user. Unfortunately, the advanced technique left the young dog trainer physically drained and with minor burns on his right hand. Both Shino and the turtle turned their attention to Inuzuka, but before the demon could finish its movement, more than a dozen threads fired out, binding its head to its right leg. Sasame's action bought her teammates the time they needed, Kiba swallowed a food pill while Shino activated a healing technique to fix his teammate's hand.

"Sure, I can pull that move off while fighting a demon, but not during a test," Kiba grumbled in self-recrimination.

"Do not jinx it," Shino admonished, "We may well need you to do that again before this fight is done."

As if to illustrate his point, the demon pulled again, and this time snapped the chakra laced cords that had been limiting its movement. At almost the same time, two of its tailed lashed at Kaede, who had been trying to get behind the demon. The Mist Kunoichi flipped back, but nearly clipped the wall of the canyon, and was forced to duck clumsily under the next tail strike the demon aimed for her. Though off-balance, this also caused her to realize something.

"Lee," she shouted for his attention, narrowly avoiding the flailing extensions, "The demon can't see me back here behind its shell. That means there must be someone else guiding its actions. Find him."

The Taijutsu expert nodded, and moved away from the leg he had been pounding on, unacknowledged by the massive monster.

* * *

Mangekyo Sharingan met Shin'en Sharingan, and both shinobi were apprehensive yet unflinching. Orochimaru had circled around the table, but now the opposed traitors simply stood there, staring at each other. The Chidori still chattered around the invader's left hand, while Madara appeared unarmed.

"Well?" the serpent in the stolen body asked, growing slightly impatient.

"You want me to use Susano-o on you," Madara explained, "And tempting though it is, I've decided not to fall for your little trap."

"Whatever do you mean?" the Sannin's innocent protest rang false on both of their ears.

"Itachi already reported that Sasuke has a way to reverse Tsukuyomi back on the user," the original Uchiha answered, "And you want to try to copy Susano-o; you are hoping that you can use my great-grandson's technique to escape. But I do not intend to give you any clues as to how to advance Sasuke's Sharingan further."

"As you will," Orochimaru shrugged, and brought up his hand, proclaiming, "Lightning Coils Jutsu."

The purple chakra left Orochimaru's hand, flying at Madara in the form of three electric snakes. Madara watched the art with interest, right up to the moment before they would have struck him. Then the immortal struck the table beside him, flipping it into the path of the attack, and dropping the guard's body unceremoniously to the floor. The lightning snakes burned through the thick oak top of the table, but by that point Madara was almost behind Orochimaru. He launched an elbow at Sasuke's chin, but the body thief dropped under the strike, and spun into a kick at Madara's right knee. The first Uchiha stepped over the attack and attempted to stomp on Orochimaru's ankle. The younger shinobi withdrew his leg and then thrust it back out in a snap kick at the immortal's chest. Madara simply stepped back out of range.

Tobi's phone suddenly rang, and the distraction nearly let Orochimaru land a punch aimed at Madara's solar plexus. The Akatsuki founder turned away from the attack as his cell rang a second time. Though he was itching to take the call, expecting news of the rescue team's destruction, he also knew that if he did not give Orochimaru his full attention, it could cost him the battle, and more.

For a few minutes more the two master warriors exchanged Taijutsu attacks. Because of their shared Kekkei Genkai, each could anticipate the other's moves. When combined with each ninja's incredible speed, this meant that neither one of them could land a blow. Finally Madara stepped away, appraising the Sannin frankly.

"You control Sasuke's Sharingan well," he admitted, "It is obvious this battle will not be decided with unarmed combat. But it is decided. Amaterasu."

Black fire erupted from both of Madara's eyes and swept towards Orochimaru.

* * *

Naruto entered another hallway encountering another five guards. On the floor below, he had killed or disabled every Akatsuki recruit who had attacked him without breaking a sweat or taking a scratch; though his lab coat was now thoroughly spattered with blood. Growing more curious about his new power with each passing minute, Naruto decided to test his limits, even as most of the former bandits charged.

Without a word or motion, Naruto spawned a single Shadow Clone. He held his hand up and again his silver chakra began to twist and spin above it. The clone drew the Rasengan out into a flat disk almost six feet in diameter. Though he recognized he could not have done this without the duplicate, Naruto was amazed by how simply he formed one of his ultimate attacks with only one copy, and without hurting himself.

"Fuuton: Rasenshuriken!" the two Uzumaki's roared in unison. The throwing star shaped chakra flew down the corridor, bisecting the first four warriors, before it struck its target, the soldier at the end of the hall who had been crafting a Ninjutsu. The wind chakra engulfed him, cutting his body to shreds in an instant. Mildly surprised by how perfectly the attack had worked, Naruto forced his attention back to the task of escaping. He quickly checked each of the rooms, but they consisted of nothing more than empty barracks and a broom closet.

'No windows on this level either,' the Chunin noted, and then took another deep breath.

'And no scent of fresh air. I must still be underground. So I have to keep heading up.'

Shifting Kitsune's scabbard, which he was having trouble getting into a comfortable position over the too large coat; Naruto sprinted to the stairs and headed up. He noticed more soldiers on the next floor, but decided to sneak past them, and conserve his chakra. He still had a promised to keep to an old friend.

He continued up, until he reached the top of the stairwell. This portal was locked, and both the door and its frame were heavily reinforced. Naruto thrust a Rasengan into the handle, but even after he had eaten through, the remaining deadbolts kept the barrier in place.

"Fine," the teen seemed more amused than upset by the challenge, "I'll just have to try something else."

Naruto cupped his hands, as if holding a soccer ball, and a larger than normal Rasengan formed between them. He began to slow spread his palms, pulling his fingers back, and increasing the size of the spiraling sphere. Once it was slightly larger than he was tall, he dove forward, slamming it into the door. The great ball attack tore through the door, leaving behind only the corners intact, hanging pitifully off the remains of the bolts.

He stepped through, expecting to find himself outside, but instead there was just another hall, no different than any of the others. And this hall, also like the others, held Akatsuki warriors. But this trio was special. Naruto could tell that, unlike the retrained bandits he had fought below, these were fully qualified shinobi. They also wore unique outfits, a shinobi shozoku with low hanging sleeves, loose leggings and a pointed hat that gave the uniforms more than a passing resemblance to a Shinto priest's robes. Their faces were covered by modified ninja hoods; these had built in mirrored goggles that concealed their eyes as well. About all Uzumaki could tell about them with any kind of certainty was their heights, and that one of his three opponents was a woman. Each also held a naginata, with blades facing him.

"Sorry, I don't have time to play," the Leaf Chunin told them, creating another copy, and shouting, "Fuuton: Rasenshuriken!"

But before his ohgi could reach them, the front two warriors released their own techniques, also without hand signals.

"Energy Net!"

"Granite Wall!"

The first defensive jutsu, a mesh of green lightning, caught wind throwing star, breaking off chunks of it. The remains of the Rasenshuriken struck the stone barrier that had appeared in front of the trio. It did not have enough power to slice through, and instead engulfed the granite, destroying most of it. The remains of the wall faded away a few seconds later, leaving him facing the three warriors again.

"Who are you guys?" Naruto asked, impressed in spite of himself.

"We are the acolytes of Pein," the man in the back answered, "His most trusted bodyguards and spies."

"Well, good luck fighting in here with those polearms," Naruto smirked, as he drew Kitsune. But the ninja who had spoken leaned his curved spear into his left elbow and began to sign.

"Ninja Arts: Arena of Destiny," he announced as the blonde teen started to step forward. Instantly, the hall began to grow wider and longer. The ceiling was replaced by an empty sky, and the dark grey stones of the walls and floor became a light brown sandstone. Pein's soldiers spread out, still keeping their weapons trained on him.

"Remember, we mustn't kill him," the female reminded her colleagues, "Lord Pein values the fox above our mere lives."

"Too bad for your boss, the Kyubi is gone," Naruto said, his tone mocking, but also slightly saddened. As he put aside his emotions and turned his attention back to them, Naruto was gripped by an unfamiliar sensation of wrongness. It took him a few seconds to understand what it was, and when he did, he almost tentatively laced his fingers together around the staff-blade's hilt.

"Release?" Naruto said questioningly. To his great surprise, the arena around him vanished, returning him to the original hallway. Except it was still four times the width and three times the length and height it had been previously. Naruto frowned, disappointment covering his surprise at even a partial success. The first acolyte charged forward, bringing his naginata down in an overhand strike. Naruto blocked the attack easily, and tried unsuccessfully to remove the rest of the illusion.

"Wait, if you can swing that around like that the room must really be bigger," Naruto realized the unnatural feeling was gone even as he said that, "The Genjutsu is just to keep your opponents off balance while you create a larger space in which to fight."

Naruto whistled, impressed that the masked man could combine such a powerful Ninjutsu and a Genjutsu into a single art. But he did not remain awestruck for long.

"Sorry, really I don't have time to deal with you now," Uzumaki slid past the two warriors attacking him, appearing instantly next to the ninja maintaining the spatial jutsu. As he slashed upwards with Kitsune, the wind chakra blade appeared, and he carved through the Akatsuki warrior's weapon and deep into his chest.

"Fast," the other male soldier broke his prior silence as his comrade's body dropped to the floor, returning the hall to its original size.

"Too fast," the female noted, lowering her blade. Instead she quickly launched a dozen hands seals before stating, "Dual Arts: Eye of Thunder Jutsu."

With the sound of a roaring storm, the sphere of frigid water with a core of lightning raced down the hall at the Chunin. Naruto batted the orb away with Kitsune, but it shattered. Most of the water was knocked away, but more than a few drops struck him, freezing instantly. The electricity had no effect, as always Kitsune absorbed it without complaint.

"You can use two opposing elements in a single Jutsu?" Naruto demanded, incredulously.

"How can you stop Lord Pein's Dual Arts with a metal pipe?" she countered, worriedly.

"Stop," the male fighter told his teammate, dropping his weapon, "We surrender. State your terms."

"Terms?" the blonde blinked in confusion, trying to switch mental gears

"Your requirements to spare our lives," the acolyte elaborated.

"Well I guess I need some information," Naruto frowned in thought, rubbing the back of his head.

"Then ask your questions."

"I need to get out of here. What's the quickest way out?

"The only entrance is back down on the ground floor, on the western wall," the concealed shinobi said simply.

"Great," Uzumaki brightened briefly, and then he grimaced again, "Then where is Madara Uchiha? And don't give me that line about him being dead."

"Of course Madara Uchiha lives. He is Lord Pein's strongest ally, and our ultimate foe. But as to his current location, we do not know that. Despite the inference of your inquiry, to the best of my knowledge he is not in this base, nor has he been recently."

"Darn it," Naruto grumbled. After a few seconds of consideration, he asked, "Wait, how can Madara be Pein's buddy but your enemy? Don't you serve Pein?"

"We live to obey Lord Pein," they both said in unison, and then the male figure answered, "Though they are allies, Lord Pein does not trust Madara. Thus we have been trained to fight the Sharingan."

"Good to know," he smirked at them. Then he raised Kitsune again.

"You would betray our agreement by slaying us?" the female said sharply.

"No, but I don't trust you not to attack again when my back is turned," he told them, stepping backwards towards the door opposite his point of entry. The woman bristled at the insult, but the man just raised his hand, both to settle her and to reassure Naruto. Once there was enough distance between them, the Leaf shinobi darted away.

"Why did you do that?" the female acolyte asked as Naruto ran off.

"He is more powerful than any two of our master's Paths," he answered, retrieving his weapon, "We stood no chance. And the importance of reporting the situation here to Lord Pein far outweighs the cost in information and personal dishonor."

She nodded, unhappy yet unable to disagree.

* * *

"Get away from me," the woman complained, jumping back as Lee jabbed his staff at her torso. The Akatsuki agent was in her mid twenties, and wore a thin, tight yukata with the same black with red clouds pattern used in the Rings' infamous cloaks. Her build was lean and long; she was taller than any of her opponents, but appeared to weigh less than any of the men, and possibly the slightly shorter but much more voluptuous Kaede. Her skin was a deep chestnut tone, and her violet hair hung to the mid of her back. The demon's controller watched Lee angrily with her wide, yellow eyes. And curiously, she wore no headband that the rescuers could see.

After a few minutes of searching, Lee had found the Kunoichi wedged into a crevice, watching the battle. With a few powerful strike to the stones around her, he had forced her out into the open.

"Fight like a ninja," she demanded. She threw a pair of kunai at Lee with each hand, careful not to disturb the chain wrapped repeatedly around her right wrist, which kept a silver amulet pressed tightly to the underside of her forearm. Once the knives were away, she quickly signed, creating a series of fire darts, which she aimed for Gai's apprentice. Lee knocked some of the steel and flame missiles away with his weapon, and dodged the others. He charged in again, swinging his staff at her waist. She stepped back neatly, continuing to glare at him.

"I am fighting like a ninja," he insisted, grimacing back at her.

"No, you're not," she argued, tossing more knives at him, "You have used no ranged attacks, no Ninjutsu, and no Genjutsu. You just keep swiping at me with that stick, like some common soldier."

"Bad move," Kiba commented, as he dodged a tail that whipped at him. With Lee distracting the turtle's master, it was easier to avoid the demon by moving to its back half. But that had not stopped the monster from viciously attacking anyone it could see, nor did it make it any easier for the four humans and the dog to hurt or impede the colossal amphibian.

Lee's face turned bright red with rage.

"I am more of a ninja than a traitor like you could ever hope to be," he countered angrily. He spun his staff around, and in the process caught his leg warmers, with the remaining weights, on the end of the pole. He brought it down, hurtling the masses at the ring candidate. And he followed close behind, much quicker than he had been seconds before. She ducked under the first weight, but was clipped by the second. When Lee reached her, she drew two kunai and blocked his staff, but was forced back by his furious strength. The Taijutsu expert snapped his staff apart, splitting it into two nunchakus. He swung at her from both sides, causing her annoyance to grow, even as she continued to stop his attacks.

The Three-Tails' caught Kaede in one of its tails, and began to crush her even as it moved to dash her up against the wall of the ravine. Akamaru jumped up, and bit hard into the extension, causing the demon to release the Hidden Mist Kunoichi. Kiba caught her in mid air, and set her down on her feet as they landed.

"I'm ok, thanks," she panted before he could ask, and they were both forced to dive away as the turtle began to hammer blindly at the ground behind him with the three legendary appendages.

One the other side, Shino had managed to rouse his chakra drunken insects. The bugs had 'digested' the demon's energy, and were able to send part of it back to their master. In turn, Shino used that chakra to power the constant stream of low-level fire jutsu to keep the monster's attention on him. But his combination of draining and attacking was still only a minor annoyance to the Bijuu.

"Are you almost done?" Shino asked, a strain in his calm voice. Sasame darted back and forth under the turtle, barely avoiding its tree trunk like legs.

"Just a little longer," she panted back, "Sorry."

"Katon: Grasping Inferno Jutsu," was the insect trainer's only response. Even filtered by his tiny allies, the Three-Tails chakra pained him to use. A small part of his mind wondered if Naruto felt like this.

Shino's hands were wrapped in fire, and the flames expanded until the chakra hands were ten times the size of Aburame's natural appendages. He grabbed either side of the terrapin's head, forcing it just far enough to the side that its next stream of water missed both Shino and the temporarily exposed Sasame. The turtle pushed back, its water chakra surging around it in a pure form that destroyed the human's jutsu. It turned its head back towards Shino, spreading its jaws wide, its rank breath washing over the Leaf warrior as it built up its next load of spittle.

* * *

Amaterasu erupted from Sasuke's left eye, but it was no match for Madara's assault. However the opposition bought Orochimaru enough time to complete his counter attack.

"Hyoton: Ice Prison Jutsu," the serpent intoned, keeping his black fire trained on Madara and slowly backing away as the stronger Uchiha's blaze began to overwhelm his.

"What are you going to do?" the Sannin taunted, as the frost crept up Madara's legs, "You could destroy my jutsu with your Amaterasu, except you would have to look away from me. But once you are trapped, I can just move out of eyeshot… Are you sure you don't want to just give me the secret of your immortality?"

The founder of the Akatsuki whispered something, unheard over the roar of the flames and the crackle of the ice.

"What was that?" Orochimaru asked as he took another step back. But Madara did not need to respond. His Amaterasu suddenly stopped, but before Orochimaru's flames could reach him, the air in between them began to spiral inwards. Sasuke's power was suck in, and his body was drawn off balance. The frozen water imprisoning the first Uchiha also cracked and broke away. After the rupture finally closed, Orochimaru was able to lift his stolen head again. Madara was standing over him with a mild smirk.

"I said 'Kamui'," the Sharingan master answered.


	77. The First and the Last

**Chapter 77: The First and the Last**

"Tsukuyomi," Orochimaru countered. The dark world formed around them, and on either side of Orochimaru now stood Hashirama Senju and Hoshi Hyuga. Madara stared at his sister and the First Hokage impassively, blatantly unimpressed. Hoshi darted forward, her fingertips striking Madara. And Hashirama's Mokuton caused saplings to shoot up around Uchiha, sealing his legs. But the red spirals in the Shin'en Sharingan flared brilliantly, and the illusion dissolved.

"Did you honestly expect that to work on me?" the Akatsuki leader shook his head, his tone of voice surprisingly free of recrimination. Despite his reaction, Madara was mildly shaken by the vision, but he could not allow his enemy to know that. Unfortunately, his attempt at bravado cost him.

"No, I didn't," Orochimaru agreed viciously as he stabbed Kusanagi into Madara's chest. The immortal noticed the attack just before the sword struck, too late to completely avoid it. He hopped up and backwards, just far and fast enough that the Grass Cutter struck the bottom of his left lung, instead of impaling him through the heart. Madara was able to push back, pulling his torso free from the blade before the snake could expand the weapon and pin him to the wall.

"I understand you don't really know any weapons," Orochimaru taunted him, "In your time all one had to do to become a Jonin was to defeat or be acknowledged by another Jonin; so you were never forced to broaden your skills. Fortunately, that doesn't apply to me."

"You make it sound like that matters," Madara straightened, allowing the blood to flow freely down his robe, "This wound is not enough to hinder me. And now that your surprise is spent, you will fair no better with that blade than you did with Taijutsu."

Orochimaru slashed out in response, but Madara subtly dodged. Even changing the length of his blade to counter his opponent's dodges or avoid his blocks did not allow the serpent to land a blow on the immortal. The true Uchiha moved simply and without wasted effort, refusing to counterattack. Instead he absorbed his enemy's skill with each swing, making it easier to evade with each missed strike.

But his avoidance served another, greater purpose. The deep stab was hurting more than he had let on, and he had spent a great deal of chakra on the sustained Amaterasu and the Kamui. He wanted to give Orochimaru time to wear himself down, while his wound started to close. Though immortal, Madara did not heal substantially faster than most other shinobi. So he had also activated a minor wound sealing Ninjutsu. If the snake summoner would continue this swordplay a few more minutes, Uchiha expected they would be back on equal footing.

Orochimaru slashed and stabbed artfully, but his mind was racing. Hitting Madara with Tsukuyomi and summoning Kusanagi had been a desperation move. The amount by which the first Uchiha's Sharingan outclassed his own stolen Kekkei Genkai was stunning to the Sannin. He had not been expecting Madara to be able to produce Amaterasu from both eyes, though in retrospect it should not have been too much a surprise, given the fact Itachi and Sasuke manifested the black fire in different eyes. But what really frightened Orochimaru was Madara's casual use of Kamui. He had heard of the attack through his agents in both the Akatsuki and the Hidden Leaf, however he thought Kakashi had created the technique.

"Kamui? Are you reduced to stealing jutsu from the likes of Kakashi Hatake?" Orochimaru taunted, hoping to distract Madara or gain some information. Madara avoided the first bait, but bit on the second.

"Hardly," the Akatsuki leader was dismissive, "Kakashi did not 'create' the Kamui; he simply manifested it in Obito's left eye. I can use all four of the Mangekyo Sharingan techniques: Tsukuyomi, Amaterasu, Kamui, and Suseri. Until Itachi, all of my descendants only acquired two of those powers when they unlocked the second level, one per eye. But Itachi was able to use all of them except for Kamui. And I had hoped in time he would gain that ability too."

"What about you, Orochimaru?" Madara turned the verbal assault back, even as he slid around another stab at his chest, "Have you been able to unlock any powers besides the two Sasuke already had? Do you have the Kamui or the Suseri?"

When the serpent didn't answer, the true Uchiha smirked, "I didn't think so. How can you ever expect to gain the three powers of the Shin'en Sharingan, when you cannot even master the Mangekyo level?"

The younger renegade frowned and redoubled the speed and power of his attacks.

* * *

"Shikamaru," there was a touch of pleading under Temari's anger, "I need you three to hold off Shukaku for ten minutes. Can you do that?"

"I won't promise anything Tema-chan," he refused to lie, "but we'll do everything we can."

"Thanks. Kamatari, help them."

The weasel, who had landed near them while dodging the sand demon's attacks, nodded and returned to sending blades of wind at the tanuki's legs.

Choji shrank back to his original size as he painfully dragged himself to his feet. Ino dodged spikes of sand to reach him, and without the time or safety to give him a full examination, climbed on his back and began to use a generic regeneration technique on him. Akimichi's cracked ribs and bruised lung began to heal even as he jumped away from another stab from Shukaku, still carrying his girlfriend.

"That's enough, Ino," he told her after a close scrape, "I'm fine and we need you back on water duty."

The dry night air, and the One-Tails frequent disconnection of his components, was quickly evaporating any slowness and softness from his attacks. Ino nodded, and swallowed a food pill as she hopped down, signing again before she landed. Unable to use his shadow techniques against such a large opponent and out of paper bombs, Shikamaru joined her, though his Suiton arts were simpler and less powerful. Choji extracted his mace from the seal on his belt buckle. Though his weapon was far more substantial than most of its kind, resembling nothing so much as a metal baseball bat shoved through a large steel pumpkin, the demon snorted in mirth when he noticed it.

"What are you going to do with that, chunky?" the One-Tails mocked, "In case you hadn't noticed, I'm not exactly solid."

"Ino, Shika, do you guys have the blue pills with you?" Choji asked, his face growing dark as his left hand extracted a familiar case from one of his belt pouches.

"Choji, you can't! It's too dangerous," his lover protested, but his best friend simply nodded.

"I have to, Ino," he told her, "It's the only way we can hold this thing off for Temari."

She looked away but didn't protest further.

"How do you intend to do that?" the demon asked, sounding genuinely interested.

"Hang on a second, I'll show you," Choji answered intently. He opened the case, and dumped the three pills into his left hand. He replaced the case deliberately, and then took out a half-dozen food pills and held them with the other capsules. At the Hokage's suggestion, the Akimichi clan had began using the energy supplements to both counteract and prolong the effects of their special combat medicine. But in the end the food pills were only a stopgap. Fortunately, Tsunade had also used her experience following Sasuke's defection to create the 'blue' pills, a fourth medicine to completely arrest the effects of the other three. Unfortunately, the fourth tablet would only stop, not repair, the damage done. So it became a balancing act; not taking the antidote too soon, but doing so before the drain became lethal. As a result Choji gave the blue pills to his teammates, relying on them to administer the counter agent if he passed out before he could take it.

Choji faced the demon, and half raised the medicine to his mouth.

"Expansion Jutsu!" he shouted again, and as he grew his weapon swelled to match. Once he was about twenty feet tall, Choji popped the green pill and the first two food pills into his mouth and swallowed. At forty feet in height, he gingerly selected and consumed the yellow supplement and two of the tiny brown capsules. And when he reached a full sixty feet tall, he dumped the now minuscule last dose into his mouth. Shuddering slightly from the transformation that was occurring, he gulped down the final set of pills. Chakra erupted from Choji's back, taking the form of butterfly wings. They flapped once as he charged forward and swung his mace sideways. For a moment, the demon's face registered surprise, an instant before the sand tanuki rocketed into the barricade. The giant Chunin followed, and struck a powerful overhead blow, hammering the Bijuu into the ground. Shukaku lifted his left front paw, but Akimichi swung his weapon sideway faster, and tore the granular limb free, sending it flying. The monster growled as his tail darted out, touching his severed appendage to reabsorb its components.

"Not bad, kid," the demon admitted grudgingly, "But at the rate you're dropping body mass, I doubt you can keep it up for much more than a few minutes."

"Who says I have to?" Choji shot back, panting slightly.

Temari raced forward in an uneven zigzag pattern, using her speed and wind chakra to try to keep Shima guessing. She darted past him, and whirled around to send a compact column of air at him with her Fuuton: Straight Line Jutsu. His armor absorbed the attack, and he was only forced to lean slightly into the localized gale force winds. She folded her fan and charged at his back, stabbing at the base of his spine. The unique weapon chipped the hardened sand, and Shima rotated counterclockwise to catch her weapon before she could retract it to strike again. He continued his spin, pulling Temari off balance while with his free hand he launched a right cross at her nose. The young woman dropped and slid to the side, barely managing to wrench her fan out of his grasp. She turned her fan over, using the momentum to slap it into his left shoulder. The renegade shuddered slightly, and again his armor cracked briefly and then resealed itself.

"Doton: Stone Claws Jutsu," she said without signing, and two thin hands extended from the earth and caught his ankles. With her target trapped, she swung at his neck with the edge of her fan. But he snapped the rocky limbs holding him easily, and stepped back out of range. Then he moved back in, and caught her weapon between his arm and his side, wedging it tightly so she could not free it so easily as the last time.

"Temari, your pitiful excuse for a sensei had failed you," he lectured, "This is how you use an earth jutsu without hand signs. Doton: Ripping Embrace Jutsu."

Four clawed arms erupted from the bedrock, and instead of simply holding Temari; they began to tear at her clothes and flesh.

"Air Burst," she countered, doing enough damage to the talons that she was able to escape, but not before they carved some deep furrows into her legs. In her retreat, she was forced to release her fan, unable to extricate the weapon. But this left both of her hands free to form the seals for a new, complex technique.

"Fuuton: Dueling Vortices!" she announced as Shima began to walk towards her again. Under his arm, her fan snapped open. After struggling to hold the wind stirrer, he dropped it quickly as a cyclone emerged from each of the outer struts. Temari rolled forward, retrieving her weapon and using it to direct the now ten-foot tall tornados towards her brother's killer. The renegade dodged back as the twin twisters converged on him. His expectations were not met however, and the whirlwinds skirted by one another without touching, and circled back around on him again. He prepared to dodge again, but the Kunoichi was ready for him.

"Fuuton: Straight Line Jutsu," she said again, flipping over her fan to create the linear burst. Again the attack failed to pierce his armor but disrupted his movements, this time just long enough for the tornados to hit him. For the first few heartbeats, the opposed whirlwinds tore at him, shredding his shield grain by grain. After that long second, the cyclones merged, and catapulted him straight up, nearly to the up edge of the canyon. He tumbled awkwardly through the air, before smashing hard into the ground. Temari darted forward to finish it, but with a burst of dust, Shima was replaced by a large rock.

"That hurt," he said from behind her, blood dripping from his left hand and right ear.

"It should have killed you," she snarled, turning and slashing at him with her fan again. He caught the weapon, but Temari noticed something. A glint of silver under the remains of the skin colored sand armor on his left wrist.

"What are you hiding there?" she asked pointedly.

* * *

Orochimaru reversed his grip on Kusanagi, and swung underhand at Madara, following the attack with a chest level kick. But the elder Uchiha stepped away from the sword, and gently pushed the kick aside. The leader of the of Akatsuki had already copied the body-thief's fighting style with the jian, so Orochimaru began to fight more randomly, mixing in katana, long sword, and even axe type attacks, counting on the enhancements laced into Kusanagi to allow the slender blade to survive strikes designed for a heavier weapon. He also started to add Taijutsu to his assault, firing off kicks and even the occasional off-hand punch. But he could not land a blow on the immortal.

"You are trying to out Uchiha me," Orochimaru pointed out, "To learn what I can do and let me tire myself."

"You are the one who sought this battle," Madara said wryly, "A fact I let myself briefly forget. And we are in my territory. Each passing second increases the chance that my warriors will discover us. And while most of them won't stand a chance against you, they will drain you and provide a distraction."

"So then, I should stop testing you?" the snake reappeared around his master's arm, and Orochimaru returned the sword to its unorthodox scabbard.

"You, testing me?" Madara was mildly yet cautiously incredulous. He expected the Sannin had more tricks up his sleeve, but still the bold statement surprised him.

"Oh yes," the face of Sasuke Uchiha smirked, "I wanted live combat data, on your physical and visual reaction times. And I hoped I might be able to get the upper hand."

He glanced at the cut between Madara's ribs. The wound had stopped bleeding, and had even started to scab over.

"But as you said," Orochimaru continued, "This battle won't be decided with melee combat. Katon: Tide of Fire Jutsu."

Light orange flames poured out from around Orochimaru's legs, ebbing and surging around the room at between knee and ankle height. Madara flipped upwards, adhering on the ceiling to avoid the waves of inferno. He stared at Orochimaru in confusion.

"You think you can defeat me in a Ninjutsu battle?"

"There is a chance you know more Jutsu than I do," the serpent conceded, "If you have been making good use of your Sharingan. But I have both my own chakra supply and Sasuke's to draw on. And you already wasted more power than I did during our Amaterasu war. Raiton: Electron Trident."

The three lines of lightning prevented Madara from dodging to the side, and if he jumped off the ceiling, he would lose his grip and fall into the flames. With no options to avoid the attack, the Uchiha founder was forced to counter.

"Fire with Fire Jutsu," Madara announced as he pushed off, allowing the electricity to pass over him. Red flames wrapped his body as he landed, burning away the weaker fire of Orochimaru's ongoing attack.

"You could have used Kamui to eliminate my attack," Orochimaru suggested slyly, "But that would be too draining, wouldn't it. Sasuke had more chakra than me, and I don't doubt you have more than he did, but together I have more than enough energy to run you out."

Having copied but not fully integrated the Tide of Fire, Madara estimated it was draining Orochimaru at the same rate his Fire with Fire was taking his chakra. He knew the Sannin was correct, he could not win a war of attrition. He had to go on the offensive again, and if possible find a way to attract reinforcements at the same time. Then he noticed the body of the dead guard, crackling slowly.

"Time for your next lesson," Madara said, the red whorls in his black eyes glowing again, "The three powers of the Shin'en Sharingan."

Orochimaru paused in his hand signs, intrigued.

"Of course, Susano-o has become infamous," the Sharingan master noted, "The eternal Genjutsu nicknamed One Thousand Years of Pain because of the length of time most of its victims perceive before their bodies fail."

The snake nodded, grinning hopefully.

"No," Madara understood his expectation, and shook his head, "Second is the most worthless of all my powers, Izanagi. Izanagi gives me the power to instantly and fully heal any person at the cost of taking half of their injuries myself. It can even restore the dead, if their souls have not reached the afterlife yet."

The snake smirked; fully agreeing the ability to help another was a waste of time and chakra.

"And finally, Izanami," the glow in his eyes intensified, and a thin beam of black flame shot out from his right eye, striking the corpse. The body was immediately engulfed by the conflagration, but instead of turning to ash, it twitched, and then rose smoothly to its feet.

"The power to burn away death," Madara explained, "A power I'm sure one such as you can appreciate."

The burning cadaver charged Orochimaru, lashing out with its black flame wrapped fist.

"Until the corpse is consumed, the soul is returned to its body, but enslaved to my will," Uchiha noted, stepping forward, "It possesses all the skills it did in life, but without the frailties of being alive, it can act with speed and strength that would have injured or killed it before. And like Amaterasu, the flames of Izanami will destroy anything that they touch."

The shadowy inferno surrounding the undead bandit ate away at the orange flames roiling around the room, and Orochimaru finally ended his jutsu to avoid wasting any more chakra. As the Sannin dodged another darkly glowing attack, the immortal was able to release his defensive art. The body-thief grabbed a portion of the broken and smoldering table, and flung it sideways at the body. Though pushed back by the weight, the stronger flames around the former guard incinerated the table, scattering fragments of black flame and ash behind the aggressive corpse. It ran forward again, aiming a jab at the left side of Sasuke's face. As Orochimaru duck right, the undead warrior's other hand came around in a backhand aimed directly at the Sannin's new path. The younger renegade stumbled back to avoid being hit.

'Fool,' Orochimaru berated himself, 'Use the Sharingan.'

He began to dodge more fluidly, noticing that Madara was standing in the middle of the room, watching smugly. As he slithered carefully around the lethal punches and kicks, Orochimaru started signing again.

"Suiton: Hand of Waves," he completed the jutsu. Though the force of the blast knocked the corpse back, it did nothing to remove the flames.

"Hyoton: Glacier Shard," the snake summoner tried again. The giant ice chunk carved a large hole in the burning bandit's chest but melted away almost instantly.

"You cannot quench this fire," Madara mocked.

"I am just keeping it away from me," Orochimaru countered, and then thought to himself, 'But if I can't put the fire out, maybe I can help it along.'

Orochimaru jumped into the front left corner of the room, opening his left eye as wide as he could.

"Amaterasu."

The killing black flame swept over the corpse, unaffected by the animating flames, and incinerated the rest of the body. The wide-angle shot also took of the rest of the conference table and one of the overhead lights. Madara unleashed another small Kamui to protect himself, and glared at his former ally.

"I guess you never used Izanami against your own family before," it was the Sannin's turn to be smug. The two warriors tensed in anticipation of the other's next move, but before either of them could act…

"YOU!" a shout came from outside the room, and both combatants turned to look. Naruto Uzumaki stood in the hall, having just passed the left hand threshold of the door. The Leaf Chunin was glowering at Madara hatefully.

* * *

"I can't get a clear shot," Ino complained and Kamatari nodded. But Shikamaru was more concerned with the seconds that ticked away as Choji fought the One-Tails under the influence of the chili pill. Despite that, he took a moment to think about her quandary.

"Arc it over Choji's head, or make it rain," the genius advised, "Getting Shukaku wet is what matters, not the force of the jutsu."

She nodded and began to sign again.

Choji noticed Shukaku looked smaller as he swung his mace again. This time, instead of mashing the silicate, the demon's body held more firmly, absorbing the impact. The One-Tails rose up on slightly more human shaped back legs, bracing his tail up against the barricade. His forelegs changed as well, his left paw becoming a battle-axe while his right became a spiked ball. The giant Chunin swung again, and the demon caught the weapon on his axe, before swinging his morning-star. The force of the blow pushed Choji back a few feet and the spikes punctured his armor and the outer layer of his skin.

"He's compacting himself," Shikamaru shouted, "to increase his strength and resilience! But it should also slow him down!"

'Except we don't really have the space here for Choji to take advantage of his increased speed,' the shadow user reminded himself, 'And he's already starting to run out of steam. He has seventy-eight more seconds, and then we'll have to give him the antidote. Get a move on, Tema-chan.'

With Choji keeping Shukaku focused on him, the silicate armor around Shima was reforming at a snail's pace, much to the Sand renegade's dismay. The traitor could no longer count on the protection or the increased strength, as Temari stabbed and slashed furiously with her fan. She took a swipe at his right temple, and when he blocked with that arm, she turned her weapon over, and jabbed the butt end into his belly. The breath was expelled from his lungs. He tried to kick her away, but she caught it on her fan and pushed him back instead. He started to sign, but she swung her weapon again, and he was forced to break his hands apart to avoid having both shattered. Unfortunately, this was exactly what the Kunoichi wanted. She snapped open the slats and turned the fan parallel to his body.

"Wind Scythe Jutsu," she announced, and Shima was too close to dodge. The air blade flashed out, severing his left arm just below the elbow. He howled in pain as the limb fell away, and with it the silver talisman. No longer connected to Shukaku's essence, the remaining sand armor crumbled away.

"What have you done?" he demanded, clutching at his dismemberment.

"Taken away your advantages," she smirked, her deduction having proven correct.

"And my control, you foolish girl!"

Shukaku roared with delight, and smashed the Akatsuki's barricade with his morning-star fist, reducing the top half to rubble. Temari turned to look and Shima started to create the right half of the Zodiac seals with his surviving hand.

"No more orders, no more kowtowing to that human," the demon cackled joyfully. Then he looked at Choji was intense joy, "No more limits on how much damage I cause around here. And that means bye bye, fatso."

Spikes of sand exploded wildly from the tanuki, digging into the granite walls and floor of the extinct river, destroying a handful of the lights. Choji tried to dodge backwards and block with his mace, but he was slowing down from the physical drain of the three pills. A few of the spikes dug into his chest, and he lost control of his Expansion Jutsu. The now slender Chunin fell through the air as he returned to normal size.

"Doton: Stone Claws Jutsu," Shima incanted, and six hands of rock emerged from the ground to grab the distracted Temari. He lunged for his arm, but the Sand genius's limbs were not caught, and she swung her fan again.

"Wind Scythe Jutsu," she shouted angrily, severing his other arm and cutting deep into his chest. Shima was no longer able to maintain the trapping jutsu, and Temari darted over, taking the amulet from around his left arm. She knelt before him, and lifted him closer to her face.

"How do I use this?" she demanded. Shima simply smiled at her desperation as his life expired. Temari dropped him with a curse, and turned back to the demon.

"Shukaku, stop," she ordered, clutching the silver seal tightly.

"Sorry, there's more to it than that," the One-Tails crowed. And then he turned his attention back downwards. Ino had caught Choji as he fell, and was now working desperately to close her lover's wounds. Shikamaru and Kamatari kept their distance from the couple, but were desperately using their respective water and wind arts to try to slow the tanuki. Shukaku ignored their efforts, and grinned murderously at the injured warrior.

"Before today, no human has ever challenged me physically," he announced, as Ino forced the antidote down Akimichi's throat, "So I think I'll grind you into paste."

"Get away," Choji groaned to Ino, as the sand demon lifted a now hammer shaped paw. Instead, she threw herself over him as the limb descended. Then suddenly more sand leapt up around them, forming a dome that stopped the attack. For a few seconds, all the demon or any of the humans could do was blink in surprise. Shikamaru glanced at Temari, but his girlfriend looked just as mystified.

"I believe this is the first time we have met face to face," a new yet familiar voice carried over the valley. They all turned to look at the five newcomers on the top of the wall.

"GAARA," Temari called out in relief.

"Well, it's my former host," Shukaku smirked, "I guess that makes this fight complete. I'll get to kill all three of the fourth Kazekage's children."

"What does that mean?" Baki demanded stepping forward to stand next to the current Kazekage. The monster smiled wider, but before he could speak, Shikamaru answered.

"The Bijuu killed Kankuro," the normally apathetic ninja's voice was harsh, "That guy died to save Temari, Ino, and me."

"And now that you sister killed the insect that was controlling me, there is nothing to stop me from finishing the rest of you."

"I disagree," Gaara's voice was hoarse yet controlled, and he removed his sand gourd.

"You're gonna fight me one on one?" Shukaku chuckled, "Well someone got a big head."

Gaara ignored the taunt, and thrust his hand into the vase. He pulled out a small brass urn, and then slung the gourd back over his shoulder.

"Is that…" the demon trailed off worriedly.

"The kettle in which you were first sealed, so many decades ago," the Sand leader confirmed, "Since our separation, I have been carrying it around, in case we ever met like this."

"No. Never again," the One-Tails turned towards the Akatsuki fortress, and tried to scamper away.

"Matsuri, Tsutomu, stop him," the Kazekage instructed, "Natsuki, Baki, I need you to help with the sealing."

Gaara's apprentice and the masked male Jonin used the Body Flicker technique to get ahead of the demon, and set up overlapping walls of wind between the demon and themselves. The monster bounced off twice, before turning back. Like the ninjas, he could not climb the walls thanks to the Akatsuki's defensive technique, but the tanuki recognize he could get away through the damaged barricade.

Gaara and the other two Sand shinobi moved to where Ino was working on Choji. The other three survivors of the rescue party also moved in.

"Will he be okay?" the former Jinchuriki asked with a kernel of concern.

"If you can find a way to keep us all alive," Ino answered brusquely, finally moving to the least dangerous of the large ninja's four wounds. Gaara nodded and turned to Shikamaru.

"Shikamaru, do you know anything about sealing?"

"In theory," the genius shrugged, "I've never had to try it."

"Can you act as a corner of the Earth Sealing Pentagram?"

"I can manage," the Leaf ninja answered.

"Good, then the five of us will contain Shukaku," he told his three Jonin and the Leaf Chunin, then requested, "Kamatari, will you guard Ino and Choji?"

"It would be my honor," the weasel bowed deeply to the Sand leader. The five warriors all began to move into position as the demon charged back towards them. Matsuri dropped her barrier, and teleported back to the wall, to ready a replacement before the sand demon could escape.

"This will not be easy," Gaara noted with a touch of worry, as Baki and Natsuki separated to get to the far side of the beast.

"Will that thing make it any easier?" Shikamaru asked, pointing to the amulet Temari still held, "That's what the Akatsuki were using to control the Bijuu."

The Kazekage did something Shikamaru had never seen before. He smiled broadly.

* * *

"The One-Tails is down, Shima has failed," Deidara told his lieutenant in an annoyed tone, lowering his binoculars as the echoes of the shrieking demon faded, "Let's get moving."

The renegade Grass Chunin nodded, and the rogue ninjas and bandits charged down the northern corridor.


	78. A Bijuu's Pain

**Chapter 78: A Bijuu's Pain**

"I believe he is talking to you," Orochimaru said softly, and with false sweetness, while shaping a jutsu. As Naruto charged into the room, Sasuke's body merged into the shadows and vanished.

"What are you doing free… and alive?" Madara demanded.

"Turns out the extraction was canceled," Naruto growled furiously.

"What? Canceled? How?" Madara sputtered in rage and disbelief.

"The Kyubi. She decided death was preferable to being under your thumb again," Uzumaki explained darkly.

"Death. How could the Nine-Tails possibly…" his black eyes went wide as he regarded the youth more carefully. The teen's aura was stronger, but as he claimed, the presence of the fox demon was gone.

"Well then, a new Kekkei Genkai is born," Madara half smirked, amused despite his anger and disappointment, "I guess those whiskers will be your mark. If you live long enough to spawn, that is."

"What does that mean, a new Kekkei Genkai?" Naruto queried intently.

"You didn't know?" Madara pretended to laugh at his ignorance, taunting him for not being privy to the forbidden secret, "When a demon bonds fully with a human, its spirit dies and the human becomes the bearer of a bloodline trait. For example, the Hyugas' ancestor absorbed the Hundred-eyes Argus and gained its incredible vision. Or the three minor demons I hand picked and subjugated to create the Sharingan."

"None of that matters to me," Naruto shrugged. He assumed the fighting posture of the Hard Fist, and then stepped closer.

"Why are you here?" Madara frowned at the boy's aggressive posture, "Why didn't you just escape?"

"I made a promise to a companion," Naruto announced, not wanting to admit he was still lost and had just happened to find the Akatsuki leader, "I swore I would kill you for her."

"Are you sure you can keep your word?" Madara countered, dubiously, "You have only just acquired your bloodline, surely you don't know the full extent of your new powers. And you are only a Chunin. Cliché though it may sound, you are literally a hundred years to early to fight me."

"We'll see about that," Uzumaki barked as he darted forward.

* * *

'Why did you run away?' Sasuke asked, curious yet mocking.

"There was something different about your former teammate," Orochimaru answered nervously, pausing in his run along the cliff line of the northern valley, "And I had already wasted too much chakra to risk fighting Naruto and Madara at the same time."

Then he resumed his escape, and continued more confidently, "Besides, Madara his already given me a clue. I will need to acquire Kamui and Suseri before I can unlock the Shin'en. And the ultimate Sharingan is the key to his immortality, I am sure of it."

* * *

Tenten stumbled as Mayuko's ice jutsu trapped her legs, freezing them together.

"Now, kill her! Burn her!" the Hidden Show renegade ordered.

The fight had continued on the same track. Knowing they could not kill the demon, and might not even be able to incapacitate it, the six Leaf warriors darted around the demoness, splitting her attention while trying to get close to the monster's controller. Meanwhile, Mayuko had noticed the cat's literal interpretation of her orders, and had started using jutsu on her own, to try to create situations the Bijuu could not subvert.

Finally, the Akatsuki aspirant was able to tag her primary aggressor, immobilizing the weapons mistress while all of her allies were on the far side of the monster feline. Luné was the closest, and the ninja squirrel bounded towards the Kunoichi.

"Suiton: Fire Hose Jutsu," Neji intoned as the cat's mouth opened. But the high-pressure jet of cold water did not deflect the demoness. Sakura barreled into the Two-Tails, burning through the left shoulder and sleeve of her uniform to try to turn the cat aside. Still the Bijuu was undeterred, and the blue flames began to roar down her throat.

"Byakugan Art: Primordial Chakra Jutsu!" Hinata slammed her palms into the riverbed. Her chakra pulsed into the ground, merging with the energy of the stones and flowing towards the cat as a visible stream of magenta power. The jutsu struck the feline's right rear leg, and instantly the magenta energy lit of her chakra network, making it visible to even those without the Byakugan. The monster's head snapped up, yowling in pain as her inferno shot harmlessly into the air. After she recovered, the demoness turned her head back to glare at the Hyuga heiress.

'That hurt,' echoed through Hinata's head. The words were powerful, and angry, but also contained just a touch of whining.

'I know, I'm sorry,' the pale beauty found herself thinking, 'but I had to save my friend.'

The cat's eyes widened in surprise.

"What are you waiting for?" Mayuko shrieked again, "Finish her before…"

Her words died as the male squirrel shattered the ice holding Tenten's legs with his short sword. After a quick thank you, Gai's student began to run again, both to escape and to help get her blood moving again.

'You heard that?' the cat stared at Hinata as she languidly swiped at Tenten with her paw.

'And you heard me,' the human agreed. She could see all of her allies through her Suigin Byakugan, and as none of the others were reacting, she understood she was the only one hearing the Bijuu.

'You aren't trying to hurt us?' Hinata sent to the demoness.

'I wasn't,' the cat's voice seemed to indicate she was joking, at least mostly.

'I'm sorry,' Hinata said again, then quickly continued, 'But why?'

'I have never intentionally hurt a human,' the Bijuu answered, as she fired another burst of fire that nearly struck Neji. Sakura darted towards Mayuko, but was diverted almost gently by the feline's left tail.

'I don't understand,' Hinata frowned, 'you are one of the Tailed Beasts, the most powerful and vicious of all the demons.'

'But I never asked to be.'

'What do you mean?' Hinata's mental voice sounded confused as she hopped to the side.

'I am not the original Two-Tails,' the cat answered sadly, 'I don't even think my predecessor; the Two-Tails Dog was the first of us. The Nine-Tails Fox killed the Two-Tails Dog in the final battle between Madara Uchiha and the Fire Shadow. But there must always be nine Bijuu. And to keep that balance, whatever god or spirit determines these things selected me as the replacement. Originally, I was just a normal, natural, if exceptional house cat. I was smart, strong, and sleek, and no mouse, bird, or insect could escape me. My humans loved me, and I them.'

The demoness paused in her boasting reminiscence, then continued, once more miserable, 'Until I started to change. I began to grow again, and my tail started to split. When the people of the village I lived in realized what was happening, they ran me out. I didn't understand what was happening to me back then, just that the humans, their dogs, and even other cats all suddenly reeked of fear. As I grew to this size I had trouble controlling myself. All the disasters I caused were either accidents or self-defense. When I was sealed in Yugito, my mind grew to match hers and I learned of chakra control. It was only then that I started to master my new form.'

"Get Haruno, but don't kill her," Mayuko ordered, knocking aside a kunai with her mace. The feline spun again, and retracted her claws before batting at Sakura.

'I don't know why I'm not like the others,' the cat said in reference to the young woman's earlier assertion, 'Maybe they were vicious monsters to begin with, and I was chosen by accident. Or it could be this transformation corrupted them, and because I am the youngest it hasn't happened to me yet.'

Hinata considered the demon's words. Her heart went out to the cat, though she maintained a slight doubt that this might be some sort of trick.

'But if I help the cat, that will help us too,' she decided, trying to keep her thoughts private.

'How is Mayuko controlling you?' she asked the monstrous feline.

'That silver...' the demon's answer faded out, and Hinata noticed the chakra she had forced into the feline was being absorbed.

'The silver what?' she thought quickly, hoping the connection was not totally gone.

'Bauble... hand...' the Two-Tails voice was gone from her mind. Hinata considered using her jutsu again to reestablish the link, but did not want to hurt the cat again. Instead she darted towards Sakura, deflecting Mayuko's kunai and then whispering her new plan in her teammate's ear.

* * *

Madara Uchiha tried to sidestep the backhand, but he was not fast enough and was forced to interpose his own wrist instead. A powerful kick pushed Uchiha back when he caught it with both of his forearms, and he was unable to prevent the next attack, a sword drawing slash with Kitsune, from clipping left his shoulder.

Madara cursed Orochimaru. The injury on his left side had closed, but was still hurting him, slowing him down. And Uzumaki was fast, far faster than Madara had expected. To fast for Madara to fully dodge in his current state, even with the Sharingan. Even worse, the immortal could tell the fox-faced teen wasn't even at top speed yet. On top of that, Uchiha had already wasted far too much chakra on the snake, leaving him at a disadvantage, particularly against this foe. He could use three of his advanced Sharingan techniques, maybe four if he pushed his body to the danger point. And that was assuming he didn't use any normal jutsu.

Naruto swung his staff-blade horizontally, and missed, following up the attack with a spinning heel kick that struck Madara's chin. This seemed to awaken the Sharingan user. He glared at the younger man, and this time his anger was personal rather than academic. Madara caught Naruto's left arm when the teen punched again and turned it a wristlock before kicking Naruto in the belly. Uzumaki's breath exploded out of his lungs, and his feet lifted off the ground for an instant. Though off balance, he swung Kitsune, using Madara's painful grip for leverage. The Akatsuki founder pulled slightly before letting go, and Naruto tumbled forward. He pushed off, rolling past the first Uchiha, landing on his feet behind his opponent.

Naruto waited for Madara to turn, allowing his body to sort itself out. The pain in his forearm was quickly fading, and his breathing had returned to normal.

"Is that all?" Madara mocked, "Your physical abilities are impressive, but they do not make up for the difference in our skills."

"You want skills?" Naruto yelled back, "Then how about Fuuton: Cyclone..."

"… Spikes Jutsu," they finished in unison. Ten darts of air shot from each shinobi, and Madara's spikes intercepted each of Naruto's barbs. The younger man's attack was canceled, but one of the immortal's weapons survived and though it was deflected, it still grazed Uzumaki's cheek. Naruto grimaced, but even as the cut healed, he was signing again.

"Ne, Mi, Hitsuji, Ne, I; Doton: Stone Jacket Jutsu," Naruto was slightly surprised when Madara did not copy him.

"Raiton: Stone Cracker Jutsu," the first Uchiha said instead, shattering the pieces of the floor that rose to trap him. He saw Naruto's expression, and shrugged mildly.

"You thought I would let myself become trapped while you freed yourself from my copied version with your Rasengan?" Madara revealed a full understanding of the teen's plan, "You'll have to do better than that."

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Naruto shouted back, and seven duplicates converged on the immortal traitor.

* * *

"I understand you've been looking for me," Sakura said, acknowledging Mayuko for the first time since she had recognized the Hidden Snow missing-nin. The younger woman's eyes widened slightly, and Haruno was forced to dodge another swipe of the demon's tails.

"Are you sure this was such a good idea?" the medic said evenly, "I mean, your sister was a Jonin, and I beat her when I was still a Genin. You're only a Chunin, and now so am I, so..."

Sakura darted in again, and this time Mayuko did not order the cat to defend her. Instead, she swung her mace at Sakura's head, caving in the older girl's skull. And then with a puff of smoke, the Leaf ninja was replaced by a chunk of the wall, and appeared unharmed to Mayuko's right. Sakura grabbed for the Akatsuki candidate, but the younger teen popped as well, and reappeared behind Sakura, already aiming her weapon for the healer's head. Sakura twisted back and caught the mace.

"Tori," the renegade barked, and a spark flowed down the haft, forcing Sakura to let go.

"I've had some special training from the strongest shinobi in the world," Mayuko debated Sakura's earlier statement.

"And that's the other thing," Sakura nodded, "At least your sister was loyal. You're just a renegade who joined up with a group of self-important traitors."

Mayuko struck out again, but Sakura had brought out her axe, and blocked fairly easily. Then the older Kunoichi pushed back, putting Mayuko on her heels

With Mayuko totally focused on Sakura, the Two-Tails was stuck following the Snow renegade's last order, which happened to be 'get Tenten'. The feline chose to interpret this as 'pin Tenten to the ground and clean her'. After deciding his girlfriend was safe for the moment, Neji moved to help Sakura. But Hinata shook her head at him, and he joined his cousin instead.

"She is locked on to Sakura," Hinata whispered, "If you interfere, she might realize the cat isn't fighting us."

"What is your plan?" he asked quietly.

"Sakura is going to grab amulet that controls the Bijuu for me," she told him, "I want to get a closer look at it."

He nodded.

"Until Sakura is done, can you, Tenten, Sol, and Luné make it look like we are still fighting the cat," she requested, then added with a slight frown, "without hurting the demon and making her angry."

Neji flashed her his well-known wry grin, and nodded again before running back to 'rescue' Tenten. Hinata continued to stare at the silver oblong, now recognizing the flow of chakra stretching from it to the feline, and also back into the night's gloom, towards the fortress.

Mayuko grimaced again as Sakura blocked her bludgeon again. She dropped back and leveled a kick at the medic, which was also deflected. The former Snow Kunoichi grimaced, and slipped her weapon back into the loop on her belt.

"I never was a fan of weapons anyway," she excused herself, while trying to slip the amulet's chain around her neck. The Akatsuki follower glanced over at the demon, and saw the male Hyuga wrenching his teammate out of the demon's jaws at the last instant. Her distraction nearly cost her; as Tsunade's apprentice brought her axe down to prevent the younger woman from putting the talisman over her head.

"Can't fight me one handed?" Sakura kept her tone neutral, which made the implied insult worse to the revenge driven teen. Mayuko lashed out with her left hand in response, but Sakura let go of her weapon with one hand, caught the traitor's wrist, and squeezed. The renegade lost her grip on the amulet as her bones cracked under the Leaf shinobi's immense strength. Sakura pushed Mayuko's hand up as she released it, driving her own limb down to catch the metallic seal. She palmed the amulet and took a half step turn away from the younger ninja.

"Hinata, catch," she warned unnecessarily, as she released the amulet in a low arc. Keeping her injured arm close to her body, Mayuko let out a groaning, whimpering snarl as she reached helplessly towards the talisman. Hinata caught the necklace by the chain, and began to study the structure of the seal in depth.

"Please, stop," she requested of the Two-Tails. The demon was still chasing Tenten, but did not stop. The seal prodigy touched the tip of her finger to the back of the talisman, and sent in a pulse of chakra, repeating her appeal. This time the Bijuu stopped, sitting on her haunches to regard the pale young woman warily.

"No," Mayuko howled, sending chakra recklessly into her cracked skeleton, healing it instantly, but imperfectly. She ignored the unevenness of her radius bone and the tendon she accidentally fused to her ulna, more concerned with regaining nearly complete use of her hand. She could have a medic try to fix it properly later. She lunged forward, kicking as she signed. She unleashed a trio of sharpened ice shards at Sakura, and then tried to slip past the Leaf Chunin to get to Hinata. But Haruno interposed her axe blade, and when Mayuko tried to slide under it, the older teen drilled her heel into the traitor's side.

"It looks like a six prong seal," Hinata murmured, "but it is really two triangle seals. A Triplicate Wave Seal to draw a part of the cat's power out of the main seal, and a Earth, Water, and Shadow Seal to bind her conscious to the amulet. And overlapping that, a Circle of Thoughts Seal to allow them to control her."

The Hyuga Chunin was disturbed by the combination, and what it had done to the demon. And she was impressed in spite of herself by the skill and creativity of the combination. She looked at her other allies, her eyes shining.

"If all of you can help me, we can help the demon," she said happily.

"_Help_ the demon?" Luné declared incredulously, "Why would we want to do that?"

"Because she didn't kill you?" Neji offered blandly.

"Because Lady Hinata wishes it?" Sol said pointedly.

"Because doing so will remove her from the Akatsuki's control," Hinata answered firmly.

"We have a winner," the black squirrel snarked, "So what do we need to do?"

"I need you for the points of a chakra pentagon," she explained, "Neji can you be the water anchor?"

"Of course."

"Sol, I know you have just started learning wind chakra, but you are the only one here that can be that anchor."

"I will do my best, mistress," the albino said uncertainly.

"You will do fine," Hinata reassured her familiar, "All the four of you need to do is send a flow of elemental chakra to the adjacent points. I will create the seal based on that.

"Are you sure you can handle both a corner of the pentagon and forging the seal?" Neji asked carefully."

"I can, I have to," Hinata said with more confidence than she felt. Then she turned to the last two Leaf warriors, stating, "With Sakura holding off Mayuko, there are only five of us, and I am the only one who can use lightning chakra. Tenten is our only fire expert, which leaves earth to Luné."

They all nodded, and she finished their instructions, "Everyone get into position; lightning, fire, earth, water, and wind. Start sending out your chakra when you are in place, I will need to start forging the Elemental Cycle Binding as soon as I break the other seals on the amulet."

Tenten offered Hinata a smile of support, and the other four warriors all moved to surround the Bijuu. Hinata reached into the amulet, and borrowed a sliver of the cat's chakra to replenish herself. Along with the painful flare of the demon's energy, she felt the words 'good luck' from the monster feline. When she felt the streams of fire and air energy reach her, Hinata sent lightning back to them, and took a deep breath.

"Hitsuji, Tatsu, Ushi, Seal Break," she said, pressing her thumb into amulet. Her face screwed up in pain as she fought against Madara's jutsus. The cat's hackles began to rise, and she hissed at the strain on the core of her being. The chakra linking the Bijuu to the talisman became visible to normal eyes, glowing brightly even under the spotlights. Then the tracings began to fall away, and Hinata started to sign again, as fast as her fingers could move. As the chakra flow between them began to respond to Hinata's actions, Sol's knees buckled from the effort. The young squirrel was skilled, but she did not have the chakra supply of a human ninja.

Mayuko howled again, punching at Sakura's chest. The healer was forced to dodge; in a moment of pity she had allowed her enemy to complete a jutsu, which had surrounded the former Snow Kunoichi's hands with an aura of extreme cold. Mayuko's first attack had shown Sakura the error of her ways. The younger teen was more skilled in Taijutsu than she was with her mace. And thanks to her technique even a glancing blow would inflict serious frostbite, while a full blow could be deadly. The Leaf Ninja was forced to avoid rather than block; she caught a handful of the attacks with her axe, but was worried too much cold would make the weapon brittle. Tsunade's heir activated the Ranshinsho, and tried to disable Mayuko, but the lithe girl dodged her attacks in kind.

The new pentagonal seal formed on the silver amulet an instant before Sol collapsed. Luné looked tired as well, but none of the humans were in as bad of shape. Hinata grasped the amulet firmly and drew on the demon's power again. It was not so painful this time but still uncomfortable. And again she felt connected to the Bijuu.

'Thank you,' the feline told her.

'I'm not done yet,' the human thought determinedly. Hinata consumed a food pill to help recover her chakra in a slightly more natural and less dangerous way. Letting the amulet dangle from her wrist, under the edge of Ginmaki, she started to sign another jutsu.

"… Ne, U, Mi. I invoke the physical elements of Fire, Metal, Wood, Water, and Air," she intoned, "Mortal Elements Seal."

She slammed the fingers of her right hand into the amulet, forming a five-pointed star inside the pentagon inscription of the first seal. Neji and Luné both stared at her curiously, but her intent became obvious once the seal took hold, burning into the sapphire on the front of the talisman. The Bijuu began to rapidly shrink. The change caught even Sakura and Mayuko's attention, causing a briefly pause in their dance.

* * *

The last clone exploded, returning its knowledge to the original. Naruto took a stance for a hard fighting style, grinning confidently at Madara. Uchiha stared back with a blasé expression, nonplussed by the young man's poise.

Before either man could make the next move, a shattering sound and then a keening howl shook the back wall of the room. Both shinobi froze, Naruto looking confused, and after an instant of surprise, the Akatsuki leader looked livid, but with an undercurrent of fear.

"What the heck was that?" Naruto asked, turning part of his attention to the wall.

"That was the sound of one of the tailed beasts I sent after your rescuers, being ripped free of the demon god statue," Madara said with a dry fury.

Naruto didn't know how to react to those words. He was happy that his friends had come for him, but terrified that Madara had unleashed the demons on them. Except he was impressed and proud that they had managed to gain the upper hand on Madara by freeing one of the beasts. And then worried again, because 'beasts' meant that Uchiha had sent out at least two of the demons, meaning his friends were still in danger.

'Still, no reason to waste an opportunity like this,' Uzumaki thought, and then said out loud, "I guess they got your number then, huh?"

"It doesn't matter, I will retrieve the Bijuu again and finish your presumptuous little comrades," Madara growled, "After I eliminate the current annoyance."

He turned back to Naruto, directing a truly murderous look at the teen for the first time. The Akatsuki founder's previous anger didn't hold a candle to his current rage. As he lifted his leg to approach Uzumaki, the breaking and screaming noises returned, this time at the same instant. Madara froze in place, directing his eyes to the wall that separated them from the demon-binding statue. When he finally turned back to Naruto, the Chunin's heart froze from the horrifying expression on the immortal's face.

* * *

Finally, the reduction stopped. The demon was now only four feet in length from nose to the tips of her two tails. Her flames were extinguished, and her fur was a slightly more natural blue-grey, as opposed to the bright cobalt blue it had been.

"Mrow?" the sealed Bijuu vocalized. Though he could only guess at what the cat was trying to say, Neji could not help but agree with her tone.

"What did you do?" Mayuko wailed in dismay. Not only was her elevation to ring bearer out of the question, the Snow teen was concerned for her own survival.

"We used the Chakra Union Pentagon to move the Two-Tails willing spirit into this vessel," Hinata briefly displayed her prize, before slipping it over her neck, "And then I used the Mortal Elements Seal to lock her chakra in the amulet. Unless I choose to release her, Ni-ne will remain the size you see now, and has no more power than an average Genin. Bur I don't control her, and it should be safe for her to be around people."

The cat rubbed up against Hinata affectionately, and then glared triumphantly at her former master.

"So if I can take back the amulet…" Mayuko narrowed her eyes, and tensed to charge Hinata. Tenten moved to protect her friend, but it was unnecessary. Sakura, annoyed that she had been forgotten, grabbed Mayuko by the neck, pouring more power into the Ranshinsho than it required. The traitor's body jerked once, and then began to flail randomly.

"What did you do?" she repeated shrilly.

"I short-circuited your spine. You won't be able to control your limbs for the next hour or so," Sakura purposely omitted the fact that had allowed to Kabuto overcoming the technique.

Hinata, still accompanied by the feline, hurried over to Sol.

"I'm sorry, Sol," she whispered, rubbing the rodent's head and neck, "I asked to much from you. And I'm sorry I was short with you the other day."

"It's alright, mistress," the squirrel smiled, "I very happy to be of service."

"Release," Hinata sent her ally back home, and turned to Sol's older brother.

"Don't you dare send me back," Luné forced himself up, "If I go back without finding out what happened to Naruto, Sol will never let me hear the end of it."

"Naruto," Hinata hopped up, reminded of why they were here.

"Ni-ne, please stay with Neji and Tenten," she said. The cat meowed, and the Hyuga Chunin answered, "We don't want any of the Akatsuki members to find you."

The cat nodded, and Hinata darted away into the night.

"Where does she think she's going?" Sakura dropped the prisoner unceremoniously, and ran after her teammate.

"When did Hinata get so fast?" Tenten wondered. Then she turned back to Neji, and asked, "Does that mean we're supposed to stay here?"

Neji did not answer. Instead he turned back to the barricade that had blocked their entrance, staring intently. Five figures emerged from the gloom, and Tenten and Luné both tensed, until they realized the new shinobi all wore Hidden Mist shields.

"Master Hyuga, thank the gods we finally caught up to you," the first of the reinforcements said sincerely, "What had happened here? Are you and Miss Tenten the only survivors?"


	79. The Infinite Abyss

**Chapter 79: The Infinite Abyss**

The red spirals in Madara's eyes flashed with each beat of the immortal's heart. He stared at Naruto so intently that the teen thought the Shin'en Sharingan would burn a hole right through him, even without using the power of Amaterasu. Uchiha's lips were pursed so tightly they had vanished. And Uzumaki could have sworn he heard the grinding of the immortal's teeth.

"You are just children, playing at being ninjas," Madara told Naruto, his voice a livid whisper, "But the time for games ends now. You will find out what happens when you cross a true shinobi."

He took a step forward, and then vanished. Naruto smelled, rather than saw, the attack to his right rear quadrant, and turned to meet Madara. But the Akatsuki leader had already stabbed the Chunin in the kidney, and was gone. Even as the wound began to close and the organ began to regenerate, Uzumaki again detected Madara approaching him from behind. Thanks to the aroma of his blood on Uchiha's fingers, the young man was able to turn to meet him, moving Kitsune to block while forming the wind chakra blade. But the attack was a feint, and Madara severed Naruto's left hamstring.

"You weren't that fast before," Naruto ignored the second crippling injury, still mildly surprised how rapidly his body was healing. Madara's answered was a strike at Uzumaki's throat, but this time the teen was able to block.

"You're not using Shunshin," Naruto continued, stopping another attack, catching a glimpse of Madara, "You opened the Inner Gates."

This gave the traitor pause, amazed that the boy had figured it out. More than that, Uzumaki was catching up again.

"Third Gate," Madara growled under his breath, "Gate of Life."

His skin turned red, and again he was able to drive his fingers into Naruto's right bicep, inciting a brief fountain of blood. Then he swept Naruto's legs, focusing on the younger warrior's still injured leg. Uzumaki tried to kip up, but Madara drove his heal into Naruto's sternum, forcing him back down.

"You don't care about the damage to your body," Naruto noted, wheezing slightly. He placed his hands to the floor again, but this time he rotated his whole body, throwing out his legs to force Madara back until he was upright again.

"Thanks to your immortality," the blonde Chunin continued, "But you can only fight that way for so long, and I've barely started sending chakra to my muscles."

His first two injuries now fully healed, Naruto pumped copious amounts of chakra into his muscles, enough to power a Cyclone Spikes jutsu. His speed was almost doubled, but Madara was still slightly faster. Unfortunately, Naruto also found his eyes could not keep up with his body, or his opponent's. He used his nose and ears to help compensate, but they weren't quite doing the job. He barely avoided a strike to his face, and then was clipped into the chest again, obliterating the front of his lab coat and tearing away a palm sized chunk of skin. Naruto began to sign in anxiety; hoping one of his previous successes had another meaning.

"Illusionary Art: 36 Frames Per Second Jutsu," Naruto announced, and to his minor surprise, the C-Rank Genjutsu took effect, speeding up his eyes. He dodged an attack at his stomach easily, and parried the kick aimed at his neck, forcing Madara to withdraw or lose his foot to Kitsune's blade. Then Naruto, though still a shade slower, was able to launch a counterattack, aiming the wind chakra projection of his staff-blade at the immortal's left shoulder. Madara slipped behind the strike, and fired a kick at Naruto's groin. The teen avoided him again, and Uchiha snarled his annoyance.

"I open the Fourth Gate," this time the Sharingan master proclaimed loudly, "Gate of Pain."

There was an audible creaking in his tendons, but Madara's quickness took another jump. He effortlessly sidestepped Naruto's vertical slice, and stabbed out twice in response. The blow to the Chunin's nose was light, barely bloodying it; but the stronger blow to Uzumaki's right forearm nearly forced the teen to drop his weapon.

Despite his earlier bluff, Naruto knew he could not increase his speed much further without resorting to an actual jutsu, and Madara could copy that. But another idea came to him.

"There's more than one way to fight a fast opponent," Naruto announced, remembering two events from the Hidden Sound invasion, "Ninja Art: Blood Clone Jutsu!"

The red liquid on the floor flew up to join the material covering Madara's hands, forming into a copy of Naruto, already gripping Uchiha's arm. Unable to move away, the Akatsuki leader was forced to send chakra into his palm to block Kitsune, and the blade still cut deep into his hand. He kicked Naruto back, and then slammed his fist into the clone's jaw to break free. The Akatsuki leader was annoyed that the clone was not killed; instead the duplicate painfully snapped the dislocated jaw back into place, the bruise fading even as it formed.

"You're not fast enough to fight two of me," the fox-faced men echoed one another.

* * *

Sasame dug in her heels, sending chakra to her feet. She hauled back on her thread, also sending power to her muscles. The cord was crisscrossed one hundred forty seven times underneath the demon and anchored to the walls of the valley. As she pulled it taut, the Three-Tails feet started to leave the riverbed. But the huge monster struggled, kicking its feet and whipping its tails, and Sasame was yanked forward. Just as she was about to be pulled off her feet, letting the demon touch down again, Kiba and Akamaru appeared in front of her, grabbing the thread.

"Hold on, we got you," Kiba said firmly, and Akamaru ruffed through the thread clenched between his teeth. With the additional muscle, the demon's feet were lifted a full meter off the ground. Shino dashed over, and took hold of the line as well.

"Can you hold it for a minute?" Sasame asked her teammates worriedly. Kaede had finally made up her mind between helping Lee and helping Team Yugao. The elder Kunoichi grasped the chakra thread and braced herself.

"We have it," Shino said evenly. Sasame released the cord with one hand, and drove ten of her dwindling supply of needles into the bedrock. She quickly began to wind the thread between the spikes, creating a pattern that spread the force of the Bijuu's mass between the anchors, making them more secure as the creature thrashed about.

"You can let go," she said with a relieved sigh. Kiba and Akamaru did so immediately, both Shino and Kaede were more tentative. But the impromptu net held, and the demon was suspended four feet above the ground. With the already limited mobility of the Three-Tails neck, there was no way its spitting attacks could reach them, and the threat of its tails was also diminished. The demon continued struggling, giving Shino pause.

"Are you sure it will hold?" he asked squarely, "It broke your threads before."

"I made this thread stronger," she reassured him, "and it doesn't have any leverage like it did last time. But if there are any cracks or soft spots in the walls, it might be able to work the needles free, so we should defeat its master as soon as we can."

Aburame nodded, and the five warriors began to creep forward under the demon.

The woman named Daisuke had continued to whine nonstop, even as she dodged all of Lee's attacks. She produced no more weapons and refused to use Taijutsu, and his constant blows kept her from forming a jutsu.

"That's not fair," she complained as the turtle was hoisted into the air and immobilized. She retreated so she could have a chance to sign, firing a low-level water jutsu at Lee to buy herself time. He split the water with his 'chucks and chased after her.

"Multi Clone Shadow Jutsu," she announced, completing her second technique, and instantly there were dozens of duplicates of the Akatsuki aspirant. Half closed in on Lee, and the rest fell back. Lee swung his left hand nunchacku at the first duplicate to approach him. She caught the weapon, and held it while another copy moved in and kicked at his knee. Lee moved his leg out of the way, and tried to counter, but the clone easily avoided his bludgeon.

"What is Lee doing?" Kiba asked, as the older Chunin flailed at the air, while Daisuke backed off, signing for a new jutsu.

"He's caught in a Genjutsu," Kaede smiled slightly, "I will help him."

She increased her speed, carefully avoiding the demon's legs. After she finished navigating Sasame's trap, she hurried over to Lee, dodging his random attacks, and tapping him on the forehead.

"Release," the Mist Kunoichi announced. Lee blinked twice, and glanced around in confusion.

"Where did they go?" he asked his ally.

"It was an illusion," she told him, "Now, duck!"

She grabbed his head and pushed him down as Daisuke completed her jutsu. The Akatsuki candidate unleashed a concentrated beam of white-hot fire. Though she would have struck Lee if not for Kaede's interference, her main targets were the chakra threads on the right side of the Bijuu. But the Fuma clan's unique weaponry withstood the attack.

"Fine," she pouted, upset she wouldn't be dropping the giant turtle on the three young Leaf ninjas. Then she had another idea. She sent her chakra into the amulet while relaying her new orders to the Three-Tails through the auditory Genjutsu she had set up to avoid having to her enemies hear her directions.

The demon pulled its head, legs, and tails into its shell. With no threads wrapped around its limbs, it was now simply lying on Sasame's mesh. The turtle fired a small jet of water out of the front of its shell, and began rocking on the web. Another shot and the some of the needles holding it began to groan. It was nearly swinging on the threads when Kiba and Akamaru crawled out from under it. Only the slightly higher threads in the front and back were keeping it in the net when Sasame exited, and as she darted away, the petite young woman looked back, and realized her last teammate would not make it in time.

"Shino!"

As the behemoth reptile slid free from the net, Sasame let two needles attached to the last of her thread fly. They dug into the insect trainer's jacket, and she hauled back with all her might. Shino cried out in pain as the Three-Tails clipped his right leg, but was pulled clear before he could be completely flattened. As Sasame caught him, she realized she had miscalculated; the Bijuu was sliding straight towards them.

"Sasame! Shino!" Kiba howled as they disappeared under the monster, "Damn it."

He looked down, angrily, until Akamaru barked happily.

"Your basic plan was sound," Yugao lectured proudly, as she set Sasame down, "But you should have positioned some threads over the top and front to back."

"Yes, sensei," the Chunin agreed in relief.

"Iruka, you better take a look at Shino's leg," Kakashi advised, setting down his lover's other student. The former teacher knelt beside the Chunin, and cut Shino's pants away to get at his leg. He was mildly sickened by what he saw. Sasame glanced over and gasped, instantaneously looking miserable.

"I'll do what I can," the former teacher reassured Aburame, "But I don't think even Lady Tsunade could…"

"Thank you, Iruka-sensei," Shino whispered painfully, "And thank you, Sasame."

"But I didn't…" the girl protested weakly, her voice wavering.

"You saved his life," Anko said kindly. Then she punched the younger Kunoichi in the shoulder and continued in her normal harsh tones, "Now get the lead out, maggot. We still have a demon to deal with."

* * *

"You are right," Madara's voice was oddly withdrawn as he stopped and his skin returned to normal, "I could open the remaining gates, but you are still not quite at your top speed, and you can make more of these clones."

Partially seeing the technique with the Sharingan, and having landed an unsuccessful blow, the immortal had formulated a general idea of how tough the Blood Clone was.

"Just like before, it appears Taijutsu is not the answer," Uchiha noted, confusing the teen, "This will require other types of attacks."

"I've got another kind of attack for you," Naruto countered, sheathing Kitsune before raising his hand above his head. His silver chakra began to roil above his palm, and the clone drew the sphere out into a disc.

"Fuuton: Rasenshuriken!" the twin warriors shouted, throwing the disc. Madara had heard descriptions of the attack, and knew it might just be able to kill him.

"Kamui!" Uchiha countered, banishing the wind star. He held the technique, and the Blood Clone pushed the original Uzumaki back to they would not both be swallowed.

"Hey, that's Kakashi-sensei's move!" Naruto shouted angrily, as the clone vanished and the void closed.

"No, Obito's left eye just happened to…" Madara was distracted from his rage by his mundane annoyance at the repeated suggestion, and took a deep breath to calm himself, "It doesn't matter. Because you have helped me to make up my mind. I was simply going to kill you, but that would be a waste of a golden opportunity. It is unlikely that the research division will ever again be able to study a newly born Bloodline Trait. Besides, a quick death is too easy, not when I can let them dissect you over and over again. So I have decided to give you to them, to examine and cut and scrutinize however they desire."

"Aren't you getting a little ahead of yourself," Naruto parroted Madara's initial sentiment.

"No. Susano-o."

For an instant, the red spirals in Madara's Shin'en Sharingan flashed blue, and Naruto could have sworn he felt a wave of cold wash over him. A blue humanoid form rose out of the first Uchiha, stepping forward and lifting its seven-foot long katana. Naruto drew his staff-blade to block, dragging a chuckle from Madara. The god specter was not a physical being; it existed only in the mind, and could neither block nor be blocked by corporeal means. The manifestation of the Uchiha's ultimate Genjutsu swung the curved blade down. It passed right through the blocking weapon, and 'cut' Naruto from shoulder to crotch.

Reality fell away, and Madara started to plan the illusion he would use to torture Naruto for the rest of the young man's life. Existing in the span of a thought, he could spend virtual hours planning the perfect way to make Naruto suffer before the teen even finished blinking. He contemplated the classics, slow burning, starvation, or water torture. But then he considered what he knew about the young man. His pattern of sacrificing himself for his friends gave the immortal an idea.

"Render him powerless, and make him watch as his friends are tortured," Madara whispered to himself, and the Genjutsu began to take shape. But he stopped when he, impossibly, heard something moving behind him.

"As much as I'd like to see that," a sexy voice purred, "I'm afraid that's just not going to happen."

Madara turned slowly, hiding his trepidation. The young woman appeared to be an attractive, definitively female version of the frozen Chunin. She regarded him with a lazy, smug grin. Madara raised his hand in supplication, watching her carefully.

"And you are?"

"You don't recognize me?" Naruko pouted, feigning hurt, "I'm hurt, Madara. How about now?"

Despite their myriad of previous encounters, Madara could barely contain the impulse to howl in pain and terror as the fully unleashed form of the Nine-Tails Fox Demon stood before him. Then she reverted to the humanoid body of Naruko, smirking even wider.

"You?" he gasped, "How? You're…"

"Dead?" she finished, amused, "Yes, very much."

"What is this?" he demanded, regaining his composure, "How are you here?"

"Someone like you couldn't comprehend," she mocked him, running her hand through her hair confidently. Then she realized what she had done, and smiled openly.

"I guess I have gotten used to this body," she admitted sheepishly to herself. Then she turned her attention back to Uchiha, her honest mirth once more returning to a vicious, arrogant joy.

"But to put it in a way you can understand, I'm a trap for you. A fragment of my mind, a counter Genjutsu, burned into Naruto's soul. Whenever you or a member of your bloodline uses your special illusions against the pup… and presumably anyone who inherits his power… you will find me waiting. After all, I died so Naruto could kill you for me, so it would hardly do for me to let you incapacitate him. Susano-o and Tsukuyomi will never against work on Naruto Uzumaki."

She began to change once more, but this time more slowly. Her features became more vulpine and she grew at a more leisurely pace, surpassing him first in length, then in height. Madara tried to call on his Sharingan to control the demoness, but she was not really there for him to command. Finally in her true shape, if not her full size, the spirit paused and regarded him again.

"By the way," gone was the voice of Naruko, replaced by the infernal growl of the Kyubi, "If you could do me a favor, use Amaterasu on Naruto next. I've always wanted to see how your so-called divine flames stood up to the inferno of a true demon."

Once she reached her full size, the Nine-Tails Fox Demon lowered her head and bit Madara in half with a single, smooth motion.

* * *

"Shino, I'm sorry," Iruka said, "I've done what I can but…"

"Shino," Sasame whispered sadly, and then was slammed to the ground by Anko.

"Eyes up, kid," Mitarashi growled again as the turtle's stream of sickening water fired over their heads, "If you can't keep your head in the game, just go sit with Shino."

"No, I'm fine," the teen shook her head, and took a quick accounting of her arsenal, "But I only have three non-poisoned needles left, and fourteen feet, seven inches of thread."

"Use your lightning and wind jutsu," Yugao instructed, "Physical attacks won't work on the creature."

"Speaking of which," Kakashi said pointedly, looking at his rival.

"What?" Gai asked guiltily, as he bounced off the turtle's shell.

"I understand how important your promise on Lee's behalf is," the Copy Ninja scolded his friend gently, "But no amount of Taijutsu is going to even scratch the Three-Tails skin. We need the Flaring Devil of the Hidden Leaf Village."

"But my oath…"

"Gai!" Kakashi barked.

"Alright," Gai said unhappily, "But only because all of our lives are in enormous danger. And as recompense, when we return to the village I will have to do five hundred one thumb push-ups, with each thumb."

Gai began signing, and grandiosely stated, "Raiton: Thunder Pressure Jutsu!"

Might Gai held out his hands, five feet apart. A column of pure white lightning formed between them, shooting at the demon turtle. The strike carved out a deep gash in the Bijuu's shell, and Gai was already moving his hands again.

"Katon: Crimson Passion Jutsu!" the bowl-haired Jonin intoned. Three intertwining streaks of deep red fire flowed towards the demon, playing across its armor.

"I did not know Gai could use Ninjutsu," Sasame said to Anko in amazement, as the two women's paths crossed again.

"Of course he can," the serpent user scoffed, "He's a fully qualified Jonin. He used to be famous for his flashy fire and lightning techniques, before he swore to only use Taijutsu for Lee's sake. Where to you think Tenten learned her summoning jutsu from?"

"I will take your punishment with you, Gai-sensei" Lee vowed through his tears, even as he aimed another punch at Daisuke's stomach, "I never meant to hold you back."

The whiny renegade had been pushed back to the edge of the spotlights by Rock Lee and Kaede Mizuno. She launched another jutsu, but even as she completed the technique, Kaede grabbed Lee's shoulder and announced "Release!" while shaking her head.

"You'll need a lot better Genjutsu than that," the Mist seductress sounded less than impressed, "Illusions to duplicate real attacks won't get you anywhere against me."

Daisuke growled, and for the first time launched a melee attack, a kick at Kaede's face. Lee caught her leg, but quickly let go, blushing furiously when he noticed their respective positions and the arrangement of her yukata gave him a clear view her panties. She stepped back hastily, her loose robe dropping back down to cover her legs. Daisuke's face turned slightly red, but she did not protest as she had with their fighting styles.

"My apologies," Lee bowed. Kaede pulled him out of the way, as Daisuke dropped another kunai into her palm and threw it at the exposed top of his head.

"Don't get distracted," his ally advised, both amused and annoyed, "She is a Genjutsu expert; she's quite ready to use her assets, meager though they may be, in battle. That little flash was probably intentional."

Lee nodded, and Daisuke bristled at the insult. Then her light purple hair whipped behind her, as she snorted at the more voluptuous woman.

"Who'd want to carry all that extra weight around anyway?" Daisuke shot back, and for a brief instantly Lee thought he should stop them, despite the fact the Akatsuki minion was intent on taking their lives.

"Katon: Abyssal Flare Jutsu!" Kiba intoned again, this time aiming at the demon's head. The skin scorched and blistered, but the demon only appeared to be moderately impaired. It turned its eyes to Inuzuka, and instead of the stream, it disgorged a dense sphere of water at him. Kakashi joined him as he dodged that counter.

"I didn't know you could use that move," Naruto's teacher said appreciatively, "Do you think you can manage it again?"

Kiba looked at the burns on his palm, but nodded anyway as the turtle's tails forced Sasame and Yugao to abandon their half-shaped jutsus and scatter.

"Why?" the dog trainer asked, and Akamaru pulled the distracted Anko out from under the Three-Tails descending foot. In response, Kakashi raised his headband to uncover his left eye. Kiba grinned in appreciation. Both warriors stopped at the same instant, and turned to face the aquatic Bijuu. Kakashi was watching the teen as much as the monster, and completed the same set of hand signs in unison.

"Katon: Abyssal Flare Jutsu!" the two Leaf soldiers concluded simultaneously, and twin beams of purple hellfire struck the creature's right leg. As its knee crumbled from the injury, it roared at them and fired a massive wave. Unfortunately, even as they dodged, it was standing again. Though it did not regenerate as fast as the higher ranked tailed beasts, the damage they inflicted on the Three-Tails was still healing while they watched.

"Hurry up, Kaede," Yugao pleaded under her breath as Gai caught the tail swinging at him and was pushed back.

Though she did not hear the request, Kaede nevertheless sped up her seals, releasing her own Genjutsu on the shrill Kunoichi. Daisuke grimaced, as she was surrounded famous actresses and models, all sniffing and staring at her smugly. She barely dodged Lee's heel drop, unable to see him clearly through the fictional, condescending horde.

"Release," she snapped, signing her next technique, "Ninja Art, Painted Fires Jutsu."

A blaze formed around her, causing Daisuke and the background behind her to appear as an inferno in watercolors to the Taijutsu expert. Then the myriad of flames began to advance towards him. Lee simply stood there, pointedly ignoring the illusion.

"Suiton: Extinguishing Deluge Jutsu," the Land of Water Jonin yelled, putting out the flames before they reached Lee.

"That one was real?" he asked, and Kaede nodded.

"Every once in a while, she throws in a Ninjutsu, hoping to catch her opponent off guard," Mizuno explained, "Or at least, that's what I would do if I relied on those sorts of illusion. Ninja Art: Lion's Roar Jutsu."

For an instant Daisuke heard the calls of big cats, but she canceled the fantasy quickly as well. She ducked under Lee's horizontal kick and vertical swing of his right nunchacku while forming an advanced technique. The Akatsuki aspirant was able to avoid Kaede's next illusion by ducking behind Lee, and pushed the Chunin back with a high front kick to his chin.

"You are very adept at dodging," Lee told his opponent, "However based upon what I am hearing of my allies, I need to finish this shortly."

"I won't lose to a pair of second rate ninja," Daisuke argued, completing her Jutsu, "Ninja Art: Toddler Regression."

Lee shuddered as she tagged him, and then smiled stupidly at the demon.

"Tur-ta," he burbled, and began to stagger unevenly towards the Three-Tails. Kaede reached out to break the spell, but this time Daisuke cut her off, swinging a pair of kunai underhand at the Mist Hunter's forearm.

"I thought you didn't like melee combat," Kaede's eyes narrowed angrily.

"Not all illusions are crafted of chakra," the renegade Kunoichi shrugged, stabbing with one dagger and slashing with the other. The amulet on her wrist caught Kaede's attention again, as the platinum blonde fell away, thinking.

"That doesn't fit the rest of your image," the ally of the Leaf noted, "simple yet elegant, and other then the pattern of your yukata, nothing to make you stand out. And all of your weapons are well hidden. A silver amulet with a large sapphire definitely marks you. So I'm thinking that must be how you control the demon."

"It happens to be a memento…" Daisuke tried to cover her anxiety, but trailed off from the wry expression on Kaede's face.

"Fine. So?"

"It might give you the power to control the beast, but it's also a big target," the Kazekage's daughter smirked, ducking under another slash while starting to sign, "I just need to trap you long enough to take it. Ninja Art: Charging Lantern Jutsu."

The valley around Daisuke flashed, glowing more intensely than the brightest day. The next instant all light was gone, plunging her into the blackest night. The cycle repeated, and on the third flare, she released the Genjutsu. Her vision cleared, but Kaede was gone. Daisuke started to glance at her wrist, when her body seized up in pain. She looked down at her chest, and a xiphos came into view. The sword was plunged into her heart. She gasped as the convex blade was withdrawn and Kaede Mizuno reappeared. The Mist hunter raised her blade again.

"How?" Daisuke moaned as her vision began to dim.

"Illusion of Illusions Jutsu," Kaede said kindly, "My specialty. The Genjutsu you thought you escaped was not the one you were trapped in."

Kaede brought her leaf shaped sword down again, intoning, "Suiton: Slicing Waves Jutsu."

Enhanced by the chakra art, her xiphos divided the amulet with only the slightest pause. So clean was the cut that the gemstone was split without shattering. The half no longer connected to the chain fell to the earth with a faint ping, and Daisuke's body collapsed on top of it. With its crafter gone, the Genjutsu on Lee faded, just before Anko could liberate him.

The turtle trumpeted in triumph, and glared briefly at the Leaf Shinobi, considering. Then it appeared to shrug, and started to lumber quickly towards the barricade. Before it could reach, the visible half of the amulet began to smoke. The demon struggled to move forwards, however it was being slowly drawn back towards the citadel. The rescue team darted to the sides of the canyon, Iruka carrying the unconscious Shino, as the Three-Tails skidded and scraped backwards. Kakashi lowered his headband again, as the demon started to fade from view. It lifted into the air as it became less substantial, and flew more rapidly back to the Akatsuki's stronghold. In short order, the turtle vanished from their view, too thin to be seen in the dim beyond the floodlights.

The two teams gathered around Shino again.

"How is he?" Anko asked her lover, unable to fully hide her worry under her tough persona.

"I'm not done yet," Iruka contradicted his earlier statement, and did not cover his sadness, "But I think he'll probably lose the leg."

He looked up at Sasame, Kiba, and Yugao, and apologized.

"But he will live," Uzuki affirmed. The male member of team Hizashi nodded.

"Iruka, keep working on him," Kakashi ordered, slightly hoarse, "And Sasame, stay with them. The rest of us still have a mission."


	80. Second Encounters

**Chapter 80: Second Encounters**

"This isn't over," Shukaku roared impotently, as his core was compressed into the kettle, "I will break out of there, and then I will slaughter you all."

"No, you will not," Gaara said matter-of-factly, as the lid slammed onto the pot. Once the demon was out of sight, Matsuri and Tsutomu dropped the barriers that had deflected the One-Tails.

"Natsuki, Baki, if you please," the Kazekage set down the container, and stepped away.

The two Sand Jonin hurried over, and Shikamaru meandered over to Temari. Now that everything done, the young woman looked to be on the verge of tears. Part of the normally apathetic young man wanted to embrace her, but he knew she would not react well to that with so many people around. Instead, he settled for simply putting his hand on her shoulder. She placed her hand over his, forcing a weak, grateful smile.

The two shinobi Gaara had called for both took out blank paper talismans, and crafted new seals while adhering the tags to the top of the pot.

"Will that hold?" Shikamaru asked curiously.

"It will last until we return to the Sunagakure," the Kazekage answered, "Once we are home, we will take more permanent measures."

The lazy genius nodded, satisfied.

"Natsuki, Tsutomu," Gaara addressed his soldiers again, "Take Kankuro and the One-Tails back to the village."

The masked Jonin nodded silently, but the Kunoichi shook her head in protest.

"With all due respect, Lord Kazekage," Natsuki started firmly, "I am your bodyguard. When I let you out of my sight during the Sound Liberation, you were seriously injured. The Akatsuki are at least as dangerous as Kabuto was, so my place is at your side."

Gaara's eyes narrowed slightly, but Baki interjected before their leader could speak.

"Kankuro was my student," the one-eyed shinobi said softly, "I should be the one to take him home."

"Very well," there was a small catch in Gaara's voice, "Baki and Tsutomu will return to the village. The rest of us will proceed."

They moved to comply, Tsutomu taking the container, while Baki recalled the puppets, and then gently lifted Kankuro's body. They disappeared into the night, and the former Jinchuriki turned his attention back to Ino.

"How is Choji?" he asked again. The Akimichi heir looked painfully small in his damaged armor, as if he had lost almost a third of his body mass.

"He'll live," she said, "I dealt with the worst of his injuries, and gave him the antidote. But he needs a hospital and some real food, not more food pills. He won't be in any shape to fight for a while."

"Then you should stay here with him," the Wind Shadow instructed, "Shikamaru..."

His second order trailed off as he noticed his sister's face.

"Matsuri," he changed his mind, "Stay here with them as well. In case there is another attack."

"Seems like there's a pretty good chance of that," Shikamaru noted as the tapping of unmasked footsteps emerged from the far end of the valley.

* * *

Hinata was surprised there no guards before the large double doors blocking the entrance to the Akatsuki facility. She noticed all of the tracks leading into the northern gully, and concluded the sentinels had all left to confront Shikamaru's group. She paused briefly and looked back in concern.

'If we had to fight Ni-ne,' she wondered, 'does that mean the others were forced to fight a Bijuu as well, or did the Akatsuki have some other sort of defense prepared?'

She shook her head, 'No, they can take care of themselves. I have to rescue Naruto.'

She considered the door. She could not see through it, and based on the chakra infusing it, she did not think she could bypass it with a low-level teleportation technique. And there was no handle or lock that she could find.

'I don't have time to be subtle,' she told herself, 'I'll have to do it Naruto's way.'

She took out two food pills, being more than slightly drained from constantly using her Suigin Byakugan and from sealing the Two-Tails. She then placed her hands together, and announced, "Shadow Clone Jutsu."

Hinata handed one of the tablets to her clone, and they both consumed the supplements. Then the original Hyuga spread her hands wide, starting to focus her chakra. The clone began to slide her hands over the surface of the forming sphere, injecting more chakra and helping to shape it. The spiraling orb was almost five feet in diameter, larger than Hinata had ever created before.

"Odama Rasengan," they both proclaimed, slamming the sphere into the door. The reinforced wood and metal groaned, resisting, but in the end was not strong enough. The pale beauty forced the upgraded jutsu all the way through the one-meter thick barrier, creating a perfectly circular hole. She bowed to her clone, and the duplicate bowed as well before vanishing.

Stepping through the breach, Hinata frowned in exasperation. The many of the inner walls had the same secrecy enhancements as the door, partially blocking her enhanced vision. But there was no one to prevent her, and the rest of the ground floor was also clear, so Hinata hurried to the stairs.

The second floor was empty, but on the third floor she found a cafeteria containing a pair of shinobi in full battle gear, having a late night snack after their guard shift. Seeing an opportunity, she charged into the room, and straight towards the still standing male ninja. He dropped him tray when he saw her, but was already too late.

"8 Trigrams, 32 Volts," she incanted, driving her lightning laced fingers into sixty-three of his chakra points. He collapsed, unconscious. Hinata turned to face his companion, and the slender young woman had jumped to her feet. Again, the Hyuga scion was faster, striking each of the Akatsuki minion's shoulders and hips twice. With no control of her limbs, the renegade started to collapse, but Hinata caught her and eased her back down onto the bench, still holding onto the front of the disabled woman's shozoku.

"Now, please tell me, where is Naruto Uzumaki being held?" Hinata's polite tone and phrasing were at odds her fiercely determined visage. Before the rogue could answer, Hinata pushed her away hard, knocking the underling to the ground and propelling herself backwards. As she skidded to a halt facing the newly destroyed entryway, a mass of sharpened roots stabbed into the space she had been occupying.

"Hmm," the black side of Zetsu mused, "I was going to answer the security breach at the gate, when I heard a scuffle in the cafeteria. And who should I find but Hinata Hyuga?"

"What happened to the bikini?" white Zetsu mocked in false dismay.

Hinata tried to ignore him, but colored slightly regardless. Still, her stern look remained.

"Where is Naruto?" she demanded.

"Why should I tell you?" black Zetsu offered, "You will be in your own cell soon enough."

"This won't be like the last time," she told him, sending chakra into Ginmaki to generate the electrical blades.

"Really, why not?" the pale half of the floral villain asked in feigned confusion.

"Besides the fact I'm fully equipped, and you don't have the advantage of numbers?" she countered calmly, "We're on the third floor of a stone and steel building, in the middle of a bedrock valley. That does not lend itself to plant based Ninjutsu."

"She might have a point," the white side told his other half nervously.

"Don't let her rattle you," the black half stated firmly, "She's still no match for me."

He raised his hand, and gestured towards her. The foliage in the center of the room flexed, and then shot at her again. Hinata moved deftly between the roots, slicing them to ribbons with her energy bladed kote. After a few moments, the stumps pulled back, and Zetsu finished signing.

"Ninja Art: Acorn Bombs," he tossed a handful of the oak nuts at her. The seeds were glowing ominously, but Hinata did not even blink.

"8 Trigrams Palms Heavenly Spin," the Hyuga Jutsu not only knocked the bombs away, it also threw aside the tables and benches around Hinata, and pushed her original 'prisoners' to the edge of the room. The seeds scattered around the cafeteria, each exploding in small sphere of force when they struck the walls or the floor. After she finished her rotation, Hinata raced forward, slicing through the new vines that appeared to intercept her. She slashed at Zetsu, carving through the bench that replaced him. Even as he reappeared, she was almost on him again, and the right pinky ring bearer was forced to substitute again to avoid being beheaded.

"She's serious this time," the pale half noted glibly.

"Shut up and focus," the dark side growled.

"What?" the white Zetsu protested, "If you're signing, there isn't much else I can do. She's right about there not being any vegetation here."

"Try the kitchen," the black portion instructed, completing his next skill, "Ninja Art: Kudzu Jutsu."

He tossed another bunch of seeds, this set smaller, oval, and tan. Hinata hopped over the attack, intent on reaching him. But when the seeds hit the stone floor, they erupted into a tangled mess that snared Hinata's legs. She struggled, slicing at them, but the vines grew faster than she could cut. They quickly encircled her waist and began constricting her chest. The Chunin took a deep breath to steady herself, and placed her hands together.

"Byakugan Art: Zero Point Defense," she activated the formalized version of the technique Neji had improvised during his fight with Kidomaru. She created narrow blades of energy out from every point on her chakra network, slicing through the grasping tendrils. The stalks fell away, but Zetsu's jutsu was not ended, and the kudzu resumed trying to trap her. But her cousin's technique had bought her the time she needed. Barely visible under the massing plants, a jutsu seal spread out from her feet.

"Protection of the Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms," Hinata intoned. Her upper body began to bend and sway, and she cut the vines into pieces too small to support Zetsu's jutsu. When the multi-hued renegade realized the kudzu was no longer responding, he stopped maintaining the flow of chakra, and the remains of the plants rapidly withered and rotted until they were just a layer of dust on the floor.

"Look, corn," white Zetsu noted, and kernels of the yellow grain pelted Hinata. She frowned in confusion, as did Zetsu.

"You call that an attack?" the serious part of the dichotomous Akatsuki member asked.

"Nope," the carefree half answered lightly, "I call that a distraction. This is the attack; asparagus!"

The vegetables shot out of the kitchen, sharpened and hardened by his chakra, skewering the distracted Kunoichi.

* * *

As the Akatsuki foot soldiers came into view, their leader caught Gaara's eye. Under his calm exterior, the Kazekage was just as enraged about Kankuro's death as Temari. And sealing the One-Tails had not been as satisfying as killing Shima had been to his sister. So the former Jinchuriki saw a perfect target on which to vent.

"Deal with the cannon fodder," he instructed his allies, rising into the air on a disc of sand, "Deidara is mine."

As he passed over the low rank warriors, a few decided to try to make a name for themselves, throwing kunai or shurikens at him. His platform shifted in size and shape seemingly with a will of its own, absorbing the attacks. Then the grunts in the front paid for their distraction, as Temari and Kamatari combined their wind force again.

"Double Cutting Whirlwinds," the ninja and her familiar announced in tandem, and six large arcs of sharpened air felled nineteen of the warriors, cutting a wedge into their front line.

"Shadow Possession Jutsu," Shikamaru latched onto the silhouettes of five of the incoming soldiers. He forced them to turn back around, and throw every blade they had at the bandits behind them. Then he released their shadows as the controlled warriors were struck down by their allies.

Natsuki was much less flashy, but just as deadly. She dove into the gap Temari created, and eliminated a dozen of the renegades with her Absolute Zero Fists, freezing heads or torsos with her punches, and then shattering them with a follow-up kick. Despite her orders, she plowed forward after Gaara, determined not to let her charge lose to the ring bearer again.

Matsuri hung back as instructed, guarding Ino and Choji, picking off the stragglers that slipped past the others. And there were more than a few; the valley was too wide for the four of them to cover completely.

Gaara landed before Deidara, skewering the three fools who tried to attack him from behind. He glared at the blond man, a dangerous spark in his pale, blue eyes.

"I defeated you before," the Akatsuki agent noted, "and this time, I don't have to spare your life."

"This time, you cannot hold my village hostage," the Kazekage countered, "And I have to wonder how much damage you can inflict on this valley without incurring the ire of your superiors."

"C2: Hounding Clay," Deidara grimaced slightly as he signed, ending by extending both of his hands. The two maws on his palms opened wide, disgorging two large, brown lumps. The masses took the form of two large wolfhounds, which started stalking around the Kazekage. The few solider who remained close began pushing forward, apparently feeling that the possibility of death at the hands of the Leaf and Sand ninjas was preferable to staying close to their leader. The corners of Gaara's mouth turned up slightly and he indicated Ox, Dog, and Dragon. But the jutsu did not do anything obvious, and the self-style artist directed his terra cotta canines to attack.

Before they could reach him, the dog bombs were torn to pieces, and instead of being struck by two large explosions, Gaara was obscured by hundred of smaller and less focused blasts. Deidara briefly wondered if he had succeeded despite the unexpected destruction of his sculptures. But the smoke cleared, and the Kazekage stood in the same spot, unperturbed and unharmed.

"What did you do to my art?" the Akatsuki member grimaced, trying to control his outrage. Gaara did not answer, but took a step forward. As he did, he appeared to shimmer and shift. Deidara's frown deepened.

"A Genjutsu then," the artist decided, "Release."

But the Sand leader's appearance did not change, and his next step still flickered. Deidara sent out a clay robin to test Gaara, and, like the dogs, the false bird was shredded by some invisible force. The pyromaniac fine-tuned his modified left eye as the incendiary earth exploded. Now he could see it, a thin cloud of sand, rotating around the Kazekage as high speed.

"So that's it," he noted, "A fresh way to shield yourself. Making up for your new weakness?"

"A way to attack and defend all at once is hardly a weakness," Gaara shrugged, "But I have used more traditional jutsu to make up for the theft of the One-Tails. My sister and apprentice both say I am overcompensating, but in some respects I am much stronger than I was when you ambushed me last year. If you don't like my Slicing Mirage, than how about this? Fuuton: Stone Grinder Jutsu."

The Kazekage extended his right hand, and a stream of wind chakra infused sand shot out at incredible speed.

"C1: Armor of Explosions."

A small cloud of explosive mosquitoes flew out from between teeth of Deidara's left hand's mouth. They swarmed in front of the blonde artist, and when the sand struck them they exploded outwards, pushing the particles away.

"It appears we both have dangerous forms of defense," Gaara noted, pulling back his ammunition. Then he swept forward his hands, unleashing three shuriken from each. Deidara released a large dragonfly to destroy each of the silicon shurikens, but one of the insects missed, and the projectile dug deep into his chest before turning back into dust and returning to Gaara.

'I don't know if my C4: Garuda would get through that barrier,' Deidara pondered, sending out a quintet of clay kittens to try to keep Gaara at a distance, 'And even if it did, Lord Pein seems touchy about me killing underlings recently, so I probably should not try it anyway. And my C3: Kyokan would tear up this valley too much, like he said. But maybe there is another way I can use C3.'

"C3: Winter Tiger."

The clay that emerged from his hands flowed together, becoming a ten-foot long tiger, with a thick, scraggily mess of fur. The earthen beast did not hesitate; it leapt straight for Gaara, its claws extended. It hit Gaara's hazy barrier, setting off a series of small but powerful explosions across its surface. But as the exaggerated layer of hair was stripped away, the remainder of the terra cotta feline pushed through, driving its nails into the younger man's chest before self-destructing.

"A new masterpiece," Deidara smirked. But as the smoke cleared, instead of the Kazekage's broken, bloody remains, he was treated to the sight of cracked fragments of a hollow sandstone shell. His visible eye widened in worry and before he could act, he felt a presence behind him and heard Gaara's soft yet powerful voice.

"Explosions are also useful to cover for a substitution," the former Jinchuriki noted. He stabbed out with his right hand, sheathed in a broad, flat blade of sand. The ring bearer, flipped forward, unable to avoid a gash to his back, but bringing his hands around.

"C2: Falling Petals Beauty," he unleashed a torrent of clay cherry blossom petals, which danced in the night breeze like the real thing. The sakura exploded all around Gaara, but his sand shield absorbed the blast.

"How much longer can you last?" Gaara asked, allowing a touch of his anger and enjoyment to creep into his voice, "That injury is serious. And more importantly, this stone valley is not the best place for you to fight. There is no earth for you to take in, so once you use what you already have, your Exploding Clay techniques will be unusable. And when that happens, you will die."

Deidara froze, suddenly realizing how precarious his situation was. He was not eliminating Gaara's sand; this was no one for one trade off of components. The dogs, the tiger, the kittens, the bugs, and the blossoms; he had used over two thirds of the clay he had previously absorbed.

"You think you will be able to kill me?" Deidara laughed madly, "Think again. If I must die tonight, there's no reason for me to hold back."

He ripped aside the black and red robes, revealing fully the fourth mouth on his chest. He held both of his hand in front of it, and began to regurgitate clay from his hands into his chest, like a grotesque caricature of a mother bird feeding her babies. His skin began to blacken and bloat, and his legs began to pull back into his body. Once the feeding had completed, his arms were absorbed as well, and his head followed quickly behind. In the end, all that was left was a black sphere, with the giant mouth from Deidara's chest and his right eye staring at the Wind Shadow.

"They say an artist is never valued in his life," he said proudly, "But you will bear witness to my final masterpiece. Although, 'witness' might not be the right word, as you won't live to tell anyone about it. Maybe participant would be better. Either way… C0: Kyukyoku Geijutsu."

Deidara's new form started to glow and contort. His mouth grinned viciously through the pain as his body started to explode.

"Raiton: Gigawatt Jutsu," Gaara incanted after six quick hand seals. He directed the stream of lightning chakra at Deidara, whose glow began to dim.

"What are you doing?" the Akatsuki agent shouted in dismay.

"I am using lightning chakra to negate your earth jutsu," Gaara stated plainly, "It is a fairly common tactic."

"No, I won't allow it. You cannot censor me!"

Though the area around the point of contact remained dark, the rest of Deidara's form began to pulse brighter and faster.

"Natsuki, if you would complete the circuit?" Gaara asked his bodyguard as she finally reached them. The black orb gasped, and tried to turn to look.

"Of course, Lord Kazekage," she acknowledged with a nod, "Raiton: Power Drain Jutsu."

"What, no, stop!" the inhuman construct demanded helplessly, as the Kunoichi began to pull Gaara's electricity through Deidara's body, negating his attempt to localize the Sand user's power. His flashes began to dim and slow, and his maw began to pant weakly. He slowly dropped to the ground, the suicide jutsu neutralized.

"Damn critics," he moaned at his body started to break apart, "No… appreciation for… true… talent."

The final stores of his chakra spent, the remnants of Deidara's body crumbled into clumps of dry, inert clay. Gaara and Natsuki ended their respective Jutsus, and the Hidden Sand leader looked over at his allies. The foot soldiers were all dead or disabled, but the Leaf and Sand ninjas were virtually unharmed. Gaara sighed slightly, his anger over Kankuro abated and relieved that they had suffered no more losses.

"My original orders stand," the Kazekage told them, "Matsuri and Ino stay with Choji. Natsuki, Temari, and Shikamaru, you are with me."

* * *

Unnecessarily, Hinata kept her eyes on Zetsu as she pulled the vegetables out of her right bicep and breast. The wounds were fairly deep and moderately painful, but not life threatening. But that could still slow her down. Still, she didn't have time to activate a healing technique. Despite her earlier assertion, Hinata realized she was essentially outnumbered by the ring bearer whose personalities could act somewhat independently.

"Wanna see what I can do with broccoli?" the white Zetsu half taunted, half boasted while the black Zetsu again controlled their hands to create another attack. Hinata did not answer, but rushed forward again, this time placing a bit more of her attention on buffet line that separated this room from the kitchen.

"Even better, carrots," the pale half noted, launching a new set of vegetable spears at her, "They're good for your eyes."

"Rotation," Hinata paused briefly to deflect the pointed roots. She knew he was trying to distract her, but kept her composure. She started moving again but the dark side of the Akatsuki member had finished his advanced jutsu.

"Doton: Top Soil Jutsu," he announced. Spreading out from his feet, a two-inch thick layer of fertile dirt covered the floor of the dining hall, sprouting a carpet of fresh grass.

"This should uneven the odds," the black side told her smugly. She signed her own technique in response.

""Fuuton: Tornado Howling," she said, and a fierce wind leapt up, pushing most of the dirt out the door and piling the rest in the corners. Zetsu just shook his head.

"Even if you hide it from my eyes, I can still sense the earth," he informed her, "And that makes your trick empty. Release."

However, as the Genjutsu faded, leaving them again in the artificial field, Hinata was still moving her hands to shape her chakra.

"A distraction?" the white side frowned, but the black side's eyebrow elevated in anxious surprise.

"No, that's…" he started to protest, too late.

"Doton: Sedimentary Jutsu," she completed the technique as he tried to pelt her with produce again. Tapping on her Whipping Willows Taijutsu, Hinata slid around the attacks without moving her feet or releasing her power. Her earth chakra traveled through the soil, compacting it into another layer of rock atop the original granite floor. The grass died as its roots were crushed into paste and became part of the new stones. She blocked the last piece of asparagus with Ginmaki. She glared at him superiorly, no longer able to prevent a part of her rage towards Naruto's kidnapper from showing on her face.

She was moving again, and this time black Zetsu shared a touch of his other half's worry.

"Time for 'that'," he told his other self.

"Really?" white Zetsu was overjoyed by the news, "Are you sure?"

"No, but just do it."

Zetsu signed quickly, and when Hinata reached her, he caught her wrist as she swung, stating, "Mitosis Jutsu."

The two halves of the Akatsuki warrior split apart, and whatever internal structure he had was covered by a green ooze that rapidly generated the missing half of each part. Hinata slashed at white Zetsu's left hand with the left blade of Ginmaki, forcing him to release her. In return, he kicked her stomach, knocking her away. She recovered as she tumbled, and was able to barely avoid the vines that black Zetsu fired at her. She landed on the wall feet first, and pushed off, slicing through the plants as she rocketed towards black Zetsu. She cut and stabbed at him intensely with the twin projections, and the plant warrior could not keep up, taking a number of cuts and losing every tendril he sprouted.

"Are you going to help me?" the serious side demanded.

"I thought you wanted me to get the dirt back?" the easygoing version protested, pausing in his hand signs. Before either of them could move Hinata turned at the waist, pointing her hands at the white Zetsu.

"Spark Darts," she incanted sternly, without signing. And then she added for good measure, "Stone Claws."

The hands out of the floor held white Zetsu in place while the seven barbs of lightning struck him. She turned back to black Zetsu, and looked up at him, her face livid.

"Naruto! Where is he?" she insisted angrily, pulling back her hands and dismissing Ginmaki's lightning blades.

"Dead soon enough, just like you," he snarled, raising his right hand, his fingers elongating into sharpened stems, covered in thorns. He stabbed at Hinata, but she twirled away from him, and stepped back forward towards his open side.

"Gentle Step Twin Lion Fists," she proclaimed, slamming her chakra wrapped palms into his chest. He started to fly back, but Hinata closed her fingers, and the energy lions closed their jaws, digging into his flesh and crushing his ribs. Then she pushed out almost gently, and he shot towards the wall with great speed and force. There was a sickening crunch when he hit, and blood soaked through the front of his robe as he slid into a heap.

"You," the white part of Zetsu gasped angrily as he finished freeing himself, but as she turned to face him her silver eyes were still glowing with an even greater rage, and the plant ninja somehow managed to look paler.

"Naruto?" she asked again, and he stepped back.

"I delivered him to lab three on the fifth floor," white Zetsu answered nervously, "As far as I know, that's where the extraction was going to take place. If you hurry, you might still be able to save him."

She turned to depart, running towards the door with an expression of relief. Before she could exit, vines covered the doorway.

"If you can make it," the white Zetsu's voice sounded more sinister. She paused, not bothering to turn as she watched him flash step over to his dead counterpart. He scooped up the black Zetsu, placing him inside his flytrap maw. The leaves closed and Zetsu shuddered. Hinata rotated back to face him, reigniting her bracer's chakra knives. The plant blossomed again, and once more Zetsu was in his whole, dichotomous form.

"She killed me," the black half growled.

"Don't worry, I'll return the favor," the white side said earnestly. Hinata, her anger spent and her goal nearby, just looked sadly at him.

"We don't need to do this," she said, almost pleading, "Please, just let me go."

"No," black Zetsu said, "Even if I didn't owe you, I couldn't let you spoil our plans."

He began to sign as the white personality took control of the vines and directed them at Hinata. She chopped through them with Ginmaki as she moved forward, and then negated the extensions again as a new seal spread out from her feet. Zetsu tried to complete his jutsu, but he was too slow.

"Eight Trigrams, Two Palms," she announced, striking him twice in the neck.

"Four Palms," she continued, tapping four times around his heart from behind.

"Eight Palm, Sixteen Palms, Thirty-two Palms," she centered her blows on his spine and organs, shutting down the most important sections of his chakra network.

"Sixty-Four Palms, Ninety-six Palms," still unable to achieve the full next exponent called for in Neji's jutsu, Hinata had designed a variant which split the difference.

Zetsu died quietly, collapsing from the damage to his heart and lungs. In his last thoughts, he tried to send out his chakra to keep his body running, but the damage to his chakra network prevented any self-healing. As his life faded, so did the vines he created and controlled.

Hinata exhaled, and activated a healing technique. She resolved herself again before dashing into the hallway.


	81. The Blood's True Form

**Chapter 81: The Blood's True Form**

Naruto watch as the sword descended, passing through Kitsune like the staff-blade wasn't there. As the weapon reached his body, he flinched involuntarily. He had to resist the urge to close his eyes as the blade penetrated his skin.

And passed through the other side. Uzumaki was amazed when the sword passed through him without cutting him, without leaving a mark, without have any sort of impact that he could see or feel. Instead, Madara collapsed to one knee, suddenly panting heavily. A bewildered look crossed the teen's face, as the immortal lifted his head again, glaring at the teen.

Despite the attack only being a mental construct, Madara could have sworn he felt the demon's teeth slicing him in half. Just as the pain became too intense to bear, Uchiha was back in the real world, once again facing the boy. His body still burning with agony, it was all he could do to keep from collapsing completely. But with each ragged breath, the phantom pain faded, and he raised his eyes to study the youth. Naruto looked utterly baffled, which gave Madara a small comfort. The Akatsuki leader decided not to reveal to the boy what he had experienced, mainly from spite, but also in case the inventive teen could find a way to turn it to his advantage.

Madara started to contemplate his options, but Naruto did not give him the chance. He closed the distance to the immortal, Kitsune still raised from his attempt to block Susano-o. He swung downwards at an angle, aiming to shatter Madara's right shoulder. Uchiha shuddered from the effort, but turned away from the attack and pushed the weapon away.

'Think,' Madara admonished himself, recalling the words he had drilled into his sons, 'Avoid and learn. Do not waste energy. Let your opponent give you the chance to kill.'

The Akatsuki founder knocked away another strike, annoyed that he had allowed Orochimaru and Naruto to get under his skin to the extent that he was fighting like a common ninja. He stepped away from a kick, and ducked under the easily readable follow-up punch and slash combo.

'He is faster than my body, but not faster than my Shin'en Sharingan,' Madara thought, 'If I read his moves correctly, I can defeat him.'

His eyes took in every twitch of Naruto's muscles, and he continued to deflect or dodge all of Naruto's strikes even as the younger fighter ramped up his attacks. Uzumaki stabbed forward, and Madara twisted past the pole. The Leaf Chunin tried to follow up with a snap kick, but Madara caught his leg and pushed him away. The teen recovered quickly and charged in again, but still he could not connect, to his growing annoyance and desperation.

"Darn it!" Naruto bellowed as Madara gently knocked aside his elbow, and leaned back far enough that the blond Chunin's head-butt missed. He swung Kitsune wildly at the traitor's neck, and Madara snorted in amusement as he sidestepped the amateurish move.

"This is worse than fighting Kakashi," Yukihana's son continued, as the tip of Kitsune passed within inches of Uchiha's stomach. He continued the momentum from the failed strike, shifting the staff-blade to an underhanded grip in his left hand.

"Dodge this!" he challenged, instantly creating a two-foot diameter sphere of roiling chakra in his now empty right hand, "RASENGAN!"

Madara looked thoroughly unimpressed as he tapped the teen's forearm, sending the attack wide.

'Got you,' Naruto crowed silently. He shifted his weight to his back foot, and rotated his body, swinging around Kitsune, now wrapped in the Rasenblade. The sword rocketed towards Madara's spine, threatening to bisect the first Uchiha. Unfortunately, the immortal anticipated the attack, and stopped the fox-faced young man cold by catching Naruto's elbow with his right hand. The defensive fighter was forced to expend some of his chakra to increase his speed and strength, but Madara felt it was worth it for the angry yet worried expression on the Leaf ninja's face.

"According to his reports, Itachi was only able to teach Kakashi the rudiments of the Uchiha fighting style," Madara lectured smugly, "After all, the so called 'Copy Ninja' can't even properly control Obito's Sharingan, there is no way he could possibly reach my level. Let me show you."

"Right jab, right cross, left back-fist," Uchiha announced Naruto's moves as the younger man executed them, also neatly dodging each strike.

"Transfer the toy, diagonal slash, left roundhouse kick, sweep the legs, right side thrust kick. Sorry, those last two were mine," Madara continued, tripping Naruto out of his stance and then knocking him into the wall before he could fall. The younger warrior hastily jumped to his feet, but kept his distance, glowering at his enemy.

"Is that all?" Madara asked contemptuously, "You absorb the most powerful demon in this world, and all you get is a massive supply of chakra and a built in healing jutsu?"

"I'm also stronger and faster than you!"

"What good is that if a real Kekkei Genkai like my Sharingan negates your attacks?" Madara noted.

"Well, there is one more thing I can do now," the Leaf shinobi smiled, sheathing Kitsune and then placing his hands together, "Before it took a long jutsu and the fox's cooperation. But now all I have to do is… Ascendant Fox Jutsu!"

Naruto transformed instantly, gaining the thick coat of golden fur, the extended forearms and claws, and the vulpine muzzle.

"A shape-shifting technique?" Madara chuckled, "Do you really think…"

The immortal did not complete the taunt as his face slammed into the floor, chipping his right top canine tooth. He rolled up to his knees, looking for Naruto, but he could not see the young man. Then he caught a flash, just as Uzumaki's knuckles partially collapsed Madara's voice box.

'That should be impossible,' Madara tried to ward off the teen, but took another hit to his ribs, 'He's faster than if I released the Gate of Death. His speed has more than quadrupled.'

Madara was knocked down again, and this time he felt a handful of his spinal ligaments tear. The immortal cast caution to the wind; activating a healing jutsu, opening the first two gates, and sending more chakra to his eyes to try to track the golden blur.

"There," he saw Naruto moving in, and brought his left arm and leg together to block. But the blow slid between his limbs like he was standing still, throwing him into the wall. Both the stone and Madara's spine splintered from the impact.

"You can't run away from this," the rogue signed, tapping into the other legendary power of his clan, "Katon: Titanic Fireball Jutsu."

Bright yellow flames spread out from his mouth between his fingers, filling the whole room. The heat and flames did not touch Uchiha, exactly how he had designed the maneuver. Madara watched carefully for any movement in the inferno, expecting Naruto would try to attack him to stop the jutsu, or that the teen would simply escape. When neither event occurred, he ended the jutsu with a look of grim satisfaction.

But as the smoke and fire cleared, the fox-shaped man stood there, bemused and unharmed. Naruto's hilarity faded briefly, when he realized his trunks were smoking. He patted down his smoldering swimsuit, where the fire-resistant lab coat did not cover it. He met Madara's eyes, and once again grinned broadly.

"The Kyubi was a fire spirit," he boasted, "It will take a lot stronger flames than that to hurt me in this form. Is that it?"

"Not yet," Uchiha grimaced, signing, "Doton: Granite Wedge Jutsu."

He pulled two slightly oversized kunai out of the rock face of the wall behind him. He threw the first blade at Naruto as a minor distraction and then extracted a third dagger. Then he continued, crafting another skill, while Naruto casually shattered the incoming stone blade with a casual swipe of Kitsune.

"Charging Cheetah Jutsu," Madara pushed off the wall with both feet and his left hand, leading with his right blade as he jetted forward. The technique was a straight-line attack, accelerating him at dangerous speeds and robbing him of the power to turn or even adequately stop. Madara did not care, for in that instant, he was again faster than Naruto, and he plunged his leading blade into Uzumaki's heart.

The renegade attempted to follow up by plunging the second blade into the boy's throat, but a plume of silver energy appeared next to Naruto's physical tail. The chakra tail diverted Madara's hand and knocked the stone kunai out of his grasp. Another energy tail formed, this one wrapping around Madara's right forearm. It pulled Uchiha's limb back, extracting the rocky knife at the same time. The wound closed instantly, leaving nothing more than a bloody gash on the lab coat to mark the usually lethal strike. The chakra appendage tightened, breaking the Akatsuki founder's wrist in three different places. Naruto released the useless limb, and punched his opponent's solar plexus, sending the elder shinobi flying.

Madara grimaced as he regained his feet. He had spent too much power, he no longer had enough chakra to use two of his advanced Sharingan techniques, he was not even certain he could use one. He considered his limited options quickly. The jutsu that accompanied the Shin'en level were not an option, Izanagi and Izanami had no targets, and Susano-o would not only waste his chakra, it would leave him open. Naturally, the same also applied to Tsukuyomi. That left only Kamui, Amaterasu, and Suseri.

'Amaterasu is too dangerous,' the Sharingan's originator decided, 'If the vixen was telling the truth, at the very least it will be a waste. Kamui might eliminate him, but with the speed he's now possesses, it is unlikely he would be snared. Suseri would return me to a condition where I could fight him directly, but it probably wouldn't be enough…'

"Give it up," Naruto interrupted his contemplation, partly misreading his opponent's hesitation, "You can't win here. You should stop, before it's too late."

"Or what? You'll kill me?" Madara barked a laugh, "Better shinobi than you have tried. Suseri."

Madara burned the last of his chakra to banish his injuries for the next three minutes. All the damage dealt to him flowed into his eyes. His broken arm set, his cut palm sealed, and the lingering chest wound given to him by Orochimaru vanished.

"Have it your way," Naruto growled, "Shadow Clone Jutsu."

The duplicate appeared in Naruto's original form, to conserve chakra. Naruto and the copy both raised their hands, and began to spin them around, creating a large, purple sphere between them. Madara grabbed the third stone kunai where it had fallen, and leapt forward, aiming both blades at Uzumaki's neck, trying to behead the teen before he could complete the jutsu. But thanks to his transformation, the bearer the Kitsune No Chishio was faster.

"Odama Raiton Rasengan!" Naruto and his clone roared, thrusting the sphere upwards to meet Madara. The immortal's black eyes widened as the sphere met his sternum. He gasped briefly in pain before the orb consumed his lungs. The Narutos pushed harder to counteract Madara's decreased momentum, and the roiling lightning chakra ripped through Uchiha's spine.

The two parts of Madara Uchiha dropped to the floor, the majority of his torso obliterated. Only a few tendons left his arms connected to his collarbone. Naruto was mildly sickened by what he had done, but could not feel any regret. He dismissed both the clone and his Ascendant Fox form, taking a few steps back and breathing heavily. His chakra was running far lower than he had expected. He had not noticed before how draining the Ascendant Fox Jutsu was, presumably because he had been drawing on the demoness's power. He estimated even if he were to use it while at full power, the technique would drain him in around seven minutes, less if he had to use the chakra tails too. But it would be seven minutes of near invincibility. He straightened and pondered what he should do next.

Madara opened his eyes, and stared at Uzumaki. He was furious, but also impressed, and a touch frightened. This damage would take him decades to heal, and even then, he might not be as strong as he had been before.

'Or I could move on,' he thought back to the primary reason he had attacked his Hyuga sister all those years ago.

'After all, here is a young, strong Kekkei Genkai with chakra and regenerative powers the likes I could not have dreamed of,' he pondered, 'With my Sharingan and experience and Naruto's body, no one, not even the Bijuu themselves, could oppose me.'

Madara disconnected his optics nerves from his brain, and burned away the blood vessels still tethering him. He pushed past his lids, floating free of his original shell. The two black orbs that held his power and his soul lifted up, and he began to float slowly and quietly closer to his killer. A small part of him worried that the fox's trap might prevent this. But Uchiha had already made his decision, and he comforted himself with the knowledge that the demoness had no knowledge of this power. He tensed, preparing for the struggle. The teen was still oblivious to his presence. The disembodied eyes of the first Uchiha started to fly forward more quickly, but before he could close the distance, he froze in surprise and fear.

"Naruto!" they heard her voice first, and both men looked over and saw the young woman standing in the door. Her uniform was a mess from a day and a half of hard travel and frequent battles. Tears streamed down her face, and her fingers were steepled before her lips. But her radiant silver eyes were full of joy and relief.

* * *

Hinata was in the stairwell, halfway up to the fifth floor when she heard his voice echoing below. She spun and jumped back to the fourth floor landing. She burst through the door and tried to look for him. The defensive jutsu prevented her from seeing through the wall, but she heard him bellow in effort from the other side of the open doorway near the other end of the hall. She sprinted down the corridor, skidding to a halt before the unblocked portal.

"Naruto!" she called to him thankfully. He was a mess. He had acquired a lab coat, but it was seriously torn, though his swimsuit was partially burned away. He was covered quite liberally in blood, and the red fluid had matted his hair to his head in a number of places. For an instant, his expression was one of shock, but then he grinned with delight.

"Hinata," there was a tremor of in Naruto's voice when he saw her. Madara's reaction, however, was quite different

'No, not those accursed silver eyes,' Madara's own orbs began to shake as the thought passed though him. All thoughts of merging with Naruto fled.

'I cannot let her find me, not like this,' he told himself, 'I must escape before she sees me.'

The Shin'en Sharingan possessed eyes floated quickly to the back of the room. When he reached the wall, Madara attuned himself to the defensive jutsu and the used the Body Flicker to move into the chamber of the Demon God Statue. Still, that was not far enough away, and he levitated to top of the chamber, moving behind the statue.

Hinata buried her head in his chest. He put his arms tightly around her tearing up as she sobbed happily.

"See, I knew I could count on you," he whispered. She pulled her face back and nodded at him. He leaned in and kissed her firmly. She hugged him closer, and pressed her face resolutely to his, letting his lips wash away the fear and worry that had ruled her for the last two days. In turn, he let the taste of her reassure him that he was safe.

Sakura paused before entering the room, and stepped back, hiding against the door jam. Embarrassed and also slightly annoyed and saddened, she nevertheless fought her darker impulses and gave them a few moments. But unlike her teammates, the medic did not forget where they were, so after a twenty count, she cleared her throat loudly and entered the wrecked conference room.

Naruto and Hinata jumped apart. He assumed a fighting stance, but she had already seen who it was, so the Hyuga heiress just turned to face her rival.

"Sakura?" Naruto looked amazed, "You're here too?"

"And Neji, and Tenten, and Lee," she rolled her eyes, mildly disappointed, "Shino, Sasame, Kiba, Akamaru, Ino, Shikamaru, Choji, Temari, Kankuro, and even Kaede Mizuno."

"They all came to rescue me?" Naruto was amazed and touched. Then he looked back at his girlfriend, slightly worried, "Did you tell them?"

"She broke the law and told them," Sakura waved her hand dismissively, "just like you wanted. And nobody batted an eye."

Hinata frowned at the deception, but Sakura ignored her, and continued, "You're our friend, Naruto. Everyone wanted to save you."

"Can we get out of here?" Tsunade's apprentice then pleaded.

"There's something I gotta do first," Naruto said seriously. Then he grinned sheepishly, and asked, "Can I bum a food pill off one of you?"

"This is my last one," Hinata offered the tiny brown tablet without hesitation.

"Thanks," he smiled at her, and then swallowed the medicine. Then he split his attention between the two of them, and requested, "Can you two make sure none of our friends are in here?"

"I'm not leaving you," Hinata protested, grabbing his arm.

"Don't worry, I can handle it," Sakura offered magnanimously. Naruto nodded, and the pink-haired Kunoichi dashed out with a look of moderately concealed jealousy.

"Stand back, Hinata," he advised tenuously, "I'm not entirely sure about this."

He began to sign slowly and carefully, building up his chakra deliberately. As his silver chakra began to flux visibly around him, her Byakugan noticed the pit of red in his stomach and the seals controlling it were gone. She wanted desperately to ask him what had happened, if the Akatsuki had the fox; but she held off so she wouldn't break his concentration. After taking one minute to craft only twenty hand signs, he slammed his fist into the floor. A complex, red-orange seal spread out from his knuckles, pulsing with energy. The symbols grew outwards until it was four feet in diameter. She could not tell what it did, but one thing was clear to her enhanced vision.

"Naruto, that's a Fire Release Jutsu," she said, impressed but confused.

"Yeah, it was one of the Kyubi's parting gifts," he informed her, "She taught me some of her nastier fire techniques."

He grimaced slightly, and added, "I'm hoping that means I'll be able to use some more normal fire chakra jutsu, too."

He could smell her doubt and curiosity, so he added, "I'll tell you the rest later. For now, how long will it take to get out of here?"

"If we don't have to fight, less than a minute," she grew more worried.

"OK, I'll set it for five, just to be safe," he nodded. The he glanced back down with a look of tense focus, and muttered, "Hurry up, Sakura."

"Naruto, Hinata," another familiar voice shouted from down the hall, and Naruto looked up in surprise.

"Kakashi-sensei?" they both said in unison as their teacher entered the room. As Naruto turned to face the Jonin, he lifted his hand from the seal. His face slowly devolved into an expression of pure horror.

"Naruto, is that a Creeping Napalm Seal?" the Copy Ninja asked tersely, all other thoughts banished when he recognized the seal. His student nodded, grabbing his girlfriend's hand as he sprinted towards the door.

"Kakashi-sensei, did you see Sakura?" Naruto asked as he pulled Hinata into the hall.

"Yes. I told her I would come and get you, so I could send her to help Iruka tend to Shino," the Jonin answered, leading them back to the stairs, "I sent Yugao and Kiba back, and they confirmed that no-one except Hinata and Sakura made it in here. What was the timer on that seal?"

He changed the subject as they reached the stairwell on the third floor.

"Five minutes."

"We might have enough time," their squad leader muttered.

"Kakashi-sensei, what was that?" Hinata asked.

"Katon: Creeping Napalm Jutsu," he explained, "A powerful seal type jutsu that covers every surface in a given area with a burning gel."

"But why are you so worried?" Naruto queried, "I got the impression from the fox it would be bad to get caught by it, but we should have plenty of time to escape."

"Normally, the gel covers everything in a five hundred foot diameter, and burns at 1500 degrees for one hour," Kakashi explained, looking back at Naruto accusingly, "But normally, the seal is only six inches across."

"So what will a seal that size do?" Hinata now shared his concern.

"It will cover everything in a four thousand foot diameter, and reach a temperature of 2200 degrees," Kakashi tried and failed to keep his normal bland tone, "Give or take a few dozen feet and degrees."

"Stupid fuzzball," Naruto muttered under his breath.

"So we not only have to get far enough away," their leader instructed, "we have to make sure all of our people get away, before this whole place melts."

The two teenaged ninjas picked up their speed as they followed him out of the Akatsuki stronghold. Outside, they split up. Kakashi returned to the southern path with Yugao; sent Kiba, Akamaru, and Anko to warn Shikamaru and the Kazekage's teams on the northern path. Hinata led Naruto back to Neji, Tenten, and Luné, still unwilling to let him out of her sight. After the quick warnings, the three groups of ninjas headed back to the western split in the valleys at top speed, with Kakashi carrying Shino in the southern group, and Natsuki carrying Choji down the northern riverbed. When they all finally met up, they paused to look back, able to see and feel the heat rising off the molten fortress despite being miles away.

"Welcome back, Naruto," Hinata said happily, but also with a hint of teasing, as she took his hand.


	82. Escaping Daybreak

**Chapter 82: Escaping Daybreak**

"Naruto!" Hinata cried out as her boyfriend was drilled to the earth. She looked back at Kiba sternly, almost threateningly. He met her glare with his own. All of the other discussions paused to observe the spectacle.

"What?" the dog trainer growled smugly, "I warned you I was going to punch him in the face next time I saw him. That's what the punk gets for lying to us all these years."

"Does this mean we're even?" Naruto asked, aggressively amused.

The question caught Kiba off guard, and he considered it for a moment. Then he shook his head, stating, "Probably not. I guess that depends on what happens with Shino's leg."

"Kakashi-sensei mentioned that," Naruto glanced over to where Sakura was treating Hinata's other former teammate, with Iruka's help and Sasame hovering close by, "What happened?"

"The Three-Tails crushed it," Inuzuka stated angrily.

"The Three-Tails?" Naruto gaped at him. Hinata's expression changed to one of sad introspection.

"I thought that might be the case," the pale-eyed woman said softly, "Is everyone else alright?"

"Yeah," Kiba calmed slightly at her mood, "Thanks to Kakashi's group, and Kaede."

"That must mean Shikamaru's group fought the One-Tails," she decided. Naruto turned his attention to his beloved; based on Madara's claim, he was forced to agree. Then he looked around, noticing the emaciated Choji weakly eating the sandwich Ino was feeding him. After taking in the whole group, Uzumaki realized something.

"Where's Kankuro?" he asked Hinata and Kiba somewhat loudly, "Sakura said he came with you guys."

The two were startled by the question, and both began to look for the puppeteer. Gaara apparently heard them; he broke away from the other commanders, stepping past Kakashi and Kaede to reach Naruto.

"My brother is dead," he announced without preamble, "As Hinata speculated, his team fought Shukaku. He sacrificed himself to save Temari, Shikamaru, and Ino."

Hinata brought her hands up to her face as tears filled her eyes. Kiba cursed quietly and turned away. Naruto sighed deeply with a depressed visage, his blue orbs also moist.

"I'm sorry, Gaara," Uzumaki said gently, "It's all my fault."

Kiba's face said that he agreed, but Gaara shook his head with a firm expression that was his own version of anger.

"I accept your condolences, and offer my own in return," the Kazekage said, "But I do not accept your claim of responsibility."

"But..." Naruto started to protest; however, Gaara cut him off.

"We are shinobi. Whenever we go on a mission, there is always a chance of death," the Wind Shadow lectured him, "And make no mistake, this was for my people an official mission, to rescue an ally of the Hidden Sand, and the prevent our enemies from taking the power sealed within him. Kankuro may have volunteered for the advanced team due to your friendship, and because he felt indebted to you, but it was still his job, and my decision to send him."

"Also," Gaara's face and tone lightened, "Those responsible have been punished. Shukaku is sealed away once more, and Shima is dead. Though I could not hurt Pein or Madara directly, I have killed Deidara and taken his ring, which is a start."

"Madara got his," Naruto was grim yet proud, "I killed him."

Again, all discussion amongst the other parties ceased as they turned to stare openly at the blonde teen.

"Did you just say you killed Madara, magg... Naruto?" Anko asked cautiously, "Madara Uchiha?"

"Yup," Uzumaki nodded.

"The body certainly looked like Madara," Kakashi added.

"Not only looked liked him," Naruto asserted, "It smelled like him, and used the Sharingan. He copied my moves, just like you, Kakashi-sensei, and used both Kamui and Suseri. And the body didn't disappear when I killed him, so he wasn't a clone. It was the real deal."

The muttering returned, as the various groups started to discuss the new development.

"In that case, the Conclave of Shadows might owe you a vote of thanks," Gaara told him, before drifting back to the other official leaders of the mission.

* * *

After Kiba stalked off, Naruto noticed that everyone seemed to be keeping his or her distance from him. Except for Hinata, who still appeared determined not to let him get more than two feet from her. Even when she had dismissed Luné, she kept a hold on his hand. He expected the others were frightened of the Kyubi, or of the Jinchuriki who defeated an immortal. He considered telling them the Fox Demon was dead, but before he could, he discovered the true reason the other shinobi were keeping their distance.

Naruto was almost knocked over again, when something bumped his leg, hard. He turned back and looked down, and saw a very large, greyish cat rubbing her face against his knee. He stepped away, not fond of cats, and surprised to find such a large feline near the Akatsuki base. He wondered if one of the Sand or Mist ninjas had summoned the cat, who promptly closed in to headbutt his leg a third time.

"Ni-ne, stop," Hinata crouched by the feline, and Naruto moved back again, "Naruto isn't a cat person."

She reached out and scratched the cat's ears. Ni-ne leaned into her hand and closed her eyes appreciatively. After a few moments, the feline began to purr loudly. Naruto looked around, and noticed many of their friends were staring at Hinata with the sort of looks he was used to receiving. Uzumaki turned back to his girlfriend and noticed it; the cat she was petting gently had two tails.

"Hinata, is that…"

"Nibi no Neko," Neji answered, joining them, "Or Ni-ne for short. Hardly the most creative name for the cat."

He smiled slightly at his cousin as he offered the sarcastic aside. Tenten also approached, more cautiously. She extended her hand to the miniaturized Bijuu, and the cat licked her fingertips, and then lifted her head so the human could rub under her chin. The weapons mistress obliged, and the cat purred louder.

"Hinata figured out that Ni-ne didn't want to hurt us," Tenten explained.

"I used my Primordial Chakra Jutsu on her," Hinata met his gaze, "And afterwards we could hear each others thoughts, for a few minutes. I understood that she was turned into a Tailed Beast against her will, when the previous Two-Tails was destroyed. So I gave her the chance to be a normal cat again."

She showed her paramour the amulet, "Most of her chakra is sealed in here. Right now, she has about the same amount of power as I did at the start of the Chunin exam four years ago. So it is safe for her to be around people again."

"And the Hokage wants to talk to you about that when we get back," Kakashi noted, closing his phone, "But in the mean time, we have orders."

Behind him, the five other Mist Ninjas darted to the south, leaving Kaede behind.

"Hinata and Shikamaru are with me, and Naruto if he's up to it."

As expected, the teen nodded vigorously without even hearing the directions.

"The rest of you are to take Shino, Choji, and Mayuko back to the village at best speed," the Copy Ninja directed, "The Hokage is placing Gai in charge. She wants you back as soon as possible."

Hinata took off the necklace and handed it to her cousin.

"Ni-ne, I want you to go with Neji for now, OK?" she addressed the Bijuu. The feline meowed sadly, but nodded.

"Naruto, if you are coming with us, you will need this," Hatake informed his student, reaching into his backpack. He pulled out one of Naruto's uniforms, a bar of soap, and the Leaf headband the teen had inherited from the Fourth Hokage.

"Why?" the blonde Chunin asked, taking the clothes thankfully, "What's our mission?"

"Probably the same as mine," the Mist Hunter noted, and Kakashi nodded.

"We're accompanying Gaara back to the Sunagakure," the Leaf Jonin explained, "The four of us are going to represent the Konohagakure at Kankuro's funeral."

* * *

"May I ask why you are coming with us?" Hinata asked Kaede Mizuno, her tone deliberately polite.

They had found a stream for Naruto to bathe in, and had just passed the border between the Land of Lightning and the Land of Silver. Naruto had cleaned himself under the watchful eyes of both Kakashi and Gaara; Hinata's blushing concession for leaving him alone. Scoured clear of the blood of both himself and his foes, Naruto felt much more at ease back in his regular attire, a full compliment of kunai and shuriken joining Kitsune on his person.

"There are things we need to discuss after the funeral," the Mist Jonin answered, "The Akatsuki have been struck a major blow, and I am to speak with the Kazekage on behalf of my father."

Then her expression fell, "But I also want to pay my respects. I was not as close with Kankuro as the rest of you, but I liked and respected him. He was one of the few men I have met who looked more at my face than at my chest. I thought it was annoying at first, but I came to appreciate it."

"So if you're going to talk business, does that mean we're finally gonna go after the Akatsuki?" Naruto prompted all of the Jonin.

"More like try to keep the momentum going," Kakashi countered, a hint of annoyance in his voice, "Lady Tsunade said it was like pulling teeth to get certain members of the Conclave of Shadows to agree to this rescue mission. We have to make sure they don't go back to watching and waiting just because we killed three of their top tier warriors, took back two of the Bijuu, and destroyed one of their bases."

"Three?" Naruto blinked, "I killed Madara, and Gaara killed Deidara..."

"And Hinata killed Zetsu," Shikamaru filled in, "She told us about it while you were getting cleaned up."

"You did?" Naruto looked at his girlfriend happily. He wanted to give her a hug, but could not while they were running, so he settled for saying, "Great job, Hinata."

"Though he may not have been one of their ring bearers," Temari added, "Shima was a Jonin ranked ninja before he left the Hidden Sand. I can't imagine Pein will be happy to lose someone like that."

"The woman I fought as well," Kaede nodded, "I did not learn her name or village, but her skills would have placed her as a Tokujo or Jonin."

"I can't imagine they would give control of the Bijuu to just anyone," Gaara noted.

"And that's not even counting the hundreds of foot soldiers they lost," Kakashi concluded, "We hurt the Akatsuki this time, so we need to make sure they can't regroup, or worse, go into hiding."

The other shinobi reflected on what had occurred as they continued the journey.

* * *

"Go," Pein ordered, and his twelve remaining Acolytes vanished, leaving to fulfill the orders they had been given. Once they were gone, the body of Yahiko sealed the room and slumped into the chair, dormant.

In another room, hidden deep within the base, Nagato sighed in relief. As Madara had liked to remind him, the more Paths he had active at a given time, the more it drained him. He preferred to use multiple bodies for combat, but since taking over the leader of the Hidden Grass Village, he had been forced to keep that body, as well as Yahiko's body, the one the Akatsuki recognized as 'Lord Pein', activate most of the time. He was beginning to get dangerously thin, and was sleeping as often as not, though his Paths made up for that.

"And, what news?" Konan asked, placing her hand tenderly on his shoulder and passing over a glass of water.

"Nothing good," he answered softly, after taking a sip of the liquid to wet his throat.

"Zetsu and Deidara are dead," he continued, "The Acolytes were able to recover Zetsu's ring, but they believe one of the Leaf or Sand ninjas has claimed Deidara's ring as a trophy. They also report that Tobi is dead, but due to the jutsu that destroyed the Canyon of Dawn, they were unable to recover his ring."

"Do you really think Madara is dead?" she could not keep a slight hope from her voice.

"Uzumaki ruined his body," Nagato shrugged, "But if his eyes escaped the destruction... And speaking of escaping, the Reaper has betrayed us far earlier than Madara anticipated. She stolen a number of scrolls, a few artifacts, and her ring, and fled the Canyon of Dawn."

"You said that base was destroyed," Konan recalled, "What about the statue?"

"The two Acolytes who survived were able to transport it here," he said ironically, "Not that it matters."

"Why?" she queried, with a touch of worry.

"Shukaku and the Two-Tails have been removed," he told her, "Which means the balance of powers is no longer sufficient to hold the Eight-Tails."

"What does that mean?"

"Our best case scenario is that the Hachibi breaks free and immediately flees," he said thoughtfully, "Then, if we are lucky, the strength of the Three and Four-Tails, will be enough to contain the Five-Tails, and vice versa."

"And the worst case would be the Eight-Tails attacking, freeing the other three, and one or more of them dying," she mused, "That would wreck this base and end our plans."

"Our plans are already at an end," he told her the next part, "Naruto Uzumaki has absorbed the Kyubi."

"That's not all, is it," she caught his expression, wondering what else could go wrong.

"The Canyon of Dawn was not the only base we lost," he explained, "The Hidden Villages took advantage of our distraction. The Cloud Ninjas have captured the Stratosphere. The Stone Ninja have devastated the Warren. And an alliance of Leaf, Mines, and Waterfall Ninjas has taken the Deep Forest base. The numbers are still not clear, but between deaths and desertions, we appear to have lost almost thirty percent of our foot soldiers."

He drank the rest of the water in a single gulp.

"What is our next move?" she asked, forcing into her voice all of the love and trust she had for him.

"I... I need time to think," he said weakly.

"The first thing," a new voice instructed them, "is the teleport the Demon God Statue to a deep ocean trench and release the Eight-Tails. We can still use the other three, but it is best to have that beast out of our hair. Then we consolidate your power over the Hidden Grass Village as a base for out next move."

"Master," Nagato and Konan both exclaimed in surprise, dropping to their knees.

* * *

Their first day in the Sunagakure was spent recuperating, while plans were made for the memorial. Kakashi instructed Naruto not to talk about anything that had happened to him over the last few days, at least until the Hokage debriefed them.

As the scorching desert day cooled into the gentle desert night on Friday, April 24th, the entire Hidden Sand Village gathered in the square, around a new statue. Unlike the solemn affair that for the Third Hokage, Kankuro's final tribute was a raucous party. Music filled the twilight air, and tables were laid out with a variety of foods and beverages, both hard and soft.

"Kakashi-sensei, what is all this?" Naruto gaped. Despite being welcomed as friends, the four Leaf and one Mist shinobi had ended up clumped together amidst the reverie.

"The Land of Air has a different view of death than our countries," Kaede noted.

"Right," the Leaf Jonin nodded, "here they believe mourning for a loved one is best done in private. Instead a funeral is a celebration of a person's life and achievements."

"Come on, Shika, we're dancin'," a slightly red-faced Temari emerged from the mob wearing a light kimono and holding a mug of some beverage. Her golden locks hung loose and straight, and her cheeks glowed lightly red under the torchlight. She grabbed her paramour's hand and dragged him into the crowd.

A number of drunken or bold Sand ninjas approached Kaede, and eventually The Face of the Mist hunters allowed herself to be enticed away from her circle of allies. Kakashi excused himself to get a drink, leaving Naruto and Hinata alone. The couple drifted through the crowd; eventually the flow of Kankuro's friends deposited them near the center of the Suna. Only when he bumped up against it did Naruto notice the statue than had not been there on his previous visits. It was made up of five, slightly larger than human-sized figures.

"It's Kankuro," he noted, "And Crow, Black Ant, Salamander, and Moon…"

He tapped the effigy with a bewildered frown.

"It feels like stone, but they smell like the real puppets," he whispered to Hinata, "And something else smells unusual… and familiar… Almost like…"

Before he could say it, Gaara touched his shoulder, interrupting him. The Kazekage put his finger to his lips, and Uzumaki nodded.

"I thought you might be drawn to this, just as I am," the Sand Jonin said quietly, "So I will trust you with this secret. And I will trust it to Hinata as well, for your sake. The only other people who know are Temari and Baki."

Hinata silently activated her Byakugan while hiding her face, and glimpsed a concealed compartment in the statues chest that her Kekkei Genkai could not pierce.

"Shukaku is in there, isn't it," Naruto whispered, recognizing both the olfactory and chakra miasma of the demon.

"Under many layers of seals," Gaara nodded, his voice nearly drowned out by the crowd.

"And the puppets…"

"…are Kankuro's weapons," the former Jinchuriki confirmed, "modified so they can act independently in defense of this statue."

"I promise, I won't tell anyone," Naruto assured him, grateful for the honor. Hinata nodded her agreement. Then the blonde youth looked up at the statue of his fallen ally.

"You remember the Chunin Exam semi-finals?" he asked them both, "Kankuro came over to talk to me. He was trying to get information out of me, though I didn't realize it at the time. I tried to brush him off, and it seemed to amuse him. He said 'I like you, kid.', or something to like that. And I said, 'Yeah, well I don't like you.'. Later, when we became friends for real, it kinda became a joke between us. But now, I regret never taking it back."

Hinata took his hand, and Gaara squeezed his shoulder.

"I'm sure he knew," the redeemed shinobi offered kindly.

* * *

"Come on, Shikamarooo," Temari slurred, shaking her arms wildly, "Ish a party."

Though initially amused and entertained by her actions, Shikamaru grew more worried with each passed minute, and each empty glass. His girlfriend might occasionally let loose a little, but he had never seen her this out of control before.

"Maybe we should lay off the booze and sit down for a few minutes," he told her sharply.

"Jush cuz your country's such a shtick in the muck," she laughed at him scornfully, "Dozen mean you should drag me down. I can drink all I wanna here, and I wanna drink."

"Do what you want," he stepped away, "I'm outta here."

"Wait, wait," she giggled, grabbing his hand, "Don' go."

Then she stumbled, crashing into him.

"Ooo, I'm dizzy."

"What a hassle," he sighed, wrapping his arm around her under her shoulders, "Come on, I'll take you home."

"Are you tryin' to cop a feel?" Temari mumbled into his shoulder.

* * *

Shikamaru helped Temari navigate her wing of the Kazekage's home, before gently placing her in bed. He gently kissed her forehead, but as he turned to leave, a kunai flashed passed him. It ended up embedded between the door and frame, wedging the exit shut. Behind him, the Kunoichi stood smoothly, and wrapped her arms around him.

"You're not going anywhere, " she whispered seductively in his ear, their hands sparring over the status of his belt. Finally, he caught her wrists and held them tight.

"We've been trying to do this for two months," he said miserably, "But something always got in the way. Even though it seems like we finally have a chance now, I don't want the first time we have sex to be a drunken liaison the night of your brother's funeral."

He tried to pull her arms gently away, but she held him tighter.

"Please," this time her voice was clear if forlorn. As he suspected, her inebriation was mostly, or even entirely, faked. She buried her head into his shoulder, and pressed tighter against him.

"Please, Shika," she said softly, "Just make me forget, if only for a little while."

He struggled with that statement. Even if she wasn't intoxicated, that didn't make the situation much better. But she was also turning to him for comfort, which was a bigger step for either of them than physical intimacy. He pried her hands apart again, and after a moment of resistance, she let him go, looking down. Then he grabbed her shoulder and lifted her chin, pulling her into a passionate kiss.

"Who told you this would only take a 'little while'?" he asked sarcastically after he released her, reaching for her obi.

* * *

Hours later, the couple were lying in her bed, neither as asleep as they wanted the other to believe. Temari still had her arms wrapped around him, her bare chest pressed against his back, silently imploring him to stay. He could still feel the stress in her, it had returned far too quickly after their lovemaking concluded. He gently lifted her arm, and rolled over to face her. The Sand Kunoichi's face was shadowed, and not just from the dim illumination in the room. Part him wanted to sigh again, but he knew that he should not. Instead, he reached out to cup her face. Her deep blue eyes lit with surprise at the kind, affectionate gesture.

"Cry, Temari," he implored her. Her eyes went even wider at the suggestion, and unbidden, her orbs became wet in the corners. Still she shook her head 'no'.

"You're safe here," he told her, "It's just you and me. I know somewhere deep down, even you have a soft side."

She chuckled at the backhanded compliment, but the moment of mirth broke her hold on her emotions. Her laughs rapidly turned to sobs, and tears poured from her eyes. Her body shuddered as she wept, and he pulled her close. She rubbed her face against his chest, and he soothingly stroked her unbound hair. He continued to hold her silently as her sobs slowly died out. Then she took a deep breath, and let it out roughly, her composure restored. She lifted her head up and kissed him lightly yet devotedly.

"Thank you, Shika," she said sincerely, smiling slightly. Then her eyes glimmered, and her normal, stern self showed through.

"But if you ever tell anyone…" she started threatening.

"Are you kidding?" he smirked, "I'm telling everyone."

Rather than angry, she pulled away, devastated and betrayed.

"Yup," he continued glibly, "By the end of the week, everybody is going to know I finally bedded the mighty Temari."

She gasped, torn between upset and relief.

"I mean, for some reason, Ino already think we're doing it," he fixed her with a canny eye, "And she's got most of my… our friends convinced anyway, so I don't see what the big deal is."

"Jerk," she grinned irately and punched him in the arm. He grabbed her roughly, and after a moment of fake resistance, she let him pull her in for another smooch.

"What, you thought I was going to tell everyone having sex with me made you cry?" he informed her, "Kiba and Naruto would never let me live that down."

She chuckled, uplifted to be back to their normal interactions.

"Your heart is safe with me, Temari."

"Maybe it is," she agreed softly. Then she continued sarcastically, "Although I think we need to test that theory; that having sex with you makes me cry."

"Me and my big mouth," he groaned in mock dismay.

* * *

"The two of you are only here because Naruto will probably tell you anyway," Tsunade informed Hinata and Sakura bluntly.

As soon as Kakashi, Naruto, Hinata, Shikamaru, and Temari retuned from the Hidden Sand Village, the members of Kakashi's team had been yanked into the Hokage's office. The Sanin was in a foul mood as she activated the jutsus that would prevent any noise from leaving the room.

"Based on Kakashi's initial report and a few things the Kazekage told me, I suspect Naruto is about to reveal a very dangerous, very closely kept secret," the leader of the Leaf Ninjas lectured intently, "I already have Kakashi's blood oath of silence on this matter, and I should get them from you three as well. Except that Hinata and Naruto both have special claims to exemption, and that's not fair to Sakura. So, for now, we'll skip it."

"So, tell us what happened," she ordered the blonde teen.

Naruto relied the details of his two days in Akatsuki custody. He flashed back to his mental war against the Kyubi, and her subsequent bonding with him. He reflected on his increased power and chakra control, and his brief battle with the Acolytes of Pein. He gave them a blow-by-blow description of his battle with Madara and all of the taunts and exposition that were a part of it.

"That's what I thought," Tsunade nodded as he wound down, "Just as Madara said, the Fox Demon is gone and a new Kekkei Genkai is born."

"So wait, you knew this was possible?" Naruto frowned.

"Possible, if unlikely," the Hokage confirmed, "One of the charges of this office is to keep that secret safe. Gaara knows too, I'm sure."

The three young adults digested that, but their leader studied Tsunade.

"Lady Hokage, is there something else?" he asked carefully.

"Yes," she answered easily, but then glared at them, "But you four already know too much. If Hinata becomes leader of the Hyuga Clan, or Naruto becomes Hokage, I'll discuss it with them then. For now, we have another matter. If he ever gets here."

The members of Team Kakashi stood in uncomfortable silence, not sure what they were waiting for. The Sanin kept glancing at Hinata unnervingly yet thoughtfully. After almost six minutes, there was a knock at the door, and Tsunade released the wards to let the newcomer enter.

Neji opened the door wide for a moment, and the Two-Tails cat darted in. The Hyuga Jonin hastily closed the exit. Then he walked over to Hinata. The cat was already by his cousin, rubbing against her. The demon then went to Naruto, purposely ignoring his discomfort to shed lovingly on his legs and feet.

"Did she give you any trouble?" Hinata asked, sensing the mood as Neji returned the amulet.

"Personally, no," he said openly, "She was remarkably well behaved, if a little overly affectionate. Almost needy."

Kakashi could have sworn he saw the cat stick out her tongue at Neji, before pouncing back to her mistress.

"But?" she prompted perceptively.

"While he agreed to keep it secret for now, Lord Hiashi was not happy to have a demon in the Hyuga Manor," the teen Jonin answered, "And some of the others who know are also less than convinced."

"May I go?" he asked the Hokage, and she nodded her ascent. After he was gone, she sealed the room again, and wheeled around on Hinata.

"What the heck were you thinking," she demanded, "partially sealing a Bijuu? Letting it have a physical form, agreeing to keep it as a pet?"

Naruto stepped in front of Hinata, glaring back at the Hokage.

"I suppose you'd rather she sealed it inside someone?" he snapped back, "Maybe some unsuspecting kid? Or even herself?"

"No," his pointed and justified anger deflated the medical Sanin. She took a deep breath and addressed Hinata more evenly, "But what was your plan? Did you really think the Nibi no Neko could be your pet?"

"I wasn't planning that far ahead," the Hyuga heiress admitted carefully, "At first I just wanted to be sure Ni-ne didn't hurt any members of my team. But after I connected with her, and learned about her, I wanted to help her too."

"And to be honest," Hinata looked at the cat apologetically, "I did not totally trust Ni-ne, but I knew that this was more likely to work if I had her agreement instead of fighting her."

The cat rubbed up against Hinata again, and meowed softly, as if to communicate her understanding and forgiveness.

"I guess it's hard to argue with that," Tsunade sighed, slumping back into her chair, "But what do you intend to do with it now? Your father has made it clear the Bijuu cannot stay on the Hyuga estate. And we can't have her running free, not yet, maybe not ever."

Hinata glanced at Naruto pleadingly. He matched her look for as long as he could, but then his shoulders slumped in defeat.

"Gramma Tsunade, I'll…" Uzumaki started.

"I'll take her," Kakashi Hatake said.

"Kakashi-sensei?" Hinata looked at him in relief, but Naruto and Sakura were both merely surprised by the offer. Kakashi ignored them and addressed their boss.

"I'm going to have plenty of space shortly," he explained, "And I trust Hinata that the cat is both harmless by nature, and too weak in this form to pose a threat to a Chunin or higher ranked ninja. But I think Hinata should keep the amulet, since she understands how it works."

Tsunade nodded, understanding his not entirely concealed recommendation that the demon and the means to control her be kept within the village, yet also separate.

"I don't see any problem with that," the Hokage looked at Hinata, "If they agree."

Hinata knelt down to by the cat, petting her, but looked up at her teacher.

"Can I visit her?"

"Of course," Kakashi stopped disregarding her, "Whenever you want… Within reason, that is."

"Ni-ne?" she turned her eyes to the shrunken demon. The cat was watching the Copy Ninja, who crouched down to meet her eyes. They exchanged frank stares, until Kakashi extended his hand. The Bijuu sniffed it twice, cautiously. Then she licked his palm tentatively. Hinata smiled, and Kakashi started to scratch the feline's chin. Ni-ne purred at him, and Sakura let out a sigh of relief.

"I guess that settles that," Tsunade stopped holding her breath thankfully. Then her expression became mildly sad.

"The rest of you can leave," she said unhappily, "But there is something I need to talk to Hinata about in private…"


	83. The Next Three?

**Chapter 83: The Next Three?**

"What is it, Lady Tsunade?" Hinata asked as her teammates left. Naruto gave his girlfriend one last nervous look before closing the door behind him.

"Given everything that has happened over the last few days, it probably seems like it was weeks or even months ago," Tsunade started with trepidation, "But you may recall that just last week, you participated in the Jonin Trials."

Hinata nodded.

"We were going to post the results on Wednesday, but with everything that happened… you know, eighty percent of the participants going AWOL," she fixed the younger woman with a canny eye. Hinata looked away and tapped her fingers nervously.

"Anyways, we decided to hold off the announcement until tomorrow," the Hokage continued, her brief moment of superiority spent, "But before we do so, I wanted to discuss your exam with you."

The Hyuga Chunin bobbed her head again, growing worried.

"You did an excellent job on your Ninjutsu, Taijutsu, and skills tests," Tsunade informed her, "Kakashi, Yugao, and Anko were all very complimentary."

The pale beauty brightened slightly at the praise, but she knew it could not be that simple.

"You also did well with the Genjutsu exam, too," the Hokage continued, "Shizune was quite impressed by your ability to break illusions. However, she was surprised and slightly concerned that you lost count and exhibited an extra technique without realizing it. Which isn't technically a problem, but she did point it out."

"Your weapons test on the other hand, caused some debate," the Sanin frowned, "Unique weapons, like your Kote, are not that uncommon, and do tend to be in the A or B Rank. On the other hand, having both Kote and Light Throwing Blades for your expert weapons was a bit of a tough sell. But in the end the Council agreed that you did pass the weapons test."

"Unfortunately, despite passing all five tests and having three outstanding showings… We are not promoting you to the rank of Jonin," Tsunade carefully controlled her own emotions, so as not to influence the young woman's reaction.

Hinata looked down at the floor, her bangs concealing her white eyes. She laced her fingers together, squeezing her digits tightly.

"I understand," her voice was weak and also hoarse.

"No, you obviously don't," Tsunade barked at her, "This is a perfect example of why the Council chose to stick you with Tokujo!"

Hinata's head flashed up, the remnants of half-formed tears scattering as her lovely eyes expanded in shock.

"Let me put it this way," the Sanin offered in a more gentle manner, "How do you think this little meeting would have gone if I had let Naruto stay? What do you think the little punk would have done?"

"He would have yelled at you," Hinata smiled at the thought, "He would have told you it was unfair, and demanded to know why I was being treated differently."

"That sounds about right," the Hokage agreed, "and then what would you have done?"

"I would ask Naruto to calm down," the dark-haired woman said, "I would point out that you must have a good reason to only promote me to Tokubetsu Jonin. And then I would ask you what I needed to do to become a full Jonin during the next Trials."

"Do you understand now?" Tsunade queried, "That is the reason we cannot make you a Jonin yet."

The Byakugan user's eyes narrowed as she tried to make sense of the Hokage's point.

"Hinata, everyone has different facets to their personality," Tsunade explained, "A cold-blooded killer could have a soft spot for babies, or puppies, or girls in glasses. But you take it to a worrisome extreme. When Naruto is around or involved, you are strong, confident, and able to stand up for yourself. And when he's not, you are little better than the timid wallflower you were when you graduated. If we could send Naruto with you on every mission, you would be a great Jonin, but that would also defeat the purpose."

Hinata consider that, and then inquired, "What do I need to do?"

"You need to become closer to the person you are when Naruto is around, even when he isn't. You don't have to be exactly the same; like I said, we all have different personas for different purposes. But if you want to be a Jonin, you need to be secure enough to guide a team of academy graduates, or handle an A-Rank mission solo."

"How do I do that?" the Hyuga scion asked.

"I can't tell you how," Tsunade shrugged sadly, "It's something you have to figure out on your own."

"However," the leader of the Konohagakure added conspiratorially, "It you can learn a few more Genjutsu, and button down your weapons, it will make it harder for the Council to vote against you. Especially if you could bring one of your more traditional B-Rank weapons up to A-Rank, and maybe a couple of Cs up to Bs."

"Thank you, Lady Tsunade; I will work on that," Hinata stood and bowed. As she turned to leave, the Sannin addressed her again.

"Oh, and Hinata?" she smiled sincerely as the girl looked back, "Congratulations on your promotion, even if it wasn't the one you wanted."

"Thank you, Lady Tsunade," Hinata smiled back.

* * *

After finishing some paperwork, the Hokage left her office and headed towards the hospital. Along the way, she was met by two more of her young charges.

"Lady Hokage," Sasame called out politely, sketching a slight bow after she hurried over to the medic. Kiba followed close behind his teammate, wearing an uncomfortable expression.

"We are heading to the infirmary," the orange-haired teen told the blonde woman, "Yugao-sensei said we could see Shino today. Are you going there too?"

"Yes, I need to check on a few things," she told the teens, "including your teammate."

They continued on in silence at Tsunade's leisurely pace, until the Sanin suddenly paused. She had felt Kiba's eyes boring into the back of her head. She turned around to glare at the younger man.

"Is there something you want to say, Kiba?" she demanded sternly.

"Yeah," he tried carefully to control his tone, "Yugao didn't give me a clear reason why we couldn't just use Naruto's blood to regenerate Shino's leg, like they did when Hinata got hurt fighting the vampire. I want you to tell me why."

"There are a number of reasons," she lectured him smugly, "For starters, Hinata's injury was fresh and untreated, but Iruka had already been working on Shino's leg for almost an hour when they got Naruto out. Which he had to do to keep Shino from bleeding out, since there was no way to tell how long it would take to get Naruto and if the knucklehead would have been in any state to donate blood."

Kiba frowned, not happy to be confronted by logic.

"Also, Naruto's powers were and still are changing because of what the Akatsuki did to him," Tsunade stated carefully so as not to give anything away. She still needed to talk to Hiashi Hyuga, and possibly the Kazekage and Mizukage, about how to present Naruto's Bloodline Trait to not only the village, but the world in general.

"So there is no guarantee it would have worked like it did on Hinata or Jiraiya," she continued, "Especially since Shino had stolen some of the Three-Tails chakra. There is no way to tell how the fox's fire chakra and the turtle's water chakra would interact if Shino had both of them at the same time."

Of course, no one but Shino had known that at the time, but Tsunade didn't want to leave any doubt in Kiba's mind.

"And lastly, even though Shino's wound was less complex and also less life threatening," she concluded, "it was much larger than Hinata's was, and helping Hinata almost killed Naruto. Would you want to risk Naruto's life even if Shino's wasn't in jeopardy?"

"Sure, why not?" he shrugged.

"Be quiet, Kiba," Sasame demanded; which was fortunate, because it made Tsunade break off from punching Inuzuka.

"I don't care how mad you are at Naruto," the younger woman continued firmly, "He is your comrade, and has never done anything to you to deserve that."

"Whatever," the dog-trainer said dejectedly, and resumed trudging forward, "Let's just go see Shino."

"I'm sorry, Lady Tsunade," Sasame whispered as the two women started walking again.

"You're not the one who needs to apologize," the Hokage's counter was gentle, but with an undertone of remaining anger, "And I'm not the one who deserves the apology."

Once again, they moved without conversing, until the hospital became visible and Kiba suddenly exclaimed, "What the hell? Shino?"

The two Kunoichi looked past him. Shino Aburame was walking past the front of the medical center towards the entrance, limping slightly. The injured warrior paused and rubbed his right thigh, while Kiba and Sasame ran over to him.

"Shino, what are you doing up?" Sasame asked, worried but excited. She looked like she wanted to hug him, but held back.

"Are you supposed to be out here?" Tsunade asked threateningly.

"Yes, Lady Tsunade," the insect user answered, "I was instructed to walk around the building once as part of my physical therapy."

"And?" the medic prompted, "How are you doing?"

"We are still adjusting," he answered, "And the sensation is still off, though I am told that should improve with time and practice."

"It will probably never be quite the same as it was before," she told him, mildly regretful, "But with a few months of therapy you should be ready for duty again. Heck, you can probably find some ways to turn this to your advantage."

"I already have," he answered evenly. The elder Kunoichi smiled and nodded.

"Good. When you are done with these two, get back to your room so I can give you a checkup," she instructed, and then entered the building.

"So what's going on?" Kiba stared at his friend's leg, "A transplant, or some sort of prosthesis?"

"Both, in a manner of speaking," Shino said flatly, "If you like, I can show you."

Sasame noticed that his sandals were gone, replaced by heavy combat boots, tucked under his pants. She nodded, and Kiba apprehensively responded, "Sure."

Aburame pulled up his pants leg, and unbuckled his boot. As he started to pull off the footwear, they could see a scar below his knee, but beyond that, his skin was unmarked. When he fully removed the boot, they saw that his second and third toes were fused together, as were the last two digits.

"Thanks to Sasame's suggestion, Sakura and Iruka were able to use the Fuma threads to secure my bones and save my knee," he explained, "But they were forced to remove the rest of my leg. Now in its place…"

His exposition was interrupted when a portion of his calf skittered down and then fused into his ankle. Both of Shino's teammates jumped back in surprise.

"We are still adapting," the insect trainer noted. He sent a pulse of chakra down, and his leg changed. The camouflage reflex was turned off, and the 'limb' was revealed to be a mass of beetles, clinging to one another in the shape of a human leg. Kiba looked confused and slightly disturbed, but Sasame leaned down to examine his living prosthetic.

"They are connected to my nervous system and chakra network, so they can act in place of my original limb," Aburame continued, "I can even feel what they feel, though the sensation is not quite the same. It will take some time for them to fully adjust to me. My father and the Hokage both expect the process will take three to four months. However, I plan to be back to fighting form in six weeks."

He sent another signal, and the insects went back to disguising themselves.

"And I can see where this could be useful," Sasame said, "Like you could train them to perform a telescoping kick, or to hide a kunai as a holdout weapon."

Shino smiled ever so slightly and nodded.

"Even simply having a larger colony has compensations," Aburame agreed, "Though I would not have asked for this, in the end I might be stronger for it."

* * *

Sunday morning was bright and sunny as the two groups faced off outside of Ninja Operations. On one side were the ten examiners of the Jonin trials, and on the other were the participants, as well as some of their friends and family members. They were all waiting for the Hokage. At last, Tsunade emerged, with three poster-sized printouts rolled up under her arm.

"To simplify things," she began without warning, "those who have not changed rank are not listed here, and no one was demoted. The rest of you, your names and results are posted here. If you have any questions, you can take them up with the proctors."

She stepped over to the bulletin board, and started to pin up the registers.

"I don't know why we're here," Shikamaru grumbled to Ino, while glancing at Temari across the gulf between the examiners and examinees, "We didn't even participate."

"We're here for Choji," she told him tartly. They were near the back of the crowd, while their recovering teammate was near the front, munching nervously on a sandwich.

Naruto pulled Hinata forward, anxious to see the posting despite being reasonably sure of his results. Hinata was able to see the board well before Naruto could, but let him drag her closer anyways. When he made it within range, he saw the results were a simple catalog of names, new ranks, and the classifications for the new Special Jonin. He scanned the list swiftly, taking in not only his results, but also those of his friends.

**Aburame Shino – Tokubetsu Jonin (Tracking Specialist)**

**Akimichi Choji – Tokubetsu Jonin (Melee Combat Specialist)**

**Arashikage Tomi – Jonin**

**Fuma Sasame – Tokubetsu Jonin (Stealth & Traps Specialist)**

**Haruno Sakura – Jonin**

**Hyuga Hinata – Tokubetsu Jonin (Defensive Combat Specialist)**

**Rock Lee – Tokubetsu Jonin (Melee Combat Specialist)**

**Sakoshita Yanagi– Tokubetsu Jonin (Medical Specialist)**

**Tenten – Jonin**

**Uzumaki Naruto – Tokubetsu Jonin (Melee Combat Specialist)**

**Watanabe Kameron– Tokubetsu Jonin (Technology Specialist)**

"All right!" Naruto crowed, "I knew I had it in the bag, no matter what Kakashi-sensei said!"

Then he scanned the list again, squeezing his girlfriend's hand.

"I'm sorry, Hinata," he told her, "I was sure you would make Jonin."

"That's OK," she responded, distantly, "Tokubetsu Jonin is fine for now…"

He noticed her odd mood, but before for he could comment, he was distracted when something slammed into him lightly from behind. He looked back to see the grinning face of Rock Lee.

"So, we have both been acknowledged as melee specialists, eh Naruto," the green clad youth noted grandiosely, "It seems to me it is past for us to spar again, especially given our new ranks and recognized expertise!"

"Bring it on, Bushy Brow!" Naruto answered joyfully.

"Come on you two," Sakura interrupted, happily exasperated, "You're Tokujo now, you should at least try to act responsibly."

"Maybe we need a Jonin to keep us in line," Uzumaki grinned at his pink-haired teammate, "Know where we could find one?"

She smirked at them, and Lee offered, "Yes, congratulations, Sakura."

Hinata had slipped away when Lee appeared; seeking another from within the throng. She knew that bringing those two together at this point was probably still a bad idea. Though he had withdrawn from the crowd, he could not escape her eyes. She caught hold of his jacket as he started to slink away, and he turned back, glaring. When he recognized who had stopped him, his expression softened, if only slightly.

"Kiba, I'm so sorry," Hinata told her former teammate. He sighed heavily and shrugged.

"Yeah, it sucks," he said with false bravado, "But it wasn't entirely unexpected. I knew my weapons and Genjutsu were borderline going in."

She had to resist the urge to nod. Those disciplines tended to be a ninja's weakest areas, unless the shinobi chose to specialize in them.

"But I also messed up the Ninjutsu exam," he admitted, "That guy Yamato kept giving me this funny look. It was so creepy, it threw me off my game, and I couldn't get the Abyssal Flare to work. I kept trying to make the jutsu happen, and so I ran out of time, still one A-Rank technique short and without 'adequately' showing my mastery of fire chakra."

"I…" she stammered, unsure what to say.

"Hey, at least I tried, right," he forced a grin, but only barely, "Which is more than Shikamaru or Ino can say. And in two years I'll definitely be ready."

"You should go back," he turned away, "I'm sure Shino and the others will want to congratulate you."

"You should come too," she suggested.

"Nah, I'm really not in the mood," he grunted, "Especially since that idiot somehow managed to surpass me again."

Her expression darkened moderately, and she didn't try to stop him this time. Instead, Hinata took a quick breath, and turned back to the gathering, which was rapidly developing into a full-fledged party.

* * *

Jiraiya looked out the window of his room, watching the impromptu celebration that had sprung up between the hospital and Ninja Ops. When the door to his room opened, but he did not need to look to recognize who it was.

"I'm surprised you're not still down there," he commented to the newcomer, "I'm sure with the original Ino-Shika-Cho team in attendance, it won't be long until they break out the high-grade sake."

"I wasn't in the mood," Tsunade countered dryly.

"You still upset about the knucklehead and his girl not making Jonin?" he asked quietly.

"No, not upset," she said thoughtfully.

"Disappointed?"

"It's hard to be disappointed by something you're expecting," she answered.

"Melancholy?" Jiraiya suggested, and this time his teammate nodded.

"That's probably the best word," she agreed.

"It will happen," the Toad Sage reassured her.

"Will it?" she asked apprehensively, "By the time the three of us were their age, we had all been Jonin for at least a year."

She fixed him with a brief, smug look, but the pervert ignored it.

"Rank doesn't always equate to skill," he reminded Tsunade, "I might have lost a step or two in the last decade, but I could still kick sixteen-year-old me's butt; blindfolded. And I don't hold any illusions that I could beat any one of those kids without the surprising them in a place of my choosing. If anyone is worthy to take up our mantle it will be Naruto, Sakura, and Hinata."

"Maybe," Tsunade shrugged, "Though lately, I've been wondering if we shouldn't just let the title of Sannin die with us. It was forced on us been Hanzo, and hasn't exactly been a blessing."

"The Sannin are the three shinobi who protect and inspire the Hidden Leaf Village," Jiraiya said firmly, "And though the three of us may have fallen short… some more than others, I think those three might just be up to the challenge."

"I'll think about it," she said noncommittally. Then her expression changed, angry yet amused, "So are you about ready to quit playing up your injury? I'm starting to get complaints from the nurses."

"The free sponge baths aside," the sage grinned briefly before sobering, "This is a convenient excuse to stay in the village while I work on the other project."

"And how is the 'other project' coming?" she asked dubiously.

"Slowly, however we are making headway," he answered, "Shikamaru says it is a poly-logarithmic shifting cipher. Which goes right over my head, but we have figured out part of the beginning and end of the message. The first word is 'Snake's' and it ends with the numbers 'two three eight'."

"What does it mean?" she prompted more openly.

"Not sure," he shrugged, "We're thinking the numbers are part of a phone number or coordinates. Though Shikamaru won't give up the idea that it's the page number of a book or verse of a scroll."

"Hmm," she considered that, and then threw up her hands, "Well, you might have been right about decoding the message after all. But you still can't stay here. You'll have to find someplace else. I think Naruto's old room in the barracks is still available."

"OH NO," Jiraiya protested.

* * *

"Naruto, there is something I need to talk to you about," Hinata suddenly and cautiously said to him. They had left the party and had nearly reached the point where their paths diverged. She stopped walking, thankful that they were all alone. He paused, apprehensive. He had recognized that she was only pretending to have fun at the celebration, and wonder what was bothering her. He put on his best smile, and turned back to face her.

"Sure, what is it, Hinata?" he said more lightly than he felt. She tapped her fingers together, not looking at him.

"Well... I'm not sure how to say this," she started uncertainly, "But... you know we've been spending so much of our time together... And, well... We can't keep doing this. We have to stop seeing each other like this."

Naruto froze, a look of dismay on his face.

"You... you're breaking up with me, Hinata?" he asked, his voice hollow, "Why? Is it something I did?"

Her eye went wide and filled with tears when she realized how he interpreted her poor choice of words. She leapt though the distance between them, grabbing him tightly.

"NO," she screamed at him, "No, no, not ever."

He relaxed in her arms, and wrapped her up in turn.

"I'm sorry, Naruto, that wasn't what I meant at all," she reassured him fiercely, "I love you. I can't imagine ever wanting to break up with you."

He lifted her chin gently and kissed her happily.

"It's OK, Hinata," he told her when he broke off the lip lock, "I'm sorry too. It's just you've been so distracted today, so I got worried and jumped to conclusions. Tell me what it is, and take it slowly."

She nodded, releasing him.

"It's about my promotion," she started from the beginning, "Lady Tsunade told me yesterday that I passed all five trials but was only being promoted to Tokubetsu Jonin."

"What?" he rumbled loudly, "That's not fair!"

She smiled at his predictable, supportive reaction, and continued, "No, she had a good reason. She told me that I'm a different person around you, and she is right. When I'm with you, I'm the woman I want to be. But the rest of the time, I still struggle not to be the shy doormat that you never noticed."

"Hinata, you're not like that..." he tried to protest, but she shook her head.

"I am," she told him, "When Lady Tsunade told me I wouldn't be promoted, I just accepted that I didn't deserve it. I didn't even think to ask why. And most of this last year, I have let Sakura walk all over me. I stood up to her only once or twice, the rest of the time I just took her abuse."

"So, going back to my original, badly phrased point," she took a deep breath, "I won't be able to train with you as much for a while. Starting next week, when we aren't on missions, Tenten will be helping me with my weapons skills on Mondays and Thursdays, and Shizune will be teaching me more Genjutsu on Tuesdays and Saturdays. And more importantly, they are going to try to help me become stronger and more independent, without relying on you."

"We can still train on the other days," she added quickly, "and go on dates in the evenings. And we'll still have assignments together. But I can't become who I need to be away from you if we're always together. I really am sorry, Naruto, but I need to do this for myself."

"Hinata," he chided her gently as he embraced her again, "It's fine. I don't want to be the one to hold you back."

"Thank you, Naruto," she sounded relieved.

"I guess, since I'm gonna have more free time," he pondered, "maybe I'll ask Kakashi-sensei to give me a crash course in Genjutsu again, now that I seem to be able to do it..."

* * *

"Wait a minute, Kakashi-sensei," Naruto complained over the top of the boxes labeled 'kitchen', "What are we doing here?"

They stood outside the gate to the largest estate in the Hidden Leaf Village. The Monday morning sun shone on a door marked with a familiar red and white fan.

"This is where I am moving to," Kakashi Hatake set down the light package of clothing he was carrying, and fished out an ornate key. He slid it into the lock and the tines of the key aligned with the tumblers, as the chakra in the device deactivated the defensive jutsu seals in the walls. He pushed the large gate inwards, and retrieved his parcel.

"What's going on here, sensei?" Naruto demanded again, "You said you had something important to tell us, and then you rope us into helping you move. Now you're saying you're moving into the Uchiha house?"

"Some of what I have to tell you will be easier with some visual aids," the Copy-Ninja informed his teenaged charges, "And this place affords us a special level confidentiality."

Sakura followed the older Jonin in, while Hinata waited for Naruto to finish his exaggerated fuming before following them in. Hatake closed the portal behind them and secured it. As he locked the entrance, Yugao Uzuki emerged from one of the homes near them. Ni-ne darted out afterwards, and charged Hinata, rubbing against the young woman's legs. Despite the distraction, the keen-eyed Kunoichi was the first to notice that the former ANBU agent was carrying a very recognizable bundle.

"Yugao-sensei, is that…" Hinata started.

"I would like you all to meet my daughter," Kakashi pre-empted her, "Rei Uchiha."

Then everyone turned to the sound of breaking plates as Naruto dropped his boxes in shock.

* * *

Kakashi finished explaining to his apprentices the origins of his daughter. He filled them in on Itachi's last request and Kisame's secret. Then Yugao took over, and told them how Kakashi attempted to dump her, and how she refused and chose instead to be Rei's mother.

"… and since the Uchiha estate belongs to Rei by right," Kakashi concluded, "The Hokage has convinced the clan leaders to let us live here and raise her."

"So you three are going to be a family," Naruto said thoughtfully, "Well, I guess four if you count Ni-ne."

Then he grinned broadly, "Well, if you ever need a babysitter, just give me a call."

"I'll keep that in mind," the male Jonin said blandly. Then his face grew worried and he added, "But that does bring up the second thing I want to talk to you three about."

"You see, Rei's life is not going to be easy," he explained, "I'm not sure if the Hokage intends to reveal the truth about Itachi, but either way, being his daughter will be a burden for her. And there will be those will want to use her, or expect her to become a perfect Uchiha, without giving her a chance to be her own person. And I need to be here to protect her from that. That's why, as of today, I'm retiring from active duty."

Yugao looked at him wistfully, while his teenage charges' jaws dropped.

"Rei needs a full time father," he continued, "I can't be gone for days or weeks at a time. And she has already been orphaned once, so I can't take the risk of that happening again."

"He already has the overprotective father act down," Yugao commented with a loving smile, "The Hokage finds it annoying, but I think it's cute."

"What does this mean for us, Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura asked thoughtfully.

"That's up to you," he answered directly, "I have spoken with Lady Tsunade, and we both think there is still plenty I can teach you three. So, if you are willing, you will remain team Kakashi. I won't go on missions with you, but I'll remain your contact with Ops and you will have lessons here.

"I guess that's OK," Naruto rubbed the back of his head, embarrassed by his happiness to not be totally separated from his mentor.

"It would be weird not to have you as our teacher and squad leader," Sakura agreed. Then all four of them looked at Hinata, and Ni-ne meowed at the young woman.

"What?" the pale beauty was surprised by the attention, then realized she had not spoken, "Yes, of course. I was honored to become your student, Kakashi-sensei. I would be happy to keep the name Team Kakashi."

"So what are you going to do?" Sakura asked their leader.

"I'm going to take the next year or so off to raise my daughter," he informed them, "And next April, at the start of the new school year I will become a teacher at the academy. That way I can keep close to Rei but still contribute and get a paycheck."

Hinata turned to the other Jonin and asked, "And what about you, Yugao-sensei?"

"I will remain on active duty," the elegant woman answered, "But the Wet Nurse Seal lasts around four months, and Shino will be out for around the same amount of time, so I will be taking some leave to spend that time with Kakashi and our little girl."

The conversation died down as the teen ninjas considered the bombshells they had been struck with.

"Yugao-sensei?" Hinata spoke up again, after the others had had a moment to breathe, "Why aren't you wearing your engagement ring?"

"I told you she would notice," Kakashi noted blandly.

"I wanted to have it with me," Yugao protested as she gently passed Rei to him. Then she slipped her left hand into one of her pouches and withdrew it wearing a golden band set with a broad, flat diamond and two small sapphires. Both of the younger women rushed to her side to fawn over the ring. Naruto grinned nervously and secretly sent his teacher a dirty look, but the older ninja could only shrug slyly in response.

* * *

A short time later, Sasame Fuma joined them, and helped finish moving the two Jonin in to their new home. They kept Rei's parentage a secret from Yugao's student, telling her only that the infant was the child of one of Kakashi's old ANBU friends. They also informed the trap specialist of her teacher and Kakashi's intentions. When Naruto asked Sasame about her teammates, the thread user told them about Shino, to Uzumaki's immense relief. She purposely avoided mentioning Kiba, which the members of Team Kakashi took to mean Inuzuka was still holding his grudge over the Kyubi.

After the new family was unpacked, they ordered pizza to thank the teens. And when their lunch was concluded, they dismissed the younger shinobi; claiming a desire to relax and settle into their new abode. The three girls left immediately, but the fox-faced boy hung back to approach Kakashi with his new training request. In the end both Jonin offered to help him with his Genjutsu, and Naruto left feeling generally pleased. He quickly jogged home, needing to shower again and get changed for his date with Hinata a short time later.

When he reached his condo, he was mildly surprised to find Sakura leaning against his doorjamb. She quickly straightened when she saw him. The medic did not meet his eyes, and instead stared at his chest.

"Hey, Sakura," he said haltingly, "Is there something I can do for you?"

"Naruto," she said softly, "there is something I need to say to you."

She took a step closer, raising her chin slightly. She was breathing rigidly and her cheeks were flush.

"Are you feeling OK?" he asked, "It's been a rough few days. Do you have a fever?"

As he said that, suddenly memories came rushing back. Asking another red-faced girl if she had a fever. But now he knew what that had meant.

"Sakura, no way…" he started to protest, but she was too close. She grabbed his shoulders and lifted her face to his. Her kiss was soft at first, but she pressed in harder, more urgently. Naruto tried to pull away, but she was stronger than him. He could not escape without potentially injuring her. Then he felt a wetness where her cheek brushed his. Finally, she released him.

"I love you, Naruto," she smiled shyly through her tears, "I've been in love with you for a while now. For so long I tried to tell myself that it wasn't true, that you were still the same shrimpy twerp who always messed things up and annoyed me. But Ino and Tenten and even Shizune kept teasing me about it. And when Lee asked me about it, I finally had to admit it to myself. You are reliable, and kind, and handsome, and I have to have you in my life."

"And now we can be together," she continued quickly. Sakura knew she was practically babbling, but she couldn't let him get a word in until he understood. And the Kunoichi also knew she had to be careful not to mention _that_ name.

"Just like you always wanted," she forced out, "Dating, spending time together as boyfriend and girlfriend, _anything_."

She blushed deeper at the end, but she did not amend or take back the brazen offer. Naruto studied her, his face blank.

"Please, Naruto," Sakura pleaded, "say something."

He took her shoulders, and for a moment, her heart flew. But then Naruto stepped back, holding her at a distance.

"I'm sorry, Sakura," he whispered, "I can't give you what you want."

"I know you don't want to hurt Hinata," she conceded, finally acknowledging her rival, "You're always so loyal and considerate. And she will be sad, but she only wants what's best for you. We'll make her understand that this what you need to be happy."

She tried to embrace him, to kiss him again, but he held her at bay firmly.

"You're wrong," he said carefully, "This isn't about Hinata. I'm not in love with you Sakura. And I don't think you're in love with me."

"How can you say that?" she gasped, her tears changing from worry and release to offense and sadness.

"I was a kid," he told her gently, "A lonely child. You were cute and elegant, but also very passionate when you argued with Ino or yelled at me."

"Not that you aren't still cute, elegant, and passionate," he reassured her, "But the reason I had a crush on you was because I saw myself in that hidden side of you. And I find you attractive. But that's not love. It's why we became good friends, but it's also the reason we would never work out. We're too much alike."

"Now you're the lonely one. You finally figured out I'm not the same as I used to be. And you're also a little jealous," he said, "So you have a crush on me. But I don't think its real. It's not like what I feel for Hinata and what she feels for me."

"You're right," Uzumaki confirmed, interrupting her protest, "if I told Hinata being with you would make me happy, I think she would let me go and pretend to smile. Because she puts me before herself, just like I put her before myself."

She remembered his determined look when Hinata was dying. He was tired and at least partially knew the risks, but did not hesitate to save Hinata, even though he had not admitted his feelings yet. She recalled the trial, and how after Naruto was promoted, he didn't seem to care. He was only looking for Hinata in the crowd.

"And I'm not doing that," Sakura whispered.

"You did once," he murmured, "When you offered to leave behind your friends, your family, and your honor, to go with Sasuke."

She froze suddenly, her eyes wide and unfocused.

"I'm sorry, Sakura," he said again, "I don't want to hurt you, but I need you to understand."

"You're probably right," she sniffed as she recovered, wiping her face, "Maybe I'm just using you as a substitute."

"Besides," she smirked unevenly at him, "If you dumped Hinata for me just like that, I could never really trust or respect you."

"I think I should go," she said after a deep breath, "I'll see you at Kakashi-sensei's place tomorrow, OK."

Sakura ran quickly to the end of the veranda, but stopped with a look of surprise and fright when she turned into the stairwell. After she recovered, the healer hurried away.

"Are you sure?" Hinata's silver eyes were also moist, as she stepped into the open-air hallway, walking slowly towards him, "She was the one you always wanted, before I forced my way into your life."

"You made me open my eyes," he shook his head, denying her claim, "But I offered you my heart of my own free will. I love you, Hinata Hyuga, more than I can even try to describe. Sakura may have been my dream in the past, but you are my dream in the present and for the future."

"I love you, Naruto," she dove the rest of the way into his arms. He held her for a moment and then kissed her ardently.

"And this was the real reason Sakura was bullying you?"

She nodded. Naruto sighed again at his failure to notice and to protect his beloved. Looking at her, another thought occurred to him

"So how much did you see?" he asked softly, "I didn't catch your scent until I told Sakura she was just feeling lonely, but it looks like you've been watching for longer than that."

He removed his right hand from her waist to affectionately trace one of the distended veins between her left eye and temple.

"I saw the whole thing," she told him sadly.

"I'm so sorry, Hinata," his voice was sad, and desperately sincere, "If I had known…"

"It's OK," she reassured him gently, "it wasn't your fault, and you didn't do anything wrong."

"But I'm not really feeling up to going out anymore," she said tentatively, "So, if it's alright with you, can we just stay in tonight?"

He laced his fingers in hers in affirmation, and opened the door.

"Although," he joked, "I haven't really had time to get groceries in the last two weeks, between the Jonin trials and getting kidnapped."

She squeezed his hand happily and said, "I'm sure we'll find something. I always can find what I'm looking for with you."

Naruto kissed her again, but when he broke off, he informed her, "That was pretty corny, Hinata."

"You must be rubbing off on me," she countered, finally smiling, "It's probably a good thing I'll be spending extra time with some better influences for a while."

"Hey!" Naruto complained, and she laughed joyfully as he closed the door behind them.

* * *

**The End, _A Growing Affection_, Book 2**

Beginning Sept '09, _A Growing Affection_, Book 3

Please see my profile, for a link to an image of Hinata from _A Growing Affection._


	84. Returning Home

**Chapter 84: Returning Home**

It was a blazing hot afternoon, the last Friday in August, when three formless brown masses detached from the forest and shuffled silently towards the main gate of the Konohagakure. Team Anko was on guard duty, and Ino and Choji tensed as the shapes drew closer. Shikamaru observed them, curious, yet decidedly unconcerned.

"I think we should hose you down before we let you back in the village," he informed the invaders, causing his partners to relax.

"Please do," Sakura groaned, lifting her head far enough that Ino could now see her friend's green eyes amidst the muck caking her body, "The Hokage put the knucklehead in charge, and our 'leader' decided getting back to the village to report on our mission was more important than taking a few hours to clean up."

"Come on, Sakura," Naruto's pearly white grin flashed from under the mud and reeds covering most of his face, "You know this mission was for one of Gramma Tsunade's VIP friends, so we had to get back ASAP. And after trekking around that swamp for a week, it will take more than a few hours to get cleaned up, especially without a real shower or a washing machine."

She sighed slightly, unable to refute his point.

"Besides," Uzumaki smirked even more broadly, "I can't wait to see the look on Gramma Tsunade's face when we tromp into her office looking like this."

Choji chuckled in agreement. Hinata sighed at her boyfriend in exaggerated exasperation, but a twinkle in her white eyes showed she was not completely opposed to the prank.

"You're asking for it," Shikamaru cautioned him, but he looked amused by the prospect as well.

"Let's just get this over with," Sakura grimaced, "I'm ready to spend about a week in the tub."

Choji and Ino made way for them, and the blonde Kunoichi made a big production of avoiding them. Naruto stomped forward, proudly filthy, and his teammates followed with much less energy.

"Should we call the Hokage?" Ino asked, knowing they might catch some heat from their finicky commander. Shikamaru just shrugged apathetically.

"I'm just glad they're getting along again," Choji said, opening a bag of chips. Though he had recovered from his battle with the One-Tails Tanuki, he was not yet quite back to his original weight; and Ino was trying moderately to keep him where he was.

Ino and Shikamaru both nodded, recalling the month of May. Though none of the members of Team Kakashi had told anyone else about what had occurred between them outside Naruto's condo, somehow everyone in the village seemed to know that Sakura had made a move on Naruto, that he rejected her, and that Hinata had seen the whole thing. For the next few weeks, Naruto and Hinata had been on eggshells around Sakura, and she around them.

The tension had spread to all of their friends, and battles lines had been drawn. Lee sided with Sakura for obvious reasons, and Ino supported her former rival as a matter of friendship. Temari didn't take sides, but expressed a belief that Sakura had not done anything wrong. Choji and Shikamaru stayed neutral for the sake of their respective lovers. But Shino, Sasame, Neji, Tenten, and Konohamaru's gang all stood with Hinata, though most of them were more outraged than she was. And finally their was the anti-Naruto camp; Kiba and Hanabi were both of the mind that Naruto wasn't good enough for either Hinata or Sakura, and didn't deserve to be the center of a love triangle. Most of the older shinobi, wisely, kept their noses out of the cyclone.

Hinata, meanwhile, expressed to Naruto a feeling of liberation. She was not happy that Sakura had kissed her boyfriend, but she was relieved to finally have everything made public, and immensely happy that Naruto had turned Sakura down. Despite that, they were unsure how to act around Sakura. Uzumaki in particular; the new Tokujo became extremely jumpy whenever he saw the color pink out of the corner of his eye. In the end, it was Sakura who had taken the initiative to resolve matters.

* * *

_"We need to talk," Sakura said firmly, cutting off Naruto and Hinata's exit from the Uchiha estate. The June afternoon was breezy, and many big, fluffy clouds hung lazily above the winds. Kakashi Hatake had been teaching the trio the rudiments of fire element manipulation, and in spite of himself was surprised by the speed with which Naruto was mastering his fourth element. The Copy Ninja's fiancé had also joined them, taking position between Hinata and Sakura. Yugao claimed her actions were from nostalgia, and to make sure they had even pairs, but none of the teens were fooled. After all four of his students had displayed proficiency in the Fireball Jutsu, he had dismissed them, and after the parents of Rei were out of sight, Sakura had made her move._

_"Of course, Sakura," Hinata agreed with clipped politeness, "What is it?"_

_Naruto did not say anything, but he was obviously more worried than his girlfriend._

_"You both know what it is," the medic sighed, knowing they were owed their suspicions, "It's about the night of the promotions, and what I did."_

_She phrased it to take all the blame on herself, hoping that the admission of guilt would help ease the tension in the air. It did, but only slightly. The pink-haired girl exhaled again, struggling as to how she should proceed. Then her inner self growled, and her infamous temper gave way._

_"Look, I shouldn't have kissed Naruto, okay?" she said angrily, struggling to keep her voice low enough she wouldn't attract their teachers' attention, "It wasn't fair to either of you and probably wasn't good for me, either. And maybe I shouldn't have asked Naruto to dump Hinata, but…"_

_She trailed off, her temper and momentum stolen by her words. She took a deep breath, and continued more calmly, but still just as intently._

_"But I needed to clear the air, and get that out in the open," she insisted, "And I needed to hear some of the things Naruto said. Even if I'm still not sure he's right." _

_"Either way," she shrugged, "I'm done with it. I'm sick of alienating my friends, especially you two. And I haven't hit Naruto for doing something stupid for months. I haven't even been able to tell him off, because I keep getting all googly-eyed."_

_"Hey!" the blonde teen protested._

_"You melted that Akatsuki base!" she growled at him, "Never mind the fact you used a jutsu you didn't fully understand, that the Fox Demon taught you, and made it three times stronger than it needed to be. No, the real issue is that you just up and destroyed the place. Who knows what kind of intel we could have recovered. You're just lucky there weren't any other prisoners there."_

_She punched him in the arm, and felt immensely more like herself._

_"So, that's why I decided," she looked at them earnestly, hopefully, "I'm not going to be in love with Naruto any more."_

_Both Naruto and Hinata struggled to contain their incredulity. Sakura was not looking at them any more, so she missed their dubious expressions._

_"From now on, I'm going back to normal," she informed them, "I'm going to treat you both like I used to before you started dating. And I hope you can do the same for me."_

_Still facing the ground, she quickly exited before either of her teammates could challenge her. Naruto frowned at Hinata thoughtfully, and the Hyuga scion looked worried._

_"Naruto?" she stammered slightly, "Do you think she means it? Can she really just stop being in love with you?"_

_He shrugged, but his expression didn't change._

_"If it were anyone else, I would say no," he decided, "But no matter how often or how coldly Sasuke dismissed her, Sakura still expected they would still fall in love. And even after he became a traitor, she believed that some day she, or I, or Kakashi-sensei would find the right words to convince Sasuke to come back. To return to the village, and to our team. She can be insanely stubborn, and so I think if she really sets her heart on going back to how she used to act, she probably can."_

_Hinata nodded, mostly convinced. But something else troubled her._

_"Naruto, what you just said… Does that mean you don't believe in Sasuke anymore?" his girlfriend asked._

_"No," Naruto shook his head, "Even before he gave his body to that snake, I didn't believe. I still wanted to keep my word, and held on to an ember of hope, but in my heart and in my mind I knew he would never come back."_

_"I think we should do the same thing as Sakura," she requested, "Put it behind us, and try to go back to something like the way things were."_

* * *

The realization that she was drawing close to the Hyuga Manor pulled Hinata back out of her memories. The next few weeks had still been somewhat tense; but as the heat of July burned away the last days of June, somehow acting like everything was back to normal stopped being an act. The Byakugan user still detected a spark in Sakura's eyes from time to time when she looked at Naruto, but otherwise she and the medic were back to being friends. Sakura even supported her teammate's relationship, more or less, except for any public displays of affection. But she didn't give Naruto and Hinata any more grief than she gave Ino and Choji, or Tenten and Neji.

Thinking of the last couple made Hinata ironically pause. She and Naruto were set to have dinner with her cousin and his partner tonight, so she needed to hurry. But that also forced her to remember her current sorry state. Though it had been amusing to go along with Naruto's plan, she had no desire to spread the muck over her family's home. After almost two days of travel, it still wasn't totally dry, and she felt sorry for the servants who would be forced to clean it up. So, she diverted into a small park, and used her earth chakra to divest herself of the worst of the mess. She still needed a shower, and then a bath, and then probably another shower, but at least she wouldn't spread filth to anything she touched.

When Hinata Hyuga entered her clan's stronghold, one of her greatest worries was realized. Not two steps into the door, she nearly collided with her father and grandfather. She subtly and quickly danced back, inclining her head and murmuring a greeting, before hurrying off to her room.

"What was that?" Hyouta Hyuga sniffed imperiously, watching the young woman retreat.

"Hinata has just returned from an important mission," Hiashi asserted, "which unfortunately required her team to trek through a swamp."

"How unbecoming for a member of this clan," the elder sniffed again.

"It was an A-Rank mission," the Hyuga leader said, trying to keep down his annoyance. He also felt a kernel of shame, realizing he had been the same way only a few years ago.

"Recovering the personal holy symbol of the High Priest of the Rising Sun temple is a very prestigious task, regardless of where the thieves hide," Hiashi continued.

The older man turned away, letting the matter drop as unworthy of his attention. He began to stride away, and his son had to hop to keep up.

"I believe we were discussing your nephew and the disenfranchised girl," Hyouta pretended to recall.

"Yes," Hiashi shifted gears quickly, "Tenten has accepted Neji's proposal. I gather you disapprove?"

"Not at all," the chief elder of the Hyuga clan said smugly, "With no clan to oppose us, it will be easy to… _bring…_ her into our family. And her genetic heritage offers interesting possibilities. She is a fine match for Hizashi's son."

"However," the older man changed the course of the discussion again, "I am dismayed that you have allowed your first daughter to continue this farce with the Jinchuriki."

Hiashi forced himself to remain neutral. Despite the negative connotations of the phrase, his father's tone had remained even and conversational, so Hiashi could not react without appearing in the wrong.

"I cannot imagine what you mean," Hinata's father laced his voice with confusion, "I do not believe Hinata knows a demon vessel."

Then with just a hint of condescension, Hiashi pretended to understand, "Oh you must mean Naruto. You must have forgotten the Kyubi merged with him almost four months ago, creating a new Kekkei Genkai."

Hyouta sniffed again, and turned away from his son, his face growing tight with concealed rage. But his visage cleared just as quickly.

"Whatever that punk might be," the grandfather of Hanabi said dismissively, "we have the future of the clan to consider. And to that point, there is something we need to speak on in private. Come, Hiashi."

The former clan leader led his son back to the clan head's office.

* * *

Hinata wore a simple cyan sundress, and matching sandals. Instead of her usual braid, she had pulled her hair into a simple ponytail. Her cheeks where lightly blushed and her lips glossed, but she did not like to wear a great deal of makeup, nor did she need it. She also wore the silver and emerald bracelet Naruto had given her, and matching earrings. Hinata carried a deeper blue purse, small enough to only contain the essentials; a small amount of cash, her lip-gloss, emergency feminine hygiene products, and a single kunai.

The Kunoichi looked around, wondering where Neji was, it was getting close to time for them to leave. Just as she was getting ready to look for him, he rounded the corner. Hinata's eyes widened in worry.

"Is something wrong, my brother?" she asked, noticing instantly that he was wearing his uniform. She wondered if he had received an emergency call.

"No, nothing is wrong," Neji frowned, "Why do you ask?"

"You are wearing your uniform," she pointed out, slightly concerned, "I thought perhaps you and Tenten had received an emergency call and would need to cancel."

The Jonin shook his head, "No, nothing of the sort."

"Then why are you dressed like that?" she prompted.

"My Hyuga clan robes are the most formal outfit I own," he said defensively.

"Formal?" she frowned in confusion.

"Naruto invited Tenten and I to join the two of you for dinner," he reflected her uncertainty, "How else would I be attired?"

"Neji," she suppressed a smile, understanding finally, "Think about what you just said. Do you really think Naruto would host anything too traditional? This is just a casual get together. I doubt Naruto will be wearing anything more than a t-shirt and shorts."

"Do you think I should change?" he felt foolish.

"It's up to you," she said gently, her lips turning up, "I'm sure Naruto won't care either way, so wear whatever makes you most comfortable."

"Perhaps I will change then."

* * *

As it turned out, Hinata was wrong. Naruto was also wearing an apron, over his orange t-shirt and blue jean shorts. He kissed his girlfriend on the cheek, and then stepped back to allow the three of them to enter.

Neji had changed into a deep blue polo shirt and khaki shorts, and when they picked up Tenten, she was wearing a shot sleeved, tan blouse and black, denim skirt. The male Jonin was immediately thankful to his cousin for her advice.

"You're late," Naruto chided them happily, "But I guess your timing is pretty good, I was just getting ready to throw the ribs on the grill."

"My apologies," Neji offered stiffly, "I had to change my clothes."

"Don't worry about it, I was just kidding," their host was surprised by how literally his rival took him, "Have a seat, I'll be back in a minute."

"I'll help you," Hinata closed the gap between them, and collected the platter with the meat. Neji moved tensely to one of Naruto's love seats, and settled in almost mechanically. Tenten sat next to him, much more naturally. She leaned in close, and whispered, "Relax, Neji. It's just Naruto and Hinata."

"I know, but they are the first people we are telling, outside of our team, your parents and my uncle," he murmured back.

"Are you really worried about how Naruto and Hinata will react?" the weapons mistress prodded her lover, both vocally and physically. He did not answer, just watched them through the patio doors. Hinata laughed as Naruto accidentally sloshed sauce on his apron.

"We don't have to tell them tonight," Tenten offered, "We could wait until we tell everyone."

"No, I want Hinata to know," he managed a slight smirk, "and that means telling Naruto as well."

"Telling me what?" their host asked, hanging his red stained apron on a hook by the patio door. Hinata followed after him, with a look of expectation. Tenten glanced at Neji hopefully, and he gave her an exaggerated sigh, and then nodded.

"Neji and I are getting married," the recently promoted Jonin informed them, slipping on her ring and showing it. Hinata squeaked happily, and embraced her friend. Naruto shook Neji's hand with a rueful look.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" the Hyuga Jonin asked suspiciously.

"I guess I was just hoping you would hold out a little longer," Naruto smirked.

"This was not the first time I asked her," Neji admitted, and both the younger teens turned to stare at Tenten.

"He asked me last year, too," she informed them, "But I wasn't ready."

"She told me that she would not marry me until we were both full Jonin," the ranking shinobi added.

"I expected he would ask me again on the day the promotions were announced," she frowned at him slightly, "But he made me sweat it out for two months."

"Man, it seems like everyone is getting engaged," their host noted, "First Kakashi-sensei and Yugao-sensei, then Iruk..."

He trailed off when he saw Hinata's frightened look, but it was too late.

"Iruka and Anko are getting married?" Tenten demanded in excitement.

"No," Hinata shook her head weakly, "Of course not. You know what Anko-sensei is like. Don't you think she'd laugh in Iruka-sensei's face if he proposed?"

"Probably," Tenten was forced to agree.

"And even if they were just moving in together, and had exchanged promise rings," Naruto said firmly, "You wouldn't have heard it from me. Umm, because they wouldn't trust me not to tell everyone, right?"

Uzumaki started strong, but his too specific denial grew unsure at the end. Tenten smiled broadly at him, and both Hyuga cousins looked dismayed in their own way.

"I better check on the ribs," Naruto quickly excused himself, even though the pork had not been cooking for much more than a minute. After the door closed, Tenten closed in on Hinata.

"Did they really exchange promise rings instead of getting engaged?" the weapons mistress asked directly. Hinata nodded and Tenten prompted, "Why not?"

The pale beauty struggled for a moment, and then softly said, "Anko-sensei says she can't marry Iruka, or have his children, while she still bears the Curse Mark."

"I can understand why she would say that," Neji stated, and both girls looked at him perceptively.

"Please, don't tell anyone else," Hinata pleaded with them, and both of the older teens smiled kindly at her.

"We won't," the other Kunoichi assured her friend, "But we just have to hassle Naruto a little."

"Don't give him too hard of a time," the pale beauty requested more sternly, "Naruto has been worried that he and I have been taking things to slowly, especially with everything happening between our teachers, plus Temari and Shikamaru moving in together."

"Neji, go help Naruto," Tenten ordered. He raised an eyebrow at the command, but she glared back at him, and he managed to exit without looking too rushed. Tenten locked the door behind him, drawing a surprised look from the chef. Then the weapons expert rounded on her friend with an intense expression.

"Hinata, don't tell me you two aren't sleeping together yet?" Tenten demanded incredulously.

"Well..." Hinata tapped her fingers together for the first time in over six weeks. Tenten sighed at herself for pushing her 'student' too far, and at the younger couple in general.

"We haven't even gotten much past second base," Hinata confessed softly

"You've been together for almost a year," the Jonin said more gently, despite her shock, "And that's not counting the four months you spent feeling each other out... So to speak. What's the matter?

"I think Naruto is afraid if he goes to far, he will scare me away," Hinata admitted, "I think he might have decided to wait until we're married. And no matter how much more forward I may have become, I'm just not sure I can seduce him.

"Wait for marriage?" Tenten's eyes grew like saucers in amazement, "Naruto Uzumaki? The biggest pervert in the village?"

"Tenten," Hinata barked angrily at the insult. Then her expression softened a little, and she added, "You and I both know that Ino Yamanaka is the biggest pervert in the village."

The new Jonin chuckled, unable to refute the statement.

"And leaving aside Ino, and Master Jiraiya, and certain others," Hinata continued, "Naruto hasn't really earned his reputation. Yes, he used to be a peeping tom, but that was to perfect his Sexy Jutsu. But what else has he done to earn to be labeled a pervert?"

"He did help the Pervy Sage write his 'books'," Tenten pointed out smugly, "Have you read those things?"

"N… no…" Hinata stammered, blushing slightly. Then she regained control, and asserted, "Naruto only did that because Master Jiraiya was too caught up in 'writing' to train him. And Naruto has never peeked on me, no matter how many times I try to get him to look."

"Hinata!" Tenten exclaimed, both proud and scandalized. Then she turned up only one side of her mouth, and implied, "Maybe he's gotten an eyeful, and you just didn't notice."

Hinata grinned back, and activated her Byakugan.

"Maybe not," Tenten conceded, and then another thing occurred to her, "So does this mean you've taken a look at what Naruto has to offer?"

Hinata turned bright red, and hid her face in her hands. But she did not counter the query, and behind her palms, her smile widened a little.

"You're not denying it," Tenten needled her friend, and Hinata pushed her face deeper into her hands. The older girl prepared to press the issue, but then Naruto knocked on the glass door to the balcony.

"Don't think you're off the hook," the weapons mistress whispered as the Hyuga scion composed herself and turned to open the door.

* * *

"I still cannot believe you cooked that, Naruto," Neji said again, as the four teens approached the front door to Naruto's abode, "That was better than most restaurants."

Dinner eaten, and a romantic comedy enjoyed, the Jonin couple prepared to take their leave. Naruto and Hinata escorted them to the exit, though the younger Hyuga was not ready to leave just yet.

"The Pervy Sage is pretty picky," Naruto shrugged unhappily, "If I wanted to learn, he had to be well fed. That might be part of why I don't like cooking. Not to mention all the hassle with prep and clean up."

"That reminds me, I still need to do the dishes," Hinata noted softly.

"You make her do the dishes?" Tenten demanded, annoyed.

"No," Naruto shot back, "I don't even _want_ Hinata to do the dishes. But she insists."

"It's only fair," the younger Kunoichi asserted, "And if I don't, he'll just shove everything in the dishwasher anyway."

"That's what it's for," Naruto mumbled defensively.

"Besides, I like doing the dishes," Hinata smiled slightly, ignoring her boyfriend, "I don't get to do anything like that at home."

"Well, we better get going," Tenten said, "Are we still on for tomorrow, Hinata?"

"Yes, of course," the younger teen nodded at her coach happily.

"Are you training with Kakashi tomorrow, then?" Neji asked Naruto in polite curiosity.

"I would be," the blonde grinned ruefully, "but in revenge for making a mess of her office, Gramma Tsunade is sending me on a C-Rank delivery mission with Konohamaru's team. So I'll be gone the next two days."

"Well, then we really better give you two some time alone tonight," Tenten winked at Hinata and shoved her fiancé out the door, pulling it shut behind her. Naruto locked the door, and turned to his girlfriend with a roguish look.

"Dishes first," she shook her head regretfully. But Naruto caught her hand and pulled her into a tight embrace, enjoying the shape of her body against his.

"How about a little dessert first," he suggested, "then I help you with the dishes, and then a little more dessert?"

Before she could answer, he kissed her deeply and passionately, letting her feel how much he had missed her lips while they were in the swamp. Her resistance melted, and she pressed herself firmly to him.

"That works too," she panted after he released her. He grinned and lifted her, carrying her to the couch.


	85. Hinata's Fiancé

**Chapter 85: Hinata's Fiancé**

Hinata was tired, but pleasantly so, as she entered the Hyuga manor. Tenten had been working with her on the three common short swords, the xiphos, gladius, and wakizashi. The pale beauty had been put through her paces with the trio of weapons, both alone and in mismatched pairs. Hinata felt she was finally mastering the light blades, particularly the xiphos, the leaf shaped blade having elements in common with both of the other two swords.

And whenever Tenten was not commenting on her technique, the older teen was pestering Hinata about her love life. For the first few hours, Hinata tried to ignore her friend, occasionally asking her to stop. Then the decreasingly shy teen realized the teasing was part of her emotional training. So she tried to turn it back on Tenten, but Hinata was at a disadvantage. The Byakugan user was uncomfortable asking for the details of what was also Neji's love life. After all, he was not only her cousin, but essentially her half-brother, too.

Before she could reach her room, Hinata was intercepted by her father.

"Hinata, there is something we need to speak on," the clan leader began without greeting her, failing to hide his dissatisfaction, his voice oddly proper.

"Hello, father," she said carefully, "Can I drop off my bag and get cleaned up first?"

"I am afraid there is no time for that," he told her regretfully, "You need to come with me right now."

She nodded, worried, and allowed him to lead her deep into the mansion. He brought her to one of the multi-purpose rooms, designed to be used for meetings or as a small-scale practice room. He opened the door, and waited for her to step through. Inside the room were the five Hyuga clan elders, her grandfather Hyouta in front and the other four arrayed behind him. Other than her grandfather's sister Hiroko, she did not know her exact relationship with the other elders. They were all kneeling on pads quite formally. Directly in front of the head elder, a silken cloth covered a long, shallow box. Opposite the elders was another pillow, with one final position open between the elder and the lone seat, but far off to the side. After he closed the door, Hiashi Hyuga moved to the observer's spot, and knelt rigidly.

"Hinata, please have a seat."

Her grandfather's tone was polite and seemingly open, but she detected a current of pride and anticipation in his words. She unshouldered her bag and set it by the door, before taking her place as the target.

"To what do I owe this honor?" Hinata asked neutrally yet officially.

"Your seventeenth birthday is fast approaching," Hyouta answered, "and we need to start considering your future, Hinata, and the future of the Hyuga clan."

She watched him carefully, but did not respond. In her entire life, her father's father had only called her by name three times before. But now he had used her name twice in under a minute. This only increased her worry about what he had planned, but she kept her emotions tightly hidden.

"To that end I have been investigating potential suitors," the previous clan leader continued, "And I am pleased to say we have arranged an excellent husband for you. He is a Jonin from the Village Hidden in the Mines, and also a noble in the Land of Silver. He holds the position of 'duke', which is like a regional governor, only as a hereditary position. And he is quiet anxious to meet you."

"I am afraid I must decline," Hinata said carefully, "As is my right under the laws of the Hidden Leaf Village, I will not enter into an arranged marriage."

"Is this because of the Uzumaki boy?" Hyouta asked, his mask slipping slightly at her refusal. He had insisted to Hiashi that Hinata would offer no resistance.

"In a way," the young woman conceded, thinking to herself that if not for Naruto she might have given in to her grandfather's demands.

"He is not worthy of you," the elder sniffed, "He is a mongrel with no family, and he is obviously using you to gain access to the Hyuga Clan's political power."

"Naruto will be Hokage," Hinata countered simply and levelly, "He had the support of the Third, and he has the support of the Fifth. He is the student of two of the legendary Sannin, and the Kazekage is indebted to him. Unless some cosmic joke were to have the Daimyo stride into the village and appoint some random ninja Hokage, Naruto will lead the Hidden Leaf one day. And given that Lord Hisoka seemed approving of Naruto when we met him, that scenario is unlikely. Naruto does not need our clan's power, he already has plenty of powerful friends."

Hyouta bristled slightly from her succinct destruction of his argument. But he covered it briefly, and moved on to his second theory.

"In that case, he is probably after our money," her grandfather decided.

"No, he is not," Hiashi spoke up, surprising his father and the other elders, "In short-sighted anger, I made the same argument just over a year ago. Afterwards I made some discreet inquiries. Naruto Uzumaki is quite frugal with his money, perhaps as a result of growing with only his mother's pension. As his income has increased, his spending has remained mostly the same. Since reaching his majority, he has gained access to the royalties for his grandfather's books, as well as Yukihana's not insubstantial savings. In short, Naruto's personal net worth exceeds that of some of the smaller clans in this village. He just does not flaunt it."

Hyouta sniffed, but in surprise instead of derision.

"Whatever the case," the elder plowed forward, "He is a second rate ninja and not suitable to be the consort for the head of the Hyuga Clan. Girl, if you wish to remain a candidate to succeed your father, you will break things off with the Jinchuriki and accept the husband we have chosen for you."

"And if I refuse?" Hinata asked carefully.

"Then you will be deemed unfit, and relegated to Branch Clan status," he informed her directly, unable to resist a slight sneer at the end.

"At which point you will used the Caged Bird Seal to force me into the arranged marriage?" the pale beauty prompted.

"Of course not," her grandfather declared imperiously, "We would not foist an inferior member of the Hyuga Clan on such an important person. You would be free to pursue your dalliance with Uzumaki."

"… if he would still have you," the chief elder said more smugly, but there was an undertone of haste that implied he had planned the statement but had nearly forgotten it.

"So I am to choose between the two cages you have prepared for me?" Hinata asked sadly.

"An interesting way to phrase it," Hyouta noted haughtily, "but essentially correct."

The young woman frowned as she considered that. Then she shook her head.

"And what if I choose neither?" Hinata asked quietly, "I could flee the clan. Ask the Hokage and the rest of the village for protection."

She finally met her grandsire's eyes, and Hinata's gaze was firm, "Our clan lost a great deal of respect and even some political power when Neji revealed your use of the Caged Bird Seal. If I were to tell them that you used that seal as a threat to break the law and try to force me into an arranged marriage…"

She trailed off sadly, and her grandfather's white orbs bulged in anger. He quickly regained control, and the other four elders started muttering amongst themselves.

"Silence," he ordered his comrades, and then Hyouta leaned forward, reaching for the cloth-draped box.

"I feared you might say something like that, so I have come prepared," he informed her superiorly, removing the shroud. Unveiled, the top of the case was marked with a large X with a hooked line on either side. Everyone in the room knew the symbol all too well.

"It seems I cannot allow you to leave this room without the Caged Bird Seal, girl," Hyouta Hyuga stated with grim satisfaction. He lifted off the cover of the wooden container, revealing the brand recessed in shaped, black, silk pad.

"I do not think we should place the Seal on your forehead, but the secondary marking place on your spine will suffice," Hyouta decided, reaching for the chakra-bonded iron. One of the elders shifted his shoulders uncomfortably, as if feeling something on his back.

"I wonder, if this was what Itachi felt," Hinata said, her voice hoarse with disappointment.

"What?" Hyouta looked up from the brand at her statement, but fell back when he saw Hinata crouching over the box, staring at him with her sad, silver eyes surrounded by bulging, pulsing veins. Her left hand hung down, a cloud of chakra spinning lightly over it; ready to coalesce into a Rasengan if needed.

"Suigin?" the elder gasped as he fell back on his butt. He had neither seen nor heard the girl move, though Hiashi and Hiroko had both noticed her movements, if barely. And they all recognized that she had activated her Byakugan without using words or her hands to focus her energy. Still crouching, Hinata took a step forward, moving between her grandfather and the brand.

"So, you intend to turn traitor, to slaughter your clan?" Hyouta asked with all the bluster he could muster. He had not seen the second level of Byakugan since his grandmother Hoshi's death. Part of him wanted to believe it was a trick or illusion, but he knew better.

"I do not intend to kill you, grandfather," Hinata said gently, pained that he could think that, "You misunderstand me. When I mentioned Itachi, I was not speaking of his feelings when he executed the Uchiha clan. I meant the point when he realized his clan was to far lost in past glories and self-importance to recognize how stagnant they had become."

"How dare you!" Hyouta sputtered, and Hinata regarded him with deepening pity.

"Grandfather, I possess the Suigin Byakugan, a fact which was apparently a mystery to you," she shifted her attention to her father without taking her eyes off her grandfather, and Hiashi Hyuga shrugged, "which means you think too little of me to read the clan leader's reports. That in turn means you do not know that at this point I can easily counter the primary techniques of our clan. So I doubt you can stop me from leaving. If you try, I will incapacitate you."

"Arrogant child," Hyouta's hand darted up, aiming the Gentle Fist at her heart, a potentially lethal move. Hinata in turn released her partial Rasengan and aimed both of her index fingers at his forearm.

"Enough!" Hiashi shouted, before either of them could strike. They paused, and the chief elder seemed to return to his senses. He noted that Hinata would have shut off the chakra in his arm before he could have hit her, but ignored the fact as he settled regally back into place. Hinata took a step back, glancing at her father, but not releasing her Byakugan.

"Hinata, please sit down," Hiashi's request was firm but understanding. She gracefully knelt, but her eyes still remained silver, and her posture said she was ready to strike or run.

"Lord Hyouta," the clan leader addressed his father formally, "Based upon your statements, I believe you feel Hinata may not be fit to lead the clan. Is that accurate?"

"Her fitness is suspect, at best," the elder answered with hesitation or remorse.

"And do you have a replacement in mind, should Hinata be branded as a Branch Family member?" Hiashi prompted, not reacting to the insult.

"I do."

"And you believe the suitor you have picked for Hinata is stronger than Naruto Uzumaki?" Hiashi continued.

"The duke's strength is not the primary issue, but he is a _Jonin_ from the Mines village."

"Then I propose a compromise," Hinata's father stated, "In one week's time, Hinata will duel her replacement, and Naruto will duel the Hidden Mines Jonin. If both Naruto and Hinata win, Hinata will remain the heir to the clan, and Naruto will be allowed to continue to court her. Is this acceptable?"

"Yes, it is acceptable," Hyouta agreed with a sly grin, "What say you, girl? Will you fight for your fate and your love?"

"I will," Hinata said evenly, not letting herself be riled.

"What of Naruto?" Hiroko Hyuga interjected softly, "Are you certain he will agree to this, Hinata?"

"I am," the young woman smiled slightly, "Naruto is not one to back down from a challenge. And he has fought for me before, against much worse than a mere Jonin."

"We will need to verify that, of course," Hyouta insisted, has voice filled with condescension.

"Then I believe this meeting is at an end," Hiashi stood before anyone could contradict him. Hinata stood as well, but as she approached the door, she finally gave in to her anger.

"Grandfather," she addressed him without turning as she opened the door, "Would you say my father and my cousin Neji are among the strongest member of our clan?"

"That is a fair assessment," he agreed, smiling at what he took to be an admission of weakness.

"Naruto defeated Neji both physically and psychologically, four years ago," she pointed out, "And last year, during my father's 'moment of anger' Naruto overcame him without making a single aggressive move. So if Naruto is such a second rate ninja, what does that say about the Hyuga Clan?"

She closed the door before he could react. Hiashi looked at his daughter, his emotions warring on his face.

"I'm sure that was very satisfying," he said, trying to keep her tone lecturing, but amusement and satisfaction leaking through despite his best efforts, "But antagonizing your grandfather may come back to haunt you."

"You are probably right," Hinata agreed, still smiling, "but I think Naruto, the Hokage, and my instructors would all be proud of me."

"As am I," his mask cracked, and he hugged her lightly, "However, I recommend you spend the night with one of your friends. Maybe even the next few days."

"Naruto is out of town, maybe I will call him and see if I can stay at his condo tonight," she pondered out loud.

"When he gets back, please call me," Hiashi shifted back into clan leader mode, "I wish to be there when you speak to him about this arrangement."

* * *

Hinata exited her room cautiously. Having secured Naruto's permission to use his abode, she had packed her mission bag for a long term assignment, and a second backpack with mundane supplies, civilian clothes, her copies of Soun Uzumaki's fantasy trilogy, all of the jewelry Naruto had given her and a few other pieces with special meaning. Considering her father's words, she left behind nothing she would regret losing. Halfway through her packing she heard someone arrive outside her door. Whoever it was did not knock or call out to her, instead choosing to simply wait. The young woman first considered leaving through the window, and then thought about using her Byakugan to see whom it was. But Hinata decided she was being paranoid, it could be Neji or Hanabi just as easily as her grandfather or one of his cronies.

She opened the barrier and walked slowly into the hall. Hinata was surprised to see Hiroko Hyuga waiting for her. Though she felt comfortable enough around her grandfather's younger sibling to call her 'Aunt', they were not particularly close. The young woman was not sure why the elder was visiting.

Hiroko Hyuga was also something of an honored outcast among their clan. Though her combat skills where not up to the normal standards of their family, Hinata's great-aunt possessed other skills. Thirteen years Hyouta's junior, by rights she should have been a Branch Family member. But the same skills that earned her the nickname 'Cursebreaker' had allowed her to remove the Caged Bird Seal from herself not once, not twice, but four times. Eventually she and her brother made an arrangement whereby Hiroko would be allowed to _live_ without the seal so long as she did not remove it from anyone else without permission. In her life, there had only been one chakra knot that Hiroko had failed to unravel, that being the Cursed Mark on Anko Mitarashi.

"Hinata," Hiroko addressed her grand-niece softly, "I need to speak with you."

"Shall we speak on my way out, or will it take longer than that?" Hinata asked. The Cursebreaker considered the question, and then took her place alongside the younger Kunoichi.

"I will walk with you for as long as this takes," the Hyuga elder said significantly, "Even if it is beyond this house."

They began to walk, in silence at first.

"What is it, Aunt Hiroko?" Hinata dropped the formal tone and addressed her relative more casually.

"Do you understand what is happening here?" Hiroko asked quietly.

"It wasn't just about me dating Naruto?" Hinata asked, but she did not sound overly surprised.

"No," the expert on removing seals shook her head, "I think if you were a Branch Family member, Hyouta would encourage that relationship. He is intent on making our clan as strong as possible, and no one would dispute Naruto's strength, especially now."

"His goal here is not to separate you from Naruto, it is to ensure his control over the clan," the female elder continued, "If you become the Clan Leader, he wants your husband to be someone who will not interfere with Hyuga Clan affairs. Naruto has too strong of a personality for my brother's tastes, though the same could be said for anyone in your peer group, except maybe Shikamaru Nara. Though I have not met this duke, my guess is that your arranged fiancé will not be one to interfere with Hyouta's plans. So, whether he marries you to a husband more in line with his way of thinking, separates you from the one who gives you strength, or simply brands you and replaces you with a more pliant heir, my brother wins."

"That said, there are three issues I want to discuss with you," Hinata's great-aunt said as they descended to the first floor.

"First, I need to make sure you are fully aware of what you are doing," Hiroko whispered, "I know you care about Naruto Uzumaki, but he is dangerous. I was here when the Fox Demon attacked, and more than that, I was called upon to check the seals the Fourth used to lock the Kyubi inside your friend. I have seen how powerful and deadly that spirit is, and both then and now I have misgivings about Minato's seals."

"I know," Hinata said softly, "Before the Jonin trials, Kakashi-sensei and I made some mistakes, and the Fox Demon took control of Naruto's body. She tried to kill me, but Naruto forced her to surrender."

Hiroko's white eyes flared in amazement.

"And that's no longer an issue," Hinata added, "I cannot explain how, but the Nine-Tails is no longer sealed within Naruto, nor is she a threat to anyone anymore."

Hiroko searched the girl's eyes, and then nodded, satisfied. Hinata opened the front door of the manor, and the two women both relaxed as they moved out onto the street.

"Secondly, this deal you entered into," the Cursebreaker continued, "Do you recognize why Hyouta agreed to it so quickly? Because of how the deal was worded, both you and Naruto must win, otherwise my brother gets his way."

"I understand," the younger Tokujo confirmed, "I knew grandfather would not agree to it any other way. But I believe in Naruto, and in all modesty, there is only one member of our clan who can defeat me in open combat."

"I hope you are correct," Hiroko was mildly dubious, "And that brings me to my last point. I do not believe my brother will leave it at this. He is proud, arrogant, and cunning. And the other three elders are Branch Family members, so they are used to following him. He will be making other plans, probably both to interfere with the duels before they begin, and against the possibility of your victory."

"That is why I am removing myself from the manor for now," Hinata agreed, "But thank you for the warnings."

"Good luck, Hinata," Hiroko embraced her grandniece briefly, before turning back towards the manor. Hinata squared her shoulders, and resumed walking.


	86. War Preparations

**Chapter 86: War Preparations**

"Good morning, grandson," Hyouta said brightly, as Neji entered his office. The clan elder stood respectfully, putting the Jonin further on guard. His grandfather showed the young man to a chair before returning to his own seat.

"How are you this morning?" Hyouta asked, missing or ignoring Neji's stiff, uncomfortable posture. Hizashi's son mentally ran through a list of reasons for his grandfather's good mood.

'He is trying to trick me in some way,' Neji thought of the most likely scenario first, 'Or perhaps Lady Tsunade was killed, and Lord Hyouta has been named the new Hokage...'

"Well enough," the teen answered aloud, relaxing and nearly smiling as he considered, 'Maybe he has lost his mind, or has become addicted to some sort of hallucinogen.'

"Good, glad to hear it," the elder said with slightly less energy, recognizing he might be overplaying his role. He studied his oldest grandchild, a small amount of sadness tinting his cold assessment of the Jonin. Very few members of the clan reached the highest shinobi rank; most stopped at Tokubetsu Jonin, specializing in either scouting or Gentle Fist combat. But Neji, like his father before him, had become a full Jonin, psychologically thumbing their noses at the clan leader and elders.

Even without his Byakugan, Hyouta could tell the younger man was on edge. Though this generally pleased the elder, he knew from experience if he could not get his grandson to unwind, it would be much harder to close the deal.

"We have never exactly been close, have we, Neji?" Hyouta offered regretfully, "And it's mostly my fault. I secretly resented your father, first for making my life as clan leader more difficult simply by being born, and then for becoming a Jonin and leading a life away from the clan. And I may have let those feelings carry over to you..."

'Is he dying?' Neji's shoulders slumped slightly as his grandfather's words and tone lead him to another possibility.

"...and I have not treated you fairly," the elder continued, not privy to his grandson's thoughts, but not oblivious to the shift in the young man's mood.

"What are you saying, grandfather?" the branded Jonin asked carefully. Hyouta smiled ever so slightly.

"I am saying that you are quite probably the strongest member of the Hyuga clan," the elder admitted, "And that it is a shame you are trapped as a Branch Family member. But there may be a way to change that."

Neji's eyebrows shot up slightly, but other than that he managed to reign in his surprise and hope. He studied his grandfather's face for signs of duplicity, but Hyouta Hyuga was either honest, or too skilled of a dissembler for the young ninja to detect.

"How?" Neji asked nervously. Hyouta looked down at the question, then met his grandson's face with a resolved look.

"Can I trust you not to repeat what I am about to tell you?" the elder countered sternly, and the marked youth nodded.

"I am concerned about the future of the clan," Hyouta told Neji quietly, "I do not believe either of Hiashi's daughters are fit to lead. Hanabi has been spoiled. And even though Hiashi has focused on training her, her skills are not where I would expect them to be. She certainly would not be able to work out how to perform the Eight Trigrams Sixty-four Palms on her own."

Hyouta's veiled praise baited the hook further, and Neji nodded in spite of himself.

"And Hinata..." Hyouta paused, carefully considering his next words. He knew that the cousins had grown close, and that too obvious of an attack would hurt his cause.

"Hinata's skills have surpassed my expectations," the elder admitted, exaggerating only slightly, "But she is still not at your level, and likely never will be. And more importantly, I worry that she may not be emotionally strong enough to control our clan."

"And what does this have to do with me?" Neji asked with guarded optimism.

"A challenge has been issued," Hyouta said, "To judge Hinata's fitness. To test her judgment, the suitor I have selected to help her lead the clan will face Naruto Uzumaki in single combat. And to test her strength, she will duel the one I believe should replace her as the clan heir. I would like that person to be you, Neji."

"You want me to fight Hinata?" Neji asked carefully.

"I would not say I want it," Hyouta said with equal heed, "But it needs to be done for the sake of our clan."

Neji nodded, despite not being thoroughly convinced.

"And what does this mean for me?" the younger prompted, trying to determine his grandfather's purpose.

"If you defeat Hinata, preferably without killing her," the elder answered, "then you will be the next heir to your uncle's position. Naturally, that would mean the Caged Bird Seal would need to be removed."

Then Hyouta smiled secretively, and added, "And I would also be in a position to officially endorse your engagement to Tenten. To make sure the rest of the clan recognized it, of course."

'The carrot and the stick,' Neji kept his opinion to himself, unlike Hinata.

"And what if I cannot defeat Hinata?" the Jonin prompted.

"I can only ask that you do your best," Hyouta shrugged, his voice mildly dubious, "If you try, and _fail_, then I presume nothing will change."

"Then there is no reason for me not to accept," Neji forced a smile, and Hyouta Hyuga grinned broadly at his response.

"Excellent," Hyouta smiled again, and started to fill his champion in on the details, "the duels will take place next Saturday…"

* * *

Hiashi Hyuga looked around enviously at the main room of Naruto's condo. The young man's home was decorated in a simple, classic manner. And more than anything, it had a comfortable quality the Hyuga manor lacked. Most of the rooms in his clan's home had traditional kneeling cushions instead of chairs. Though some of the offices had raised seating, they were all unpadded hardwood devices, designed to discourage relaxation. He settled into one of the loveseats, and could not suppress a sigh of relief.

"Naruto has a nice home," he told his daughter.

"Thankfully, he takes better care of it than he did his apartment in the barracks," Hinata commented, and then blushed slightly, realizing what she said, and to whom she said it.

Hinata had called her father, after Naruto called her to let her know they were getting close to the village. Now he smiled slightly at her frankness.

"That is probably because he never truly felt at home at the barracks," Hiashi suggested, "It was just a place to stay, rather than a place he was really attached too."

Hinata nodded, and before either of them could say anything more, they heard the sound of a key turning in the deadbolt.

"I'm home," Naruto called out as he swung in the door to his condo.

"Welcome back," Hinata rushed over to embrace him. Uzumaki started to kiss her, until he noticed the back of Hiashi head. Stiffening, he released her, except for one hand, and walked into the living room.

"Hello, Lord Hiashi," Naruto greeted the older man formally, worried by the clan leader's unexpected appearance in his home, "To what do I owe the honor?"

Hiashi wanted to laugh at the young man, and said as much.

"Your reaction would be comedic," the Hinata's father told the blonde teen, "were it not unfortunately fitting for the situation..."

The father and daughter told Uzumaki about the meeting with the elders, glossing over some the insults that had been leveled at the young man. But when they reached the part where Hyouta attacked Hinata, Naruto suddenly interrupted.

"Who the heck does that jerk think he is?" Naruto demanded angrily.

"He is a chief elder of the Hyuga clan," Hinata said gently, trying to calm her beloved.

"And aren't you the clan leader, old man?" in his fury Naruto dropped the politeness and returned to the more familiar form of address.

"I am," Hiashi replied tersely, "but the leader and the elders each have their assigned roles in the clan. And unfortunately, my father is currently in a position to better flex his political muscles."

"What does that mean?" confusion dulled the fox-faced teen's fire.

"It means that if my father goes to far, my grandfather can have him removed as the clan leader," Hinata answered sadly.

"Huh?" the blonde shinobi grunted, "He can do that?'

"The five elders can, by unanimous vote," Hiashi verified, "And right now, the elders are basically all under my father's thumb. Normally there would be two Main Family members amongst the elders. That helped the balance of power, and allowed the three elders from the Branch Families to act more freely. But due to certain unexpected deaths, and the two preceding clan leaders' overuse of the Cage Bird Seal, there are currently only four Main Family members. My aunt Hiroko was selected to be an elder for her nebulous status as neither Main nor Branch Family member; but that also means she does not balance out my father in the eyes of the other three elders, and they bow to his will. This in turn compels the Cursebreaker to follow her brother, lest she always be the odd woman out."

Naruto frowned unhappily, more or less understanding the situation. He looked back at Hinata, remembering their tale.

"Does that mean you are on the run, Hinata?" he asked gently. She shook her head.

"If you would let us finish our story..." Hiashi said indulgently. He had been close to anger when Naruto had challenged him, but calmed again at the young man's thoughtfulness towards Hinata.

"Sorry," Naruto grinned apologetically. They told him quickly about the deal they had struck with Hyouta. Hinata also told both men about the meeting afterwards with her great-aunt, laying out the elder's worries about the terms of the duel and Hyouta's potential interference. Hiashi found himself nodding in agreement with his aunt's concerns.

"So all we gotta do is beat these guys, right?" Naruto prompted, "And then Hinata is safe?"

"More or less," Hiashi confirmed, "though you two should both make a concerted effort not to take the life your opponents; particularly you, Naruto. Killing a noble from the Land of Silver could be bad both for you and for the Land of Fire."

Uzumaki nodded broadly, his eyes squinting in thought.

"Still, we can do this, right Hinata?" his blue orbs locked on her with a grin. She smiled and nodded, even if she was not quite as confident as he appeared to be.

"Right, so we've got five and a half days to prepare," Naruto considered, "We should probably spend most of the time training."

"Hinata, were you planning to return home," Hiashi asked carefully, still not entirely happy with the idea of his daughter spending a week alone with Naruto in his home.

"No," she shook her head, her braid bobbing slightly, "Both to that and to Naruto's point about training, I will be staying with Shizune this week, and she and Temari will be working with me. I am to meet them after lunch to begin."

"Great," Naruto masked his disappointment, "Then I'll go find out what Kakashi-sensei can tell me about the Hidden Mines shinobi."

"If there is anything I can do for either of you, let me know," the leader of the Hyuga clan informed them fondly, as he moved towards the door.

"Sure thing, old man," Naruto shot him a thumbs up.

"Thank you, father," Hinata embraced her sire lightly before he left.

* * *

"Again," Neji panted, then he shook his head, frowning, "No, I need something stronger. It's not a substitute for the Rasengan."

The Hyuga Jonin and his fiancé were in one of the many small clearings just outside the village, practicing. Neji had been having Tenten throw spheres of hardened wind chakra at him, so he could deflect them with his Eight Trigrams Heavenly Spin.

"I don't understand," Tenten frowned, frustrated and tired as well, "Why do you want to train against the Rasengan?"

"It is how Hinata created her upgraded Heavenly Spin," he said softly, "And also a move she might use against me."

"Hinata? You're training to fight Hinata?" his fiancé demanded. He nodded, and she begged, "Why?"

"I don't have a choice," he said regretfully.

"That doesn't really answer my question," she told him pointedly, "If you want me to keep helping you, I'm going to need a bit more than that."

He faced her firmly, but his lover did not give an inch. Finally, Neji sighed and slumped slightly, no longer meeting her eyes.

"I must have your word that you will not tell anyone about this," he requested defeatedly, "Not Gai-sensei or Lee, not the Hokage, and especially not Hinata or anyone else in the Hyuga clan. I should be asking for some sort of bonded oath, but I trust your word."

Tenten worried about what he might be about to tell her, especially considering his last words. Because of the seal on his forehead, Neji was not fond of any chakra marks, so for him to even suggest a bonded oath told her how serious he was. But she was convinced by his mood, so she said simply, "I promise."

Neji nodded, and settled down against a tree, his left arm hanging over his raised left knee, partially hiding his face. He took a deep breath and began to explain, "My grandfather has... _asked_ me to duel Hinata for the right to follow Uncle Hiashi as the leader of the Hyuga clan. I am to fight her this Saturday."

Tenten opened her mouth as if to say something, and then immediately closed it again.

"Lord Hyouta claims he thinks I am more suited to lead than Hinata," he continued, "though I doubt that is the whole truth behind this."

"Could you have refused?" she prompted, already sure of the answer, but wanting to know the reason behind it.

"Officially, I had the option, of course," Neji smirked ruefully, "But honestly, I did not. He told me that if I won, my Caged Bird Seal would be removed..."

She bobbed her head a few times in understanding. Though no longer his primary guiding force, Tenten still knew there was little Neji would not do to be free of the restraining mark hidden under his headband.

"… and he would officially approve our marriage," the white eyed young man continued, "but in so saying, he made clear that if I did not accept his offer, or did not try my hardest, he would do everything he could to interfere with us."

Tenten frowned at that. She understood that even though the laws of the village prevented the Hyuga elders from controlling the romantic relationships of the other clan members, the reality was that they could make maintaining a relationship difficult, if not nearly impossible, especially for a Branch Family member.

Tenten considered the situation. She felt somewhat responsibility towards Hinata, both as the younger woman's friend and as her weapons instructor. But she cared more Neji than Hinata, and had her own life and future to worry about.

"Sorry, Hinata," she whispered, then she addressed her boyfriend with a wry grin.

"I think you may be going about this the wrong way," she told him.

"How so?" he frowned

"Hinata doesn't know she is fighting you, right?" Tenten pointed out, and Neji nodded, "And most of the members of your clan focus on the Gentle Fist and Byakugan techniques. So that is where she will probably be focusing her last minute training."

Neji's eyes narrowed thoughtfully, and he found he could not refute his partner's statement. He gestured for her to continue.

"And, to be honest, she's already got a big lead on you there," Tenten told him frankly, "but we can use that assumption against her."

"How?"

"You are more than just a Hyuga, you have other ways to fight" Tenten reminded him, pointing out the flaw she knew most Jonin, herself included, were guilty of, "You know styles of Taijutsu other than the Gentle Fist. You have an array of good water and earth techniques, most of which Hinata hasn't seen. Genjutsu is probably out. And weapons may be your sore spot, but they might be your best bet here."

"Why?" he considered.

"Because they are Hinata's weak spot, too," Tenten did not feel she was betraying any confidences by pointing out the fact, "You already have the advantage on Hinata in strength and reach, and a good sword or spear could help you exploit that further."

"What would you suggest as my course of study then, Tenten-sensei?" he teased her fondly, appreciating the advice.

"Your second and third best weapons are the longsword and quarterstaff, respectively," she lectured, "trailing far behind your tonfas. The spetum has a heavy enough blade to utilize parts of the longsword style, and is a polearm so you can also use your staff skills. So I would focus on that type of spear, and also try to learn a few new minor earth and water jutsu, if just to mix things up a little more."

He frowned slightly, informing her, "Our knowledge of earth techniques is almost identical, and you do not know very many water jutsu."

"I'll see if I can borrow some scrolls from the library," she suggested, taking it upon herself to help keep his extra training a secret, "Or maybe Gai-sensei."

"Tenten," he called for her attention, as she started to drift off into her planning. She looked up at him as he took her into his arms, and kissed her. Tenten blushed in surprise, even though they were alone, Neji was not one for displays of affection outside of a locked room.

"Thank you," he told her when he broke away.

"It's you and me, right," she told him, "Even if it is against the rest of the village or the rest of the world."

* * *

"Good morning, Hinata," Shizune greeted her temporary housemate as the Hyuga clan refugee emerged from the small second bedroom that served as both the Kunoichi doctor's study and guest bedroom.

"Good mu…morning, Shizune," the younger woman offered around a stifled yawn.

"How did you sleep?" the healer asked.

"I have slept better," Hinata said gently. She considered offering a platitude, but knew that her yawns and general posture would make the lie obvious to the trained medic. As part of the teen's confidence training, Shizune demanded the brutal truth and full disclosure. And when she did not get it, Shizune punished Hinata with the same ferocious disapproval that could force the Hokage into action.

"I'm sorry, I know my spare futon isn't the best," Shizune poured herself a cup of coffee, and offered one to her student, who shook her head.

"No, thank you," Hinata turned the down stimulant.

"While I _must_ admit it is not the most comfortable place I have ever slept, as per our agreement," Hinata added the last part as a barb, and Shizune grinned back, "I think it was more about nerves than the accommodations."

"You don't need to be nervous," Shizune protested, and Hinata shook her head 'no' more vehemently.

"That is kind of you, but in five days I will be fighting for almost everything that is important to me," Hinata noted despondently, "my freedom, my relationship with the man I love, my pride and advancement… And I do not know whom I am fighting. It could be Neji, it could be my sister, or it could be a cousin I barely know whom my grandfather has been training in secret for this moment."

"It's Neji," Temari said, swiping a slice of toast from Shizune's plate. Both of the other women turned to stare at her.

"We're in a hurry… and your lock is inadequate… so I let myself in," the Sand Jonin told them in between bites.

"Why do you think it will be Neji?" Shizune shook slightly, but repressed her anger at the indignity.

"I was there four years ago," Temari noted, "And if I were Hota Hyuga, I would be hoping for a repeat performance from one or both of them."

"Hyouta," Hinata corrected again, despite the blonde woman having made it clear the previous day that the mispronunciation was deliberate.

"Besides," Temari ignored her, "Neji is the only official Hyuga Jonin."

"Unless he is hoping Hinata will be unwilling to fight Hanabi," Shizune pointed out.

"It's Neji," the foreign genius insisted, "that's the best play."

"What are we going to work on today?" Hinata interjected quickly, hoping to forestall any arguing. Shizune glanced to Temari first, who was in charge of the morning exercises.

"This morning will be my special calisthenics," Temari said darkly, removing a set of devices from her bag. They appeared to be some sort of joint pads; ankle, knee, hip, shoulder, elbow, and wrist. But they were thicker than they need to be.

"I designed these after watching Lee's fight with Gaara," the Kazekage's sister said, "They provide resistance on all the major joints, and also weigh about ten pounds each. You'll put these on, and then you'll work on dodging our attacks with the extra weight and resistance. This will help you to quickly increase both your speed and endurance. So you can better dodge those Gentle Fist attacks, since blocking them doesn't help."

Hinata tried to bend one of the elbow pads, and frowned at its inflexibility.

"And maybe I'll have you leave those on in the afternoon as well," Shizune said, "We'll be working on your non-lethal earth and lightning techniques after lunch, and I'm sure these will work better the longer you wear them."

Hinata sighed, and then nodded, saying, "Lets get started then."

* * *

"Naruto, is something the matter?" Yugao Uzuki asked, lower her katana. She was sparring her fiancé's student, both because she was more skilled with weapons than Kakashi in general, and because she had experience facing the staff-blade from her time in Team Hizashi. Plus, Kakashi was taking a nap with their daughter. Her last attack had been a fairly simple feint, to test her theory. And as she expected the basic, D-Rank move slipped right past Kitsune.

"You seem distracted," she added. Uzumaki sighed, and sheathed his staff-blade.

"It's just, I'm worried about this duel," he admitted. The former ANBU agent regarded him in concerned surprise.

"Why?" she tried to draw out his thoughts, "This isn't any different than your duel with Neji in the Chunin exam four years ago, except for the amount of time you have to prepare, right?"

"No," he shook his head, "I don't know anything about this guy, not even his name. I'm going into the fight blind."

"And even worse, the one thing I do know is that this guy is a Mines Ninja," he added, looking defeated, "I mean, those guys are supposedly invincible."

She raised an eyebrow at him, beginning, "I wouldn't say that..."

"We learned about them back in the academy," he interjected, "The Village Hidden in the Mines fought the Hidden Cloud and Leaf villages at the same time during the Second Ninja War; and even though they were out numbered fifty to one, the Mines ninjas won without a single casualty."

"The Hidden Leaf didn't attack until seven months after Cloud ninjas were driven out," she corrected, trying to hide her amusement at Naruto's fractured version of history, "The Cloud ninjas only outnumbered the Mines ninjas five to one, and we only had just over seven times the number of warriors. And the Mines ninjas might have lost fewer troops than either of the aggressors, but they did not make it out unscathed. They lost their village chief in an ambush by the ANBU."

"Still, that's pretty bad," Naruto did not look relieved but the slightly less impressive version of the history of the Mines village. Yugao smiled slightly.

"I'm going to tell you the secrets of the Hidden Mines shinobi, Naruto," she said conspiratorially, and the Tokujo perked up instantly. Of course, it wasn't really a secret, but given the reclusive nature of the Mines ninjas, it was not necessary for most Leaf ninja to know, thus it was not common knowledge either. But the new mother expected she would get better results if she presented it to the teen as confidential information. Naruto leaned forward in anticipation.

"You see, the Mines ninjas are virtually unbeatable, but only when they are defending their own territory," she explained, and he frowned in thought.

"The Mines ninjas never take missions outside the Land of Silver," she continued, "And in fact most of them only ever leave their nation to compete in the Chunin exams. Supposedly this is because the land of Silver is under nearly, constant attack, so they cannot afford to spare the manpower. And while that is partially true, it is just as true that it helps maintain the legend of their strength."

"You see, the Mines shinobi are specially trained to defend their homes. They are masters of traps, both mundane and chakra based, to the point where their leaders can lay traps that some say even the three great Dojutsu cannot detect. They also memorize their surroundings, so they can navigate by sound, touch, and in some cases even smell. This lets them use Ninjutsu or Genjutsu the nullify sight or hearing, but still be able to get around."

"But since you will be fighting this noble here, he won't have that advantage," she reassured him.

"The other part of their mystique is that the Mines ninjas are tough," Yugao transitioned to the second part of her lecture, "They learn how to take a hit, and pound for pound have more stamina than ninety percent of the shinobi out there. In battle, they tend to be very good at letting their opponents wear themselves out. But that doesn't matter either, because I doubt any Mines ninja can match your endurance."

"Thanks, Yugao-sensei," Naruto grinned.

"You are welcome," she smiled fondly at the young man, and then twisted it into a smirk, "So can we get back to work? It won't be too long before Kakashi and Rei get up from their nap, and she usually wakes up hungry."

* * *

"Good afternoon, gentlemen," Tsunade said without turning, "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

Hiashi Hyuga shuddered slightly, having had enough encounters with the Hokage recently to catch the hitch in her voice, but Hyouta simply continued as if the greeting had been in earnest.

"Lady Hokage," Hyouta schmoozed, "we would like to ask your permission to use the outdoor arena for a minor clan function this weekend."

"Stow it, Hyouta," she barked, spinning her chair around, "I already know all about the duels you two arranged. The duel set up between Hinata and her unknown Hyuga opponent is bad enough, but to invite a foreign ninja to fight one of our own? It's within my authority to put a stop to this, and censure the both of you. Some might even say I have a responsibility to do so."

Then she stopped, and smirked, "But I'm not going to. I'm going to not only let you use the arena; I'm going to let the whole village know, so they can turn out to watch."

Hyouta flinched momentarily, but quickly recovered his falsely humble expression.

"Thank you very much, Lady Hokage," the Hyuga elder simpered. He turned to leave, and then paused, as if another thought occurred to him.

"Lady Tsunade," Hiashi's father addressed her slightly less formally, "It occurs to me that Naruto is familiar with the layout of the arena, but Duke Ruijaku is not. Would it be possible for him to spend a few hours Friday afternoon surveying the venue, in private?"

"In private?' the Hokage asked, "Why?"

"So that he can feel free to seriously look around, and does not feel like he is being studied for skills or weaknesses."

"I suppose that can be arranged," the leader of the Konohagakure shrugged.

"Thank you again," Hyouta left, not noticing or caring that his son remained behind. As the door closed, Tsunade frowned.

"I have to say, that man is pretty slippery," she told Hiashi.

"My father knows how to play politics," Hiashi agreed, but then studied the Hokage's face curiously, as if trying to find something.

"What is it?" she demanded dubiously.

"I understand making it public, to limit the tricks my father can try to pull," the clan head told her, "But then why go and give the Mines ninja free access to the venue before the fight. It's like you are inviting him to lay traps."

"I am," she sat back triumphantly, "I was originally going to schedule Hinata's match first, so she could use the snares and seals to her own advantage. But ultimately, I decided not to cheat like that. You see, the more advantages Duke Ruijaku has going in, the less Hyouta can complain when Naruto wins."

He continued to observe her, ultimately asking, "Lady Tsunade, do you know something I don't know, with respect to these duels?"

The Hokage did not answer him, except to grin slightly wider.


	87. Love and Honor

**Chapter 87: Love and Honor**

Naruto Uzumaki responded nervously to the knock on his door, quickly pulling on a t-shirt. He had been preparing for bed, and was not expecting anyone. The duels were the next morning, so the blonde Tokubetsu Jonin was understandably on edge. Despite his apprehension, he opened the door without hesitating, or even asking whom it was.

He was quite surprised to find Hinata Hyuga on other side of the door, holding both of her bags. The young man briefly suspected another trick, having been subjected to a handful of annoyances throughout the past week. But her scent was real, as was her chakra aura, so he stepped back to let her enter.

"Hey, Hinata," he was still surprised by his girlfriend's visit, "What's up?"

"I was hoping I could stay here tonight," she said shyly, "I'm done training with Shizune for tomorrow, and I have troubled her enough. But I still can't go home, and... and I wanted to be by you anyway. I tried to call, but..."

"Of course you can stay here," he took her larger bag and locked the door, "And my phone is unplugged so I can make sure I get a good night's sleep."

"Hmm?" she frowned slightly at him.

"Oh, I've gotten 'wrong number' calls almost every night since I got back," he told her, walking over to the closer loveseat and setting her bag on it, "Almost like someone doesn't want me getting a good... Holy shit, Hinata!"

When he turned back to her, he discovered his beloved had shed her clothes and was standing there in her underwear. Except underwear wasn't the right word. He had seen her normal underwear often enough, even if had they never gone any further. No, even if was still essentially a bra and panties, this was lingerie; deep blue, more lace than cloth, barely covering anything, and designed to enhance and present rather than support.

"Hi... Hinata?" he stammered and she blushed, but also smiled happily at having provoked that response from him. She closed the distance between them, and kissed him.

"Hinata, what are you doing?" he finally found words when she released his lips.

"It is time Naruto," she said as aggressively as she could manage. Despite all her progression, it was taking every ounce of courage she could muster not to run into his bedroom and hide.

"I don't want to wait any longer," she continued breathily, "Make love to me, Naruto."

He turned away from her, his mind reeling.

"Hinata, we can't," he marshaled every bit of respect he had for her, and pushed down his hormones. But she didn't make it easy for him; she embraced him from behind, pressing her impressive chest firmly into his back. Hinata was glad he wasn't looking at her, and thus couldn't see how much her face was burning.

"Why not?" she countered, "We're adults. We've waited longer then any of our friends."

"Don't you want to? Don't you want me?" her voice fell, worried. Part of her attack was just that, but there was no small amount of genuine fear in her words. He grabbed her hands, but did not face her; afraid his resolve would break.

"I do want you, Hinata," he told her fiercely, and then continued more calmly, "so much it hurts. But not tonight, not like this."

"Why not?" she asked again.

"Because we're both worried about tomorrow, and we both need to be well rested," he answered, "It isn't exactly the mood I wanted, and I don't want to mess up in the duel because I was... up late... Or mess our first time up because I'm distracted."

"But what if this is the last chance we have?" she pressed her face into his back, trying not to cry, logic cracking her seductive mask.

"Is that what this is all about?" Naruto asked softly, placing his hands together. A cloud of newspapers filled Hinatas arms as he used Shunshin to teleport to the other side of the room. He turned to face her with a disapproving frown.

"If that's why you're doing this," he told her angrily, "there is no way we're doing _anything_ tonight."

"Naruto?" she was worried by his change in demeanor, so he walked back over to her, and touched her cheek adoringly, though his expression only softened a little bit.

"I don't want you going into this fight thinking it's OK if you lose, because at least we had one night together," he told her firmly, but more gently as well, "and the same goes for me. I want both of us fighting tomorrow for our first time."

"And not just for making love," he ran his finger down her jaw, "fight so I can touch your face…"

He wrapped his fingers in hers, "To hold hands…"

He moved his hand from her face to the small of her back, not completely able to ignore her state of undress, and spun her as he said, "Dancing..."

He put his face to hers, gently massaging her lips with his own, and as he broke away whispered, "Kissing…"

"Oh gods, Naruto," she exhaled, "Please don't stop."

"No," he told her, keeping her close, "Soon, but not tonight. Not like this."

"Alright," she sighed, resting her head on his chest.

"Get dressed," he said, "and we can go to bed."

She looked up at him with a mildly amused expression.

"Just to sleep," he told her, "fully clothed. And maybe with an extra sheet between us."

She disengaged from him regretfully, with a nod. She collected her bag, aware of his eyes watching her. She couldn't keep all the redness from her cheeks, but managed a saunter nevertheless as she walked into his bathroom. Naruto's eyes cruised down her flawless back, resting none to briefly on her round yet well-muscled buttocks, then along her lean legs.

"Oh man, I am such an idiot," he mumbled to himself, as she disappeared behind the closing door.

Hinata rejoined him a few minutes later wearing a more comfortable and functional ensemble consisting of a camisole and a pair of loose shorts. She looked more natural and relaxed but no less attractive, and Uzumaki decided in some ways it was more appealing then the overly seductive ensemble.

"I love you, Hinata," he embraced her again, "And I'm sorry."

"It's OK," she held him tightly, "You are probably right. I love you, too."

In the end, despite Naruto's insistence they go straight to sleep, they shared more than a few kisses before drifting into their dreams.

* * *

When the alarm went off, Naruto and Hinata found that they had somehow moved into a spooning position while they slept. Hinata was curled up inside Naruto, and gripping his arms where they were wrapped around her.

As they awoke, their actions naturally mirrored one another without a need to discuss it. Naruto went into the kitchen to prepare breakfast, while Hinata showered and attired herself for battle. She joined him in her shozoku, Ginmaki already secured about her wrists. After partaking of the apple cinnamon waffles, ham, and pan-fried potato cubes, he moved to the bathroom to prepare while she cleaned up. Still having time to kill when they were both ready, the couple took the long route to the open-air arena, both trying to hide their nerves.

The first Saturday in September dawned clear and cool. The arena was already half full, even though Hinata and Naruto arrived over an hour early. Naruto's duel was scheduled to begin at ten AM, but the couple entered the stadium, hand in hand, at 8:47 AM.

Hyouta Hyuga watched the young couple warily as they entered the Hokage's box to report their arrival. The walk and the company had calmed them, and they greeted their three hosts with easy resolve. Tsunade had invited Hiashi and the Hyuga elders to share her private seating, which had one of the best views and a degree of privacy; and all seven of them were already present. Hiroko smiled slightly at her grandniece, and Hiashi stood to hug his daughter and shake Naruto's hand. The blonde youth looked out over the crowd, seeing more than a few familiar faces. In fact, the first people he saw were Kakashi, Yugao, Rei, Sakura, and Lee, all in the row just in front of the Hokage's box. He doubted their positioning was an accident, and Hinata squeezed his hand when she noticed where he was looking. Her eyes drifted further than his, and saw Temari and Shikamaru near the front, and Shizune a few empty seats away from them. She did not see Neji and Tenten.

"You two are to use the eastern locker room," Tsunade informed them, "When your matches are up, it will be announced over the PA."

'Good luck,' their former teacher tried to signal them with her eyes, wanting to appear at least partially impartial for Hyouta.

"Neji isn't here," Hinata whispered to Naruto as they made their way to the locker room, "What if Temari is right?"

"Then you'll finally get to kick Neji's butt," he told her intensely. Then he settled slightly, and added, "But Tenten isn't here either, so maybe they decided not to get here too early. I mean, Ino and Choji weren't out there either, right? And I didn't see Kiba or Hanabi either. It could still be your sister."

He squeezed her hand again and reassured her, "Don't worry, Hinata. You can handle this; I know you can. You aren't the same girl who Neji defeated four years ago. If it is Neji, you won't need me to help you stand up to him this time. But I'm still here for you."

* * *

Naruto stepped on to the floor of the arena, reassured by the familiarity.

"Naruto Uzumaki, Duke Ruijaku Aoikin," Tsunade called for their attention, "The loser will be the first of you to be incapacitated, to be forced out of the arena, or to surrender. Other than that, anything goes, but try not to kill or maim one another, OK?"

Naruto finally looked at his opponent, and his jaw dropped. The Land of Silver noble was a few inches taller than Naruto, and thickly muscled. The Jonin wore a long-sleeved black shozoku, but had a chain mail vest over the top. He also had a longsword and shortsword strapped to each hip, and a heavy hexagon shield strapped to his back.

But that was not what made the young man pause. Ruijaku's face was thin and pinched, with deep wrinkles around his eyes and mouth. His stark white hair was noticeably thinning, and pulled back into a ponytail. He was quite obviously older than Hiashi or even Hiroko Hyuga, though possibly a few years younger than Hyouta. Once he was done boggling, Naruto felt a renewed rage towards Hinata's grandfather.

"I am sorry to have to do this to you, young man," the Jonin addressed him, "But you should have known your place."

"WE'LL SEE WHO'S GONNA BE SORRY!" Naruto roared, redirecting his anger at Hyouta to his opponent.

"That is the man you chose for my daughter?" Hiashi protested, having never seen the noble before, "He is old enough to be her grandfather."

Behind him, the newly arrived Hanabi nodded in spite of herself.

"Age is irrelevant," Hyouta sniffed, "He is of a superior lineage, and we are fortunate his first two wives were unable to provide him with an heir."

Just before Naruto reached Ruijaku, the Jonin shifted his right foot and flashed the hand sign for 'Dog'. A wire mesh net flipped out of the ground and wrapped the teen. The attached cord snapped back, carrying Uzumaki into the air and then dashing him into a rocky section of the floor at high speed. The Duke drew the longsword on his left hip in his right hand, and placed the tip against the small of Naruto's back.

"Yield?" the older ninja asked. Naruto mumbled something angrily in response, and Ruijaku frowned, prompting, "What was that?"

"I said, RASENGAN!" Naruto erupted, turning over. The sphere carved through the net, and the blonde Tokujo matched the sphere to the point of the sword, pushing upwards. Nearly half of the blade was ground away before the Jonin retreated. He frowned at the now concave end of the weapon, and then slid it back into the sheath.

"That was a very expensive sword, from the finest sword smith in the Land of Earth," Ruijaku told Naruto with an air of annoyance.

"If you were that worried about it, you shouldn't have brought it to a fight," Uzumaki snapped back, "Besides you have three left."

The youth darted in again and the Duke drew back in response, hopping slightly at the end. Naruto thought his opponent's slight jump was to increase his speed, but was proven wrong when he stepped on the tripwire. The attached paper bombs exploded, sending a mass of dirt and stones flying into his head and upper body from either side. A fist-sized chunk of rock hit the teen's cheek, bloodying it; but the injury had completely vanished before he had finished brushing himself off. The Tokujo regarded the Jonin more warily, and did not advance.

"I'm not so impressed by the traps," Naruto told him, looking around carefully, "But I'm wondering when you had time to set them all up."

"You have not scratched the surface of my preparations," the Mines ninja announced over the angry rumbling in the crowd. Most of the shinobi and civilians of the Konohagakure were not happy about the inequity in the duel. Even Hanabi Hyuga _tsk_ed at the Duke's statement, earning her a slight smile from her father.

"Maybe not, but I can change that real quick," Naruto countered, placing his hands together before announcing, "Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

Dozens of Narutos spread out over the floor of the arena. They were caught by snares, fell into pits, and where destroyed by flying blades, stronger paper bombs, clouds of poison gas and acid, and even a handful of earth jutsu seals that created oversized bear traps. With each ruse activated, Ruijaku's face grew paler. Finally, the last two clones signaled all clear and merged back into their creator.

"You may have dealt with... most... of my traps," the Duke blustered, drawing his remaining longsword and one of his shortswords, "But your chakra must be nearly expended."

"I take it you haven't heard of me," Naruto smirked as he drew Kitsune, "I create twenty times that many clones for light training. But if you want to try swordplay, let's do it."

"Your..." Ruijaku started speaking as he swung his lighter blade at Naruto's eyes.

"...base..." the Land of Silver noble said while Kitsune drove his shortsword high and then darted back to block his longsword's stab at the teen's left knee.

"...deception..." the Duke continued, feinting with his right hand blade.

"...will not..." the foreign Jonin voice fluctuated when he grimaced as Naruto kicked aside his false strike, leaving the Tokujo ready to tag the older man's shoulder with the tip of the staff-blade.

"...fool..." Ruijaku bit off the word as he swung both of his blades inward and parallel to the ground. His left arm stung from Naruto's successful blow, but he tried to keep his shortsword on course.

"...me," the older warrior finished with another frown as the teen caught both his weapons with Kitsune, and then pushed him back. Naruto dropped Kitsune as soon as there was space, and signed quickly.

"Spark Darts," Naruto exclaimed, sending five spikes of electricity after his opponent, and then summoned Kitsune back to his hand before the staff-blade hit the ground.

"Wind Screen," the Jonin countered, but the barrier of wind chakra only stopped four of the bolts. The last collided with his longsword, numbing his right arm.

"Nor will your cheap and dirty style of fighting defeat me," the noble added contemptuously. Naruto frowned at him in exasperated confusion.

"What does that mean?" the teen queried.

"You combine Ninjutsu and Taijutsu with your weapon's form, without any care for honor or style," Ruijaku answered imperiously, "Not that that toy can truly be called a weapon."

"What the heck are you talking about?" Naruto looked even more bewildered.

"That is why you are not a Jonin, nor will you ever be," the Duke informed him, "A Jonin must be a master of discreet styles."

The microphones around the arena picked up his words and carried them to the crowd, and once more, a derisive dim arose from the audience.

"None of that matters in a real fight," Naruto shot back, "And what do you know about me, anyway?"

"You are low-bred, low-class shinobi," the elder Jonin explained as if speaking to a child, "Your father is unknown, and your mother was from a family of _writers_. And on top of that, the only reason you have attained the rank you have, is due to the Hokage's favoritism towards you."

Both Hiashi and Tsunade turned to look at Hyouta. The Hyuga clan leader shook his head in disappointment, while the Sannin smirked confidently.

"Pretty much," Naruto agreement came out as a vicious growl, "But you forgot the most important part of my resume..."

Naruto's whisker marks stood out until they peeled away from his face. His mouth lengthened into a muzzle, and his fingers sprouted claws.

The Duke stepped back twice quickly from the unannounced change.

Naruto's skin erupted a thick coat of yellow fur, and his ears shifted higher and grew sharp points. He snarled broadly, showing the now extended canines in his vulpine mouth.

Ruijaku placed his hands together, and began repeatedly chanting "Release!"

Naruto's tail ripped through the back of his pants, and for good measure, he formed the two, silver chakra extensions to match. His transformation complete, he activated a Genjutsu he has just mastered.

"I'm also the Jinchuriki of the Nine-Tails Fox Demon," he whispered harshly, and due to the illusion, his opponent was the only one who heard him. The noble fell backwards, trying to get away. Uzumaki was honestly surprised by his opponent's response, but kept his visage murderous.

For good measure, Naruto summoned the Fuuton Rasenblade around Kitsune. He attempted to turn the chakra sword red has the Kyubi had done, but could not. Instead, he settled for doubling the length and tripling the width of the extension. The result was unwieldy for combat, and somewhat unstable, but the psychological effect was as he hoped. The Duke scrambled back to his feet, smelling of fear and sweat. The Ascendant Fox lightly dropped the tip of his weapon, and it easily tore a massive furrow in the dirt and stone.

Ruijaku had had enough. He turned heedlessly and ran out of the arena. The stadium fell silent, the observers befuddled en masse. Naruto watched the Mines Jonin go warily, but there was no duplicity in the frightened retreat.

"The winner is Naruto Uzumaki," Tsunade announced, settling her back in her chair with a look of smug satisfaction.

"What was that?" Hiashi demanded of his father, but the Sannin spoke first.

"Ruijaku is a Technical Jonin," the Hokage answered, after making sure the PA was off, "and a lousy poker player, too. He has been since the first time I met him, and I didn't expect that fact had changed."

"And you wanted him to marry my daughter?" Hiashi snapped, "As if the age difference wasn't bad enough, you chose a Technical Jonin?"

"It wasn't as if the matchmaker had his shinobi dossier," Hyouta sniffed defensively, "She provided his bloodline and rank."

"Gai-sensei, what is a Technical Jonin?" Lee leaned forward to ask his mentor. Even with the loudspeaker off, the few rows around the Hokage's box could hear the conversation.

"An archaic and highly insulting term for a sort of Jonin that should not exist," the Jonin answered pompously.

"And that doesn't tell them anything, Gai," Kakashi shook his head at his friend, though he also did not say anything more.

"Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura prompted, and the Jonin sighed.

"You both just went through the Jonin Trials a few months ago, so you understand that it is a test of your skills, right?"

Both teens nodded.

"Well, it is a technical test, not a practical one" Hatake expounded, "The Chunin Exams and the shinobi's village are expected to handle the practical side of the equation, but sometimes they fail in that respect. As a result, from time to time, certain people pass the Trials and are promoted to Jonin, even though they are lacking in combat experience, coping mechanisms, or the like. That sort of shinobi is called a Technical Jonin."

"But why would a village promote someone like that?" Sakura asked, offended by the idea.

"The shinobi in question might have money or political influence," Kakashi indicated the arena floor, "though some times it is done to honor a teacher for exemplary service. Or it could just be a clerical error, someone mixed up the files. And some villages do it to inflate their Jonin ranks, to appear stronger."

"Ruijaku is one of two dukes in the Land of Silver," Tsunade had moved to the railing to join the conversation, "which means, depending on the tides of influence, he is either the second or third most powerful man in that nation. He's too valuable to send into the mines on rescue missions or to deal with earthbound spirits, or to dispatch to the border to fight bandits. But he also has the money to hire all of the best tutors. So, he has the skills, but no real experience. And he has probably never been really challenged either; his personality isn't the type to take it well, so his trainers go easy on him, if they want to keep their jobs."

"Anyway, back to work," she grinned at her pink haired apprentice, and then triggered the PA again.

"Knucklehead, get out of there so we can reset the arena," she ordered him. Naruto had reverted to normal, but remained on the stadium floor. Her announcement sent a wave of confused muttering through the audience; normally the floor was not reset until the damage was much worse.

As Naruto moved to join his team in the stands, Genin and Chunin repair crew moved in, using earth, water, and fire techniques to remove the pits and Naruto's gouge from the floor, while healers restored the small stand of trees from the bombs and blades that had injured them.

"The match between Hinata Hyuga and Neji Hyuga will begin in twenty minutes," the Hokage concluded.


	88. Rematch

**Chapter 88: Rematch**

When the Hokage's voice, piped into the locker room, announced Naruto's victory, Hinata's heart soared. Though she would never have admitted it, she had been worried for her paramour. A small part of her was still concerned he might have been injured in the fight, but she pushed the fear aside. She couldn't afford it.

"Besides," the young woman told the wall, "with Naruto's regeneration, it doesn't really matter how much he gets beat up, right?"

"Knucklehead, get out of there so we can reset the arena," Tsunade's voice sprang up again, "the match between Hinata Hyuga and Neji Hyuga will begin in twenty minutes."

Hinata's breath caught in her throat, and her hands trembled.

"Neji," she whispered. Her cousin was the acknowledged genius, who learned the clan's primary techniques all by himself. He was one of only two Jonin in the last three generations of Hyuga shinobi. No matter what she had learned, or what Naruto said, she was not certain she could defeat him.

And part of her wasn't sure she wanted to. Neji's father died to save hers, because she could not stop the Cloud ninja had tried to kidnap her. She somehow felt she owed him for that. And she felt her cousin would make a good leader for the clan...

Naruto's face appeared in Hinata's mind. Not his happy, energetic face, but his kind loving face. She remembered what she was fighting for; not just for her love life, but also for how far she had advanced, and for her own freedom. Hinata resolved herself, unconsciously tightening the top strap on her left hand kote. She had promised her beloved she would do her best; she had promised herself she would do her best.

'If Neji wins, I will not begrudge him his victory,' she decided firmly, 'but I will not go down without a fight!'

* * *

"Do you think Hinata can beat Neji?" Sakura asked nervously. The seats beside her had been filled by Ino, with Choji on his lover's other side; however the space next to Yugao had been empty, so Naruto had plopped down there. He was still frowning after his match, not pleased by how he won, yet unable to refute the results. But he raised his head and grinned at his teammate's question.

"Of course she can," Uzumaki insisted, without a hint of doubt on his face.

"Nothing against Hinata," Lee shook his head, "for she has come very far. But I do not believe she can defeat Neji. He is a Jonin, while she is only a Tokubetsu Jonin. Neji also has the advantage in strength and speed."

"You're kidding me, Bushy-Brow," Naruto shot back, "Hinata knows all the Hyuga clan tricks, _and_ how to counter them. She's got Neji's number. Plus there's no way Neji's faster than Hinata."

"Then I guess we shall see," Rock Lee did not sound convinced, and Kakashi looked unsure as well.

* * *

The cousins stepped onto opposite sides of the field, each observing the other. Neji could not help but be surprised by the rigid resolve in Hinata's eyes and in the set of her shoulders. And Hinata could feel Neji's sadness, and also his lack of doubt. Her eyes also studied the polearm he carried; the spetum had a six-foot wooden staff, topped with a two-foot long, five-inch broad shortsword. And where the two met there were two crescent blades, one facing forward the other facing backwards.

"Hinata Hyuga, Neji Hyuga," the leader of the Leaf shinobi addressed the near siblings, "The rules of this duel are the same as the previous battle. The winner will be the first of you to incapacitate your opponent, to force your opponent out of the arena, or to make your opponent surrender. Begin!"

Hinata pushed off before Tsunade finished the second syllable of the command. She opened a channel to Ginmaki, manifesting the lightning blades. As she took her third step, she started signing.

"Doton: Stone Claws Jutsu!" she incanted, and a half dozen hands formed out of the rocks in the earth around Neji. The Jonin leapt forward, but one of the hands caught his robes. He swung his weapon down, cutting himself free, and completing the rotation so the blade was facing Hinata. He hopped forward to meet her, jabbing lightly towards her stomach. She caught the blade of the spear with her left bracer, and turned it away from her. She took another step forward, keeping the pole blade against her forearm guard, and brought the sharp extension of her other weapon down on the haft.

"Suiton: Shield of Storms," Neji proclaimed, and a layer of thick mist sprang up around the wooden pole, preventing her from cutting through it. He spun the spetum away, jabbing the back end into Hinata's ribs. The Tokujo tried to dodge, but she was too close, and part of her breath was driven from her lungs. She placed her forearm against the reverse end of the spear, and slid closer to Neji, stabbing towards his upper back. He dropped away, swinging his foot up towards her stomach. Hinata countered with a crescent kick, tagging his thigh, forcing his leg away, and trying to put him off balance. The Jonin drove his polearm into the earth, and used the new point of stability to launch his other foot up, catching her right elbow. His momentum carried him around the spear, and when he landed, he quickly freed the weapon and pointed it at his cousin. She took a defensive stance, watching him carefully.

His technique was still rough, she could tell that much. But the spetum gave him a great advantage in reach, and with his superior strength, he could guide her around the battlefield. Her kote style did not have a method of dealing with polearms beyond 'break them or disarm them'. His jutsu had prevented the former, and she was not sure if she could achieve the latter.

'On the other hand,' she thought, 'Ginmaki might not be able to cut through that defense, but that doesn't mean there isn't another way.'

Neji moved again while she was considering her options. He charged in, sliding his hands further back on the spetum's shaft, increasing the range at the cost of being slightly off balance. Hinata started to sidestep again, but Neji stopped before he passed her, and rotated.

"Eight Trigrams: Celestial Roar," he announced, channeling his chakra into the spear as he spun. The speed of his technique caused the heft of the weapon to hum loudly. Hinata braced her arms in front of her, catching the spinning sword blade on both bracers. The strength of his technique threw her to the side, and she tumbled to the ground. He jumped forward preparing to pin her down.

Hinata placed her hands to the dirt, and swung her feet out, channeling her chakra out through them.

"Eight Trigrams Soles: Heavenly Spin," she stated as the unexpected sphere knocked the airborne Neji back. She shifted her weight backwards from her handstand, somersaulting back to an upright position. He was already attacking again, stabbing out with seemingly reckless abandon. But as she slid to the side, he quickly reversed his weapon, pulling it back towards his real target.

_

* * *

"How much do you know about Ginmaki?" Tenten asked slowly, as Neji leaned on the practice spetum, panting heavily._

_"I know that Naruto forged the kote for my cousin," he answered, "and they are her primary weapon. Beyond that I know little; I have not had much chance to see them in action, nor have I had reason to ask Hinata about them."_

_The weapons mistress nodded, it was redundant to send two Hyugas on most missions, so Hinata, Neji, and Hanabi did not work together often._

_"Why?" he prompted, doubting his lover turned trainer had mentioned his opponent's bracers idly. Tenten mulled over the question, torn once again between her currently conflicted loyalties and responsibilities._

_"If you can't tell me, I won't pressure you," Neji told her, trying to sound reassuring._

_"I can't tell you about the Jutsus Naruto placed in Ginmaki," she finally said, "But about kote in general, you should remember that they are designed for defense. On the other hand, don't underestimate them because of it. And I can't tell you about how Ginmaki is secured. But if you could find some way to remove the bracers it would hurt Hinata's offense and her defense at the same time."_

* * *

Neji had caught notice of the three leather straps on the underside of the kote early on, and he made his move. As he drew his polearm back, he aimed the rear-facing crescent at Hinata's right arm. He slipped the blade between Ginmaki's support bar and Hinata's wrist, and yanked back, sending some extra chakra to his muscles. With a dull whine of scraping metal, the spetum cut through the straps. As the bracer dropped away, Neji noticed first the series of cuts on his cousins arm, and second that the head of the spetum was chipped and dull where it had scraped against the kote, while Ginmaki remained unmarked.

'It seems I have underestimated Naruto's skills as a crafter,' the Hyuga Jonin decided silently, 'If he is still speaking to me after today, I should ask for his assistance in forging Tenten's wedding present.'

Hinata dove for the fallen bracer, but before she could reach it, Neji caught it in the guard of the spetum, and launched it into the crowd, straight for Naruto. Hinata's paramour caught the armor piece with a grimace; by moving it into the audience, Neji had made it impossible for his cousin to physically recover the weapon. She could have summoned it back, but that would have taken precious moments and chakra, and that was not counting the time to find a way to secure it.

The Jonin took a few steps back, signing. His opponent regained her feet, and started to close the distance, but he completed his jutsu first.

"Suiton: Polar Globes Jutsu," he called out quietly, and five one-foot diameter spheres shot at Hinata. She cut through the first with the electric extension of her remaining bracer, but the second struck her right shoulder with a power of a moderate punch, and remained there. As the third hit the right side of her abdomen, the second sphere had started to freeze, and was spreading over her chest and down her arm. She was already shivering as she knocked away the fourth sphere with the main body of Ginmaki. But the ice from the second and third orbs had merged as the final ball of water struck her right hip. Most of the right side of her body was trapped, the frost spread down to her knee and elbow, and even partly encasing her neck. She manage bring her hands together as Neji reclaimed his spear and started to move forward.

"Mi, Hitsuji, Saru, I, Uma, Tora, Fireball Jutsu," Hinata brought her left hand to her mouth, and exhaled a weak cloud of flame. Sakura and Naruto exchanged confused glances; Hinata's mastery of the technique had been much stronger in their last team practice. Her intent became clear as she turned the fire on her frozen side. The ice melted under the assault, while her skin reddened and her flame retardant uniform charred slightly. She broke free just in time to block Neji's shallow slash at her stomach.

Hinata grabbed hold of the staff with her right hand as she absorbed the blow with Ginmaki, but Neji turned over the weapon, tearing it from her grasp before she could capitalize. He jabbed again, and Hinata swayed out of the way, blocking his reversal blow with both of her palms. The Jonin grimaced slightly as his next four attacks were easily avoided or deflected even while she shivered occasionally. He recognized the Whipping Willows style, and shifted his attacks. He swung at her eyes, and then aimed a kick at her still stiff right shoulder. She ducked under the spetum's blade, and pushed aside his leg at the thigh, sending out a small amount of chakra to damage the muscle. He took the minor blow without complaint, and spun his polearm around so she had to lean back to prevent both sides from hitting her neck in succession.

This was what Neji had been waiting for. He continued to pivot the spetum, but changed its angle. Off balance, and lacking a clear view with her Byakugan inactive, Hinata could not do anything as the back end of the spear struck her knees. She tumbled to the ground, landing facing him.

"I am sorry, Hinata," Neji whispered as he stabbed the blunt end of the polearm fiercely at her forehead. But his apology was premature; Hinata brought her hand together as the staff approached her face. Time seemed to slow down, and the Jonin recognized her movement was in vain; the bludgeon would hit her before she could stop it. And for the second time in two heartbeats, he realized he had underestimated Hinata, as the clouds of chakra in each of her palms coalesced and merged.

"Rasengan," she said victoriously, as the sphere shredded the wooden haft of the weapon. The short portion of the staff, on the near side of the Rasengan no longer had support, and was thrown upwards by the spiraling orb. She released the sphere with her right hand, while at the same time expanding it. As the Fourth Hokage's Jutsu chewed away at the oak haft of the spetum, Hinata also sent chakra to her eyes, activating her Suigin Byakugan, determined not the be caught off guard again.

Neji hopped backwards to avoid losing any more of his weapon. In the end, between the broken part that had just crested and was starting to fall, and sawdust littering the floor, he had lost over three feet of the staff of the weapon. His spetum had been reduced to a shortsword with an odd crosspiece and an extra long handle. Hinata kipped up, and caught the falling stick in her right hand, taking a new fighting stance, holding her trophy like a club and with the Rasengan in her left hand.

Neji examined her. Hinata had taken more, harder hits than she had given, but she was not showing it. Her shivers were gone, and though her knees must have hurt, she held her stance evenly. Though he had come to care for his near sister, this was the first time he felt he could follow her as leader of the clan.

"But it's too late for that now," he told her, drawing a look of confusion, "I won't lose."

He threw the spetum at her like a javelin, and while she ruined the weapon with the Rasengan, he withdrew his tonfas from under his robe. Though the wooden and metal bars were not of the quality of Ginmaki, they were imbued with a few tricks and were sturdier than the spetum had been. Neji darted forward, swinging with his right arm. His confidence was rewarded when Hinata moved her Rasengan to intercept and the tonfa was deflected but not damaged. He swung his second weapon at her, and she raised the broken haft of the spetum to block. Neji sent a stream of chakra into the tonfa, and the simple wooden rod splintered and shattered from the increased impact. Hinata fell back, divesting herself of both the broken stick and the Rasengan. Her hands moved with incredible speed, and she was signing her second jutsu even as her first left her fingertips.

"Spark Darts," she incanted, following it with, "Doton: Fault Line Jutsu."

Seven barbs of electricity flew towards Neji, and before he could dodge, the ground started to buck and shake under him. He drove his left tonfa to the ground to steady himself, and spun his right hand bar to absorb the lightning jutsu. As soon as he was stable, the Hyuga Jonin darted forward. He scissored his tonfa, and aimed for her neck. She caught the attack on her remaining kote, but was forced back and left open for a quick kick to the ribs. She blocked it with her right forearm, but her cousin was still at the advantage in both strength and leverage, and pain shot up her arm. She took small comfort in knowing that it would have been worse to get hit in the torso. Hinata pushed away as hard as she could, signing again.

"Doton: Earth Skippers Jutsu," Hinata cradled her injured arm slightly as two flat stones wrenched themselves from the dirt, and bounced towards Neji. He smashed them with his weapons, and in that instant, she slid back in and stabbed her glowing fingertip into his elbow. His grip on his right hand bludgeon loosened. He swung his left hand weapon at her head, nearly clipping her chin, and then tucked both tonfas under his stunned arm. He hit the same pressure point she had, restoring his nerves and chakra flow. The Jonin jabbed at her with his newly restored arm, so she could not land another blow and so he could recover the weapons trapped in his between his bicep and his rib.

Hinata was already moving through a new set of hand seals, but Neji was not about to let her use another jutsu. He aimed his attacks at her wrists. She was able to shift without stopping, causing him to miss her right arm and hit Ginmaki on her left. She also was able to spare a thread of chakra for her kote, sending a reverberation back through his tonfa. He dropped the weapon.

"Suiton: Water Spout Jutsu," she finished, launching a sphere of water at Neji. He struck it with his remaining bar, and it exploded, pushing him to his knees and soaking him.

"Ranshinsho," Hinata whispered, diving towards him. The purple lightning around her hands arced lightly to Neji's soaked clothes. But before she reached him, he dropped his other tonfa and drew his hands in to his chest, before thrusting them out at her.

"Eight Trigrams Mountain Crusher!" Neji shouted, even though he purposely held back the full power of his jutsu. He cut the strength by a third, and softened the impact slightly, so as not to seriously injure his cousin. Instead, his intent became clear as Hinata was launched into the air towards the audience. Once she landed outside the arena, Neji would be the victor. The young woman tumbled through the air, her eyes fluttering in semi-consciousness. She reached the apex of her flight above the wall of the battlefield, and began to drop towards Tenten, as if she had been directed there.

"HINATA!" Naruto roared angrily.


	89. Who Shall Inherit?

**Chapter 89: Who Shall Inherit?**

"HINATA!" Naruto roared angrily. Sakura clasped her hands in front of her mouth fearfully, while Kakashi grimaced sadly. Tenten prepared to catch her friend, telling herself she should not feel guilty about the joy blossoming in her heart.

"What are you doing, Hinata?" Naruto shouted the question less loudly; despair replacing the ire in his previous outburst. His words reached her this time, and her eyes snapped open. The action was more indicative of her restored focus than of a need to see, her Suigin Byakugan was still active. Hinata Hyuga placed her hands together, summoning her chakra.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu," she said simply. Naruto's voice had inspired her to take a page from the beloved's playbook. The clone appeared below her and placed her palms to the bottoms of the original's boots, each pushing off the other. The duplicate began to fly even faster towards the crowd, while the real Hinata rocketed back towards the arena floor. The shadow replica disappeared just before it struck Tenten, and Hinata was completing another jutsu as she landed.

"Medical Arts, Accelerated Healing Jutsu," the silver eyed woman incanted. In the same instant, she removed the lightning projection lingering around Ginmaki. She met Neji's gaze with a new expression. Instead of the grim determination she had shown earlier, she had a deep calm, and appraised him openly.

"It's about time you started fighting, Hinata," her boyfriend grumbled softly, even though she could not hear him.

"What do you think she was doing before?" Lee asked, confused but cautiously smug.

"Sparring."

"What's that mean?" Choji prompted curiously.

"She was trying not to hurt Neji, and over-thinking her moves," Uzumaki explained, "That's why she was relying too much on Ginmaki. She normally only uses the kote as a weapon when she's sparring, or if she needs to cut something. But I know that look; she's finally gonna fight him."

Hinata assumed the Gentle Fist stance, even as full flexibility and strength returned to her knees. Neji did not want to give her any more chance to recover further; he snatched up both of his tonfa from the earth, and charged her.

She caught the first spinning bar with her right hand, accepting the stinging pain to hold the tonfa. She pulled him in by the weapon, blocking the second tonfa incidentally with Ginmaki as her left hand stabbed at Neji's right lung, just under his rib cage. The Jonin braced for the stunning impact of the Gentle Fist, building up a mass of chi into the chakra point she was targeting, and then stopping the energy flow in or out. It would not negate the effect of the Gentle Fist, but it would minimize the impact.

At the last instant, Hinata's fingers curled, and she sent an extra spark of chakra through her muscles. Her fist drove into his gut, and his white eyes bulged as the breath was driven from his body. She released his tonfa, quickly tapping the thumb and index finger of his left hand as she did. Neji just barely managed to keep hold of his weapon with the three digits that were still functioning. He tried to retreat, spinning his right hand tonfa repeatedly to try to keep her at bay.

"I am sorry, my brother," Hinata paused, letting him gain space, "I can't hold back any longer, so you shouldn't either."

"What do you mean, Hinata?" he asked trying to hide the kernel of worry that sprouted in his stomach. Short of techniques that would almost certainly kill or maim his cousin, he was not sure there was much more he could bring to the fight.

Hinata did not answer with words; she jumped forward, aiming her hands at his neck. He expected a feint, so he blocked lightly while watching for her follow-up. Unfortunately, her attack was in earnest, and her left fist sent tingles up his left arm where he caught it, and her right arm clipped the side of his neck. Neji recognized that if he had not shifted to block the first blow, her second could have rendered him unconscious, speechless, or worse. He berated himself for blocking with his wrist instead of his tonfa.

"Why are you still using weapons?" Hinata finally answered his query with one of her own. She opened her hands, and swung her fingertips at his shoulders. Neji dropped clumsily to avoid the attack, and aimed his undiminished right hand weapon at her knee. She stepped into the attack, at the same time throwing the targeted joint towards his nose.

The tonfa hit the heel of her boot, and her knee brushed his nose and cheek.

"You want me to use the Gentle Fist against you?" he shook his head, "That would be foolish of me, given the training you and Naruto have undertaken."

"Taijutsu is your specialty," she said, "whether it is the Gentle Fist or another style. Your unarmed skill far surpasses your weapons skill. And refusing to use your best techniques because I know a way to counter them, that is the more foolish choice."

Neji restored his stunned left digits as she spoke, and the lecture stung. Still, he gripped his tonfas more tightly, determined not to be manipulated. He stepped towards her, swinging at her face and stabbing for her stomach simultaneously. Hinata back-fisted the spinning weapon with her left hand, using her chakra to protect her knuckles and increase the power of her attack. The tonfa in Neji's right hand gave off an unsettling 'crack' as it reversed direction. She tried to reach past the second weapon to tag the arm holding it, but Neji dropped his arm and responded with a spinning kick to the small of her back. The blow staggered the young woman, but she used the impact to roll past him, swiftly rising to stab her fingers at his spine.

"Byakugan," Neji finally activated his Kekkei Genkai, and was amazed by the amount of chakra still left in her body.

"Since when do you have such expansive chakra reserves?" he asked as he leaned away from her strikes, also swinging back his right hand weapon to drive off her assault.

"Training with Naruto consistently for sixteen months has many advantages," she answered, shifting her feet and stabbing again, remaining behind him, "Trying to keep up with his chakra supply has greatly increased my own limits."

He nodded reflexively, rotating quickly to face her again. But Hinata was faster still, she tagged his left side and made sure her right arm remained in his blind spot. Neji took a quick tally, and realized it had been almost two years since he had actively worked out with his cousin. The last time he had done any sort of training with her was she had taught him the Protection of the Eight Trigrams Sixty-four Palms just over a year ago. Recently their interactions had been less business and more social.

The Jonin suddenly somersaulted forward twice, trying to gain enough distance from the young woman to meet her head on again. She was sufficiently surprised by his forward retreat, and he was able to turn around, if only just.

"Rasengan," she crafted the sphere again and darted after him. As Neji turned to face her, she was already thrusting the ball of energy towards him, and he was barely able to get his paired tonfas between himself and the orb. Though he had not been using his Byakugan earlier, he could still tell that this time the Fourth Hokage's Jutsu was denser and the chakra threads were moving faster. The Hyuga Bloodline was better able to detect the edges of the Rasengan, so to his enhanced vision the spiraling sphere looked more like a thousand faceted jewel. Hinata pushed forward, and Neji dug in his feet, keeping the tonfas angled so she could neither force her way past, nor divert for attack any direction other than into the dirt. The wood and metal bars shook under the assault, and as the third second passed, a whine began to rise from his right weapon. He recalled with a moment of worry that it was the same weapon that had stopped her last Rasengan as well as the one she had punched. The chakra-reinforced oak outside splintered, and the orb began to both bend and grind away the first steel ribbon through the middle of the weapon.

"Rotation," Neji spun in desperation, trying to throw his cousin back. The Rasengan shattered the Heavenly Spin where they met, so the Hyuga technique never touched Hinata. The act did make her pause just long enough for him to back away. She released the Rasengan while Neji examined his ruined weapon with a growing hint of rage. He returned both tonfas to their hidden scabbard.

"Have it your way," he informed her, chakra lighting his fingers. He stepped forward, his hands darting independently at her shoulders. Hinata slid past his right arm, while attacking his left. Her right elbow impacted his forearm, throwing it aside, and then her other hand punched his elbow in turn. Neji grimaced at the hits, but was able to redirect his right strike, hitting her right breast and the lung underneath.

"Chakra Pulse," she quickly undid the effect of the Gentle Fist so that her regeneration technique could restore the shortness of breath she was already feeling. Hinata debated the merits of continuing the healing jutsu; most of the damage that the simple technique could deal with was already gone, and it was starting to be a drain on her chakra supply. But if she kept mixing the Tiger & Heron with the Gentle Fist, she would need it to restore the damage that the aggressive style forced her to accept. And if she dropped the restorative spell, she might not have another chance to restore it. Despite her misgivings, she silently ended the jutsu.

'How fast can she form the Rasengan?' Neji asked himself, 'Is my Heavenly Spin faster?'

Hinata shifted her stance, bringing her feet closer together, even as she swung out both her hands at her cousin's right arm again. He dropped the targeted limb, and countered with a jab at her neck. She leaned back subtly, and at the same time pulled her own left elbow back, tagging his wrist. Neji was surprised as he felt the chakra point close down. His fingers darted forward again; bypassing the blockage, he had just received. She shifted her body at the waist causing his left hand to miss her shoulder, and tapped her palm to his, pushing his other hand wide as well.

"I see," Neji said, stepping back carefully, "Before you were mixing the Tiger style with the Gentle Fist, but now you are combining Whipping Willows and the Gentle Fist."

She saw no need to respond, other than to angle one hand towards his gut and the other towards his neck. His response caught her off guard; he grabbed her wrists, threw himself backwards, planted his foot in her sternum, and flipped her over him. By the time Hinata managed to right herself so she could land on her feet, Neji had completed his roll and was signing.

"Doton: Sand Trap Jutsu," he finished an instant before she landed, and the ground under her feet changed from hard pack dirt to soft, shifting sand. Her landing was slightly disrupted, and both of their respective Byakugans registered the minor tearing of her left Achilles tendon. He charged forward, sending chakra out of his feet to walk on the sand like it was water. His right hand darted out, but the Gentle Fist strike was a feint, and instead he landed a weak roundhouse kick on her left knee. Hinata took a half step away, carefully, hiding her left leg from him.

"Doton: Sedimentary Jutsu," she inverted his maneuver, compacting the dirt and sand into a layer of stone. Then she kicked at his face with her left foot. Neji caught her leg, and tossed her again, increasing the damage to her ankle and knee. Hinata managed to tuck and roll as she fell, and as she stood, was obviously favoring her right stem.

"Now you are mixing the Hard Fist with Gentle Fist," she observed.

"The Gentle Fist lacks kicks and throws," he noted, his lowered body tensing. He hopped forward, his foot leading. Jump kicks were Gai's specialty, flashy, powerful, and somewhat dangerous to the user. Neji aimed for her midsection, counting on Hinata being slowed enough that she would not be able to avoid him. Hinata grabbed her left forearm with her right hand and blocked the kick with Ginmaki. As soon as his foot touched, she forced it downward, dropping to one knee to put her weight onto his ankle. Neji's foot twisted oddly, both when it struck and again when it hit the ground.

The instant his foot was on the ground, Hinata propelled herself back up, driving her right fist into his chin with every ounce of force her light frame could muster. The uppercut bowled Neji over; he landed on his butt with his face between his raised knees. She quickly started crafting hand seals, hoping to restore her leg before Neji recovered.

His head snapped up, recognizing her technique. Neji surged to his feet, spinning as he went.

"Eight Trigrams Palms Heavenly Spin," he announced, taking advantage of her commitment to the jutsu, counting on that to prevent her from countering with the Rasengan. The expanding sphere of power struck the startled Kunoichi, knocking her back. As she collided with the ground, the pale beauty was careful to roll so that she didn't hit her injured leg too hard.

"Looks like Neji took care of that glass jaw," Choji commented before taking another bite of his sandwich.

"Yes," Gai stated proudly, "We did some special training for that."

Neji sighed slightly as his rotation ended. He kept his distance, watching Hinata carefully.

"Please, stay down," he said kindly. Hinata drifted gracefully to her feet without a word, and faced him angrily. A long cut on the right side of her forehead loosed blood down into the eye below, which she held tightly shut.

"No, my brother," she shook her head, "That is no where near enough to stop me."

Neji briefly wondered how half of her Suigin Byakugan compared to his normal Byakugan, not that blood or a closed eye would inhibit her vision in any way. She wiped her face quickly on the sleeve of her shirt, and faced him again with both eyes open. She dropped back into the Gentle Fist stance, waiting for him to move. Though he could see the injuries to her knee and ankle had not been repaired, she was no longer favoring her right leg. The Jonin frowned slightly and matched her posture.

"But this will end it," he told her confidently, also with a touch of regret. A seal spread out from his feet, encompassing almost half of the arena floor.

"Eight Trigrams," he incanted, stepping off the duality symbol to meet her. In the stands, Hyouta Hyuga stood, and moved to the edge of the Hokage's box with a look of triumph.

"Two palms, four palms, eight palms," his fingers darted in at amazing speed, aiming for chakra points all throughout her system. He moved to her side, and continued.

"Sixteen palms," he slid behind her.

"Thirty-two palms," he completed the circuit, standing in front of her again.

"Sixty-four palms," Neji grimaced slightly, finishing, "One hundred twenty-eight palms."

The seal broke apart, and the two cousins just stood there, facing one another. The crowd collectively held its breath in anticipation.

"I am sorry, Neji," Hinata said gently, and her opponent slid down onto one knee, no longer able to stand. For a moment, Hyouta's face went slack with surprise; but he recovered quickly, bristling with anger.

"What is going on? Why is Neji down?" he demanded of no one in particular, then he pointed his finger at Hinata on the arena floor, "You cheated, didn't you girl? Someone helped you!"

"Back off, old man," Naruto growled, with none of the affection he used when calling Hiashi or Teuchi 'old man'. The blonde teen jumped to his feet, glaring up at the Hyuga elder.

"It's not Hinata's fault you couldn't see or hear what happened," Uzumaki shouted, "If you're blind without your Byakugan, maybe you should leave it on all the time."

"How dare you?" Hyouta sniffed imperiously, using the advantage of their respective positions to look down on Naruto literally, as well as figuratively.

"Even I couldn't see the whole thing," Kakashi said, turning his face up so Hyouta could observe his uncovered Sharingan, "But Hinata blocked or avoided at least half of Neji's strikes, while every one of hers was spot on..."

_

* * *

"Eight Trigrams," Neji incanted, his right foot leaving the center of the seal._

_"Two palms," he started his barrage, his left hand angling towards Hinata's right shoulder, while his right shot towards a chakra point above her heart. She shifted her stance slightly, so that he missed the chakra point in her shoulder, though he still scored a minor cut into the muscle. At the same time, she gently tapped his other hand aside with her wrist, so that he missed entirely._

_"Eight Trigrams," she whispered, the smaller, purple circle spreading out from her foundation, lost in Neji's overpowering green._

_"Four palms," he struck her left side where he intended to, but both of the blows to her arms were deflected, and the strike at her liver did not hit anything vital due to her movement. _

_"Two volts," her own arms darted out, scoring hits on his right lung and hip. She had returned to her guard position before he completed the next statement._

_"Eight palms." This time Neji was slightly more successful, landing five of his eight attacks where he intended to, though all of the remaining three failed to connect._

_"Chakra pulse; four volts," Hinata intoned softly, restoring her chakra flow, before landing two hits on his left lung, one on his stomach, and the last on his right arm._

_The duration of the opposing techniques was much the same. The 'eight palms' level was Neji's most triumphant set in terms of hit percentage; but Hinata landed every strike, while occasionally undoing the damage he inflicted on her chakra network._

_"One hundred twenty-eight palms," Neji panted the verbal seal slightly, completing the technique more on determination and momentum than anything else._

_"Thirty-two volts," Hinata announced the final strike at the same time her cousin did, but completed it before he did. As with each other stage, her strikes all hit, even while avoiding or deflecting sixty-seven of his one hundred twenty eight attacks._

_Neji struggled to remain upright, but both his chakra and nervous systems where in a disarray, and he had taken almost as many minor cuts to his muscles and organs as Hinata had, but the damage she inflicted was also more critical._

* * *

"Hinata _is_ faster," the Copy Ninja concluded, referencing Lee and Naruto's earlier debate, "So by using a slower, simpler technique, she was able to attack and defend at the same time."

Hyouta Hyuga stared down his nose at Kakashi for a moment, and then sat back down, hiding a look of smug satisfaction.

Ignoring the pain and disrupted motor control, Neji forced himself back upright. He could not lift his arms, but nevertheless he squared himself against Hinata.

"I cannot lose," he whispered, "Setting aside the leadership of the clan, my engagement with Tenten is also at stake here."

Hinata's face darkened, and she quickly closed the gap between them, shouting, "Gentle Step Twin Lion Fists!"

The chakra feline surrounding Hinata's left hand bit lightly into Neji's right shoulder, and the other predator clamped down on his left hip. She lifted him into the air, using his body and the form of her jutsu to hide her face.

"Please, surrender, Neji," she pleaded loudly, and then murmured, "Is that what our grandfather told you?"

His head dipped, and she took the motion for an affirmative.

"You can barely breath, and if you try to hard, you might do permanent damage to your lungs," she yelled for the crowd, and then said softly, "That is a lie. _Your_ relationship is entirely safe."

"Don't make me finish this jutsu," she cried out, added _sotto voce_, "I… _overheard_… my father and Aunt Hiroko talking two months ago. She was representing the Elders, and was asking father to encourage you to propose to Tenten."

His eyes widened, he knew all to well that the will of the Elders was the will of Hyouta.

"The damage to your limbs will take months to heal," she shouted at him, while really saying, "Grandfather is fascinated by her lineage. Her mix of Uchiha and Takamichi blood means a better chance your children will have the Byakugan, or possibly a Byakugan/Sharingan hybrid."

"You might never fully recover," she implored him, then whispered, "Grandfather would never try to separate you two, unless he was disappointed in your offspring."

"But if you don't give up, I will incapacitate you," she told him earnestly, her secret monologue completed, "If that is what it takes to protect my relationship, I will break you, my brother."

Neji considered her words for a moment. He did not think she would lie to him, and what she said fit with what he knew. Tenten's father had been born into the Uchiha clan, though without the Sharingan. Her mother was a Takamichi, a cousin of the leader of the Hyuga's former servants. There was a long-standing feud between the two families, so when Tenten's parents fell in love, they quit their respective clans so they could marry without interference. That was reason his fiancé lacked a family name. It made sense that Hyouta would want him to marry someone with the latent genetics for not one, but two of the legendary Dojutsu.

"I concede," he announced for the crowd, his head dropping. At first, Hinata thought it was an act as part of his surrender. But as she set him down, she realized he had lost consciousness. She looked up at the Hokage's box, worried.

"OK, let's get some medics down there," Tsunade barked, "The winner is Hinata Hyuga!"

Hinata smiled faintly; concerned she had hurt Neji more than she needed to. She swayed slightly as she straightened; she was exhausted, nearly out of chakra, woozy from the head injury, and had lost a not insubstantial measure of blood.

"All right!" Naruto bellowed triumphantly, punching the air as he jumped to his feet. He started to run back down to the arena, but was interrupted.

"Stop," Hyouta Hyuga barked, amplifying his voice with a minor Genjutsu, "Just where do you think you are going, Uzumaki?"

"I'm going to congratulate Hinata," Naruto shouted back.

"I don't think so," the Hyuga elder shook his head smugly, "As per the terms of our arrangement, Hinata's inheritance is forfeit, as is her relationship with you!"


	90. The Hyuga Clan's Justice

**Chapter 90: The Hyuga Clan's Justice**

"However, if you mind your manners, I may relent and allow you to continue to court my granddaughter," Hyouta continued smugly, "under more… restrictive circumstances."

"What are you talking about?" Naruto shouted, angry and confused, "There's no way you can say Hinata didn't win!"

"True enough," Hyouta nodded grimly, adding a slight smirk, "Her performance was surprisingly impressive. No, it is you, Uzumaki, who failed to fulfill your part of the arrangement."

"I won that fight," Naruto sputtered, "Everyone saw it."

"You may have fulfilled one of the Hokage's conditions," Hyouta sounded agreeable, "But _our_ deal was you that you _win_ a _duel_. You barely injured him, frightened him into running, and then let him escape. That is hardly what I would call a 'duel', more or less a win. And that is not even addressing the qualifications of your opponent, which the Hokage knew in advance were invalid, but chose not to inform me..."

"In the end, the fight between Hinata and Neji was just a formality," Hyouta concluded, "I had already decided that _you_ had failed."

"That's pretty dirty," Tsunade stated, reigning in her anger due to the public nature of the forum. Naruto growled wordlessly, nodding his agreement. Hiashi stood up, and moved to join his father. Hinata moved unsteadily into the stands, and approached the Hokage's box with an angry expression.

"I can see I will not be able to go easy on you two," Hyouta said imperiously, "I think that after Hinata is installed as a Branch Family member, I will need to remove her from active duty. She will have to remain at home, performing simple chores, until she learns her place. She is obviously not fit to be in the field."

"WHY, YOU!!" that was the last straw for the former Jinchuriki. Uzumaki roared the slang accusation, and charged the viewing platform.

"Naruto!" Hiashi barked reproachfully, and the young man stopped short.

"If I may have a moment to speak to Lord Hyouta," Hinata's father requested of her boyfriend. Naruto frowned, but he shrugged his acceptance. Still he did not relax, even as Hinata limped up to his side.

"Lord Hyouta," the Hyuga clan leader addressed his father, "Am I to understand that are using these loopholes of language as a reason not to honor your agreement with Hinata?"

"An inaccurate way to phrase it," Hyouta nodded, "But your conclusion is correct."

"Thank you," Hiashi smiled. His face turned grim and commanding.

"Lord Hyouta Hyuga, you have broken a pact with a member of this clan, and have disgraced yourself. Even worse, you have done so in front of the Hokage and the majority of the Hidden Leaf Village, reflecting poorly on the Hyuga clan as a whole. You leave me no choice; I challenge your right and fitness to serve as an elder of the Hyuga clan."

Tsunade laughed triumphantly, while both Naruto and Hyouta looked dumbstruck at the dressing down. The Elder recovered quickly, smirking at his son confidently.

"Fine, let us return to the manor and put this to a vote," Hyouta countered smugly.

"You don't understand," Hiashi shook his head, "I _challenge_ your right to be an elder."

Hyouta looked amused as he realized what the clan leader was saying, and stated, "You want to duel me, boy? I'll fight you right here and now. I may have lost a step or two, but you could never defeat me. You are almost as much of a Technical Jonin as Ruijaka, except that you never made Jonin..."

"I accept your proposed time and location," Hiashi smiled even more broadly, "And as is my right, I request a proxy to fight in my place."

Hyouta blinked, but recovered quickly again, "Who? Hinata? Do you think she is in any shaped to fight me now?"

"Actually, I had someone else in mind," Hiashi looked at his daughter for a moment, and then shifted his eyes ten inches to her left.

"Naruto Uzumaki, will you fight Hyouta Hyuga on my behalf?" the clan leader replaced his formal mask, but could not prevent a slight upturn in the corners of his mouth.

"Oh, hell yes," Naruto agreed immediately.

"No," Hyouta said a little bit too quickly and too loudly, then more calmly insisted, "Naruto cannot stand in for Hiashi. The… boy… is not even a member of the clan."

"That is not an issue," one of the other Hyuga Elders said evenly, "When disputes were more commonly settled by combat, it was a common practice to select a substitute from outside of the clan. The proxy was frequently a Takamichi, but it was considered a mark of influence to be able to find a ninja from outside the Hyuga's authority who was willing to fight for you. It also helped to keep any lingering animosity between individual members of them clan to a minimum."

"You made Naruto a part of this," Hiroko Hyuga was more direct with her brother, having nothing to fear from the Caged Bird Seal, "and you have belittled him at every opportunity. It is only fitting that Uzumaki be Hiashi's surrogate."

"Very well," Hyouta acquiesced somewhat graciously, "in that case I have claim to the right of proxy as well."

He looked around the arena. He was trying to find for Kiba Inuzuka; but the Chunin had not come to the duels, unable to choose between his desire to support Hinata and his wish to see Naruto beaten.

His first choice not available, Hinata's grandfather moved his field of vision over to where the members of the Takamichi clan were seated, but most refused to meet his gaze. Only three acknowledged him, the leader of the Takamichi clan gently shook his head 'no', while Hanabi's teammates Keiko and Kei stared back defiantly. But that gave the Elder another idea.

"Hanabi," Hyouta suddenly spun and pointed to his other granddaughter. The girl jumped slightly at the sudden attention.

"You will fight in my stead," Hyouta ordered. His Vocal Projection Jutsu was still active, and in the stands Choza Akimichi, and Keiko and Kei all stood hastily at the possibility their teammate would be forced to battle.

Hanabi looked over at Naruto, a perverse satisfaction lighting her white eyes. Then she took a deep breath to regain control.

"No," Hinata's younger sister said firmly.

"What?" Hyouta hissed angrily at the denial.

"I have the right to refuse, do I not?" Hanabi asked of her father and the other Elders. Hiashi looked supportive, and the Elders all nodded.

"Then I must decline," the proposed proxy continued carefully, "Setting my personal feelings aside, I am not stupid enough to objectively believe I can defeat Naruto. He is a Tokubetsu Jonin, and I am only a Genin. He is nearly seventeen, while I have just turned twelve. In every measure I can conceive of, he has me outmatched."

Then she smiled slightly, remembering a warning Hiroko Hyuga had given her, adding, "Nor do I wish to taint the results of this battle, by being an obviously inferior stand in."

Her grandfather blinked, not thinking he had been so transparent in his reasoning. He frowned darkly, and returned his attention to Naruto.

"Fine," he grunted, "I will fight the boy myself."

"I know you proposed that the battle take place immediately. But I think it would be fair to allow you thirty minutes to equip yourself."

Even though Hiashi made the backhanded offer with a completely straight face, the Head Elder's scowl deepened. He understood that neither choice was good. Fighting the fully kitted Naruto while he was in casual robes with only two holdout kunai was unappealing. But at the same time, every minute they waited gave the young man more time to recover the chakra he had expended in the earlier match. He decided to try something else.

"I see no reason to delay," Hyouta said with false ease, "if Naruto is willing to forgo his weapons and fight me with just Taijutsu and Ninjutsu."

"Sure," Naruto shrugged, unconcerned. He slipped Kitsune's scabbard off, and removed his weapons pouch.

"Naruto, are you sure about this?" Hinata asked, slightly worried. Uzumaki pressed his weapons into his girlfriend's arms; then taking her shoulders, he guided her gently down into the seat he had vacated. She could not suppress a groan of release.

"No problem, Hinata," he said loudly, "I've been wanting to kick your grandfather's butt this whole last week."

He leaned in and kissed her cheek, and then whispered in her ear, "For our future, right?"

As he drew back, she nodded, putting on her determined look for him. Reassured, he caught his opponent's eyes.

"Any time, old man," Naruto growled at Hyouta.

"You heard them, folks," Tsunade announced for the crowd, "It looks like we have a third match for the day. Naruto Uzumaki versus Hyouta Hyuga."

"Get down there, you two," she ordered, her facade of amusement fading as soon as the microphone was turned off. Naruto raced down the stairs, while Hyouta descended more regally. Sakura stood up and smiled apologetically at Lee.

"Yugao-sensei, will you switch with me?" the pink-haired Jonin asked. The other Kunoichi nodded, and the two women shuffled past Kakashi and Rei.

"Are you OK?" Sakura asked, subtly working her medical talents on her teammate.

"It was supposed to be over," Hinata said bitterly, her mask slipping as Naruto landed on the sand once more, "I beat Neji, we won. That was the arrangement."

"Hinata?" Kakashi called out to her as Sakura erased the cut on her forehead.

"I'm alright, Kakashi-sensei," Hinata said softly, looking over at her teammates, "and I'm sure I'll be even better shortly."

She glared down at her grandfather. Sakura nodded her agreement. Kakashi looked less convinced, but did not contradict his students.

* * *

After a few minutes of angrily observing each other, Naruto broke off the staring match to look into the crowd. His eyes first found Hinata, he who was glad to see looked much healthier, thanks to Sakura. Then his attention fell on the Hokage's box. Uzumaki wondered why Tsunade had not called for them to start, and he saw Ino's father and seven other shinobi whom he only casually recognized leave the Hokage's Box. The whole time, Hyouta's gaze never left Naruto, though he had already activated his Kekkei Genkai, thus saw everything Naruto did.

"What's the hold up, Gramma Tsunade?" Naruto shouted up at her, and the Hyuga Elder silently agreed with the sentiment.

"Just hang on a minute," she barked back. The Jonin she had called upon collected their Genin and Chunin students, and moved to eight points around the perimeter of the arena floor. They stood over the seals burned into the stone, and activated the jutsu contained within. A triangle of energy sprang up from each station, creating a transparent, tangible ceiling over the battlefield. The barrier also extended down the walls in places, blocking off the exits.

"Alright, you two," the Sannin yelled at them over the public address, "There will be no ring-outs or escapes this time. You two will fight until one of you surrenders or is unconscious. But if one of you kills the other, even accidentally, there will be consequences. Do I make myself perfectly clear?"

Naruto bobbed his head, but Hyouta just smirked.

'There is plenty I can do to the boy without killing him,' the elder Tokujo countered silently. He settled into the Gentle Fist stance, waiting for the command.

"Naruto Uzumaki vs Hyouta Hyuga," Tsunade announced again, "Begin."

"Eight Trigrams," the older man did not hesitate, a large green diagram appearing around him, "Two pal..."

His attack and the accompanying statement were cut of when Naruto caught his wrists and held them tight. The seal underneath them shattered. The teen had crossed his arms to grab Hyouta's right with his right and also matching left with left, and now he unfolded his limbs, flipping the septuagenarian off his feet. Naruto released Hyouta's arms, and brought his knee up into the small of the Elder's back as he started to fall. The attack propelled Hyouta forward enough to regain his balance, and Hyuga spun around quickly to glare at Uzumaki.

"When I fought Neji four years ago, his Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms was a lot faster than that," Naruto explained, his voice slightly taunting.

"Rotation" Hyouta ignored the barb, moving straight into his next attack.

"Raseng…" Naruto started to form the spiraling sphere to counter, but he was not quite fast enough. The incomplete Rasengan hit the Heavenly Spin and both jutsus destabilized and exploded, throwing their respective users back. Both men skidded to a halt, watching the other carefully.

Naruto lived up to his reputation and charged his opponent. He hopped slightly, and aimed a hard right cross at Hyouta's nose. The Elder slid slightly to the side, causing the teen to miss, and in turn landed three Gentle Fist strikes on Uzumaki's left side.

"Chakra Pulse," Naruto let his momentum take him into a crouch and fixed the three overloaded chakra points, even as he attempted to sweep Hyouta's legs. The older ninja stepped over the attack, and moved closer.

"Two Palms," Hyouta landed blows to Naruto's left ear and temple, and followed as the teen straightened and backed away.

"Four Palms." the blonde shinobi attempted to grab his opponent's right hand again, and Hyuga diverted the attack to avoid him. Though that one strike missed, the other three all hit their marks.

"Eight Palms, Sixteen Palms, Thirty-two Palms, Sixty-four Palms," Hyouta Hyuga finished the attack, and then pushed Naruto backwards onto the ground.

"Was that fast enough?" he mocked the prone youth.

"You did that without the intro," Naruto rolled backwards to his feet, stunning his opponent, "Chakra Pulse."

"But still not as fast as Neji, no," Uzumaki grinned mirthlessly, "If you hadn't surprised me, I could have stopped you again."

Hyouta wanted to counter the statement, but could not. Any physical damage he might have inflicted on the teen was already gone, and the only change to Naruto's chakra network was the almost imperceptible lessening from the power the young man had spent. The Elder decided the Gentle Fist attacks were a dead end, and shifted his focus. He closed his hands into fists, and created spikes of energy between each pair of knuckles. The tiny blades were roughly twice the length of the projections he used for the Gentle Fist, more solid, and just as invisible to normal vision.

The Hyuga elder threw a slow right jab at Naruto's face, which the teen blocked. Hyouta followed it with a weak left jab at Naruto's shoulder. Again the teen knocked the attack wide, but this was part of the older shinobi's plan. With both of Naruto's arms drawn away from his core, Hyouta shifted his weight, and drove his right hand into the teen's solar plexus. Uzumaki cough painfully at the attack, and when Hyouta withdrew his his hand, blood leaked out of the three small cuts in Naruto's uniform.

"Neat trick," the former Jinchuriki noted, looking down at the fading cuts through the hole in his jacket, "Does this mean the warm-up is over?"

Hyouta blinked once, surprised. He had not expected the boy to know he was holding back, and testing Uzumaki's techniques. The statement also implied that Naruto had been doing the same to him. Hyouta's suspicion was confirmed when Naruto's next punch came in twice as fast, and drove him to the ground almost before he had recognized it.

Naruto followed him down, attempting to drive his knee into Hyouta's stomach. The Elder nimbly rolled out of the way, and then drove his heel into Naruto's side. The teen caught the extended foot before it did too much damage, and held it fast. Hyouta hopped up so he was standing on his left foot, bending his knee to pull Naruto closer. He swung out with his left arm, tagging Naruto's cheek. The three cuts bled for a moment, and as they closed, briefly made it appear he had six whisker marks on the right side of his face. Then the wounds completely vanished.

Trying to escape, Hyouta drove his other fist into Naruto's elbow. Despite the combination of impact and piercing blades in each blow, Uzumaki did not let go until the third strike. Finally, he let go, drawing back his injured limb as the small punctures closed.

"Three blades, one half inch long," the blonde youth announced. Hyouta's eyes widened as he realized the boy had taken the damage to gauge his power.

"Enough of this," the Head Elder announced angrily, slipping back into the Gentle Fist stance. Naruto raised an eyebrow.

"Why does everyone I fight think they can suddenly beat me just because they get annoyed?" Naruto asked blandly, and Hyouta's scowl deepened.

"Alright, let's see what you have for me," Uzumaki told the Hyuga Elder, but rather than wait, he leapt forward.

"Rotation," Hyouta intoned, spinning his body.

"Rasengan!" Naruto formed the orb almost instantly, and carved easily through the border of a Heavenly Spin. But as he passed that boundary, the Elder suddenly smiled.

"Eight Trigrams Palms: Infernal Whirlpool," Hyouta suddenly reversed direction, and a new, red domain formed. Instead of being knocked away, Naruto tumbled violently around the perimeter of the sphere, being slowly drawn in as it contracted. The Rasengan had no effect on the technique, and Uzumaki was having trouble tracking his opponent in the turmoil.

"What is that?" Kakashi asked Hinata. The girl shook her head, just as mystified as her teacher. Hiashi answered for her.

"That is one of the secret techniques, taught only to the Hyuga clan leaders," he explained, "The Infernal Whirlpool is the inverse of the Heavenly Spin, instead of deflecting opponents, it disorients them and pulls them into range of the Gentle Fist."

As the crimson dome abated, Naruto found himself stumbling off-balance toward Hyouta. The older shinobi drew back his right arm, his fingers in a knife hand.

"Eight Trigrams, Empty Palm," Hyouta thrust out his palm, and the column of energy struck Uzumaki square in the chest, blasting him away. Unlike Neji with the Mountain Crusher, the Elder did not hold back, or aim upwards. Naruto shot across the arena, and struck the fortification with bone-shattering force. The rock barrier cracked and compacted, leaving the teen partially embedded in the wall. Hyouta sniffed smugly, and turned to stare triumphantly at the Hokage and his son. He waited a moment for Tsunade to order the shield jutsu dropped, and bristled when she did not.

"Well" he demanded, "What are you waiting for? Call it!"

Tsunade shook her head, and Hinata pointed behind him.

"Why? Are you giving up?" Naruto's voice caught his attention. Despite having his Byakugan active, Hyouta had been so focused on the Hokage; he had not seen the teen extract himself from the stone.

Hyouta shuddered despite himself. That combination would have killed any civilian and most Genin. Even a more toughened and experienced ninja would probably have suffered permanent injuries. But Uzumaki only had a few cracked ribs and burst blood vessels in his torso, and even as the teen shook out his limbs, those wounds healed. Hyouta wondered how much damage he had actually done to the boy, before his regeneration kicked in.

'Would those injuries have taken another ninja out of the fight?' Hinata's grandfather asked himself silently,'Or have I underestimated his endurance as well as his healing?'

'Man, that was close,' Naruto hid his sigh of relief, 'If I had been a second later with that air chakra cushion, that could have broken my back and cracked my skull. I better take him a little more seriously.'

The young man cracked his knuckles, which incidentally popped his dislocated right pinky back into place.

"Ready to keep going?" Uzumaki met Hyouta's eyes with a new focus. The calm, assured look rattled the Hyuga Elder more than the teen's earlier, angry bravado.

"No," Hyouta answered, needing a few more seconds to prepare his trump card. He loosed the back-up kunai in his sleeves, dropping them into his hands. The blades were just over half the size of a normal ninja throwing knife, and lacked the utility loop on the hilt. He quickly fired the blades at his opponent, hoping to buy himself the time he required to prepare his ultimate technique.

Naruto dropped under the first blade, and blocked the second knife with his right forearm, taking a deep cut but protecting his vitals. As he drew upright, Naruto's face was livid.

"What the hell was that?" he shouted at the older man, "I thought you said no weapons."

"You agreed to relinquish your arms," Hyouta sniffed as if it should have been obvious, "I made no such contract."

Naruto clenched his fist so tight his nails bit into his palm, and he raised it as if struggling not to hit something.

"You arrogant, double-crossing bastard," the younger Tokujo snarled at Hyouta, "I have been trying to make this a close fight because you are Hinata's grandfather, and family is supposed to mean something. But I'm done. I'm taking you down right now."

"Now who is making grandiose statements in anger?" the Elder shot back. He finished stirring up his chakra, and spread his feet slightly wider than the normal Gentle Fist stance. He pointed his right arm at Naruto, and put his left at a right angle to the forward limb. Hiashi stood hastily, as he recognized his father's four limbs were aligned with the four cardinal directions.

"He wouldn't," the Clan Leader gasped.

"Wouldn't what?" Tsunade prompted, worried by the reaction.

"The final attack of the Hyuga Clan Leaders," Hiashi told her, drawing looks from Naruto's teammates as well, "the deadliest move a Byakugan user can learn. I doubt even Naruto can survive if he is caught by it."

Hyouta crooked his fingers in invitation, and despite his suspicions, Naruto took the bait and charged forward. He let his hands trail, to increase his speed, and to start to generate a small cloud of chakra in his right hand.

"Even if Naruto's Rasengan has the same impact as on this move as it does on the Heavenly Spin," Hinata's father continued, "It won't be enough to save him this time."

The Elder waited until Naruto was within twenty feet, and then his chakra network began to glow visibly under his skin.

"Eight Trigrams: Angelic Molting," Hyouta chanted darkly, and energy erupted from all across his body.

"The Eight Trigrams: Angelic Molting creates spears of pure, hardened chakra from each point on the user's chakra network," Hiashi expositioned as the chi protrusions extended from his father in all directions.

"Basic mastery is achieved when a Clan Leader can manifest three spears from each chakra point," he explained, "and each spear must be at least twelve meters long. Anyone caught in that range would be run through dozens or even hundreds of times."

The same image passed through the minds of Sakura and Hinata; a silhouette of Naruto impaled on countless pikes.

In the real world, Naruto's eyes widened in shock and fear as the lines of chakra shot towards him.

"If I expend all of my chakra on the technique," Hiashi expanded, "I can generate six spikes from the major chakra points in my torso and hands, and five from the remaining points. At his prime, my father could create seven, fifteen-meter long spears from every chakra point."

The air in front of Hyouta Hyuga exploded in a cloud of blood and smoke, obscuring Naruto's fate.

"I'm sorry, Hinata," her father said gently, "He went too far."

"Don't give up on Naruto yet," Hinata shook her head, her eyes silver again.

The obscuring remains of the Blood and Shadow clones faded, revealing a single remaining, injured duplicate supporting the twelve-foot diameter Odama Rasengan his destroyed fellows had helped him form. The barbs of the Angelic Molting had been broken apart by the enlarged orb, clearing a path for the real Naruto, who followed behind his copies. Without the other two clones to help sustain the sphere, it destabilized, exploding away from its keeper, and splintering the remaining spears in the front half of Hyouta's Jutsu. The force of the blast drove the elderly Hyuga down to one knee.

"RAAA," Naruto roared wordlessly as he drove through the gap, leading the way with a roiling green Futon Rasengan. His chakra mostly spent, Hyouta could no longer maintain his Byakugan, and as the deadly sphere closed in on his head, the Elder instinctively closed his eyes.

Two seconds after he should have been dead; Hyouta opened his eyes Naruto was standing before him, holding the Futon Rasengan close enough to the Elder's head than it was starting to slice away the outer layer of skin on his left ear.

"You lose," Naruto growled. Hyouta blinked, and then his eyes tightened in rage.

"Why did you miss?" he demanded of the youth quietly.

"Gramma Tsunade said not to kill you," Uzumaki answered darkly, "And I'm not in the habit of destroying my Leaf Village comrades, not matter how much of a jerk they are."

"Then you haven't won yet," Hyouta said carefully, plotting his next move, "I am still able to fight."

"Yeah, but you're gonna surrender," Naruto brightened as he said it.

"And if I refuse, that's when you kill me?" Hyouta taunted to cover his nervousness. The boy's shift in mood made him painfully aware of the Rasengan swirling next to his skull. A trickle of blood ran down his ear and dripped onto his robes.

"No," Naruto shook his head with a deep, slightly dark grin, "I'll just drop my hand about six inches, and take off your left arm. After that, if you still want to fight, we can keep going from there..."

Hyouta's skin turned whiter than Hinata's, and his eyes began darting around the arena. He shifted his gaze to his right, and up, looking at the Hokage and his son, imploring them silently. Hiashi just stared impassively, while Tsunade shrugged, but her expression was extremely pleased.

"What do you want?" Hyouta asked carefully.

"Surrender."

"I surrender. You win"

"Now promise you'll stop interfering in Hinata's life," Naruto instructed, "personal, professional, and in clan matters."

"You have my oath," Hyouta hissed, as if the words were painful.

"For all that's worth," Naruto whispered dubiously, then he grinned again, "Call me Naruto-sama."

"I. Would. Die First," the now former Elder bit off each word viciously.

"Oh well, it was worth a shot," Naruto laughed as backed off. Once he was far enough away, he released the Rasengan; though he still watched Hyouta.

"What?' the older Tokujo barked, annoyed and unnerved the continued attention.

"Sorry," Naruto sounded almost sincere, "I just don't trust you not to attack me once my back is turned. So maybe you should leave first."

"Winner, Naruto," Tsunade announced, signaling the teams to bring down the barrier jutsu. Hiashi turned to the remaining Elders with a sigh of relief.

"We should take our leave," the Hyuga Leader told them, "We have matters to discuss."

Hanabi watched her father leave with a practiced look of neutrality, unsure of her own feelings.

Hyouta dragged himself to his feet, realizing his right knee had been twisted in the fall. He met Naruto's gaze for an instant, and sniffed dismissively. Then he turned and limped to the now unblocked exit.

* * *

"It appears we need a both a new Elder and a new Head Elder," Hiashi said blandly, as they moved through the halls of the stadium, "And while we should deliberate on the open slot later, for the purpose of today's events, I believe we need a new Head Elder now. So, I would like to nominate Hiroko Hyuga for the position. Any opposition?"

The other Elders all shook their heads silently.

"She is the clear choice," offered the man who had explained the history of using proxies for clan disputes.

"Very good," Hiashi smiled, and then he asked his stunned aunt evenly, "I trust that you are not opposed to keeping the deal with Hinata?"

"I _am_ opposed to keeping that deal," Hiroko surprised him with her answer, then she smiled kindly, "I think this whole endeavor was a mistake, and the deal with Hyouta should be thrown out. Hinata remains your heir until there is a legitimate reason to remove her. And she is free to date whoever she wishes, within the limits of the law."

The five Hyugas met Hyouta as they walked, as Hiashi had hoped.

"Father," Hiashi inclined his head slightly.

"Don't give me that," the injured shinobi growled, "You planned this somehow. This is your revenge for me interfering with your relationship with Hinata's mother."

Hiashi looked at his father sadly.

"No, this was all your own doing," he disagreed, "You have more than enough chances to accept defeat, but you kept pushing things, forcing the rest of us to counter you. You could have backed down when Hinata showed you her Suigin Byakugan. You could have honored your agreement. But you would not, and this is the result."

Hiashi turned to the Elders, and requested, "Can you please see that my father gets to the hospital, to have his knee looked at?"

"Of course," Hiroko agreed, "Are you not coming with us?"

"I will be along shortly," Hiashi smiled knowingly, "There is one more thing I need to see to here."

* * *

Hinata was at the bottom of the stairs and jumping over the outer wall, even as her grandfather disappeared into the tunnel. She was still not fully healed, but that did not matter at the moment. She propelled herself forward with sinew and chakra, crashing into Naruto's arms. She kissed him fiercely, for once not caring who was watching.

After a minute long lip-lock, Naruto set her down and stepped back. He met her eyes with an unusually nervous, almost shy, look on his face. He opened his mouth to speak and then quickly shut it, closing his eyes in an expression of annoyed dismay.

"Oh man, I am such an idiot," he berated himself.

"Naruto, what is it?" she asked nervously.

"It's just, I spent all my free time this last week working on this speech," he told her sheepishly, "About how I'm not good enough for you, and how happy you make me, and how you've changed my life for the better. I memorized it, and practiced it."

He gave her his patented 'I messed up' grin, stating, "And now I can't remember a word of it."

She looked pleasantly confused by his explanation. Naruto took a deep breath and stared at her with a renew purpose.

"I guess it just boils down to those three simple, dangerous words," he said affectionately, "I love you, Hinata. I was panicked when I thought we might be torn apart, and it made me realize I always want you by my side."

Naruto reached into his pocket, and extracted a small, square box. Hinata recognized the container from Yukihana's jewelry collection. As she clasped her hands over her mouth in astonished joy, Naruto lowered himself smoothly on to one knee.

"Hinata Hyuga, will you marry me?" he asked, opening the box. Inside was a platinum band, set with a large hexagonal diamond, and a smaller triangle emerald on either side. Even with her Dojutsu deactivated, she could still sense the traces of his chakra on the band, and she understood he had made it himself. Tears streamed down her face, and her voice caught in her throat. Instead, she nodded broadly, and mouthed the words.

'Yes, yes, yes,' she chanted silently. It appeared Naruto got the message, because he swept her into his arms again, and kissed her happily. Then he kissed her lovingly. Finally, he kissed her passionately.

Naruto took the loop from the box, and slipped it onto her left ring finger. It was a perfect fit.


	91. The Gravest Matters

**Chapter 91: The Gravest Matters**

"Good morning, Naruto, Hinata, Sakura," the Hokage greeted the members of Team Kakashi, as Shizune led them into her office.

"What's up, Gramma Tsunade?" Naruto asked apprehensively, "Kakashi-sensei made it sound pretty urgent on the phone."

"It is," Tsunade nodded, "Even though the three of you had the last week off; after the beating Hinata received on Saturday, I would rather she had more than one day to recuperate. But this mission is of the utmost importance, and it needs a Byakugan user. So with Neji out of commission for the next few days and most of the other active Hyuga shinobi already in the field, Team Kakashi is my only option."

"I'm alright, Lady Tsunade," Hinata could not remove the grin from her face, and Tsunade's eyes were drawn to the young woman's left hand. Her ring was beautiful, and the Sannin could not repress a slightly twinge of jealousy.

"Good," their boss responded to the reassurance evenly. She took out the folder, looking over it once before handing it to Hinata.

"This is an A-Rank mission, and time is of the essence," Tsunade began, and then she settled back into her chair to explain in detail.

"Over the last few months there has been a series of incidents of thieves plundering tombs and ruins in the Lands of Earth, Air, and Fire, and the smaller surrounding nations," the Hokage announced, "The graverobbers had mainly been hitting lesser targets, and we haven't had much to go on. But last Friday they broke into the tomb of the second Kazekage. Needless to say, the Sand Village is furious, and they have asked for our help."

Sakura nodded, while Naruto refused to look up from the floor.

"And yesterday we had a break," the Hokage continued, "A stronghold of the Senju Clan, buried in a battle hundreds of years ago, was unearthed last month. Some suspicious characters were asking about the dig in the village nearby. And one of them matches a rough description of a thief suspected in one of the Land of Earth robberies."

"So you want us to go to this site and try to catch these thieves," Sakura prompted.

"You are to find the culprits, yes," Tsunade informed them, "But we also need to know if they are part of larger group, and where the things they stole are. Whether you do so by following them, or by catching and interrogating them is up to you."

"However," the elder healer fixed a canny eye on Naruto, "This is an important cultural find, and part of my clan's history, so try not to destroy it, OK?"

"Why do you need a Hyuga for this mission?" Hinata asked curiously.

"To deal with my clan's traps, should you have to follow them into the fort," the leader of the Leaf shinobi answered, "Also, if you choose to track them, your eyes will make things much easier."

Both young women nodded, but a shudder went down Naruto's spine.

"Hinata, I'm placing you in charge for this mission. You three had better get moving," the Hokage instructed, "You need to get to the dig before nightfall."

"Yes, ma'am," they all barked. As they turned to leave, Naruto's movements were somewhat stiff. Once they were out of earshot, he stopped trying to hide his discomfort.

"Man, why'd we have to get stuck with this mission," he groused. Hinata was both amused by and concerned for her fiancé, but Sakura looked annoyed and confused.

"What's wrong with it?" the pink-haired Jonin demanded.

"Come on, Sakura. Tombs, crypts, ancient ruins... you know what we might run into there?" the blonde man shivered at the thought. Realization dawned on Sakura, and she glared at him incredulously.

"Naruto, you're not still afraid of ghosts, are you?" she asked with a slight undertone of mocking

"Aren't you?" he shot back, "They're dead, but not dead. They aren't solid, so you can't fight them; but they can still touch you."

"They're not real!" Sakura insisted. Hinata was torn. She was enjoying watching their antics. But she also felt she should stand up for Naruto, even if she agreed with Sakura.

"Yes, they are. I saw Sagi when I was drowning," he insisted, not for the first time, "He woke me up, and pulled me part of the way back to the surface."

"You hallucinated from lack of oxygen," Sakura waved her hand dismissively, "Hinata, tell him he's crazy."

"We need to get moving," the younger woman said, avoiding the question, "We should get our equipment and meet at the front gate in thirty minutes."

"See, she agrees with me," Sakura said triumphantly, "She just doesn't want to contradict you."

Hinata hurriedly split off, racing towards the Hyuga Manor.

* * *

Hinata returned to her room, and gathered her equipment. Her gear was mostly packed already, but she added a handful of her sealing scrolls to her backpack, in deference to Naruto's fears.

Despite protests from Hinata and Naruto, the Hokage had forced her to spend Saturday night in the hospital, and on Sunday morning she swallowed her fears and returned to the Hyuga Clan's estate. She had been more than a little shocked to find her room had been unmolested. And the pristine state of her quarters had not been the only surprise awaiting her.

_

* * *

Hinata had just started unpacking her smaller bag when there was a knock at her door. The pale beauty approached the door apprehensively, but opened it aggressively._

_"Hanabi," Hinata had not been expecting to see her sister, and she let it show. _

_"Good morning, sister," Hanabi said, unusually brightly, "May I come in?"_

_"Of course," the teen stepped aside to let her sibling enter. Once Hanabi was in the room, Hinata closed the door, and turned to find her sister staring at her with sparkling eyes._

_"Well, let me see it," the tween demanded with breathless romanticism. Hinata frowned curiously, had it been anyone but Hanabi, she would have known immediately what they meant. But she did not expect the same desire from her sister._

_"What?"_

_"The RING!" Hanabi almost squealed. Hinata grinned broadly, and held out her left hand. She walked over to the bed, and sat beside her sister._

_"Byakugan," Hanabi activated her Kekkei Genkai to get a better look at the engagement band. She sighed contentedly, and looked up at her sister._

_"Your choice in fiancés leaves something to be desired," Hanabi said slyly, "But this almost makes up for it. Where did he get it?"_

_"Naruto made it," Hinata informed her sister._

_"You mean he designed it?" Hanabi asked uncertainly._

_"No, he made it himself," the elder girl shook her head, "Just like Ginmaki."_

_"Huh," Hanabi could only grunt wordlessly, amazed, and unable to bring herself to compliment Naruto. Instead, the younger sibling changed the subject._

_"Do you know what is happening here?" Hanabi queried, and Hinata shook her head 'no',_

_"Well," the younger sibling threw herself back on her sister's bed to dish, "You know that grandfather was removed as an Elder. Great aunt Hiroko has succeeded him as head Elder, and there are all sorts of rumors about who will take the open spot..."_

_Hinata returned to unpacking as Hanabi continued to gossip. When she reached the bottom of the bag, she wondered briefly at the absence of her kote before remembering that Naruto had borrowed them as he had escorted her to the hospital, so he could fix the damage Neji had inflicted._

_As she returned to paying attention to Hanabi, there was another knock at the door. Hanabi's jaw slammed shut with a click, and the younger woman quickly maneuvered herself in a proper sitting position. Hinata shook her head slightly, concerned yet amused by her sister's deception. She crossed the space to the portal, and opened it again._

_"Father," she smiled slightly, and embraced her patriarch lightly, "Come in."_

_"Good morning, Hinata," Hiashi said warmly, and took her invitation. Once inside he nodded to his other daughter, now kneeling stiffly on the bed._

_"Good morning, Hanabi," the clan leader greeted the younger girl. Then he smiled apologetically and asked, "Could I have a few minutes alone with Hinata?"_

_"Of course, father," the falsely obedient tween hid her annoyance at being interrupted and excluded. She slid her legs out gracefully, and slipped silently from the room._

_"First, let me say I am very proud of you, and quite happy for you," Hiashi prefaced. Hinata smiled, happy, but also sad. She had wanted most of her life to hear those words._

_"You aren't upset about..." she trailed off, unconsciously clasping her hands to hide her engagement ring. Hiashi chuckled slightly, and shook his head._

_"No," he said simply, then added, "Did Naruto not tell you that he had asked for my permission to propose to you? I could not let him off too easy, but I ultimately gave him my blessing."_

_Hinata looked briefly stunned, and then smiled wistfully. Deep down, she had worried the warmth her father had shown towards Naruto recently had been an act, part of his agreement to accept their relationship. She was finally able to believe that Hiashi cared about her and her beloved._

_"But that is why I am here," he said sadly, "Because you and Naruto need to think carefully about how you plan to proceed."_

_"What do you mean?" Hinata asked uncertainly._

_"You are slated to follow me as leader of the Hyuga Clan," he reminded her, "But Naruto has just gained his own Kekkei Genkai. So by right and tradition, he should be founding his own clan. Having the leaders of two clans marry is unheard of, and would be extremely problematic. Which clan would your children belong to, especially if they were born with both bloodlines? It would be easier if Naruto consented to join the Hyuga clan, but I do not think the Conclave of Shadows or the Fire Daimyo would allow that; concentrating two powerful bloodlines in our clan would make us too powerful. You could also set aside your succession. But in that case, Hanabi would become my heir, and the changes I know you wish to enact would probably be lost. Which is unfortunate, because with the removal of my father from the Elders, you could have strong support from them."_

_He sighed deeply, both from defeat and to catch his breath._

_"I do not mean to influence your choice, or undermine your happiness," he reassured her, "and whatever you choose, I will do my best to support you. But this is something you two must understand and decide upon."_

* * *

"Hinata!" Naruto's voice rose her from her remembrance, and instantly restored her smile. Those were decisions for the future, now was the time to bask in the glow of being committed to her beloved. She started to look around for him, but before she saw him, he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her gently. She felt her cheeks glowing slightly as he released her.

"Good morning, Sunshine," he told her, "Sorry I didn't get to say that earlier. So, how was everything at home?"

"Things are fine," she answered brightly, her blush fading, "My room had not been touched, and aunt Hiroko is the new Chief Elder. And Hanabi actually seemed happy for me, though she made it clear she is still mad at you."

"Yeah, I've got to figure out some way to make it up to her," he nodded, his eyes closed in thought. Then his blue orbs popped open.

"Oh, before I forget!" he exclaimed, pulling off his backpack. After a few seconds, he pulled out a towel, which he unwrapped to reveal Ginmaki.

"As good as new," he told her, grinning, "Actually, better than new."

She turned over the bracers. The sturdy, brown, leather straps had been replaced by softer, black suede. The new straps were doubled and riveted down the sides.

"There is a layer of metal mesh in between the suede," he explained at her questioning glance, "like a sandwich. Chakra reinforced metal. I'd like to see someone try to cut through them now."

"Thank you, Naruto," she kissed him lightly on one of his whiskers.

"You don't need to thank me," he grinned sheepishly and even turned a little red, "I probably should have thought of it in the first place."

"No," she shook her head, and insisted again, "Thank you."

"You're welcome, Hinata," he answered her properly.

"If you two are done," Sakura suddenly appeared between them, looking exasperated, "we should get moving if we want to reach the fort by nightfall."

"Don't remind me," Naruto shuddered again, as Hinata buckled her bracers back into place.

* * *

There were two entrances to the excavated Senju keep. Naruto and Sakura had each taken one gate, using a basic Genjutsu to enhance their vision in the darkness. Hinata was positioned in the middle, her Suigin Byakugan letting her observe both entrances and more. Despite the warnings of the Hokage and her assistant, Team Kakashi had arrived before dinner time, giving Hinata and Sakura a chance to interview the archaeologists, while Naruto stared at the ruins suspiciously.

"I have movement," Naruto hissed into his microphone. Then he continued more normally, "Never mind, it's just a couple of chipmunks."

As the hours started to wear on them, the young adults took turns taking half-hour naps, Hinata taking over for Naruto or Sakura, and both of them not quite covering for her.

"Sakura, wake up," Hinata said gently, just after two in the morning.

"It hasn't been thirty minutes," Naruto noted quietly.

"Something is coming," the sharp-eyed woman told her teammates, "Clouds, even though there isn't enough moisture to support them. And under them, people hiding with chameleon tarps. They aren't very good, but would probably fool civilians."

"How far?" Sakura whispered the question.

"Seven hundred feet," the Byakugan user answered, "Moving towards you, Sakura."

"Let's get them," Naruto cracked his knuckles.

"Hold your positions," Hinata phrased the order for both of her teammates, but there was no doubt who the gentle command was meant for, "We don't know how many there are yet, or if there is another group. So for now, we will wait and keep watching."

Naruto settled back down, and Sakura nodded, pleased with Hinata's analysis. The trio watched as the thick cloud bank rolled in, obscuring the moon and stars, removing all illumination from the artificial valley. Uzumaki's tentative grasp of the Cat's Eye Genjutsu was strained by the lack of ambient light, but both women could still see fine. A few minutes later, Sakura was able to make out the invaders. Had it not been for Hinata's warning, at this distance, she might have mistaken them for leaves blowing in the breeze. Instead she realized they were too dense, and the speed was wrong, and her eyes focused on the mass. Still, she took Hinata's warning to heart, and did not become so focused on this group that she would let any others slip past her.

As the group moved closer, their deception fell apart. The chameleon tarps remained the color of the forest floor, even as the terrain became more sand and rocks from the digging. Sakura shifted her eyes briefly to Hinata, and lifted three fingers. Now that the thieves were close, using sign language was safer than whispering into the headsets. Hinata shook her head, and showed four digits. Sakura returned her attention to the raiders, and nodded.

Naruto was getting frustrated. For all his growth, sitting still was still not his strong suit. Especially not when he could barely see, and the enemy was drawing closer. He wanted to leap down, smash their third-rate camouflage, and find out if there were any more coming by beating it out of these guys. Instead he took a deep breath and closed his eyes, focusing on his ears and nose. He could smell the oils the group Sakura and Hinata were tracking had used on their tarp; they were cheap knock-offs that would never have flown in the hidden villages. Then he caught another scent, moving in from the opposite direction. A pungent, familiar odor he quickly placed as Human sweat. He turned his head to help track the new target, keeping his eyes tightly shut, but focusing his auditory and olfactory senses on his discovery. He inhaled and exhaled slowly, picking up three distinct aromas, two masculine and one feminine. He also detected a rustling of leaves. His eyes snapped back open, and he looked to Hinata.

'Three more,' he signed carefully, 'from north. Moving here.'

He could barely make out her beloved's nod, and though he saw her hands move, he could not make out the individual words.

'What?' he indicated, 'can not see you.'

Hinata's mouth twitched up, and she whispered, "four over here. attack your group on my signal."

Naruto nodded broadly. He silently drew one of his stealth kunai in each hand, and returned to observing the smaller group.

Hinata carefully watched both groups converge. She did not want to let them enter the fort, for fear of damaging it. But if she started the attack too early, there was a chance Naruto's opponents might be able to run. Part of her knew she was being too cautious; unless the three people under that tarp were either extremely fast or Jonin level combatants, there would be little chance they would escape Naruto. But she had to play it safe. When the first group was less than twenty feet from the southeastern entrance, the Hyuga heiress decided she could not hold off any longer, lest they invaders try to make a break for the partially uncovered building.

"Go," she told both her partners, not bothering to conceal her voice. Sakura, almost as anxious as Naruto, instantly loosed two kunai. The blades caught the tarp covering two members of the larger group, dragging it away to reveal a couple of middle years, wearing leather armor and wakizashis. Both the hilts of the blades and the armor were worn with age and use. The woman was taller, and both looked malnourished. Her right eye was green, but her left was yellowed from damage. The man wore glasses, and the left lens was cracked. Both had short brown hair, but the woman had a hint of grey around her temples.

The uncovered thieves went for their weapons, but Sakura had already landed in front of them. She caught the woman's hand before the short blade cleared the sheath, and punched the man in the face. He crumpled instantly, and the other bandit's good eye widened in fear. The Leaf kunoichi tapped the other woman's forehead, and she dropped too.

Hinata landed behind the other two bandits, and instantly swung her hands around, incanting, "Rotation."

The sphere struck the unsuspecting raiders, and tossed them into the outer wall of the stronghold. As they hit the wall, the tarp fell away, revealing two men, younger than the two Sakura disabled, one painfully thin, and the other well built. The heavy thief slid down to the ground, while the slender man caught himself and stared at the teens with cautious anger.

Naruto landed amidst his targets with an exaggerated cry, and quickly lashed out with his right leg. He caught one of the invaders in the stomach, propelling her out from under the tarp. As she crashed to the ground, the clouds overhead started to thin.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu," Naruto split off six clones. Two collected the woman he had launched, while the other duplicates grabbed the stunned thieves. The original Uzumaki backed away, watching for any aggression. But the captured rogue just shuddered in poorly masked fear as they watched the shinobi in kind.

"That was easy," Sakura said suspiciously.

"We're thieves, not ninjas," the individual Hinata had failed to KO rasped, "we are sent to deal with locks and traps, not combat."

"Sent?" Sakura closed in, the dangerous glow in her eyes only partly due to her Genjutsu.

"Uhhh..." he stammered, realizing he had misspoken.

"So these guys are just small fry, huh?" Naruto noted, dropping his three prisoners with the others.

"I never could have guessed," Sakura said sardonically.

"Who is your boss?" Hinata stepped between Sakura and the talkative bandit. Her demeanor was firm, but not threatening.

"I can't tell you," he cast about for a way to escape. Sakura cracked her knuckles, and he blanched, and added, "I don't know who the boss is. We only have contact with the first team. Though I guess one of them could be in charge."

Hinata stared at him, her silver eyes gauging his reaction. Unnerved, the rogue continued babbling.

"But I couldn't tell you who they are, either. They always hide behind Genjutsu when we meet. I could tell you that there are five of them, and tell you what their outlines look like, but that's it."

"These guys are worthless," Sakura growled, "Let's just finish them and be done with it."

"W-Wait," he one of the thieves Naruto had left conscious stammered a protest, "I know where the first team is going next."

"Shut up, you idiots," the last awake rogue hissed, "These are Leaf ninjas, they aren't going to kill us."

"No, we won't," Hinata shook her head, "That would be a waste. The interrogation unit can rip out everything you know, piece by piece."

"Wait, we can make a deal," the second speaker proclaimed, "What I just said, it's time sensitive. They're moving tomorrow... well, today now."

Hinata stepped away, snapping open her phone.

"Kakashi-sensei, I'm sorry to wake you, but this is important..."

* * *

Many miles away, another group listened to the discussion between the Leaf teens and the robbers.

"Those $%*| little rats, they sold us out," a female voice cursed, "When I get my hands on them, I'm gonna !)&+$ their ~*#%, and then #*]!"

"Calm yourself," a male voice advised, "We knew this might happen, which is why they are bugged. Now we need to inform our Lord of what has occurred."

* * *

Deep in the middle of the Land of Forests, Team Kakashi began their stakeout of the innocuous hole in the ground.

"Is this really the tomb of one of the disciples of the Sage of the Six Paths?" Naruto asked incredulously. Sakura nodded her agreement, and Hinata activated her Byakugan.

"The cave expands greatly a few meters in," Hinata told them, "and little ways past that, I can see some decaying stonework."

"And the Hokage thinks it's that important to protect it?"

"Kujira Okubukai is reported to have learned most of the Sage's Water chakra techniques," Sakura sounded annoyed, "and created more than a few of his own. Who knows what kind of jutsu might be recorded in there?"

"Yeah, well," Naruto looked mildly embarrassed by his lack of knowledge, "In that case I guess we better keep this place safe."

* * *

"They are here," a voice reported over the radio.

"Incredible," one of the observers noted, "Almost as if you planned it."

"What makes you think I didn't?" the older, younger ninja hissed smoothly.


	92. Invading Death

**Chapter 92: Invading Death**

Hinata froze, turning her head towards the cave. She leaned forward on the branch, her eyes narrowing as her Kekkei Genkai penetrated the stone and dirt below them. Naruto stared at his fiancé curiously, but Sakura kept her focus on the forest, only sparing brief glances at her teammates.

"What is it?" the pink-haired medic asked softly.

"I see movement in the crypt, at the edge of my visual range," the mission leader reported.

"What kind of movement?" Naruto queried nervously.

"Five human shapes... I'm having a hard time tracking them," Hinata told him, "It seems like they are using a Ninjutsu to hide themselves."

"Or they are just invisible and intangible," the lone male shuddered. Sakura grimaced, but did not say anything, mainly because she was not sure she could keep from yelling at him if she opened her mouth. Hinata simply shook her head.

"I can see their skeletons," the pale beauty explained, though that did not improve Naruto's disposition, "It appears their technique diverts light away from their skin and clothes. If I push past I can see bones and chakra networks. But when I try to look at their faces, I see an outline, like the thieves described."

"I thought those guys said it was a Genjutsu," Uzumaki was still not convinced.

"Those second rate bandits couldn't tell a Ninjutsu, from a Genjutsu, from a sleight of hand magic trick," Sakura scoffed, "Look at how badly they used the chameleon tarps. They probably just assumed it was a mental technique."

"Shh," Hinata hissed gently, "They are moving this way. The big one is carrying a sealed scroll box."

"See, they can't be ghosts," Sakura whispered triumphantly, "Otherwise, they could just look through the box at what the scrolls say."

"Unless they need it for something else," Naruto said dubiously. Before they could continue their argument, Hinata frowned and lowered her chin, pursing her full lips thoughtfully.

"What is it, Hinata?" the blonde Tokujo prompted his beloved.

"They seem familiar," she told him, "I'm pretty sure I haven't seen them before; but I think I have heard or read about a group like this."

"Three guys of average build, one larger male, and one woman," Sakura pondered it.

"Two of the 'average' men have identical skeletons," Hinata informed them in a tense whisper, "I would say that they are twins. Now quiet, they are almost here."

Sakura considered Hinata's words, agreeing something about the description triggered her memory, however she too was not sure why.

Hinata considered her tactical options; to attack them, or to let them go and follow.

'If we are going to attack, we need to do hit them before they exit the cave,' the appointed leader mulled over the two options, 'That way, the narrow tunnel will help to make sure that none of them slip past us and escape. Unless there is another entrance further down. In that case, attacking them now would put the tomb at risk, but they could still get away. And I didn't see these shadows enter, so I cannot discount the possibility that there is another exit. Also, this group is obviously far better trained then the last rogues, so they will be harder to capture and less likely to break under interrogation.'

Hinata signaled her teammates to move away from the cave and close ranks.

'We follow them,' she signed to her friends, and Sakura nodded back. Hinata took a deep breath, hoping she had made the right choice. Naruto noticed her expression, and gave her an encouraging grin and a thumbs up.

A few minutes later, the shadowy thieves emerged from the hole, and it was a tight fit for the largest one. For a moment they stood there, as if waiting for orders. Then, in unison, they started running due west. They quickly took to the trees, hopping rapidly from branch to branch.

'These ones are definitely ninjas,' Hinata thought to herself, as the Leaf trio began to follow. Team Kakashi stayed well back, counting on Hinata's Byakugan to track the rogues. The Tokujo kept them over one hundred meters back, and on a lower set of branches. But the distance was not enough, for after twelve minutes of pursuit, the thief in the lead signaled, and the group began to move faster, diverting slightly to the south.

"They detected us," Hinata picked up speed in kind, abandoning the pretense of stealth.

"How? It's not like they can see us back here, right?" Sakura asked, glancing to her right at Naruto, "Did we mess up somehow?"

"I didn't do anything," Uzumaki complained. Hinata divided her attention, keeping the renegades in her sights, while focusing more closely on their surroundings. Then she saw it; Sakura brushed up against a spiderweb, one of dozens in their path. But this silk mesh glimmered slightly with chakra as it fell away.

"The spiderwebs," the Hyuga heiress told her teammates, "They are using some sort of Ninjutsu to turn the webs into alarms. It is almost too subtle for me to see with my normal Byakugan."

In response to the assertion, she added more energy to her white eyes, turning them silver.

"Great, how do we avoid spiderwebs in a forest?" the pink-haired Kunoichi groused.

"We don't," Hinata answered, "If they know we are here, they might try to split up, or lead us into a trap. So we have to take them, now."

The suggestion was not so easy to complete. The five shadows stayed well ahead of Team Kakashi, to the point where Naruto and Sakura where straining to keep up. As the fastest member of the group, Hinata expected she could catch the thieves if she went ahead. But she estimated their opponents were at least Chunin rank, and fighting them five on one was not a sound tactical decision.

"What... now?' Sakura asked as she exhaled, controlling her breathing to help regulate her speed.

"There is a cliff up ahead," Hinata recalled, "And at the bottom, a break in the forest. Assuming they don't have a trap set there, when we reach that spot, I will catch up to them, and Naruto can use his clones to do the same. The two of us will cut them off, and Sakura, you can come up behind them, so we will have them surrounded."

"You think this is a trap?" Naruto prompted.

"They changed directions," Sakura said sharply, no longer monitoring her words, "So they obviously are no longer heading back to their base."

"They may just be taking us on a wild goose chase," Hinata admitted dubiously, "But more likely they have friends waiting to ambush us, or snares or seals set up to stop pursuers."

After just over a mile of chasing, Hinata signaled their approach to the target. Seconds after that, Naruto and Sakura could making out the edge of the treeline, and the abrupt drop in the earth below. By the time they reached the edge, the thieves were already sliding down, using their chakra to partially adhere to the wall, and letting gravity do the rest. The Leaf ninjas did not take such a leisurely approach; with instincts honed by training, they sent chakra out their feet and ran down the rock face as if it were horizontal instead of nearly vertical. This let them cut into the rogues' lead, but the robbers still hit the ground first. And then Hinata saw why they had been allowed to catch up. Two new figures emerged from the woods opposite the cliff.

"not him," Hinata whispered anxiously, forcing herself not to look at her other two teammates.

As the five thieves drew closer, they allowed their Ninjutsu to fall. Naruto and Sakura had not yet noticed the two newcomers, but they recognized the graverobbers as soon as the veil faded.

The woman might have been attractive, had her face not been overwhelmed by the dark, crazed look in her hazel eyes. She had scarlet hair running just past her shoulders, with a single lock running between her eyes from under her hat, and a full, fit figure, if not quite so curvaceous as Naruto's beloved. She carried the flute in her right hand almost like a club.

The big one set down the box before the new arrivals. He had three lines of bright orange hair, one down the center of his head, and one over each ear. He was quite fat, larger even than Choji, but had powerful arms and legs.

The third thief initially appeared nondescript, with a plain face and black hair in a topknot. But then he ended his transformation jutsu, and his two arms split back into the six he naturally possessed.

The twins had short grey hair, covering one of their eyes. The one with the right eye covered looked hopeful, while the twin with his left eye hidden looked anxious. They both wore deep blue lip gloss, their preferred shade having been discontinued over two years ago.

The Sound Four looked almost the same as they had when they had taken Sasuke, except that now their skin held an odd, grey tint. They all wore identical new outfits, thick, long-sleeved tan shirts, tied up the sides, and loose brown hakama.

"No way, we killed those guys four years ago," Naruto exclaimed, failing to notice the shinobi that the Sound Ninja Four were meeting.

"Why don't you try thinking for once, idiot?" the voice of Sasuke Uchiha echoed off the rock-face, before shifting into the softer, darker tones Orochimaru, "I have made improvements to the Impure World Resurrection to make those it brings back disconnected from my chakra. Unfortunately, this makes them more difficult to control. So rather than try, I simply brought back my most loyal and talented followers."

He had grown, though he was still not as tall as Naruto. In the seventeen months since they had fought together against the vampire demon, Sasuke Uchiha had added almost another inch of height to his frame, though he was still of a slender build. His formerly wild hair was longer, and was pulled into a tight pony tail, reflecting the style the new soul that controlled his body. His eyes were locked in Sharingan mode, but their pupils were now a snake-like vertical slit. Instead of the open front, white shirt, black pants and blue cloak tied around his waist, he now wore a tan tabard over a black body suit and a thick red obi, tied in complex knot.

Behind him stood another man. Possessed of stark white hair despite being in his early twenties, Kabuto Yakushi's sharp black eyes cautiously regarded the Leaf ninjas through his narrow glasses, particularly focusing on Naruto. Hinata instantly realized that Kabuto had two arms again, though the left side of his face was mildly scarred and that ear was still missing. He was also without a headband; for the first time, neither a leaf nor a note covered his forehead.

"Orochimaru!" Naruto roared. He created a clone, having it throw him forward to increase his speed. Sasuke's face smiled smugly, and his servants split off. Sakon and Ukon did not merge together as they were wont to do; but instead spread further apart, causing the two women some concern.

Kabuto charged for Hinata, his kicks driving her back towards the cliff. Tayuya, Kidomaru, and Jirobo all raced towards Sakura, corralling the medic away from both of her teammates.

The twins reached their assigned places, and each summoned a large scroll. They rolled out the parchment like small tatami mats, and each sat cross-legged in the middle. They activated the jutsu in the scrolls, and a wall of red energy sprang up. Unlike the version of the Shishienjin that had trapped the Orochimaru with the Third Hokage, these seals had been prepared in advance and used the natural barrier of the cliff to aid them. As a result each of them was able to create their own box, Sakon trapping Hinata with Kabuto, and Ukon trapping Sakura with his remaining three teammates.

"Why are you doing this?" Naruto demanded, stopping short as the overlapping barriers separated the members of Team Kakashi.

"I needed some new test subjects, for the all of the fascinating new techniques I have been acquiring," the serpent answered, using Sasuke's voice, "So I dropped some bait for the Leaf village. And look what I caught..."

"And the barriers?" Uzumaki snarled, drawing Kitsune.

"They make things easier; they keep you three from working together. And once Kabuto disables Hinata, he can help the other three knock out Sakura. Then, if you are still standing, it will become seven on one."

"Don't underestimate Hinata," the former Jinchuriki warned dangerously, "Or me either. I took down Madara Uchiha."

"So I heard," Orochimaru smirked, "But what you don't seem to realize is that I had been fighting Madara just before you arrived. He wasn't even at fifty percent when you 'took him down'."

"Nice try, but I'm not going to fall for that," Naruto shot back, but not as confidently.

"You looked completely absurd, in your swimsuit and a stolen lab coat that was one size to large," the tomoe in Sasuke's eyes spun faster.

"Well... Even if you were there, you ran and I finished Madara," Naruto did not back down, "I wasn't exactly at full power back then, either. And I've gotten stronger since then."

"And I have spent the last four months collecting ancient jutsu and further improving Sasuke's body," Orochimaru looked excited, "So let's see how you compare to that. In fact, I have the perfect place to start. I, Mi, Tori..."

"Oh no you don't," Naruto shouted, darting forward. But Sasuke's Sharingan tracked his movements easily, and Orochimaru avoided him without stopping or slowing his rapid string of hand signs.

"Mi, Tatsu," the serpent finished forming the technique, "Heretic Art: Five Souls Underworld Connection."

A cloud of dark, cold energy surrounded Naruto. The teen shuddered as the mist separated from him, leaving a feeling that he had been touched by the Reaper. The jutsu settled between Naruto and Orochimaru, and the fog split into five distinct masses, each slowly taking on human form.


	93. Sakura's Chance

**Chapter 93: Sakura's Chance**

Sakura knew these opponents fairly well. She had read and reread the mission reports for the failed attempt to retrieve Sasuke; until the words were seared into her brain. Jirobo used his great physical strength in melee combat, backed up by earth element jutsus. Kidomaru was a mid range fighter, using his threads to trap opponents, and to form arrows and knives to attack ensnared foes. He also had a spider summoning contract, which he sometimes used to augment his own webs. And Tayuya used the sound of her flute summon and control low level demons, and to weave Genjutsu around her enemies. The Leaf medic was not sure if they retained their Cursed Marks after being raised from the dead, but she hoped the two techniques were not compatible.

Jirobo barreled forward, swinging both hands together in an overhead hammer strike. Sakura caught both of his hands on her left wrist. The larger shinobi's attack was stopped, but the stone under the kunoichi's feet cracked, and her feet sunk in by half an inch. Haruno pulled back her right arm to counter, not particularly impressed by the undead warrior's strength. But a mass of fluid struck her, pinning her upper arm against her ribs as it solidified. Jirobo lashed out again, and this time connected, knocking Sakura perilously close to the deadly barrier.

"Hey, guys, isn't that the whiny..." Tayuya trailed off, and her eyes flickered over to where Orochimaru was dodging Naruto's heedless rush, "um... wench... that was hanging all over Sasuke?"

"Sakura Haruno," Kidomaru confirmed, lifting a spike to throw at the young woman, "But don't underestimate her too much, she has been training with one of the Sannin, if the weakest of the three."

He aimed the spear for her other shoulder, but Sakura caught it with a snarl.

"Don't you talk about Lady Tsunade," she barked, closing her fist tight, snapping the barb in half. Then she casually flexed her right arm, breaking apart the hardened webbing. She started to step forward, however Jirobo had completed his technique.

"Doton: Doro Dome," he proclaimed, and a hemisphere of stone formed around the slender kunoichi.

"I don't see what you're so worried about, Kidomaru," the fat shinobi chuckled, "I've got this. She's... lunch?"

His statement trailed off in confusion as the front of the dome exploded outwards, peppering the two closer warriors with chunks of stone. Sakura sprang forward, unconcerned, and her right fist met the still stunned Jirobo's face. She was mildly surprised that she did not feel his jaw break under her fingers, but he still rocketed away, striking his spidery ally at high speed. The two resurrected ninjas rolled briefly from the force of her attack, but when they stood, they appeared totally unharmed.

"Are you going to do something?" Kidomaru grumbled at Tayuya, even as he spat two more spheres of webbing at the pink haired medic's legs. The Leaf shinobi dodged the first, and was hit by the second, her left foot glued to the stone. The taut muscles in her thigh were briefly highlighted as she stained, breaking the adhesive again.

"We don't exactly have room for me to summon my ogres," Tayuya answered slowly, carefully watching her language while in Orochimaru's presence, "And I don't think they'd do any better against that brute than Jirobo is."

"Then use an illusion, or get in there and help him," Kidomaru began signing as he said it.

"Don't give me orders, bug boy," she shot back, but raised her flute to her lips nevertheless. A soft, sweet melody drifted from the instrument, and Sakura's eyes grew heavy. She shook out her head, and pressed her hands together, shouting, "Release!"

Though the effect of the genjutsu was quickly removed, it gave Tayuya's teammates the opening they wanted. The medic's head cleared, just in time for her to recognize Jirobo's fist shooting towards her midsection and Kidomaru's webs closing behind her. Without time to dodge or properly brace herself, Sakura could only cross her arms in front of her body, sending some extra chakra to her limbs to reinforce them. She was lifted into the air and pain spread through her wrists. She would have flown into the deadly wall of scarlet flames, had the sticky mesh not caught and held her. She remembered Orochimaru stating he wanted test subjects, and knew they could not kill her, though the realization gave her little comfort.

She tore free from the net, leaving bits of the back of her shirt and socks behind. Jirobo ran forward to meet her, but Sakura was already signing as she drove her fist into the ground.

"Doton: Epicenter Jutsu," she proclaimed, and the dirt and stone bucked out from her hand. The fat warrior was caught by the technique, and knocked backwards, but his teammates had the advantage of distance and mobility, and jumped over the shock wave. But the quick witted young woman had anticipated that, and Kidomaru found himself in the midst of a barrage of shurikens. While the rotund warrior regained his feet, the spidery shinobi extracted the throwing stars from his wounds, tossing them casually into the flaming barrier. As her weapons were melted in a flash, Sakura noticed the Kidomaru's injuries did not bleed, and closed as soon as the shurikens were removed.

Tayuya's flute twittered again, and Sakura's balance felt off as her her perception of time shifted. Jirobo charged her again, and he seemed to her to be both faster and higher pitched than before. His fist aimed for her face, and she was unable to dodge. She tried to block, but her body did not respond like she wanted. She partially interjected her left hand, but only the last two fingers on the limb intercepted his punch, and they were painfully bent out of the way. Only mildly deflected, Jirobo's fist impacted her right cheek almost squarely, and drove her to the ground. As she fell, the Jonin had the presence of mind to bring her palms together again, and intoned, "Release."

Time and her body returned to normal, and she was able to twist to the side and mostly avoid the trap Kidomaru had set for her. She pushed away, leaving more of her shirt behind and some of her flesh as well. Jirobo grinned as he caught a glimpse of her armored brassiere. Sakura ignored the leering, and repaired her broken fingers and stripped flesh as she slid around Jirobo's next attack. With her wounds no longer interfering, though not fully healed, Haruno darted towards Kidomaru. The spider quickly formed two kunai to throw, trying to keep her away, but she deflected them. Jirobo closed in on her from behind, however she was not surprised, and caught his jaw with a back heel kick, returning the favor of crashing to the dirt.

"What are you doing, you fat, stupid oaf?" Tayuya shouted at her larger teammate, "Why didn't you knock her out?"

"Stuff it, Tayuya," he grunted angrily, "I have to hold back, since I can't kill her. And she's tougher than she looks."

"Fine, I'll play a new song for her," the Sound Four's foul-mouthed second commanded, "While she's under, grab her arms so she can't escape the genjutsu. Hold her arms as tight as you can, even if you have to break them. Lord Orochimaru won't mind, Kabuto can fix that easily enough. Then Kidomaru can spray her down with so much goop she won't be able to move, and I'll weave a few more illusions around her to keep her docile."

Neither of her allies looked happy about being ordered around, but both moved to comply. As another melody emerged from the instrument, Kidomaru continued his retreat from Sakura while building up a larger volume of saliva in his mouth. Jirobo began to move in again, but this time more cautiously.

Sakura shook her head, placing her hands together, and jumped sideways and backwards, escaping the immediate threat posed by the overweight stalker. Kidomaru spit a narrow stream of fluid at her, but she avoided it without unwrapping her fingers.

"Do you really expect me to fall for your plan after you just announce it like that?" Tsunade's apprentice asked scornfully, and then tried to bait them, "Maybe you should use your Cursed Marks."

"We don't have them anymore," Kidomaru admitted freely, unconcerned, "Not that we need them. These new bodies are almost as strong as the level two release, and never grow tired. And as for your knowing our plans..."

Something wrapped around Sakura's right arm, and she glanced down. Kidomaru's thread was wrapped around it, and as she followed it back, Jirobo was wielding the spider silk cord like a whip. He began pulling her in, exhibiting greater strength than he had before. The six-armed shinobi created another clinging whip for himself, and wrapped this one around the Leaf kunoichi's neck. At the same time a thick, cold fog started to form around her.

"Release," Sakura shouted, but nothing changed. She shivered as the water vapor began to freeze to her skin. She tried to escape, but due to their positioning could not. She tried to pull the weaker Kidomaru in, but he dug in with spikes in his other four arms, giving him a stronger base.

"What you heard wasn't the game plan Tayuya called out," Kidomaru mocked her, "Part of the advantage of multiplayer."

The medic tried to grab the rope, to snap it, but Jirobo limited the movement of her right arm and Kidomaru cracked the whip, keeping her from catching the cord. The pink-haired woman felt her eyes closing in spite of herself, due to the cold and her partially constricted airway.

"Sakura!" she heard Hinata shout, followed by two loud pops.

"Help Sakura," Hinata ordered, before dodging back away from the barrier. Sakura tried to look back, but could not. Then there was a deep yelp from the fat man, and his lasso went slack. With her arm free, she was able to latch onto the other silk cord and snap it. She darted back out of Tayuya's Freezing Song, having vaguely figured out that the ninjutsu had a limited, unmoving area, which was why the other two had held her in place. Recovering from the cold, she glanced over, and saw the familiar forms of Sol and Luné scampering over to her, and wide cuts in Jirobo's legs closing.

"Thank you," Sakura panted slightly, as the Sound Four regrouped. Unheard, the Jonin's Inner voice berated herself, 'I need to get Tsunade or Kakashi to teach me to summon something!'

"Of course, Miss Sakura," Sol nodded her head, her right eye still regarding the renegades. Jirobo and Kidomaru watched them carefully, but the foul-mouthed female just grinned and shook her head.

"That third-rate wallflower must be a complete moron," she mocked, "She should be worrying about herself, and instead she wastes time and chakra to summon a bunch of stupid, oversized rats in here..."

Luné's blue eyes widened, and he took a step away from his sister. As the albino squirrel's fur began to stand on end, Sakura followed his example. The younger squirrel turned towards the heckler, and her red eyes seemed to glow from within.

"WhAt dId yOU sAy?" Sol howled in a monstrous voice, but threw herself at Tayuya before the Human could respond. The Sound ninja's hazel eyes widened in surprise, and she barely brought her flute up in time to block the rodent's fierce swing with her shortsword. Even though the instrument was made of weapons grade steel and chakra hardened, Sol's blade still put a nick in it. The squirrel drew a second blade from her sash, and dropped down lower, skipping past Tayuya and screaming triumphantly as she scored deep cuts in the woman's stomach. The undead kunoichi healed quickly and did not feel pain, but instinctively grimaced from the attack.

"I always told her, her mouth would get her in trouble," Kidomaru said dumbly, to shocked by what was happening to react further. Both revived renegades just watched in amazement as Sol darted back and forth past Tayuya, landing repeated cuts on the Human. Jirobo nodded slowly.

"What just happened?" Sakura asked Luné cautiously, wondering if she had underestimated Hinata's summoning contract.

"My sister has two berserker buttons," the black furred rodent answered, "Insulting Hinata, and insulting the ninja squirrel clan. That person just managed to hit both buttons in one sentence."

He sighed, and tightened his grip on his own weapon, "I better get in there. Sol will come to her senses in about thirty seconds, and then she'll be the one in trouble. Can you handle the other two?"

Sakura shivered from the residual cold, but bobbed her head, stating, "I think so, yes."

As the Leaf ninja watched, Tayuya recovered from her shock, and was starting to hold her own against the rabid squirrel. She drew a dagger in her left hand, and continued to use her flute like a rod. As the Human started to gain ground, the second summoned rodent hit her. Unlike his out of control sister, Luné hit the flute player carefully and deliberately, slicing through her left hamstring while she was focused on the albino squirrel. Tayuya's leg crumpled briefly, but the normally crippling attack vanished almost instantly, and the Sound ninja glanced back at the new attacker balefully.

As much as she wanted to spring out and strike at Kidomaru and Jirobo while they were distracted, Sakura recognized that their physical attacks so far had not hurt the Sound Four, immediately or cumulatively. She knew she would have to try something else.

'Neither my fire or lightning techniques are particularly advanced,' she reminded herself, 'And air and earth jutsus are just more physical damage. Or maybe physical attacks could work, if they are strong enough. These guys can ignore normal cuts, but what about dismemberment, or acid?'

"Are you going to give up?" Kidomaru asked, recovering his focus when he noticed her pensive observation of the two resurrected men.

"Not hardly," Haruno snapped, "I've spent the last four years wondering what would have happened if I had gone after your guys with Shikamaru's squad. Could I have helped them beat you, sparing my friends some pain? Could I have stood with Naruto against Sasuke, and convinced him to come back? Or would I have just been in the way?"

The medic tugged on her gloves, and met both of their eyes unflinchingly, "But now it's my turn. I'm not the tagalong girl I was back then. I have trained with the strongest woman in the world. I'm a Jonin. I defeated Sasori of the Red Sand. And I'm going to make you pay for breaking up our team and hurting my friends."

"The only hesitation you saw," Sakura declared confidently, "was me trying to decide _how_ to kill you."

The medic thought of one more thing she wanted to try. She closed her fingers tightly, and lightning began to crackle around them. This was her own technique, the Ranshinsho upgraded with elements of the Chidori to not only disrupt an opponent's nervous system, but also deliver severe electrical burns.

'Assuming those guys still run on neuro-electrical energy,' Inner Sakura reminded her main personality.

Neither of the now younger men appeared impressed by her speech. Sakura sent a spike of chakra into her legs, instinctively enhancing her strength. Tsunade's technique was not so useful for distance running, but it was great for covering short distances with single bound, and the teen healer crossed the space between herself and Jirobo before the fat ninja could prepare himself. She exhaled loudly, and drove her fist into his throat. Kidomaru blinked, and fired a trio of silken spikes at her, but Sakura was already moving away as strongman rocketed back, gagging pitiably.

'And?' the medic asked silently, watching the fallen shinobi carefully, even as she dropped beneath the spider's newly launched net, and slid forward to get out from under it. Though his fingers and toes twitched erratically, Jirobo was able to sit up, still coughing. He rose unsteadily to his feet, and the charred hand print in his throat was visibly fading, though nowhere near as quickly as his other wounds. He raised his right arm slowly, and it jerked once at the elbow. As he swung it around, the random movements in his fingers stopped.

'Neither success not failure,' she reported to herself, 'so I'll try the other.'

She caught another saliva silk spike, and snapped it, while dodging two more. Jirobo started to rumble towards her, but Sakura had already retrieved her weapons scroll, and reached into it. The big man hesitated as she drew forth her heavy, wickedly sharp axe. Both of her opponents stopped, watching her carefully.

"I know," she nodded, her grin dark, "Getting slashed by a kunai or stabbed with a shuriken is one thing. But how will those corpse-like bodies of yours deal with dismemberment? Or beheading?"

"Severed limbs can be reattached," Kidomaru said, trying to hide his uncertainty, "Not that we will give you the chance to see it."

He built up his silk until it had formed two extra large scimitars. Either one of the curved blades would have been too heavy for an average ninja to use, even with two hands, but as the spider passed them to his bulky comrade, Jirobo caught one in each hand, and swung them around effortlessly. After creating the blades, Kidomaru created a pair of bows for himself. He used two hands to hold each bow, and spit an arrow into each of his open palms, drawing them back and watching for his opening. Jirobo's bulk blocked Sakura's slender form, but their plan called for him to maneuver her into his teammate's line of fire and tie up her arms so she couldn't block.

As Sol calmed down, she found herself slightly out of breath, and glad that her brother was there to pick up the slack. Luné knew he could not match most Humans in strength, so he focused on his speed, and on crippling shots on Tayuya's legs and lower body. Normally, it would have been an effective strategy, but the crimson haired rogue had not suffered the expected loss of mobility. Instead, as Sol fell back, panting, Tayuya began only halfheartedly blocking Luné's attacks with her left hand, and again lifted her flute to her lips. Though the instrument was not designed for one handed playing, she was still able to form enough of a tune to shape her chakra into a new jutsu. Demonic howls filled the valley, echoing from outside the wall of flames. Demonic wolves, each looking like nothing so much as an artist's interpretation of a Hunt Spirit, stalked through the barrier towards the rodent ninjas.

Luné's tail flicked in worry, unsure if this was an illusion or some sort of summoning.

"Futon..." Sol returned her swords to her sash, and began to slowly gather her energy. She had made it a point to work on her wind techniques since the incident with the Two-Tails Cat.

"Four Winds Scattering," she completed the jutsu, launching what appeared to be a ball of wind at Tayuya. The air instantly burst away from the Human's head, leaving her in a vacuum. The sound from the flute vanished, as did the illusionary predators.

"Nice try, little rat," Tayuya mouthed, but without air to carry it, no sound emerged. Both squirrels read her lips as she continued, "But I don't have to breath anymore."

"But you can't... play any more either," Sol countered tiredly, backing away from the Human while keeping her forepaws together to maintain the ninjutsu, "And from what I saw, both when we arrived and just now, you use your flute for most of your techniques, don't you?"

Tayuya couldn't hear the response, and had difficulty reading the rodent's lips, but she appeared to have gotten the message. She tried to charge the younger summoned animal, but Luné intercepted her, tripping her with his sword and tail. Tayuya quickly turned over, and lashed out with her right hand, catching the male squirrel in the chest with her reinforced woodwind. No match for her strength, Luné sailed briefly, and them rolled along the ground, managing to stop himself perilously close to the deadly enclosure. He pulled himself back up carefully, in obvious pain. The warrior rodent took a deliberate, disciplined breath, and tightened his sash around his cracked ribs. He noticed Tayuya getting close to his sister, and darted back into the fray.

Sakura Haruno was not stupid. Out of the ninjas in the Hidden Leaf village, she was easily in the top ten percent for intellect. So she was quite aware that Jirobo was carefully trying to make her move out from behind him. Though she knew they were not allowed to kill her, she expected taking Kidomaru's rough arrows in the knees or ankles would take her out of the fight without endangering her life. And while Jirobo was not stronger than her, he was able to put everything he had into every strike, and it was beginning to wear on her. The scimitars were sturdier than she had expected, and the fat man wielded his twin blades with practiced skill. As a result she had not had an opportunity to make good on her earlier threat. Any time she attempted a counter attack, Jirobo would block with one of his swords, while stabbing at her with the other.

"OK, that's just stupid," Sakura murmured aloud. As she dodged a strike at her torso a ludicrous yet familiar plan formed in her mind.

'Naruto level stupid,' she continued internally, 'so it just might work.'

She allowed Jirobo to guide her, listening carefully to the creaking of Kidomaru's bows. Then she quickly hopped further to the side, putting herself between the spider and the big man. As she expected, Jirobo stepped back and away from her, giving his ally an opening. But as Kidomaru unleashed the first miniature javelin, she was already turning. She flung her axe sidearm, deflecting the arrow mid flight. Kidomaru's eyes widened, and he loosed the second projectile before bringing up his bows to guard his body. The ranged weapons were not as tough as the swords he had made, and both splintered, though they were still able to deviate the heavy weapon harmlessly over his head.

The mistimed second arrow struck Sakura in the abdomen. As it did, she disappeared in a puff of smoke, and the bolt shattered on the steel head of her axe.

"Substitution?" Kidomaru croaked in surprise, and started to whirl around.

"Weapon Summoning Jutsu," Sakura yelled from behind him, and the axe returned to her hands as it fell. She swung it down with all of her considerable strength. The massive blade sheered through Kidomaru's first two left shoulders as he started to dive away, which was the only thing that allowed him to keep his bottom left arm.

Kidomaru skidded to a halt, trying to glare hatefully at her, but too caught up in fear to be successful. Neither wound bled, and his insides looked more like an expensive anatomy model than living tissue. His severed arms flopped briefly, but ultimately just lay still on the rocky ground. Sakura wanted to observe them, but her attention was ripped away.

"Back off, jerks!" a distinctly feminine voice ordered from outside the Shishienjin, and everyone in both enclosures paused to look. Though Sakura did not recognize the voice, she felt the phrasing and intonation were a dead ringer for Naruto. She could barely make out two figures standing defensively in front of Naruto. One was completely hidden between the flames and Naruto's body, but the other looked like a woman with long cyan hair and a snow white shozoku.

"We won't let you lay one finger on our son," the other figure agreed.

"No way," the pink-haired Kunoichi heard Hinata gasp in amazement.

"Sol, isn't that..." Luné's voice trailed off in awe, and his sister nodded.

Though she was curious, Tsunade's apprentice was not about to let the advantage pass again. She swung her axe horizontally at Kidomaru's throat. The arachnid impersonator recognized the flashing metal an instant to late, and the steel cleaved halfway through his neck. With a grimace, one of his hands reached up, and pushed his head back down. The skin and bone began to seal immediately, but Sakura did not fail to notice that his missing arms had not changed on either side.

'It's not regeneration,' the medic decided, 'it is more like mechanical repair."

Jirobo leaped past his maimed teammate's head, scissoring his scimitars towards her left shoulder. Sakura interposed her blade, and this time the hardened silk blade in his right hand cracked on the axe. He did not react to the damage, instead he quickly reversed his intact weapon, angling it towards her right side. Sakura had to step back and drop the hilt of her axe to block, lest she be disemboweled. This was what he wanted, her movement allowed him to hook his foot under the closer of Kidomaru's severed limbs, and kick it back towards his ally. The spider caught the arm, and pressed it to his shoulder, and the appendage started to reconnect to his body.

'I was afraid of that,' Sakura frowned, 'but I'm not too surprised. Still there has to be some way to use this weakness...'

She sliced through the thread Kidomaru sent towards his remaining arm, not wanting to lose her last specimen, as she considered the problem.


	94. Hinata's Worry

**Chapter 94: Hinata's Worry**

Hinata's silver eyes told her that the barrier containing her and Kabuto was much larger than the one trapping Sakura with the remaining Sound Four shinobi. She doubted it was a mistake on the part of Sakon or Ukon; she decided it must be deliberate. What she was not sure of, was why Kabuto was given more room than his three juniors.

Since the barrier had ascended, Hinata had not made an aggressive moves. Yakushi had thrown some kunai at her, to test her focus, but she simply blocked the knives without changing her expression, or her careful observation of him. Her behavior had started to grate on the renegade medic, and when he noticed her glancing at his replacement limb, he thought he understood her interest.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Kabuto asked angrily, "Is it the new arm?"

"It doesn't look like a graft," Hinata noted warily, "Your skin and even bones are unmarked, as if you had never replaced your arm in the first place. I'm not a medical expert, but I would not have thought that was possible, especially since Naruto reported you cauterized the wound so you could escape."

"This might not be possible for medical shinobi bound by the restrictions the Leaf imposes," he agreed, "But between my medical jutsu, and Orochimaru's necromantic skills, we were able to regenerate my arm."

"You used Naruto's blood, didn't you?" she prompted dangerously, thinking she recognized a lingering aura around the appendage.

"He left enough of it on my clothes," Kabuto tried to pretend her insight did not rattle him, "But that was only a small part of the overall jutsu."

He formed a set of chakra scalpels in his left hand, to show that the arm was fully functional. He darted towards Hinata swinging horizontally with the three surgical blades, but she avoided him easily. He stabbed and slashed with speed and precision, and still she fluidly slid around his attacks. The Hyuga heiress hopped back, still watching him as she had before, to his continued annoyance. She continued to dodge his strikes without countering, while still studying his face with her silver eyes. As he started to prepare a water jutsu, Hinata suddenly spoke.

"Why did you do it?" she asked softly, as if afraid of the answer.

"Do what? Betray the Leaf?" he stopped, confused.

"No, I know that your loyalty was never with us," she shook her head, and placed her right hand over her left breast protectively, "Why did you help me?"

Understanding dawned on him, and he smiled darkly.

"You were already a wanted traitor, and you were preparing to invade the Konohagakure," she continued quickly, "So why would you take the time to help one injured girl, when your plans should have killed her anyway?"

"You weren't just 'injured'," he informed her smugly, "You were dying. If I hadn't interceded, you would have been dead in a week, ten days at most, invasion or not."

"Why?" tears of frustration formed around the bottom of her still metallic eyes, "I don't think it was compassion, not after everything I've seen and heard of you. Was it some part of your plans? Were you going to use me in some way?"

"Don't flatter yourself," he barked a laugh, "What possible use could we have had for you? You're a third rate ninja, and your father favors your sister."

"Was it for your experiments?" she pressed, "Last year, you told Naruto you wanted to study my eyes."

"That was a spur of the moment impulse," he shrugged.

"Then why?" she demanded. Though her outburst amused him, a small part of him was also unsettled.

"The truth?" he said seriously, his eyes hidden by the sheen of his glasses, "It was for my pride. There you were, the first daughter of the vaunted Hyuga clan. And even though the best and brightest of the Leaf Ninja Medical Corps had had over a month to fix you up, all they could do was delay the inevitable. And in five minutes, I was able to diagnose and repair the damage Neji did to your heart. I wanted to show them how weak and ineffectual they were. I helped you, to prove that I was superior. That's all."

Hinata was not sure how to react. For all her fears and worries, in the end she was just an incidental pawn in Kabuto's boasting. The pale beauty felt relief, anger, and sadness, all at once. Instead she just smiled at him and nodded.

"Thank you for telling me," she said earnestly. Then her face turned stern, the hesitation drained away and her silver eyes narrowed.

"Shall we continue?" she asked. She dropped into her fighting stance, and darted forward, slipping past his waiting blades, and tagging his left hip. She continued past him, and drove her Gentle Fist laced fingers into his back, just above his right kidney. Pain flooded his lower back, but Kabuto ignored it as turn to face her. Before he could attack again, Hinata hit his right arm, disrupting the chakra scalpels he was maintaining.

'She's fast,' he thought anxiously, 'maybe even faster than Orochimaru is now.'

Kabuto dropped low, and aimed a heel kick at her knee. As he hoped, she jumped back, giving him the time he needed.

"Inu, Tatsu," he signed quickly, knowing he had only bought himself a few heartbeats, "Medical Art: Ki Line Jutsu."

He brought his left hand to his left hip, back, and right wrist, restoring the damage Hinata had done to his chakra network. While the young woman recovered from the dodge, she observed the technique. It was not as quick as the Chakra Pulse, and required him to manually restore each individual tenketsu, instead of just fixing the entire network. But it also required less energy to use.

Kabuto did not wait, but began signing again, as he had before she interrupted him with her queries.

"Ushi, Uma, Hitsuji, Ushi, I, Suiton: Fire Hose Jutsu," he intoned, firing the dense column of water at Hinata. As the liquid raced towards her, the Tokujo extended her arms and spun her body around.

"Eight Trigrams Palms Heavenly Spin, "she countered, and the expanding dome broke apart the stream, though some of the liquid still passed through the barrier, soaking her. Kabuto kept up the pressure, drawing back in some of the water she had deflected, and pulling more out of the air and ground. Hinata continued spinning the chakra around her, disrupting the power of the attack. Finally Kabuto quit, but he was already signing again.

"Doton: Mud Cephalopod Jutsu," he slammed his palm into the ground. The mud created by his previous jutsu began to writhe towards Hinata, forming into the tentacles of a squid.

"Fireball Jutsu," she quick spit flames onto the ground in front of her, evaporating the water and partially drying herself with the backlash heat. Kabuto's jutsu fell apart, no longer having the liquid to sustain itself. Hinata straightened, her uniform still clinging to her curvaceous body in places. Kabuto regarded her with a new look of respect, and an unhealthy dose of lust.

'Is this really the same girl who quaked in fear at Neji's words?' he wondered, trying to tell himself that he wasn't worried. Then Hinata's eyes widened, and her head shifted so that she was looking past him. She charged forward, but her course wouldn't take her anywhere near him.

"Sakura!" Hinata cried out in fear, and then bit her thumb, spreading the blood to each finger tip. The pale kunoichi stopped just short of the Shishienjin, and slammed her palm into the ground.

"Summoning Jutsu!" she incanted, and Sol and Luné appeared on the far side of the barrier.

"Help Sakura," she ordered them quickly, before turning to face the approaching Kabuto. The two squirrels drew their kunai shaped shortswords from under their sashes, and loped towards the closest Human, an overweight shinobi with a mohawk.

"That was dangerous," he told her, "turning your back on me to interfere with another fight."

"I never turn my back on anyone," she countered simply, "And I had to help my teammate."

"Suiton: Water Slice," he gestured downwards, and some of the remaining water became an extended blade around his right arm, cutting towards the young woman. She sidestepped easily, and also avoided the return strike.

'He is trying to kill me,' Hinata noted, surprised Kabuto would disobey Orochimaru.

"Doton: Stone Claws Jutsu," she countered, rocky talons erupting from the ground to grab at the renegade medic. For in instant, she appeared to have snared him. But then Kabuto vanished in a puff of smoke, and her jutsu was trapping a medium sized chunk of granite. Her opponent appeared on the far side of the enclosure. He threw a pair of real scalpels at her, and she deflected them with Ginmaki before racing towards him.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu," she proclaimed, and dropped her hand back for the clone. A mass of light blue chakra swirled above her palm, slowly taking shape. The duplicate woman's hands started darting in, adding purple lightning chakra to the mix.

'It's like Naruto did, when we fought over Tsunade,' he recognize, the muscles in his chest clenching in memory of the pain, 'but not. It is different, stronger. I can't let her hit me with that.'

"Raiton: Rasengan," Hinata intoned, as the clone disappeared. She thrust the sphere towards Kabuto, who began frantically signing.

"Ninja Art: Energy Net Jutsu," he called out with a hint of desperation. A new barrier of condensed chakra appeared between them, taking on the form of a web of crisscrossed lines of green lightning. Sparks showered both of them as green lightning and purple lightning clashed. As it was designed to do, the Energy Net pulled off bits of the chakra in the Rasengan, channeling them away. But Hinata's technique was more powerful, and though the orb of swirling lightning was weakened, it still tore through Kabuto's defense. Watching his end approach, Kabuto placed his hands together in the same gesture Hinata had used earlier.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!" the renegade shouted, and seven copies appeared in the rapidly diminishing distance between himself and Naruto's fiancé. They threw themselves at her recklessly, grabbing for her arms and body to slow her down, or even just standing in the path of her upgraded version of the Fourth Hokage's jutsu. She struck at the clones with her free hand, destroying the ones who tried to slow her. And the Raiton: Rasengan took care of the suicidal copies.

But by the time she was done, the real Kabuto had escaped, moving behind her, and was preparing more scalpels. The solid surgical knives were easier and more stable for throwing than the chakra versions, if not as sharp, and he fired four of them at the teen. Hinata dismissed the Rasengan, not wanting to waste energy charging him with it again. In the same move, she stopped his attacks with Ginmaki again. But his projectiles were a distraction, as he readied his next technique.

Kabuto sliced open his thumbs, spreading a line of blood down each of his forearms. He began to sign quickly, and then slammed both palms into the ground. As he did, Hinata suddenly understood why their cage was so much larger.

Yakushi now stood on the one of the two heads of a giant snake. Though partially coiled, the reptile would have been just over eighty meters long if fully extended. Its left head lifted a little higher so it could look at Human standing on its right skull.

"Kabuto," the snake's two voices rumbled neutrally, and in unison.

"Keishi," the medic inclined his head slightly.

"Why am I summoned?" the beast asked.

"I am tasked with capturing this young woman," Kabuto answered formally, "And I request your assistance in incapacitating her."

"Are you having trouble with one little girl?" the snake seemed amused.

"She is heir to one of the legendary Dojutsu," the summoner answered, "and there is much more to her than her appearance suggests."

"We shall see," the scaled behemoth agreed. He started to lean down towards Hinata, when something else drew their attention.

"Back off, jerks!" a distinctly feminine voice ordered from outside the Shishienjin. Hinata felt the voice reminded her of hearing Naruto speak, and Kabuto and Keishi also turned to look. The woman who had shouted was standing between Naruto and four other figures. The kunoichi wore a tight, short dress-style shozoku, exhibiting her fine figure. She had white spandex shorts underneath to preserve her modesty. She had shimmering cyan hair hanging to the middle of her back, and though Hinata could not see the other woman's eyes, she knew what color they would be. She held a sword in her right hand, and assumed a defensive position in front of Naruto.

"We won't let you lay one finger on our son," another other figure agreed. Hinata's eyes went wide. Naruto's other defender had dark blonde hair, spiky on top and longer on the back and sides. He wore a long white coat, with a line of flames around the bottom.

"No way," Hinata gasped in amazement, "That's..."

"Is this true, Kabuto?" Keishi rumbled.

"I have no idea," the scarred traitor answered.

"If it is... That knowledge..." the snake trailed off twice before returning his attention back to Hinata, "That is for another time."

Hinata saw the snake dart forward to swallow her, and she flash stepped to the side.

"Quick and attentive," Keishi noted.

"She can see all around her with the Byakugan," Kabuto warned his ride.

"Of course," Keishi's unoccupied head nodded, "I remember now. I was still somewhat distracted."

Hinata dodged the next bite, growing worried.

'I doubt my Gentle Fist and Eight Trigrams techniques, or even the Raiton: Rasengan, would penetrate that reptile's armored scales,' she considered her repertoire, 'The Odama Raiton Rasengan is probably too slow, and if it missed I would have spent to much chakra to fight effectively. And even if I summon them, none of the ninja squirrels are large enough to fight a snake this size.'

She was knocked aside, as a tandem attack by the two heads limited her avoidance options, allowing the left head to brush her as it passed.

'Summoning,' she thought, as she rolled back to her feet, 'I really shouldn't... But I can't think of any other options at this point. I just hope she will forgive me.'

She dove forward and to the side, evading the next attack while avoiding the deadly barrier. Hinata reached into her shozoku, and pulled out the medallion she now wore as a matter of course. It had been modified and embellished to hide its origins from those who might still seek it. She placed her fingers on the five points in the back, connecting to chakra sealed within.

"I'm sorry, but I'm in a pinch," she said aloud, "Will you help me?"

She heard the answer in her mind, and channeled a measure of additional chakra into the talisman to forge a path. There was a small explosion next to her, and a domesticated feline appeared, quite large for her breed.

"I think your squirrels might have been a better choice," Kabuto mocked her. Then his eyes widened when he noticed both of the cat's twin tails whipping back and forth angrily.

"It... it can't be..." he stuttered.

'Ni-ne,' Hinata addressed the gentle demon through the amulet, 'I would never ask you to hurt a Human, but how would you feel about playing with a snake?'

'I used to love hunting garter snakes, before...' the Bijuu trailed off sadly, then did her best approximation of a Human shrug and continued, 'But I haven't have much of a chance since I changed. It could be fun to try it again.'

Hinata felt the predator's instinct rising in the cat, and wondered if she had made a mistake in tempting the sealed demon. But then Ni-ne looked up at her.

'I don't have to kill the snake, right?' the Tailed beast asked, unbidden, 'Can I just pin it and bat its head until it passes out?'

'You don't have to kill the snake,' Hinata reassured the cat, 'But I should warn you that the barrier will burn anything it touches. I don't know what it will do to you, but it will kill the snake.'

'I'll be careful.'

Hinata altered her chakra connection to the amulet, visualizing turning up a faucet in her mind. She unleashed seventy percent of the demon's sealed power. Ni-ne's fur instantly went from blue-grey to cobalt blue, flickering with flames. The Bijuu also began to grow quickly; after only half of a minute, she was almost back to full size. Between the giant reptile and the giant feline, the previously expansive box started to feel a little cramped.

"This must be a genjutsu," Kabuto yelled, but there was no certainty in his voice. He placed one hand on the constrictor's skull, and the other before his face, and incanted, "Release!"

The Two-Tails did not change or vanish, and the cat started to stalk forwards. Keishi slithered back as far as he could, with a look of unconditional terror. Kabuto shared the snake's expression, and jumped off his summoned ally's head, as the feline tensed to pounce. He landed closer to Hinata than he had expected, and transferred his fear and anger to the younger woman.

"How are you doing this?" Kabuto snarled anxiously, "Is it those repulsive blank eyes, like how the Sharingan can control the Nine-Tails?"

Hinata looked mildly taken aback by the insult, but she recovered and shook her head. Then her eyes widened in surprise, and she ducked. Kabuto followed suit, barely in time, as the two-headed snake's tail whipped over them.

"Why should I tell you anything about the Two-Tails?" she countered as both recovered, "All you need to know is that Madara made the mistake of sending her to attack me, and now she is mine."

She kept her face fierce, hoping he was convinced. To help sell the bluff, and keep him from thinking about it too much, Hinata quickly formed a Rasengan in each hand, and charged him. He jumped backwards, briefly putting the snake's bulk between them. Hinata dropped the ninjutsu to try to vault over Keishi, but the constrictor slithered away, trying to escape the demon.

Ni-ne sprang lightly over the humans, and as she landed caught the snake's right neck gently in her mouth, and forced it the the ground. If snakes could cry, Keishi would have been sobbing as the Two-Tails lifted her left, front paw to strike his other head. So great was his alarm, that the summoned reptile failed to notice the demon's claws were retracted, and he was not getting burned.

"I'm sorry, Kabuto," the snake dropped his formal speech, "but I'm just not equipped fight one of the Bijuu. You're on your own."

With that Keishi reversed the summon, and disappeared with giant burst of smoke.

"That traitor," Kabuto's ironic rage was short-lived, as the Two-Tails cat demon turned to face the two Humans. The giant feline licked her lips, and Kabuto backed away, his mind racing down paths of action that always came to a dead end...


	95. The Legacy of Death

**Chapter 95: The Legacy of Death**

"You think some ghostly genjutsu is gonna stop me?" Naruto shouted angrily, and then placed his hands together and shouted, "Release!"

The solidifying figures did not vanish, and Sasuke's stolen face split in a grin.

"This is no mere mental projection," Orochimaru continued to use his own voice, "This kinjutsu has existed since before the modern ninja age. The Sage of the Six Paths updated it to the its current form, but then sealed it away for some reason."

"The Five Souls Underworld Connection touches your soul, and then draws back from the afterlife the five strongest ninja you killed," the renegade Sannin explained, "Once here, they are given solid forms, and cannot be destroyed while you still live. Of course, I don't want you dead; so once they have inflicted enough damage, I will send them back with the counter jutsu."

"I must admit, I am anxious to see who appears," Orochimaru smirked more broadly, "We can find out if you really were able to kill Madara Uchiha."

The first soul, the second in from Naruto's left, began to coalesce. The mist, so deep a blue that it was nearly black, lightened in some areas and darkened in most. It appeared solid, yet transparent at the same time, and its colors were washed out.

The soul was tall, with stringy brown hair trailing just past his shoulders. His beady blue eyes, placed close to his wide nose, locked on the blonde Tokujo with a look of intense hatred. His densely muscled body was covered by heavy, black armor.

"Doto," Naruto growled.

"Naruto Uzumaki," the deceased usurper matched the teen's angry tone. He tensed, but did not move as the spirit in the middle began to take shape.

The second specter was even taller than the first, with a short crop of black hair sticking out from under the Hidden Mist headband tied over his forehead. He had deep brown eyes, but his nose and mouth were covered by white strips of linen. He wore a sleeveless back shirt, grey trousers, and had fingerless grey gloves that extended almost to his elbows. Even if Uzumaki had not recognized him on sight, he would have known him by the Kubikiri Hōchō, a phantom reflection of the slab of steel sharpened into a sword, hung across the spirit's back. It did not remain there for long, the ghost drew the weapon, and angled it towards Naruto

"Zabuza," Naruto mumbled, surprised. But as he remembered the Broken Sword, he could have guessed who the next soul would be.

Forming on the other side of Zabuza, Haku looked the same as he had in life. He had soft brown eyes, and long hair, nearly black in color. His facial features were more fitting of a girl than a young man and he barely reached mid chest on his partner. He still wore the falsified Mist Hunter uniform, and as when he fought Naruto and Sasuke, wore a Mist headband instead of the white and red mask. Though both Doto and Zabuza looked partially drained of their color, the effect was more pronounced on the pale young man, and Naruto thought he looked more translucent than the other two. Haku lifted his hand, and the water vapor in the air collected and froze into nine perfect ice kunai, which continued to float in the air before him.

The last two figures did not wait until they were fully formed to spring forwards. Naruto tensed to receive their attacks, but they stopped just before him, and turned to face the other phantoms.

The woman finished appearing first. She had long cyan hair, and clear, bright green eyes. Her shozoku was pure white, with short sleeves and an even shorter dress, showing off her strong, toned limbs, while hiding the noteworthy curves of her breasts and hips. She wore a pair of spandex shorts underneath; she wasn't afraid to show a little leg, but did not want to flash her underwear every time she executed a high kick. Naruto was quite familiar with the uniform, the last of the physical versions hung under a garment bag in his closet.

"Back off, jerks!" Yukihana Uzumaki ordered loudly. She triggered the first seal on her belt, and her longsword appeared in her hand.

"Mom?" Naruto croaked quietly, shivering anxiously. She glanced back at him with a grin that was both sad and happy. Then she turned her attention to the last shade.

He was about the same height as Naruto and Doto, and somewhat between them in terms of musculature. His hair was a darker shade of blonde than Naruto's and was the same spiky style on top, but longer on the sides and in the back. His blue eyes were also slightly darker than the young man he was guarding. He wore blue pants and a shirt, with a Jonin vest over the top. He had an additional layer of dark grey cloth over his forearms. And most recognizable was his white cloak with a pattern of flames along the bottom.

"The Fourth?" Naruto's reaction to his mother's soul was washed away by the surprise of seeing the man who had sealed the fox demon within him.

"We won't let you lay one finger on our son," Minato Namikaze confirmed, slipping into the stance of the Tiger & Heron.

"Son?" Naruto's jaw dropped, and Zabuza barked a laugh. Orochimaru drew back, watching the situation closely.

'Of those five, Naruto only directly killed Doto,' the serpent considered, 'And two of them are his allies. Could I have performed the technique wrong? No, that is unlikely. But the translation of the jutsu's effect may have been incorrect, or the description may have been damaged. Instead of the souls he killed, it appears to be the souls connected to him by their deaths. Not just those he killed, but also those who died for him. That could be why this technique was sealed, it is too random to be useful. Still, this merits watching. For now...'

"That doesn't matter," Doto had the same idea as Orochimaru, "It is still three on three, and one of you is hopelessly... mortal... And we will remain as long as the punk does."

He stepped towards Uzumaki, started signing, and added, "Now you will learn the price of regicide."

But before her could complete his jutsu, Zabuza raised his sword into Doto's path. The deceased Daimyo froze, and looked at the other phantom. Zabuza shifted his glare from Naruto to Doto.

"Of course," Doto agreed, trying to hide his nervousness, "If the legendary swordsman of the Mist claims the boy as his prey, then I will content myself with keeping his mother occupied..."

Zabuza glanced over at his apprentice, and Haku nodded. The next instant the Kubikiri Hōchō swept out, and Doto had to drop to avoid being beheaded. At the same time Haku whirled around and launched all nine of his frozen daggers at Sasuke's body.

"What the hell?" the Snow Daimyo cursed. Hopping back to avoid the second blow, Doto began to sign again. Even with the Sharingan, Orochimaru was unable to fully dodge all nine of Haku's remote controlled kunai, and one of the icy daggers buried itself in Sasuke's right bicep.

"I owe Naruto a debt," the Demon of the Hidden Mist explained, "for carving away my stupidity. And even more now for giving me a chance to see Haku, if indirectly."

As he swept down his massive blade again, he glanced backwards, "Though if I had known he was the spawn of the Golden Flash of the Hidden Leaf, I probably would have fought him myself after our first little skirmish. That, or canceled the contract."

Orochimaru started to sign the reversal jutsu, but Haku hit him with a barrage of needles, forcing the Sannin to stop his hand seals to deflect the attack.

"Let's leave it to them, for now," Minato suggested to his lover. Yukihana nodded, and they both turned to face their child.

"You... you are my father?" Naruto looked the Fourth Hokage up and down. Seeing the man in the flesh, so to speak, and hearing of their connection, the teen finally noticed the similarities.

"Yes, Naruto, I am your father," Minato smiled proudly. Naruto however, did not smile. He stomped over and grabbed the Hokage's cloak, lifting him into the air. Both of his parents looked surprised, both by his reaction and by his strength.

"You jerk," the Tokujo growled, "You made my life miserable by sealing that damn fox in me. How could you do that to your own son?"

"I didn't have a choice," Minato said sadly.

"Naruto Uzumaki!" Yukihana barked, "You let your father go right now, or so help me..."

Naruto did not simply release Minato, but pushed him away. The young man turned his back on them, so they could not see his expression. Sadness, anger, and also joy warred on the teen's face, but he was not ready to let the matter go just yet.

"What do you mean, you didn't have a choice?" he demanded as firmly as he could, "You were the Hokage, damn it. You could have ordered someone else to be the Jinchuriki."

"It was within my power," the former leader of the Konohagakure admitted, then added more firmly, "But I had the responsibility to do the right thing."

"The right thing?" Naruto snarled slightly.

"I have heard that you want to be Hokage, Naruto," Minato lectured, "But if you just want the position for power and respect, you should give up now, because you'll never be Hokage."

Naruto looked at his father again, surprised and hurt.

"Part of being a leader is making the hard choices," Yukihana explained gently.

"That applies to every Jonin, but especially for the Hokage," the Fourth agreed, "There might be times when you will have to send friends or family on what amounts to a suicide mission, because they have the best chance to get the job done. No matter your personal preference."

He sighed, before continuing, "You were the best choice to be the Jinchuriki of Nine-Tails, because of your high levels of chakra, and your elemental affinities. Also, as an infant there was a better chance you would keep your sanity. You had no mind or temptations for the demon to whisper to, so you just blocked her out, until you were told she was there. As Hokage, I could not ask someone else to sacrifice one of their children, when my own was the best, safest option."

"And it wasn't supposed to be like this," Minato admitted, sad but with an undercurrent of accusation, "You were not supposed to grow up alone. You were supposed to have your mother."

"You sent me out to distribute the kunai with the seals," Yukihana shot back.

"I also ordered you _not_ to be a hero," Minato rumbled.

"So should I have left my friends to die? Who would have helped me give out the kunai?"

"No," he shook his head, "But you should have gone in for medical treatment."

"Then who would have completed the seal?" she growled at him, sounding suspiciously like her son. Then her voice became soft and she added sadly, "And if you had told me you were going to offer yourself to the Reaper, to divide the Kyubi's chakra, to protect Naruto from the creature's mind, I might have tried harder to stay alive."

"Or you might have tried to stop me," he grinned slightly.

"Maybe," she agreed sheepishly.

"Ahem," Naruto interjected, "I was the one yelling at you guys."

But he smiled as he said it.

Doto frowned as he dodged again. Zabuza's attacks didn't injure his phantom body, but nevertheless they hurt like hell and knocked him away from the little family reunion. The Snow Ninja turned Daimyo was limited in his options; despite his appearance, his outfit lacked the power of his real chakra armor. And most of his jutsu required a supply of snow or ice to use properly. And though he knew a handful of water jutsu, using them against the Demon of the Hidden Mist was foolish at best.

Doto saw his opening. He ducked past the vertically descending blade, and drove his elbow into Zabuza's stomach, and then raised his fist into the swordsman's chin. The Mist renegade stumbled back, and the Snow ninja was torn between trying to attack Naruto, and pressing his advantage on Zabuza. But his hesitation was too much, and Zabuza drove the heavy pommel of the giant cleaver into a very sensitive part of Doto's anatomy. Dead or not, it was all the Snow ruler could do to keep from screaming and curling into a little ball.

Unlike his only ally in this fight, Orochimaru was still living. So unlike Doto, who could simply trade blows with Zabuza, he had to watch out for Haku. He tried to dredge up Sasuke's memories of fighting the boy, but Uchiha did his best to block the serpent's mind.

'You aren't fighting Naruto right now,' the imprisoned soul noted darkly, hiding his memories as deeply as he could.

Orochimaru hopped back, trying again to mold his chakra into the shape that would banish the souls he had conjured. He hit a patch of ice created by Haku. Had it been normal ice, it would not have done anything to the master shinobi. But Haku's Kekkei Genkai ice repelled the gripping chakra emerging from the Sannin's feet, and he sent Sasuke's body into an exaggerated back-flip to avoid ending up on his butt. The move forced him to place his hands on the ground, again ending the attempted banishment. As he returned to being upright, he bit into his thumb, and quickly dabbed two small spots of blood on his left forearm, just below the elbow.

The first snake appeared wrapped around his right arm, and quickly disgorged Kusanagi into his waiting palm, before vanishing. The second serpent appeared next to the ice. The boa was over fourteen feet long, and over a foot in diameter.

"Hold him," Orochimaru ordered the familiar, and the constrictor tensed up to spring at Haku. The teen split has next set of ice needles between the snake and the Human, but the legendary blade flicked out, carving through them all. As the serpent hit Haku, Orochimaru set aside the chokutō, and started signing again.

"Why all the secrecy?" Naruto ask his parents, "Why not tell everyone the Fourth was my dad? Or at least tell me?"

"I don't know," Minato said evasively, "Your mother had her reasons for wanting to keep our relationship private, but that doesn't explain why no-one told you."

"Other people know?" Naruto asked, "Who?"

"The only ones who knew," Yukiahana frowned at her paramour, "were Sarutobi, Jiraiya, and Tsunade-sensei. We don't know if they told anyone else."

"You don't know?" the teen looked confused, "Why not?"

"The dead don't look down on the living," Yukihana said, "We only know what other souls who died later are willing to share."

"Sarutobi-sama and I have never discussed the matter," Minato shivered slightly, "There isn't much conversation where we are."

Yukihana's expression turned sad, and she grabbed her beloved's hand. Naruto frowned as he watched the display.

"Aren't you two together?"

The couple exchanged glances, and a tear formed in the kunoichi's spectral eye.

"No," Minato's voice was somewhat hollow, "We are consigned to different parts of the afterlife..."

"What does that mean?" Naruto demanded, then he pointed at his mother, "You said he gave himself to the Reaper. Is that why?"

"Five Souls Rescindment!" Orochimaru's voice carried past them, and the forms of five souls began to lose their color. The Sannin gestured, and the snake trying unsuccessfully to crush Haku eased its grip.

"Sorry, kid," Zabuza said, "it looks like that's all the time we can buy you."

"No," Naruto's eyes grew wet, "You can't go. I have so many other questions."

"We don't really have a choice," his mother chided sadly.

"Naruto, what I said before..." Minato's hair was almost white as death called them back, "I think you can be Hokage. I'm very proud of you."

"We both love you, kiddo," Yukihana tried to hug her son, but her arms passed right through him, "And we both wish we could have done it a different way, could have been there..."

And then the five souls were gone. Orochimaru pulled an ice kunai out of Sasuke's thigh, and tossed it away, trying to control his breathing.

"That was a spectacular waste of time and chakra," the body thief commented.

"Are you kidding?" Naruto wiped his eyes with a huge grin, "So far this has been one of the five best days of my life. Now if you'd just give back Sasuke, it might make top three."

"I have a better idea," he countered darkly, the red of the Sharingan seeming to pulse with anger. Orochimaru caught up the blood from his wounded leg, and smeared a large stripe down his left forearm.

"Summoning Jutsu," he intoned. A giant cloud of smoke billowed out, leaving in its wake a three hundred fifty foot long snake. The reptile was purple with black bands, and had four large horns.

"What do you want?" Manda grumbled.

"Now, now," the Sharingan locked onto the serpent, and Manda quickly looked away from Orochimaru's eyes, "What happened to out little... _discussion_... about respect?"

"How may I serve you, Orochimaru-sama?" Manda restated, with undercurrents of fear and rage in his voice. Sasuke's face showed an evil grin.

"Crush Naruto Uzumaki within an inch of his life," the renegade Sannin ordered, "But do not kill him, he is too valuable of a subject. And in thanks, I might just give you Sakura Haruno."

The snake's green eyes narrowed slightly. The peace offering was a trifle compared to what he would have demanded before being introduced to the Tsukuyomi, but Manda was not about to turn it down. The enormous reptile turned his attention to the young Human.

"You better not forward my call this time, Chief," Naruto mumbled under his breath. He slammed his hand into the ground, shouting, "Summoning Jutsu!"

Naruto disappeared in the mist, but was lifted out seconds later, atop the head of Gamabunta.

"It looks like we meet again," the leader of the Toad Ninja Clan grunted, not even bothering to ask why he had been summoned.


	96. Useless No More

**Chapter 96: Useless No More**

Sakura planted her foot on the elbow of Kidomaru's severed limb, not only to keep the two Sound warriors from retrieving it, but also checking to see if the spider-like shinobi could still feel it. His face betrayed no reaction to her action. Instead, both Jirobo and Kidomaru were hanging back warily. She knew they were concerned about her weapon, but she was still surprised they were not attacking. The medic wondered if they knew a way her axe could end them. Then she heard a cry, and realized what was happening.

Tayuya, still rendered mute by Sol's jutsu, had finally caught up with the female squirrel. Luné tried to protect his sister, but the flute player struck the albino rodent a second time with her instrument, and the vacuum technique ended.

Sakura deduced that the undead men were waiting for their teammate to finish the summoned animals and rejoin them. Haruno remembered hearing that ninja squirrels were scouts and trackers, not fighters. Though Sol's rage had given them momentum, it was now becoming apparent that even together, the two rodents were not a match for the Sound Ninja.

The Jonin swung her axe down, almost casually, cutting Kidomaru's arm in half at the elbow. She had two reasons for the action, and both paid off as she hoped. Angry and worried, Kidomaru resumed his attack on her. He quickly spit four spikes at her and then nudged Jirobo forward. She stopped the silk weapons easily, and watched the two parts of the severed appendage. Even though they were touching, the upper and lower arms did not reconnect.

'I thought so,' Sakura suppressed her smile, 'The pieces can't repair themselves. So they must have some sort of core that enables the regeneration. It might even be the source of the jutsu that animates them. Either way, if I can split off that core, I can beat them.'

She watched them carefully, wishing she had the Byakugan, 'It is probably the heart or the brain. Either way, I need to get them to attack.'

She sliced through another lasso expectorated at her, and then reached down and picked up the lower part of Kidomaru's arm, placing her foot on the upper part again. She lodged the head of her axe in the ground, so she could retrieve it quickly when they reacted. Then she took a pitcher's stance, and threw the limb well over their head, at the Shishienjin. Neither of the Sound ninjas reacted like she expected, they just watched passively as the limb sailed past them. Safe in his tent of deadly fire, Ukon shifted his hands slightly, and a small oval opened in the barrier. The partial arm sailed through the opening and landed outside. Kidomaru smirked at her.

"What you thought you could destroy me with the Shishienjin?" he mocked. Sakura shook her head, unconcerned.

"Not really," she agreed, "But now if you want your other hand back, you'll need to go get it. And if you do, I'll use the opening to escape."

"And leave your little rodent friends behind?" Jirobo shook his head, thinking he was calling her bluff.

"As soon as I'm out, Hinata can send them back," the medic countered, "I'm sure she's still watching what's going on in here. And out there, too. In fact..."

She caught up the other piece of Kidomaru's arm, and hurtled it sideways towards the wall between her and her female teammate. Once again, Ukon opened a small hole in the barrier. But Sakon was too wrapped up in staring at the Two-Tails cat in morbid curiosity. The upper part of Kidomaru's middle left limb hit the dominant twin's Shishienjin, and began to burn in crimson flames.

"No!" the dismembered shinobi shouted, as the altered flesh vanished in cloud of ash. He turned to face Sakura again, enraged. But he faltered at her triumphant look.

"Well, well, well," Tsunade's student almost purred, "It looks like there is something those bodies can't recover from..."

Grabbing her axe and lifting it high, Sakura charged towards them.

* * *

'That tasted disgusting,' Ni-ne finished licking her teeth clean, 'nothing like a garter snake.'

'Sorry,' Hinata did not take her eyes off Kabuto as she sent the thought to the cat, 'But thank you.'

'It was kind of fun,' the demon deflected, 'Maybe I'll look for snakes at the Uchiha estate. Can you turn me back now?'

Hinata nodded, and reversed the chakra flow in the amulet, returning the Two-Tails to her house cat size. Kabuto frowned, but could not keep the relief from his face. But it was quickly replaced by suspicion.

"Why did you do that?" he asked carefully, considering the new options open to him. Hinata tried to think of a reasonable excuse, but could not think of anything she felt would convince the canny renegade. So she settled for remaining silent, and calm. She dropped back into the Gentle Fist stance, and waited for him to make his move.

'She is faster than me,' he thought, 'and has countered every move I've made. I probably have the edge in strength, but that is not my fighting style. If I can just keep her hands away from me long enough, I can use my chakra scalpels to immobilize her. Or I could just destroy her organs and convince Orochimaru it was the only choice. The snake will have to settle for examining her eyes. I only need to lengthen my scalpels and exploit my greater reach. I just have to make sure I don't let her disrupt my chakra network first. I will only have one shot at this.'

He stepped forward, forming three of the energy razors in each hand. He kept the medical jutsu at its standard length, knowing that she could see the normally transparent blades. He stabbed shallowly at Hinata, but jerked his hand back as her fingertips slid towards his wrist. The rogue took a half step back, putting him outside the range of her deadly digits, and swiped at her face. The young woman leaned back, while angling her right hand towards his elbow. Kabuto twitched again, narrowly missing her eyes and saving his arm.

'As I thought,' Orochimaru's lieutenant affirmed his expectations, 'Now try this.'

He dismissed the blades in his left hand, and stepped back into her range, throwing a hard left cross at her nose. Hinata's fingers darted up, sealing the chakra points in his forearm and scoring minor cut in the accompanying muscle, but that didn't slow his punch. The pale beauty recognized the fact as well, and crossed her arms under his wrist, using both of her limbs to push his attack over her head.

'Now,' Kabuto tripled the length of the blades in his right hand, and aimed them at her heart. He knew her arms were to far out of position to stop him, nor could she use a leg block in time. He look up at her face, wanting to relish her fear as she realized it was over. But there was no such look in her eyes.

"Rotation," Hinata incanted, chakra spilling out of her body as she spun. The dome of energy struck Kabuto mere moments before his blades would have met her shozoku. The Eight Trigrams Palms Heavenly Spin lifted him slightly into the air, and cast him away from the girl.

"Right," Kabuto grunted as he picked himself up, his left temple bleeding slightly from where it struck the rocky ground, "I didn't think she use that so fast or so close..."

Hinata did not wait for him to recover or plan this time. She drew up her power, signing rapidly to give it form.

"Ushi, I, Inu, U, Hitsuji, Byakugan Art: Primordial Chakra Jutsu!" she slammed her right fist into the rocky ground, joining her chakra with the natural energy in the stones. It raced across the distance between them, and exploded into Kabuto's body. The chakra surged through his network, blasting back out of his weakest tenketsu. The combined ki surged free, taking some of his own power with it. In the end, she saw that sixty-seven of his chakra points were disabled, mostly in his extremities, but also three critical junctions in his stomach.

"What did you do to me?" he grimaced. Kabuto tried to form chakra scalpels again, but the damage to his arms was too great, and the energy would not coalesce.

"Using my Kekkei Genkai, I can merge my own earth chakra, with the natural power the rock and dirt around us, and then send it into your system," she explained, "The energy forces its way back out, and the impact on your chakra network is similar to the Eight Trigrams Sixty-four Palms."

"Ki Line Jutsu," the renegade attempted the healing technique again, but like the scalpels, his chakra was too unstable to form the jutsu.

'Another advantage of the Chakra Pulse,' Hinata decided, recalling her earlier comparison of the maneuvers.

"Surrender, please," she requested gently. Kabuto's face twisted in anger, and he threw a set of shurikens at her before drawing a kunai in each hand. As he charged her, he also slipped a food pill into his mouth and bit down on it. Hinata avoided or blocked the throwing stars, and then braced herself to receive him.

"I don't need your pity," Yakushi growled, swinging his left hand blade at her shoulder, in an underhand grip. She caught his wrist with Ginmaki, and sent a sliver of lightning chakra into the kote, shocking his arm. The limb twitched as he withdrew it, and at the same time the medic stabbed at her stomach with his right knife.

"That hypocritical mercy is part of what makes the Leaf so weak," he snarled as she slid around his attack. Hinata frowned at him.

"The Hidden Leaf Village is not weak," she argued, "We have withstood everything all of your masters could throw at us, and have not only survived but flourished. Orochimaru is a scavenger, and the Akatsuki are broken and running, because they underestimated us."

"Just as you have underestimated me," she added sadly. His eyes went wider, as he lost control. His attempts to cut and skewer her became wild and undisciplined, and she dodged them with ease.

'Good,' Kabuto watched her, his berserk attacks a new gambit. He probed his chakra network with the extra energy from the pill, trying to determine which jutsu he might be able to perform despite his injuries.

'No, I can't perform the Shark Bomb Jutsu, not without that tenketsu in my leg,' he thought, 'Or the Headhunter. But that... That just might work.'

He swung aggressively, incidentally scoring a wide, shallow cut on the back of his right arm when he missed. Kabuto waited as the life fluid covered his wrist, and pooled slightly in his hand. Once he had enough, he turned the kunai in left hand back over into a proper, overhand grip, and stabbed both weapons at her. The attack was controlled and precise, and was the focus for his true strike.

"Medical Arts: Blood Flow Jutsu."

Like so many of his skills, Kabuto had corrupted the healing technique into something deadly. The Blood Flow Jutsu required physical contact with the target's life fluid, and then took control of it. Most ninja doctors used it to direct the flow of blood away from injured areas to prevent the patient from bleeding out. Advanced users like Tsunade and Kabuto could even use the jutsu to temporarily bridge the break in damaged veins and arteries. Yakushi had also learned he could use it to stab or hit opponents with extensions of his own blood.

The liquid flowed over his blades, expanding and rapidly shooting towards towards Hinata in the form of a broad bladed spear. She was moving closer when he activated the technique, and did not have time to dodge. Kabuto grinned, believing he had caught the perceptive woman off guard. But as the blade started to cut into her uniform, Hinata reached up and gently pressed her hand to Kabuto's heart.

All of the chakra points around his cardiac muscle slammed shut, and his jutsu collapsed. Kabuto felt pain spreading up his replacement arm as his heartbeat grew shallow and irregular. Hinata stepped back, as he felt to his knees.

"Is this supposed to be poetic justice?" he gasped angrily, "Killing me the way I saved you?"

"You don't have to die," she offered, "Just promise to give up and turn yourself in."

"No," Kabuto grinned viciously, "I'd rather make you live with the knowledge you killed someone who saved your life."

"You didn't save my life," there was a touch of harshness in her reply, "I was just a way for you to make a point."

She watched, as Kabuto's body fell the rest of the way to the dirt. Then she knelt next to him with an unhappy expression.

"If you are truly dead, I apologize for this desecration," she said to his back, "But given your guile and medical expertise, I need to be certain."

She summoned the electrical blade of Ginmaki, and gently slid it between his fourth and fifth ribs, slicing his heart in half. Reassured of his death, and praying the gods would forgive her, she turned her attention to the fiery barrier, and the undead shinobi who was maintaining it. The demon cat sniffed the body suspiciously, but appeared satisfied. She joined Hinata, briefly rubbing the Human's leg comfortingly, before glaring darkly at the unnatural being holding them.

* * *

Sakura swung her blade with both hands, and Jirobo barely avoided losing a leg. Kidomaru sent a line of silk onto the flat head of her axe, hoping to disarm her, but instead he was almost dragged into range of her weapon before he released the cord. The spider-like shinobi had been off balance since having two of his arms cut off, and though getting one back helped, it did not completely fix the problem.

The medic figured out their two-fold plan to stall. First, their new bodies did not grow tired, or at least did so at a greatly diminished rate. And they had her outnumbered. So they were trying to exhaust her, until they could attack without fear of dismemberment. In addition, Sakura's quick glances told her that Sol and Luné were in trouble. If Tayuya could eliminate the squirrels, whether by killing them or by forcing them to reverse the summons themselves, she could rejoin the fight against the Leaf Jonin. And Jirobo and Kidomaru knew that the longer they avoided the axe wielder, the more likely it was they would get their teammate's help.

The flutist began to play her instrument again, and both rodents' fur started to stand on end. The ninja animals both lashed out, trying to force the instrument away from her lips, but the Sound kunoichi avoided their strikes. As her ninjutsu began to fully develop, the squirrel's faces took on looks of pain. Sakura wondered if she could take the time to help them.

'Wait, that's it,' Sakura realized. She signaled the rodents, and Sol managed a slight nod. The medic then faced her opponents, and threw her axe sidearm at Jirobo's wide stomach.

"We won't fall for that again," Kidomaru hissed, shooting multiple webs at the heavy weapon. As he did, Sol grabbed on to her brother, and Sakura placed her hands together. In twin bursts of dust and energy, Haruno substituted herself for the willing squirrels.

"Weapon Summoning," she declared again, bringing the axe back to her hand. She ignored the pain of the semi-visible lightning crackling around her, and leaped towards the musician ninja, swinging her weapon overhead with both hands.

"Suiton: Slicing Waves Jutsu," she added a line of water chakra to the edge of the axe, making it sharper than usual and reducing the air resistance. Tayuya just smirked and raised her flute to block. But unlike the squirrel's light blades, Sakura's weapon cleaved through the reinforced woodwind without even slowing. In that instant, the undead woman's eyes widened in terror.

'As I thought,' Sakura smiled as the axe met Tayuya's skull, 'She wasn't able to pay attention to us, thanks to Sol and Luné.'

The blade split the Sound ninja in half almost perfectly, from the top of her head down to her crotch. As she fell apart, Sakura saw a fading mass of blue and red sparks in the brain of the victim of Tayuya's resurrection. The grey flesh began to melt, turning into a mass of carbon black and water, revealing the body of a young girl. She had been no more than ten years old when Orochimaru had sacrificed her for the jutsu. Sakura felt only a small comfort in knowing the the girl had been dead for weeks or even months. Her soft tissues had been tinted the same creepy shade the Tayuya's skin had been, but unlike the semi-organic shell that had given the reborn renegade her former appearance, the girl's original skin and organs did not dissolve.

Sakura turned back to her male opponents with a look of disgust.

"You sacrificed children to return from the dead," she snarled angrily, as the squirrels regrouped on either side of her. Both of the warriors looked more nervous, at her rage and her discovery of another way to destroy their supposedly indestructible bodies.

"What's the plan?" Luné asked darkly; the sibling rodents regarding the unnatural Humans with revulsion. Sakura looked them over; both of the animals were more than slightly injured, but they were still ready to help her.

"Simple," she answered loudly, making sure their opponents could hear her, "I get to the fat guy, and throw him at the one maintaining the barrier. If Ukon opens a hole the barrier, Jirobo hits him, and the whole thing goes down. If he doesn't, Jirobo burns. Then the three of us can take out the spider."

"And what to we do?" Luné prompted.

"Kidomaru, the spider guy, will try to intercept me. Can you two keep him off my back?"

"Yes," Sol agreed sternly. Luné nodded his assent.

"Thanks, I'll heal you two later," the Human whispered, "So just stay safe."

Sakura didn't wait an instant more, she ran straight towards the large shinobi, depositing her axe back into the scroll as she ran. The albino squirrel drew both of her weapons again, and scrambled after Kidomaru. After a moment of strategic hesitation, the black rodent followed. The two revived warriors paused, not sure if the plan they had been privy to was real, or a trap like they had used. But as Sol reached Kidomaru, his trained instincts took over, and he spit a glob of his silk at her. Faster than he expected, the squirrel dodged his attack. She drew closer, and he expectorated again, this time a knife shaped projectile instead of a sticky ball. She avoided again, and was close enough to leap at his stomach. His hands dropped to intercept the rodent, when her brother appeared from behind her, stabbing his sword at the spider's face.

"Ninja Art: Shadow Squirrel-kin Jutsu," Luné proclaimed, jamming the slender blade into Kidomaru's mouth. Still trying to catch the fleeing Jirobo, Sakura could not help but groan at the pun.

"I didn't think I could get this into your brain pan," the male rodent crowed triumphantly, leaving his weapon behind as he sprang away, "but lets see you spit that stuff at us now!"

"He doesn't have to use saliva," the Leaf Jonin shouted in warning, "it's just most plentiful and easy to control. He can also use his sweat."

Kidomaru caught Luné in the air, his fingertips adhering to the squirrel's fur. He slammed the summoned rodent into the ground, trying to crush his torso. Sol moved back in, and her first slice bounced off the hardened silk. But her second and third strikes sheered through Luné's fur and the skin of Kidomaru's digits, freeing her brother.

Jirobo stopped his heedless retreat, and turned to face Sakura. His face was shadowed in rage.

"No more running away," he grimaced, "I don't care what Lord Orochimaru does to me, I'm just going to kill you now."

If he expected her to be frightened, Jirobo was sorely mistaken. Sakura snorted and smirked at him. She pulled her gloves tight again, and shook out her arm where her uniform was binding around her shoulder a little.

"I arm wrestle Choji from time to time," she shot back, "and I usually win. You remember Choji, don't you? The guy who overpowered and killed you the first time."

"You're bluffing," Jirobo countered.

"You've taken my hits," she shook her head, "Which do you think is more likely, that I am stronger than Choji, or that you are going to betray Orochimaru?"

He took half a step back, and then started running again.

'Thank you, Kakashi-sensei,' Inner Sakura trumpeted, overjoyed that her partial deception worked. She followed him closely, waiting until he was in the perfect position. The kunoichi put an extra burst of power into her legs, and sprang forward twice, landing in front of Jirobo. He quickly recovered, throwing a heavy fist at her throat. She caught it, turned his arm over, and then kicked him in the ribs. He flinched, not from the pain he did not feel, but from recognizing he had made a mistake.

She smiled at him, almost sweetly. Then she pulled him in, and spun around. As she promised, she released him so that he was tumbling through the air straight towards Ukon.

Jirobo's eyes fell on his teammate, pleading. But Ukon just smirked back and shrugged. The giant struck the barrier, and the crimson flames began to engulf his body with incredible haste. Sakura barely had time to take a breath before he was gone. She buried her sadness for the innocent host, and offered Ukon a triumphant grin. The normally superordinate twin simply glared back, uncaring.

When Sakura turned to face Kidomaru, the already grey shinobi blanched. He had already removed and destroyed Luné's sword, but had been unable to hit the agile squirrels. Now he saw his second death approaching in the form of an ill-tempered, under-endowed, but undeniably powerful kunoichi. He spit a yellow, silken kunai into each of his five hands and waited for her. He swallowed his fear and met her eyes. Sakura nodded with a hint of respect, and summoned her axe again.

"Stay back," she advised the squirrels. Sol and Luné moved away, but the sister handed her brother one of her swords, and neither of Hinata's familiars relaxed.

As if on a mutually recognized signal, Sakura and Kidomaru charged each other. Sakura swung her blade horizontally, but he caught it on four of his daggers. One cracked, and the spider was pushed aside, but he still managed to stab his remaining knife at her throat. She let go with her right hand, and caught his wrist, but without the leverage, his other four arms were able to force her weapon down towards the ground. She sprang back before he could capitalize, resetting to the correct grip. The Sound ninja discarded the damaged weapon, but did not create a new one. Instead, he threw the matching blade on his other side at her. The medic deflected the attack with ease, and he charged in, striking at three different points with his remaining blades, while he started the sign with his newly freed hands.

Sakura stepped in closer, blocking one of his attacks, while allowing the other two to land light cuts on her right elbow and left cheek. In return, she swung her axe upwards, taking his bottom right arm off, and cutting into the bicep of his middle limb before he was able to shift his body, narrowly keeping the damaged appendage. She kicked the loose limb at Ukon, who opened the barrier and was able to duck under the smaller projectile.

His jutsu disrupted and his numeric advantage decreased, Kidomaru launched his two kunai at her, and hopped back, forming a bow again. He pointed it at the observing squirrels, hoping to distract Sakura. But Tsunade's apprentice closed in again, spoiling his aim and allowing both of the animal ninjas to evade the arrows.

She had him backed nearly into the corner, when he remembered her earlier stratagem, about forcing him to escape and following him through the hole.

"Ukon, do not lower the Shishienjin," Kidomaru requested, "Lord Orochimaru can restore me again, if that is his wish. But we cannot allow his prize to escape."

The barrier creator nodded, and Kidomaru hopped backwards into the flames.

* * *

Hinata walked over to Sakon, observing him, and the seal he sat upon, through the barrier of red-purple flames. Ni-ne followed her closely, wrinkling her nose at the undead shinobi in disgust.

"Ra-ow?" she vocalized.

"He was brought back from the dead by Orochimaru's kinjutsu," the Human explained vocally to the cat, "He is neither alive, nor dead. And based on what I saw from Sakura's battle, a child was sacrificed to resurrect him."

The demon's eyes narrowed, and she hissed at him.

"You killed Kabuto, but you are still trapped," the leader of the Sound Four mocked her.

"Do you think this fire can stop the Two-Tails cat?" Hinata asked carefully.

"I don't know, but it would be worth seeing."

'It is an affront to the gods and nature,' Ni-ne sent to her sealer, 'There should be an accounting.'

Hinata agreed, but did not broadcast it vocally or mentally. Instead she brought forth one of the treated scrolls she carried in response to Naruto's fear of ghosts. She sat down, and inscribed a moderately advanced seal upon the paper.

"Tori, Ne, Uma, Tora," she intoned, "Fuinjutsu: Fire Seal!"

A mist rose from the circle in the center of the scroll, and began to draw in the flames of the Shishienjin. Sakon's eyes widened in surprise. He pushed his hands together more firmly, and sent more energy into the barrier. Hinata downgraded her Byakugan to the basic level, and then closed her eyes, sending more power and focus into her seal as well. The mat Sakon was sitting on began to grow warm, and despite his best effort, the magenta and crimson flames were pulled into Hinata's seal...


	97. Toad and Snake

**Chapter 97: Toad and Snake**

Orochimaru frowned angrily: but Manda's green eyes brightened evilly, and his mouth twisted in a reptilian smirk.

"Gamabunta," the giant serpent hissed with a dark pleasure, "I was afraid I would never get to see you again. I remember what that knife of yours did to me, the last time we met."

The snake's tongue flickered over the roof of his mouth, where Tsunade had impaled him with the tanto the size of a small building. 'Bunta drew the dagger in question, and Manda's eyes traced the edge of the blade.

"I still owe you for that. And this time you don't have Katsuyu or her contractor to protect you," the reptile coiled to lunge.

"You mean they aren't here to get in my way this time," the chief toad countered. He hunched down lower, gathering the strength in his legs.

Both of the giant animals sprang at the same time, and Gamabunta blocked Manda's fangs with his knife. Then the amphibian's right leg kicked out again, catching the snake a third of the way down his length. There was a cracking sound under the toad's foot, but Naruto could not tell if it was bone, or just scales. But the blonde human did not have time to examine that.

"Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu," Orochimaru begin to blow multiple small fireballs at Naruto and 'Bunta.

"Fuuton: Cyclone Spikes Barrage!" Naruto countered with his upgraded version of the wind darts. He shot one green dart into each of the flames, bursting them but also destroying the spike in the process.

'If mom could do it, so can I,' Naruto remembered the first story he had heard of Yukihana, and incanted, "Doton: Stone Claws Jutsu."

He poured extra chakra into the technique, and the claws that emerged were larger, longer, and sturdier than usual. They latched onto the giant snake, and held Manda down.

"Raiton: Sparkling Coat Jutsu," Orochimaru sent an electrical charge over Manda's scales, shocking 'Bunta where the toad was trying the shoulder the snake the rest of the way to the ground.

"Raiton: Stone Cracker Jutsu," the Sannin piggybacked the energy of the Sparkling Coat, and sent more lightning down to destroy the Stone Claws. Manda extended his body higher for another strike, while the chief toad shook out his right arm where it had been burned. The serpent's fangs darted in again, and Gamabunta brought up his tanto one handed, deflecting the snake rather than stopping him. As the constrictor passed, Naruto saw some sort of thick gel glistening on his teeth.

"What's on his fangs?" Naruto asked his ally.

"Venom envy," 'Bunta answered, "Since he can't produce his own poison, he has started taking the poison of other members of the snake clan, and coating his fangs with it."

He hopped up, and kicked out again, but the snake twisted out of the way, and then wrapped the toad's extended leg with the tip of his tail.

"Fuuton: Tornado Lance Jutsu," Naruto quickly summoned up the larger wind projectile, and threw it into the coil around Gamabunta's lower limb, forcing the snake to let go before he could crush the appendage.

"Orochimaru," Manda hissed carefully, "I think if you can get the boy away from Gamabunta, I would be better able to fight the toad."

The Sannin considered that. He had wasted a great deal of chakra on the Five Souls Underworld Connection and had taken a few hits from Haku. Orochimaru had not felt he had a sure win against Uzumaki in his current state, which was why he summoned Manda. And, of course, teleporting the giant serpent had taken even more energy. On the other hand, Naruto had used some of his power to summon the amphibian, and Manda had a point. If he could tie up Naruto for a few minutes, and the snake could defeat or drive off the toad, then it would be back to two on one in his favor.

"I suppose there is merit to your suggestion," the renegade agreed softly. He looked down to where Kusanagi stood in the ground, and gestured with one finger. The straight blade tore free of the dirt, and flew back to his hand. Manda rose up, giving Sasuke's stolen body a higher platform from which to jump at Naruto. Orochimaru dove towards the blonde youth, sword first. Uzumaki drew Kitsune and blocked the chokutō with the staff-blade. Though the Tokujo had the advantage in weight, the Sannin had enough momentum to push him back off 'Bunta's skull. As they fell towards the packed earth, Orochimaru slashed out once more, and steel rang against steel when Naruto caught the blow again.

"I've heard rumors about your little stick," Orochimaru noted, "I'm curious to see how it compares to a real weapon."

Naruto did not respond with words, he simply swung Kitsune overhand at his rival's shoulder. The Sharingan read the attack easily, and the thin sword intercepted the attack.

"Now that the mammals are out of the way, where were we?" the huge reptile asked. He plunged forward again, but this time the snake kept his mouth closed and aimed for Gamabunta's left side, while the toad's tanto was on his right. He clipped the amphibian's left elbow, and rolled away as 'Bunta's knife sliced lightly into his scales. As he dodged, Manda transferred his momentum to his tail, aiming it at the amphibian's chin. Gamabunta hopped over the attack, turning as he did to keep tracking the snake. At the apex of his leap, his tongue lashed out at Manda's head. The metal studs on his flycatcher tore through the scales and flesh above the snake's left eye. Blood poured over the orb, concealing the chief from his view. Manda continued to roll to the side, which was the only thing that saved him from being beheaded the descending dagger. 'Bunta still clipped him, and the snake hissed angrily as he wrapped his body to face the toad again. Gamabunta gathered himself too, favoring his right leg despite Naruto's intercession.

The body thief stepped back twice, and then swung Kusanagi at the teen. The attack appeared to be too shallow to possibly hit, but as the tip of the chokutō passed Kitsune's cylinder, the Grass Cutter suddenly grew longer, shooting towards Naruto's heart. Uzumaki sent a line of chakra into the staff-blade, creating the wind sword. The instantaneous appearance of the wider, green extension knocked Orochimaru's weapon wide. Naruto pushed the legendary sword further away, and closed the distance while creating a Rasengan in his left hand. He pushed the sphere towards Sasuke's right elbow, while trying to slide Kitsune back towards his opponent. Orochimaru appeared to have a choice; withdraw his arm and get cut by the altered staff-blade, or keep their weapons locked and take the hit from the spiraling sphere. Instead, he released Kusanagi, sending chakra to the sword to control it remotely. At the same time, he yanked his arm back, hopping away from Minato's jutsu.

Orochimaru gestured once he was safe, and the Grass Cutter pulled back, and then swooped in for another strike. Uzumaki parried, and was surprised by the strength in the flying sword's attack. The chokutō danced back again, and then stabbed at Naruto's belly. The teen quickly sidestepped, but was not fast enough to avoid a deep cut to his left side, which quickly closed.

"That's right, I nearly forgot," Orochimaru nodded, "Kabuto's most useful contribution."

He called the sword back to him, signing as it reached him. He touched his glowing fingers to the blade's crosspiece, imparting a sickly sheen along its edges.

"Ninja Art: Medical Arrest Jutsu," the snake summoner grinned at his would be guinea pig. Then he flicked out Kusanagi, and the sword flew at the blonde shinobi again. Naruto raised Kitsune to block, but instead of a powerful, lethal stroke, the floating weapon turned suddenly, and scored a light cut on Naruto's thigh. This time, the wound did not close. The teen's eyes flickered to his leg in confusion, and then narrowed in memory.

"Is that the jutsu Kabuto imprinted on his scalpels?" the Leaf warrior queried, "The one that stopped my wounds from regenerating?"

Sasuke's controlled mouth twisted into a smirk, and Orochimaru did not say anything, he just spun the Grass Cutter back at Uzumaki again.

Gamabunta fired a stream of oil at Manda, and the snake twisted higher so only his lower half was covered. Then he flicked out his tail derisively, sending most of the incendiary liquid into Ukon's Shishienjin, where it exploded on impact.

"Your little trick doesn't do any good without a Human to light it for you," Manda mocked, slithering forward again, watching the toad's blade carefully with his unimpeded eye. 'Bunta spit again, this time firing a tight stream of pure water at his old enemy. The serpent was able to spin around the initial strike, and then darted forward, covering the rest of the gap before the amphibian could adjust his aim. From his position, Gamabunta could not bring his blade up to fully block, so he hopped upwards, swinging the dagger loosely at the snake's open jaws. His attack was too weak, and Manda powered past it, one of his fangs scraping down the toad's side. 'Bunta tried to recover, to bring the edge of the tanto back down into the reptile's spine, but the burning in his shoulder and back slowed him, and before he could line up his blow, Manda's tail slapped into his left eye, and the snake disappeared behind him. The chief toad spun around to prevent Manda from attacking him from behind, but as he landed, he was panting heavily.

"An eye for an eye, a cut for a cut," the serpent informed him, "except my cuts have something extra. You called it envy, but it took careful and deliberate training to make sure I did not poison myself."

Gamabunta tried to leap high above the snake, planning to bring his knife down with his weight behind it. But his right leg did not obey his command, and he hopped up unevenly. When he was at eye level, Manda's head flashed out, knocking the dagger out of the toad's hand. The giant blade sheered through a tree before clattering onto the loam at the edge of the forest. As 'Bunta came down, Manda coiled around the amphibian, and started to crush him.

"This is the end," Manda taunted. Gamabunta grimaced and lashed out with his tongue again. The weak attack dislodged some of the scales under Manda's jaw, but did not break the skin. Still, the snake's eyes flared angrily, and he sank both of his fangs into the toad. 'Bunta shuddered, and his resistance vanished. Still, the snake kept constricting his prey until the sound of snapping bones could be heard. Both of the humans looked over at their familiars, as the serpent released the amphibian.

"Chief," Naruto cried out, and ran over to the toad, "Why didn't you cancel the summons and escape?"

"I'm no coward," Gamabunta wheezed, "And besides, I couldn't leave one of my loyal servants hanging out to dry."

The toad's chest heaved once more, and as his breathe left his lungs, the the light went out of his eyes.

"I suppose I owe you thanks, Orochimaru," Manda rumbled happily, "for allowing me to end that stupid frog's life. Now, I believe you wanted help capturing the boy?"

Naruto turned to face them, tears flying away from his blue eyes. Except that instead of round, his pupils were now slitted. His teeth and ears started to elongate, and silver chakra sparked visibly over the whisker marks on his cheeks. Uzumaki snarled as he met the snake's gaze. Manda drew back slightly, mostly from surprise, but also from a sliver of worry.

"No, not me," Naruto took a harsh breath, forcing back the Ascendent Fox form.

"All bark and no bite, little fox?" the serpent mocked, recovering from his shock. Naruto did not flinch, instead he summoned two Shadow Clones. The trio started running towards Manda, and the original started signing. The snake watched him, curious and amused.

'Is that what I think it is?' Orochimaru collected Kusanagi and moved back. Even with two sets of chakra, he was running low on power from his efforts. So he cleared room to watch his familiar work.

'What is the boy planning?' the Sannin pondered.

As Naruto drew close, the clones sprinted ahead. One copy hopped towards the other, who caught the first duplicate's foot. He pushed up, and the other jumped, combining their strength to propel the leaper higher. Still signing, Naruto copied the move, and when he reached the airborne clone, the second facsimile caught his leg and threw him above the snake's head. As Naruto started to fall, he completed the jutsu, and a light blue seal spread out from his right hand.

"Fuinjutsu," he roared, slamming his palm into Manda's skull, imprinting the crest on snake's skin, "Summoning Seal!"

_

* * *

_

_"In deference to Hinata's recent accomplishment," Kakashi said, "I thought we would spend this morning working on fuinjutsu."_

_Hinata colored slightly, and Naruto rubbed the back of his head nervously. Then the blonde Chunin thought of something, and frowned at his teacher._

_"But Kakashi-sensei," he complained, "Fuinjutsu aren't part of the Jonin trials, right? It's ninjutsu, genjutsu, taijutsu, weapons, and skills. So why work on seals now?"_

_Kakashi smiled under his mask, moderately impressed by his normally dense student's insight._

_"Though it depends on who you ask, many ninjas consider sealing techniques to be a subset of ninjutsu, like shape-shifting techniques," the Jonin explained, " Whether you agree with that personally or not, the Conclave places fuinjutsu in the ninjutsu category for testing. That way, sealing experts can still use their skills to help get the promotion, but it is not necessary to add a sixth test and make everyone learn a number of advanced seals."_

_Sakura nodded appreciatively._

_"So where are we gonna start?" Naruto asked, mollified. _

_"I believe we will start with the Summoning Seal jutsu," their teacher answered, "It is a fairly simple C-Rank seal, if not particularly useful."_

_"Why not?" Sakura asked, "It sounds like it blocks summoning contracts."_

_"It does," Kakashi dipped his head once in agreement, "While it is active, no contracted animal or spirit can be summoned to or from the area. The problem is that the area blocked is fairly small compared to the amount of chakra it takes, and it doesn't prevent a summoned familiar from physically entering or leaving the area. As a result, it is most often used as a permanent seal, not as a combat technique. For example..."_

_

* * *

_

The snake hissed angrily, and shook his head. Naruto did not cling with his with his chakra, instead he let himself be thrown clear. The two clones caught him, and then disappeared as Naruto retreated further, signing again.

"What is this?" Manda could not see what on his skull. Orochimaru looked marginally impressed.

"Rather ingenious use of that technique," he murmured, getting ready to attack the distracted youth, "Putting it on Manda directly, so he cannot leave the area of the seal. But why would he want to prevent Manda from escaping?"

Naruto finished his hand motions, and swiping his hand down his arms, covering both of them with the red liquid that was still slowly leaking from the minor cuts Orochimaru had inflicted. He then slammed both his palms into the ground, stamping two hand prints of blood onto the earth.

"Summoning Art: TOAD BATTALION JUTSU!!!" Uzumaki roared. The eyes of both the snake and the reptile he had summoned widened, as the space around Naruto was saturated by a series of rapid explosions. The boy was briefly hidden by the mass of smoke.

Gamakichi and Gamatatsu were the first to appear, and were closest to Naruto. Beyond them he saw the larger forms of Gamaken, Gamahiro, and Gamazashi. He recalled Jiraiya introducing him the foot long, white haired, green skinned toad who stood two legged on Gamaken's shoulder, but did not recall the elder's name. The only other amphibian he recognized was Gamaono, a four-foot tall, bipedal toad whom Jiraiya had summoned during Naruto's training as a taijutsu sparring partner for the boy. Most of the fifty ninja toads were unknown to Uzumaki, but all turned to face him.

"Apprentice, why have you summoned us?" the old toad called out to him, his eyes flickering from Manda to Gamabunta. Naruto suddenly remembered his name was Fukasaku.

"Manda killed Gamabunta," the human answered simply and darkly.

"I put a summoning seal on him, so he can't run away. I was going to kill him myself," he added, "But then I figured you guys would want the chance."

Fifty pairs of amphibian eyes turned to regard the snake in unison.

"Rightly so," Fukasaku agreed angrily.

"Just so you know," Naruto announced, panting slightly from the physical effort of summoning so many toads with a single jutsu, "his fangs are covered in poison, that's how he got the best of the chief. And 'cause of the seal, any of you guys that get within about two hundred feet of his head won't be able to escape either."

"Thanks for the warnings," 'Zashi drew two of her five swords, "Can we kill the snake now?"

"Yes," Fukasaku nodded, grinning slightly as he referenced Naruto's new technique, "Toad Battalion, attack!"

Gamahiro drew one of his long swords, and both of the weapon user amphibians bounded at the snake. Manda refused to flinch, and caught 'Hiro's katana on his fangs, while twisting his body so Gamazashi's shorter blades only scored shallow cuts in him. The rest of the toad clan began to spread out around their target, both to prevent the reptile from running, and to prepare their own attacks.

"What, aren't you gonna help?" 'Kichi chided, having caught the hidden meaning in Naruto's tone and words.

"I don't have the right," Naruto admitted, "it's my fault the chief was killed."

"The summoning contract serves both sides," the orange amphibian countered, "But more than that, pops thought of you as part of the family. A deformed, numbskull cousin maybe, but still family. He wouldn't blame you, and we don't either. Now I have an idea, but I'll need your help."

Gamakichi's eyes flickered to the edge of the forest, and Uzumaki followed his gaze.

"You in?"

"Sure," Naruto noted with a thankful grin. Then his expression darkened slightly, and he continued, "I remember the chief always wanted a snakeskin wallet, but how about we send him off with a snakeskin shroud, instead?"

"Sounds good to me," Gamabunta's son agreed.

Orochimaru drew further back in the woods, all thoughts of ambushing Naruto gone. Part of him knew he should simply escape, but morbid curiosity rooted him in place, watching Manda's slow destruction.

'Besides,' his voice projected into the cage holding Sasuke's soul, 'There are still the others to consider. Hinata was too much for poor diminished Kabuto, and I saw Sakura destroy Tayuya, but the other two might still capture your would be girlfriend.'

The trapped teen glared up at his possessor helplessly.

Gamatatsu lead a quartet of horse sized amphibians behind Manda, and proceed in unison to spray oil across the constrictor's tail. Then 'Tatsu took out a set of flint and steel, and sparked it just above the trail along the ground. The snake flicked his back half, dislodging the fuel while also dodging Gamaken's team's attempt to spray his midsection. But the combustible still caught fire, as did the remnants of Gamabunta's attack. Manda rolled over, attempting to crash Gamaono's squad, while at the same time smothering the flames. The toad oil was mostly extinguished, however the move put him in the path of Gamazashi's scissored blades.

As the twin wakizashi bit into his scales, the tyrant of the summoned snakes spun his tail around, bashing the female toad's head, and incidentally saving himself. But at the same time, both 'Ono and 'Ken struck; the martial artist's kick, powerful despite his size, held the constrictor down long enough for the swordsman's blade to cleave into Manda's spine, two-thirds of the way back from his head.

Manda snarled in pain, and whipped his body into a tight spiral to protect himself. But as he did, something else caught his good eye. Both of his green orbs widened in surprise and fear, as Gamabunta picked up his knife, and turned to face the snake. The serpent glanced over at where the toad had fallen, and the body was gone.

"You are dead," the snake hissed, and Orochimaru could not help but chuckle at the snake's confusion. The chief toad did not say anything. He just lifted his tanto and leaped forward. Manda started to dodge, but streams of water and oil from the toads surrounding him put him off balance, and 'Bunta only had to alter his aim slightly to plunge his dagger into the serpent's brain.

"How?" Manda's breath rattled harshly as his soul's seat failed. The last thing he saw was Gamabunta exploding. The transformation ended, and Gamakichi and Naruto were left standing on the hilt of the tanto, while over a hundred Uzumaki clones fell away, dismissing themselves as they dropped. On the other side of the dead snake, light seemed to twist, and the real chief toad reappeared, Fukasaku now standing on his head.

"Well done, children," the amphibian elder offered sadly.

"Take his skin," 'Kichi shouted, "leave the rest to rot."

The other toads moved to comply, and Naruto and Gamakichi jumped down, and crossed the distance to the chief toad's body. As he did, Uzumaki remembered his teammates. He offered a quick apology, and diverted towards the Shishienjin cages. The barrier containing Hinata was growing very thin, nearly gone at the top, while Sakura's was still intact. A bizarre smell hit his nose, and he realized the mat Sakon was sitting on was burning. Hinata had nearly finished draining the flames, and the Sound Four leader shifted slightly as he prepared to attack her. He abandoned the barrier, preparing to use his Parasite Demon attack on her. But his plan was brutally interrupted.

"Rasengan," Naruto intoned, shoving the spiraling sphere into Sakon's back. The undead warrior growled and turned to glare at Uzumaki.

"Naruto, his head," Hinata prompted, having seen Sakura's defeat of Tayuya, and now looking at the aberrant chakra formation in Sakon's brain. Naruto continued to hold the first Rasengan in place, preventing the Sound ninja's body from repairing itself, and created a second orb in his left. Sakon attempted to pull away, keeping his eyes on Naruto. Hinata's Rasengan hit the back of Sakon's head, and the Sound shinobi froze. Naruto used the chance to push his second jutsu into Sakon's brow. The two spheres merged, expanding and destroying the basis of his resurrection.

Naruto and Hinata ended their jutsu at once, and Uzumaki glanced over his fiance.

"Are you OK?" he asked, despite her general lack of injuries.

"I'm fine, thanks to Ni-ne," she indicated the tiny demon next to her.

"Thanks, Ni-ne," Naruto told the cat warily, and the Two-Tails mewed happily.

"Can you get Sakura out?" he turned his attention to the last cage.

"I don't know if I have enough chakra to use the Fire Seal again," she admitted sadly. Then she gave him a shy yet coy look, and asked, "Can you help me?"

"I'm a little drained, bit I think together we can manage," he answered, taking her hand.

"Can you two quit flirting and get me out of here?" Sakura's voice was distorted as she joined them on the other side of the barrier. Sol and Luné loped behind her, their injuries having been erased by the medic. Ukon's eyes darted between the two set of enemies, worried.

"Enough of this," Orochimaru noted to himself, still watching from the edge of the forest, and activated the contingency jutsu. Inside the smaller Shishienjin compartment, Ukon's body suddenly shook, and rapidly dissolved into a pool of acid. The solvent destroyed the scroll, and scarred the stone underneath. As the barrier jutsu disappeared, Sasuke's body vanished into the forest.

"Naruto, I am so sorry," Hinata clung to his arm, tears streaming down her face, as the three humans, two squirrels, and one demon cat approached Gamabunta's still form. As Uzumaki has suggested, the ninja toads were wrapping their chief's body in a purple veil with occasional black stripes. Naruto noticed they had returned 'Bunta's dagger to its scabbard. As they finished, the summoned amphibians began to return to their sanctuary in puffs of chakra. Gamazashi caught Naruto's eye before she left, and nodded to him. Finally, only Fukasaku, Gamakichi, and Gamatasu were left. The food obsessed toad stared at Naruto hard, before he too vanished. The elder hopped back onto Gamabunta's skull, and pressed his hands together. The next instant, both he and the chief were gone.

"Hey, Naruto," Gamakichi addressed his friend, a catch in his voice, "Why don't you summon me again in a few days, OK?"

"Sure," Naruto's wiped something out of his eye, "But what for?"

"So I can give you the details on pops' funeral..."


	98. Sayonara, Gamabunta

Chapter 98: Sayonara, Gamabunta

Shizune sealed the Hokage's office as soon as team Kakashi was inside, and Tsunade regarded them carefully. Both Hinata and Sakura appeared unnerved by the mood in the room, but Naruto seemed impervious to the air of worried secrecy. The blonde teen set the scroll case, abandoned by Orochimaru during his escape, on the Hokage's desk.

"So, Orochimaru was... is behind these thefts," the female Sannin noted, looking suspiciously at Kujira Okubukai's chest. The heavy wooden box was still sealed by ancient fuinjutsu, but the healer was far from convinced that meant her former teammate had not gleaned something of the contents.

"Even though he escaped, it sounds like you crippled his operations for the time being," Tsunade's eyes moved to them, and she found Naruto staring her down, hard. She glanced away, unwilling to meet his intent gaze.

"I will pass that along to the other villages, and decide what we want to do with this." the Hokage returned her attention to the chest, to try to ignore him. But Uzumaki was not having any of it.

"How long are you going to dance around the issue?" the blonde Tokujo growled at her. Tsunade tried to work up her usual annoyance at him, but found she could not.

"Naruto..." she started sadly, but he cut her off.

"You knew who my dad was," he barely managed to avoid shouting, "You, and Jiraiya, and the Third. And you never told me. I probably still wouldn't know if that snake had accidentally brought my parents back. The three of you must have been having a great laugh at me, 'Naruto wants to be Hokage, just like daddy'."

"It wasn't like that," the medic's ire began to build, but did not yet outweigh her sadness and regret.

"Do you know how miserable my life was?" he continued, lifting partly out of the chair, "Don't you think it would have made things better for me if people had known I was the Fourth's kid?"

Hinata took Naruto's hand, both to reassure and to calm him, and Sakura could not bring herself to look at her teammate and friend.

"No, we didn't think that," Tsunade bit off the words, "Sarutobi and I talked about it, and we decided it would probably have made your life harder."

Naruto looked stunned, and dropped back down into the seat.

"We talked about it one of the times I came back to the village," she explained firmly, "We agreed that those people who hated you because of the fox wouldn't treat you any better. In fact, we thought it was likely they would treat you worse, claiming that Minato sealing the Bijuu in you was some sort of sign that he never wanted you or your mother to begin with."

Naruto looked down at his feet, his anger washed away by old worry.

"And we both knew nothing could be further from the truth," the healer reassured him, adding, "It was also possible they would have said your parentage was just a lie, to make them accept you."

"But your detractors weren't the only ones we worried about. We also worried that some people would expect you to be a clone of Minato, without giving you a chance to be your own person. And how would they react, if you turned out more like your rambunctious mother? On top of that, there were at least two people we were afraid would try to use you, even shape you, for their own political ends."

"So that was why you didn't tell anyone, to protect me from the people of the village?" Naruto asked, his voice hoarse.

"No, it was because of Minato's enemies as well," the Hokage continued her discourse, "Your father was like a force of nature during the last great war. Some of the survivors of the war, like the current Mizukage, viewed Minato as a friendly rival. Others, like the current Raikage, simply hated the Fourth, and wanted him dead. And many of them would still be willing to kill Minato's son, to gain some measure of revenge against him."

She sighed, and then met Naruto's eyes, "But the main reason we kept your father's identity a secret is because of your uncle."

"My... uncle?" Naruto stammered in confusion.

"I thought Naruto didn't have any living relatives," Sakura finally spoke, looking from her mentor to her friend.

"We hope he doesn't..." Shizune whispered.

"The normal bingo books are intentionally incomplete," Tsunade stated, appearing to ignore her apprentices, "A section is left out, one that only the Kages and those few ninja they choose to trust are allowed to view. A section for the most dangerous of S-Ranked criminals. Orochimaru would be part of that group, if he weren't so famous as to render the point moot. Gouki Namikaze is in their company. He is also an X-Rank renegade, one of only four to ever be assigned that level by the Conclave of Shadows. For reference, Madara Uchiha is another of the four."

"How dangerous is he?" Hinata asked quietly, squeezing Naruto's hand tighter.

"He was a member of Orochimaru's first Genin squad. He was seven at the time. In less than four months he had learned everything Orochimaru was willing to teach him, and had made Chunin. After that he studied briefly with me, before becoming Sarutobi-sensei's apprentice. Before he was ten, he was a Jonin."

"It was scary how quickly he learned," the Sannin's eyes clouded in memory, "like the brilliance of Minato and the stupid raw talent of Naruto combined one voraciously inquisitive package."

She shook her head to break her reverie, and continued, "When the Third Hokage decided to retire, Gouki was his first choice to be the Fourth. Gouki refused, instead insisting the honor go to Orochimaru. But Sarutobi-sensei chose Minato instead. Your uncle was outraged, and abandoned the village in disgust."

"They tried to bring him back, of course," she leaned back, "Dozens of Jonin squads from almost every hidden village encountered him over the next few years, but Gouki destroyed every one."

"He killed that many?" Sakura gasped, her inner self asking, 'Just what kind of family did Naruto come from, anyway?"

"No," Tsunade shook her head ruefully, "He usually didn't need to go that far. For example, the first group to encounter Gouki was Homura-san, the elder. His team took a C-Rank mission to celebrate being promoted to Jonin. They accidentally ran into Gouki. He took them apart, and then after the fight gave them first aid. Still, one was so badly injured he had to quit being a ninja, and another was so frightened and ashamed that she retired, too."

"He only ever killed four ninjas, and they were his most persistent pursuers. The rest he defeated almost without effort, leaving them mostly uninjured. But a significant number of those he left alive could not continue as shinobi, some physically but more mentally."

"So no-one could stop him?" Hinata frowned thoughtfully.

"It's hard to say," Tsunade mirrored the girl's expression, "Minato sent the Sannin out to capture Gouki on more than one occasion, but we never found him. The same thing happened with Goro Yotsuki and his Cloud ninja team. Orochimaru claimed Gouki was avoiding certain people, but Jiraiya thought it was just luck."

"Where is my uncle now?" Naruto asked darkly.

"Don't know," the Hokage shrugged, "No one had seen or heard of him for over a decade... We thought... we hoped he was dead. But earlier this year, Team Yugao found a copy of the Syphon, Gouki's personal weapon. We aren't sure if that means he's still alive, or if someone else took his axe. That's the main reason I'm ordering you to still keep this quiet."

"You don't want me to tell anyone?" Naruto queried flatly, "Isn't it too late for that?"

"Probably, given Orochimaru and Keishi both know," she admitted, "Especially since that two-headed snake might use the knowledge as political capital to lock in his spot as Manda's successor. But I have already spoken with the squirrel clan's colony leader, and through her to Sol and Luné, and they have agreed to keep it secret. You can still talk about it with the four of us, plus Kakashi and Jiraiya."

Naruto suddenly looked back at Shizune, remembering her earlier answer to Sakura's question. Betrayal lit his eyes. She did not look away, but met his gaze apologetically.

"Don't glare at her," Tsunade barked, "She and Kakashi both took blood oaths to keep this a secret. They couldn't tell anyone about your father and uncle unless both Jiraiya and I were dead, or it somehow became necessary to save your life."

"Sorry, Shizune-neesan," Naruto mumbled. She nodded back.

Naruto closed his eyes, and took three deep breaths. When he opened them again, he was smiling a forced version of his normal grin.

"Well, at least I know who my dad is," he stated, almost masking his lingering anger and disappointment, "and I got to meet him. Anything else?"

"No," the Hokage shook her head, "You three are dismissed."

As they started to leave, she remembered something.

"Naruto?" Tsunade called out softly, almost worried again. He turned back to look at her.

"Will you let me know when the funeral is?" she asked carefully, "For the chief?"

Naruto's grinned faltered, and he nodded once. He turned abruptly and left. Hinata smiled sadly at the Hokage, and bowed before following her fiancé.

* * *

When Naruto and Hinata arrived, the others had already gathered. Sakura appeared conspicuously alone. Like the younger couple, Kakashi and Yugao were holding hands. And Jiraiya and Tsunade were standing unusually close together. All seven shinobi wore simple, black, silk yukata, though Naruto also had Kitsune slung across his back, and Hinata wore Ginmaki.

"Hello, Naruto, Hinata," the Toad Sage offered in a subdued voice, and then, without waiting for anyone else to offer greetings, continued, "Is everyone ready to go?"

The other ninjas nodded their assent, and Jiraiya bit his thumb. He solemnly bloodied each of his fingers and then crouched to place his hand above the cobblestone path.

"Summoning Jutsu," he said sadly. His chakra opened a path, and in a burst of energy and displaced air, a toad appeared. She was by no means young, and wore a black cloak that concealed most of her body. She was quite small for one of the ninja amphibians, not even a foot long. The top of her head was covered with a series of purple bumps, giving her the appearance of tightly curled hair.

"Hmm, more than I expected," the female Elder toad noted, looking around at the seven humans, "But I suppose that is good, in its own way. Are you all ready to go?"

"We're ready, Lady Shima," Jiraiya answered for them, inclining his head respectfully.

"Good," Shima nodded, "If you don't mind, it will be easier if you all take hands."

They complied. Naruto offered Sakura one of his free hands, as did Kakashi. Hinata linked to Tsunade, who in turn easily slipped her hand into Jiraiya's. Finally the Toad Sage took Yugao's other hand. Shima bobbed her head again, and placed her hands together.

"Reverse Summoning," the female amphibian stated, and around them the Village Hidden in the Leaves vanished. Instead they were in a deep valley, surrounded by a verdant bamboo forest. There were only a few buildings, but there were many gaps in the green. The clearing where they arrived was empty initially, but a heartbeat later Fukasaku and Gamakichi hopped into the field.

"Welcome, bonded summoners and honored guests," Fukasaku bowed to them, "to Myōbokuzan. I wish it were under different circumstances."

"You shouldn't be so formal," Shima chided her husband, "the boy still feels guilty enough, and this is hardly the time for such things."

Fukasaku ignored her, and walked over to male Sannin.

"It's been a while since you were here, Jiraiya," the Elder greeted the author in more relaxed tones. The human bowed his head to the toad.

"How are things here, Fukasaku?" he asked as the two older men began to wander away.

"Chaotic, as you might expect," the amphibian answered, "Gamabunta's heirs are not yet of age, so there has been some heated discussions over who should become the new chief. Also, your apprentice's new technique has stirred up something of a hornet's nest around here as well..."

"Those men," Shima shook her head, then she looked to the younger toad, "Gamakichi, please take our guests to the Theatre of Last Departure. I'll go after those two before they find some alcohol."

She hopped away.

"If you guys would follow me," the orange toad requested. He led them down a more easterly path, towards the far side of the valley.

"Where is Rei?" Naruto asked Kakashi after they had exited the clearing. His voice was hollow and distant, and the Copy Ninja could tell the teen was asking more to banish the silence than anything else.

"Iruka and Anko are watching her," Kakashi answered

"Anko-sensei, too?" Hinata sounded worried. Yugao chuckled lightly.

"Anko is pretty good with infants," the former ANBU member admitted, "It isn't until they start talking that she has a hard time with them."

"I wonder how it will go if she and Iruka have kids," Sakura pondered out loud. Naruto and Kakashi shuddered slightly, and Yugao paused.

"I don't see that happening any time soon," Kakashi's fiancé admitted.

"Can you imagine, little Ankos running around the village?" Naruto noted, his tone closer to normal.

"Almost as frightening as the concept of little Narutos running around the village," his teacher added in his typical blasé manner. Naruto grinned slightly, and Hinata turned bright red. Gamakichi laughed quietly, while Sakura looked privately relieved.

* * *

Though she did not take a hard count, Hinata estimated there were nearly two hundred toads of various sizes and colors in the clearing. In the center was a pentagon of stacked logs, surrounding Gamabunta's body, still wrapped in Manda's skin. The two sides of the pentagon that she could see each bore a single kanji, one for 'wind' and the other for 'water'. Jiraiya walked over to the other human attendees, while Shima and Fukasaku joined the giant toad standing next to funeral pyre. Gamakichi hopped away, meeting up with Gamatatsu. The Leaf shinobi ended up standing next to Gamazashi, the female toad segregated somewhat from the rest of her people.

The toad whom the tiny elders stood beside was not the largest Naruto had ever seen, slightly smaller than Gamabunta had been, or Gamaken was, and also possessed of a thinner build. His flesh was a mild scarlet and wrinkled with age. He wore a scholar's cap, and his eyes were partially closed and independently focused. He wore a beaded necklace with a large tableau bearing the kanji for 'oil', like the one Jiraiya wore on his brow. The other toads focused their attention on him; however he looked around blankly, until Fukasaku and Shima cleared their throats in unison.

"The war chief Gamabunta has departed this life," the ancient leader announced, "Let those who would honor his life and sacrifice, come forward and contribute to his send off."

The Sage amphibian turned around, and launched a spot of oil onto the logs reading 'lightning', and then moved out of the way. Shima and Fukasaku contributed fuel to the 'water' side of the pentagon, and also shifted aside. The other toads began to hop forward, each choosing a side of the structure, and spitting a small amount of petrol onto the wood.

"What's going on?" Naruto asked 'Zashi, quietly.

"The others will all add their oil to the the logs consecrated to the five elements," she whispered back, "and then it will be lit, returning Chief Gamabunta's physical body back to whence it was formed."

"Aren't you going to join them?" Tsunade asked.

"I gave up my oil to study the sword," 'Zashi reminded him, with only a hint of bitterness.

"Good thing, too," Naruto said firmly, and somewhat loudly, "We couldn't have handled that uppity frog without you. And you sure seemed to have Manda's number."

"Thanks. But you and Gamakichi were the ones who finished the snake," the toad girl blushed slightly despite her denial.

"Well done," Hinata whispered in Naruto's ear and pulled left arm to her body, squeezing it tightly, to let him know she approved of him standing up for their fellow outsider. Naruto turned slightly red, and scratched his whiskers with his free hand.

The procession of toads had finished preparing the timber with their oil. The Great Sage Toad, Fukasaku, and Shima had returned to their places before the massive structure. After standing there for a few heartbeats, the female toad elder nudged the absent-minded giant as subtly as she could.

"I would now like to ask the bonded summoners to come forward and light the pyre," the spiritual leader announced, looking around blankly.

"Come on, kid," Jiraiya told his apprentice, striding forward. Uzumaki quickly disentangled himself from his fiancé and followed suit, obviously more surprised than his teacher. The Sannin indicated that Naruto should stand before the lumber labeled 'wind', and then took his position before the 'fire' stack.

"Fireballs on three," the human sage whispered to his apprentice, "One, two, three..."

"Mi, Hitsuji, Saru, I, Uma, Tora, Fireball Jutsu," Naruto and Jiraiya intoned in unison, blowing matching spheres of flame onto the logs. The wood ignited instantly, and the conflagration rapidly spread to the rest of the pyre. The humans stepped back, and rejoined their comrades

"Let the sacred flames cleanse away all earthly concerns," the Sage Toad chanted, "and may the gods watch over this son of Myōbokuzan."

With those words, he hopped away, disappearing into the bamboo. Shima shook her head, and she and her husband moved to join the Leaf shinobi.

"Is that it?" Naruto asked, trying to keep his voice polite despite his confusion and disappointment.

"Pretty much," Fukasaku nodded, "While the flames burn, our people will meet here to share remembrances of Gamabunta, but the formal part is over."

"Like how I first met the chief when the Pervy Sage here pushed me to my death?" Naruto suggested. Hinata glared at Jiraiya, while the toad Elders smiled at Naruto's nickname for the Sannin.

* * *

"You seem unusually pensive," Fukasaku joined Jiraiya, who was staring at the pyre. The toad Elder offered the human the sake jug he carried, and Jiraiya took a short pull before returning the alcohol.

"I've just been thinking, I could have prevented this," the Sannin said.

"Such thoughts are not unusual in..." Fukasaku's platitude trailed off as he observed the human's face, "You are not speaking figuratively, are you?"

"I don't know," Jiraiya admitted. The toad Elder watched him, waiting to see if he continued on his own. The white-haired summoner took a deep breath, and started to explain, "Earlier this year, I received a coded message..."

Minato's teacher told the amphibian about the battle he and Itachi had fought against Orochimaru in Sasuke's body, the scratches in the earth, and his work with Shikamaru to decipher the information.

"… about a month ago we finished decoding the note, though we haven't told Tsunade," the author finished, "The message was 'Snake's last resort', and a set of coordinates."

"And you think if you had acted on this knowledge, you might have been able to stop Orochimaru," the toad offered neutrally.

"Like I said, I don't know. The description is too vague. It could be Orochimaru's primary hideout. It could be where he is working on some sort of last ditch jutsu or weapon. Or it could be an onsen that the snake opened to make money and find research subjects."

"Or it could be a trap," Fukasaku noted.

"Or it could be a trap," Jiraiya agreed, "Tsunade was convinced of that as soon as she found out about the note."

"It probably doesn't matter either way," the amphibian told the human wisely, "It isn't as if Manda just started poisoning his fangs recently. Even if you had found Orochimaru before Naruto, you and your former teammate still probably would have summoned Gamabunta and Manda, as is your pattern. And Gamabunta still could have died, but with out the boy's new technique and the chakra supply to use it, we would not have been able to take our revenge on Manda."

"You're probably right."

"You do not sound convinced," Fukasaku studied Jiraiya.

"No, that's not it," the human sage shook his head, grinning ruefully, "I just decided now, that I owe it to Gamabunta and Naruto to check this out, trap or not."

"But I'd appreciate it if you didn't tell anyone," Jiraiya added, "I don't want to drag anyone else into this, and I'm pretty sure the Hokage would try to stop me."

"Alright," Fukasaku agreed warily, "So long as you promise to give me a call if you need any help."


	99. A Resumed Dream

**Chapter 99: A Resumed Dream**

When the door opened, he was reading the shark's latest report. The document stated that the bearer of the ice sword had not yet been located. Upon reading that, he became far less concerned with the rest of the missive, so he looked up to face his allies. Even though he was expecting them, his powerful blue eyes softened slightly when he recognized the visitors.

"Nagato, Konan, thank you for coming," he greeted them pleasantly.

"Of course, Master," Konan stated, and she and her partner both bowed deeply.

"It is our pleasure," the original form of Pein added, and their second teacher and current leader shook his head in denial.

"I do not believe that will be the case, once you hear why I have summoned you," the powerfully built shinobi answered, his short cropped, light brown hair shifted slightly as he continued to swivel his head back and forth.

"Nagato, I know you were upset that I ordered you to give Madara the husk you had acquired to upgrade your Naraka Path," he continued, "and Konan would have preferred I abandon him entirely. But even though the Akatsuki plan failed, he can still be of use to us."

"You want us to help him again," the kunoichi said evenly. Their master nodded. He was well aware of her hatred of Uchiha, but hoped her loyalty to him and to Nagato would outweigh it.

"Madara needs a living host to merge with. It seems a corpse, no matter how perfectly repaired and preserved, is not capable of supporting him. He is burning through it, and in a matter of months, possibly less, it will be unusable."

He paused, and looked at them more firmly, "You two will help Madara to find and acquire a suitable new body. I trust you understand what that means?"

Both nodded, and turned to leave.

"Nagato," the renegade called after him. The younger man paused, and looked back over his shoulder.

"If Madara leaves that body soon, will you be able to take it back and make use of it?"

"I don't think so, Master," the bearer of the Rinnegan considered it, "The damage his control inflicts is too great. I think the body will collapse as soon as Madara leaves it."

"That is unfortunate," the leader tapped the handle of his axe, and Pein recognized the statement and action as the closest thing he would get to an apology or admission of fault. Nagato nodded again, and left. As the door closed behind him, a new figure emerged from the shadows, and sidled over to the now lone renegade.

"Are you sure about this?" she asked carefully, her platinum blonde hair bouncing off her swaying hips, her sharp green eyes watching him carefully, "You know what Madara wants, and where he will take them to get it."

"This is also a test," he countered, "It had been too long since Nagato or Konan took the field. And it is also a way to observe my former friends."

He looked her up and down, and asked, "Kaede Mizuno?"

"I was in the mood for glamorous," she answered, "But wasn't feeling especially creative. If she doesn't spark your game, then how about..."

As she trailed off, her appearance changed. Her hair retracted to half its previous length, and went from stark white to jet black. Her eyes changed from green the purple, and took on a sharper shape. Her nose became shallower and slightly broader. She gain almost two inches of height, and her frame became more willowy.

"That is how you looked when we first met," he remembered, and pulled her in roughly for a kiss. She smirked when they broke apart.

"You're still so aggressive, Gouki," she scolded him mockingly.

"Isn't that why you married me?" he shot back.

"Are you sure those two will be OK?" she settled into his lap, returning to the original topic.

"If not, it will be a good lesson for him. Nagato is still convinced if Pein had been at the Valley of Dawn, he could have prevented most of Madara's mistakes. He tends to underestimate everyone else, excepting perhaps Konan and myself."

"I guess we'll have to see," she said dangerously, annoyed, "Do you want me to shadow them?"

"No, I have another task for you. There is someone else I need you to track down..."

* * *

Naruto went over everything again, wishing Hinata had not sprung this on him so suddenly.

"Are you sure you want to do this now, today?" Naruto called out to his fiancé through the closed door. She was in the other room, changing into the special 'outfit' she had brought with her.

"I mean, there's some preparations I'd like to make, so we can do this right," he explained.

"No, Naruto," she rejected his plea, "No stalling."

"And I know you think I'm good at this sorta thing, and have experience. But the truth is, I've never done this before. I don't want you to get your hopes up."

"Naruto," she stuck her head and one bare shoulder out the door, "I want to do this with you. I've been waiting to do this with you. Please, relax."

"I just don't want to disappoint you," he said nervously. She blushed contentedly, and smiled at him.

"It's not like you're doing it alone this time," she turned redder as she said it, "It will be the two of us together this time."

"I don't do it alone that often, either," he said defensively, "And it's still not the same."

"I'm sure you... we'll do fine," she told, and before closing the door added, "It's not like we can't try it again if things don't go perfect the first time."

"Does your Dad know about this?" Naruto fired his last salvo to dissuade her.

"Yes."

"And he's OK with it?" he pressed, surprised.

"Well," Hinata's voice hesitated, "I'm sure part of him doesn't want us to do this, but he won't be bursting in to stop us."

She opened the door, and stepped into room, and Naruto's jaw dropped. The young woman had on a brand new, heavy duty apron, and at first glance was not wearing anything underneath. The thick white cloth hung low across her impressive chest, the tips of her breasts straining against the fabric. As she took another step, the shift of her hips behind the protective garment showed she was still wearing panties. She twirled to show off functional but attractive cotton briefs, white with horizontal blue stripes, and her completely bare back.

"Hinata, wha... what are you wearing?" Naruto stammered the question after his brain recovered.

"You don't like it?" her voice dropped with genuine worry, and Uzumaki's heart started racing even faster. Unlike most girls, who would have tried to show off how sexy they were; Hinata simply was sexy, just standing there, natural and nervous. Where others might have made the statement coy or teasing, she was genuinely worried, and all the cuter for it. She didn't have to try hard to be alluring, and it almost felt off when she tried to vamp it up. Naruto decided that was one of the reasons he had fallen in love with her.

"That depends," he said thoughtfully, "If you really came over here to seduce me, and making me get out all this stuff...

He swept his arm back to the kitchen counter, covered with food and utensils, and muttered under his breath, "...which I'm still not sure is everything we'll need..."

"...was just some sort of bizarre foreplay," he continued at normal volume, "then it is perfect. In that case, give me a minute to put away the milk and butter, and I'll bring the powdered sugar with me and we can... _experiment_."

Hinata's cheeks turned bright red; but her eyes narrowed thoughtfully, and the corners of her mouth curled slightly in expectation.

"But," his tone grew more serious, "if you really came over here to make cinnamon buns. From scratch. Using your mother's recipe..."

He crossed over to her, wrapped his arms around her. Placing both hands on her firm rear end, he pulled her very close and lifted her slightly off the ground. Hinata squeaked appreciatively, and embraced him back.

"… you have to put on some more clothing," he whispered in her ear, still lecturing her despite their amorous position, "because you are _way_ too distracting right now. We'd ruin the rolls for sure."

He released her reluctantly, and concluded, "Kitchen, or bedroom? Your choice."

The young woman considered her lover's offer, and then sighed.

"Kitchen," she sounded slightly reluctant, and explained, "Unfortunately, I promised some people I would bring them samples."

"Like who?" Naruto queried hastily, instantly worried again.

"My father, of course," she told him, "And Hanabi. Neji and Tenten. Aunt Hiroko. Oh, and Keiko, Kei, and Choza-san were there with Hanabi, so I might have included them. But if we give one to Choza-san, we should probably make them for Choji and Ino, too."

"Hinata," Naruto groaned in dismay, "I cook sweets less often than anything else; I don't think I have the knack. What if the rolls don't turn out like you remember?"

"Like I said, we'll try again," she said, "We have all day."

"I didn't want to spend all day cooking," he said dejectedly, giving her another suggestive appraisal. Hinata's cheeks turned red again, and she smiled apologetically. Naruto sighed in defeat.

"In that case, we're gonna need more supplies... Shadow Clone Jutsu," he split in three, and instructed the clones, "You two go shopping. And Hinata, get dressed, OK?"

Her smile dropped slightly in disappointment, and as she returned to his bedroom, the lilt of her hips and butt capturing the attention of all three Uzumakis.

"Kakashi-sensei, warned me," the original muttered as the duplicates reluctantly left, "Beware the quiet ones."

* * *

"Madara-san," Konan greeted the former leader of the Akatsuki, using 'san' instead of 'sama', to forcefully remind the first Uchiha that he was no longer the one in charge. Pein followed closely after her, carrying a short stack of files. Nagato's true form rested back in his room, at his partner's insistence.

The body Madara was using turned to face them. His eyes were too small for the host's eye sockets, and the red-accented black orbs floated eerily in the emptied spaces. The oddness of his appearance was heightened by the corpse's face; the sunken eyes, hollow cheeks, and straight nose called attention to gaps. He still wore his Akatsuki cloak.

"Pein, Konan, why are you here?" he asked cautiously.

"_Lord Gouki_ has asked us to assist you in your little quest," the kunoichi answered, emphasizing their second teacher's name so Uchiha would understand this was not her idea. He pursed his lips in thought as he looked them over.

"So those would be..." the Sharingan user waved at the files the Rinnegan user carried.

"All of the information we have on the active shinobi of the Hyuga clan," Pein stated, "So that you can choose your new body."

Madara nodded, and moved to the other side of the small table. There were only two chairs, but that did not matter, as Konan hung back, disgusted.

"I believe our starting point is obvious," Pein opened the first file, "Neji Hyuga, age eighteen, Jonin rank. Until recently he was all but universally accepted as the strongest member of his clan."

"No," Madara countered simply, "No branch family members. Unless we can find a way to remove the Caged Bird Seal, they could kill me instantly."

Pein nodded with a frown, and shuffled through the folders, removing five and handing the two dozen or so remaining back to Konan.

"The second best candidate is Hinata Hyuga, age sixteen."

Madara shook his head in opposition before Pein finished stating the young woman's age.

"I know you would rather not have a female body," Jiraiya's former student said diplomatically, "but she is widely acknowledged as being the second strongest Hyuga, and there are many who think she may have surpassed her cousin."

"Hinata Hyuga possesses the Suigin Byakugan. That power will prevent me from merging with her."

Madara barely managed to keep the fear from his voice. He recalled his brief, disastrous attack against his half-sister Hoshi Hyuga, and what her Suigin Byakugan had done to him. Uchiha had little doubt that in his current state, facing Hinata's quicksilver eyes would destroy him outright.

"Hyouta Hyuga, age sixty, rank Tokubetsu Jonin," Yahiko's body moved on to the next file, having stacked the remaining files by age, "former clan leader, and recently removed from the Hyuga Elders. Considering that, he is the best bet for keeping this secret; the rest of the Hyugas could be convinced he fled in rage, disgrace, or senility."

"Too far past his prime. He would not survive the process."

"Hiroko Hyuga, age forty eight, rank Tokubetsu Jonin," Pein read, "known as the Cursebreaker for her skill at unraveling chakra seals."

"No," Madara grimaced in disgust. Konan clicked her tongue, annoyed by his mild, pervasive misogyny.

"That leaves us only two candidates," Pein informed the former Akatsuki leader, handing him the last two files, "Hiashi Hyuga and Hanabi Hyuga. Hiashi is thirty seven, and another Tokujo. He is also the current Clan Leader. Hanabi is age twelve and is only a Genin."

"Hiashi is not as young as you would like," the paper wielding kunoichi pointed out smugly, before Madara could answer, "and Hanabi is female. She's probably too young, but that also means you can let her body age to its peak, while molding it to fit your needs."

"Enough," Madara barked, and Konan wondered if she had pushed him too far.

"I have made my choice," he announced, closing one of the folders, "now we need just determine how to acquire my new body."

* * *

"Oh," Hinata squealed in surprise as a drop of the sticky, white liquid flew up and hit her right cheek. Naruto leaned in and wiped the frosting off her face, licking it off his fingers.

"I told you not to turn up the mixer too soon," he admonished her with a loving grin. She blushed slightly and smiled back.

"But the taste is good," he added, offering her his thumb. She took the digit in her mouth and removed the topping for the buns. The young woman tried to be suggestive about it, and only partially succeeding. Naruto gathered up his arguably limited self control, and stepped away.

"We need to hurry," he told her, "the icing needs to done before we take the rolls out of the oven."

"Naruto, why are you so tense?" she asked nervously, "We're just baking."

Uzumaki appraised her.

"Maybe I'm thinking about it too much," he admitted, "But cinnamon rolls are pretty much your favorite food, right?"

She nodded carefully.

"And you told me your mom was a baker," he explained, "and that what you remember best about her were the smells of the things she cooked. Do you really think that's a coincidence?"

She looked startled. She had never even considered that before, but now she was forced to acknowledge the possibility that he was on to something.

"You're probably right," she agreed, "I think that might be part of it. But it isn't like I've never had cinnamon rolls since... since my mom died."

"But not using her recipe," he countered, "Part of me worries I won't live up to her memory, and part of me is worried I'll taint or even replace your memories of her.

She smiled at him, happy for his consideration. But as she processed his words, her expression turned to one of melancholy.

"If it makes you feel any better," she offered sadly, "It isn't exactly my mother's recipe."

"Huh, but you said..." he frowned in confusion.

"My mother didn't write down her recipes," she told him, "She cooked everything from memory and by taste. She used to say 'Cooking is an art. People treat recipes like they are laws, and use it for an excuse when things go bad. But no two sticks of butter, no two bags of flour taste or cook exactly the same. A real baker uses her senses to guide her to the right mix of ingredients and time in the oven'. Or at least that's what I've been told."

"Then what's this?" Naruto glanced at the paper, "Where did it come from?"

"This recipe was written by one of her apprentices, after she... died. It is a best approximation her recipe, with a little experimentation to get it as close as possible."

Annoyed with himself for making her depressed, Naruto wrapped his arms around her gently, and said, "I'm sorry for bringing it up. For making you remember all that."

"No, it's OK," she forced a smile, "I wanted you to know you don't have to worry. I can't remember exactly what my mother's cinnamon buns taste like, and even if I could, I wouldn't expect these to taste the same. And I already knew sweets aren't your specialty, so I won't be surprised or disappointed if the first batch or two turn out badly."

"How did you know 'sweets aren't my specialty'?" he demanded suspiciously.

"Choji told me about my birthday cake," her cheeks flushed mildly, embarrassed for having betrayed the betrayer, "He said that the first one was inedible, and you gave him the second one because it fell apart when you took it out of the pan."

"Oh man," Naruto groaned, "You weren't supposed to know that."

* * *

Naruto watched fretfully, despite her reassurances. Having completed the topping just in time, the rolls had been glazed and set aside to cool. Now Hinata was taking her first, tentative bite.

"How is it?" he asked nervously, as she finished chewing and swallowed.

"Wonderful," she smiled happily at him. Then she put her lips to his and stuck her tongue in his mouth so he could get a taste...


	100. Konohagakure, Breached

**Chapter 100: Konohagakure, Breached**

"Well that was a waste of time," Naruto groused, as the four shinobi bounded rapidly through the trees. Sakura frowned at him, while Hinata exhibited a practiced neutrality.

"Do you really think that?" Kakashi said, his mildly sarcastic tone indicating that his student had missed something obvious.

"Yeah," the blonde youth said assertively, "I mean, you said this Nezumi guy was one of your best contacts, and all he has for us is that Kisame has been seen in the Earth, Bird, and Rain countries... That's a big area, and we don't even know what that shark is doing."

"Not all intelligence is useful," the semi-retired Jonin explained, "but something is better than nothing. Besides, the real purpose of this mission to introduce the three of you to Nezumi, so he will work with you in the future."

"Well, OK," Naruto grimaced, "But I didn't like the way that guy was staring at Hinata."

"He's like that with every woman," Kakashi shrugged slightly, "They make him uncomfortable. But he's harmless. Well, mostly."

"What the heck is that supposed to mean?" Naruto complained again, as they drew steadily closer to the Village Hidden in the Leaves.

* * *

The Konohagakure was one of the most highly guarded locations on the continent, though a casual observer could have been forgiven for not understanding that. For a 'hidden' village it was remarkably easy to find. It did not have the sort of natural barriers the Sunagakure, Takigakure, or Kirigakure sported. The Leaf village may have been at the base of a cliff, but the ancient and weathered mountain peak to the north did little to dissuade attackers. Nor was was the Konoha a fortified military installation like the Amegakure or Iwagakure. Other than the gates, the barricade surrounding majority of the ninja town appeared to be simply upright, sharpened logs atop a short stone wall, nothing like the thick granite or iron ramparts of some of the other villages. Nor did they appear to have as many guards posted as other outposts.

But, as befitted a training ground of shinobi, looks were deceiving. The timbers of the wall were pressure treated and chakra reinforced. They were secured by steel rebar and advanced ninjutsu, and despite that when damaged the logs were easier and faster to repair or replace than rock or metal walls. Though there were fewer guards on the wall, there were multiple layers of overlapping patrols in the forest, identifying threats before they got to close to the village. The fifth Hokage had substantially increased these patrols after the abduction of Naruto Uzumaki a few months earlier. And many of these guards were members of the Hyuga branch families, their Byakugan eyes letting them cover far more area than an average sentinel. And despite the reluctance of certain Leaf ninjas to accept new technologies, in its defensive measures the Konohagakure was cutting edge. Cameras and motion sensors on the walls and in the trees provide an additional layer of redundant observation, funneled into a trio of command centers. The village even had seismic scanners to watch for tunneling or earth movement jutsu. There was not a square inch within a half mile of the village that was not monitored in at least three separate ways.

They never stood a chance.

Six figures moved rapidly through the forest, easily avoiding the various attempts to detect them. All were considered S-Rank Jonin, and five of them were guided by a legendary Dojutsu. On top of their prowess, their de facto leader was intimately familiar with the terrain. It may have been close to a century since he had actively guarded this land, but not too much had changed, and his infrequent return visits had kept his knowledge up to date. The group avoided guards and cameras as if they knew in advance where they were, and stepped so lightly and silently that none of the vibration based sensors felt even a tremor of their presence. Even the animals of the forest failed to notice them; one of the two females in the group touched a branch only millimeters away from a chipmunk and the skittish rodent never reacted.

At a certain, predetermined point, they split up. Four of the invaders continued together on a slight deviation of their original southwesterly course, with the fifth heading almost due west, and the last turning further south. The two who broke off also slowed slightly. The larger group began to purposefully make mistakes, and by the time the quartet reached the main gate of the Konohagakure, additional ninjas had been dispatched to greet them. Choji and Shikamaru, the current guards, both recognized the robes the invaders wore, and the lazy genius Chunin hit the emergency release, slamming the gates shut.

All four of these intruders wore the same familiar cloak; shoulder to ankle, black, reinforced cotton with a pattern of red clouds. And that was not the end to their similarities. Each also had two, parallel, dark grey bars of an undetermined metal running horizontally through the bridges of their noses; and also a longer, vertical span of the same material piercing both the top point and the lobe of each of their ears. Each member of the quartet possessed vivid, orange hair, though with slight variations in shade. Finally they all had the same eyes, marked by concentric blue rings for corneas.

The shortest of the men was still at least two inches taller than Naruto, even if you ignored the similar spiky hairdo the two men shared. He was of a moderate build, and his face and nose were just a little too long to be called truly handsome. As he ran, a beaded necklace could be seen under the collar of his coat. He also bore a Hidden Rain headband across his brow, with a thick line cut through the symbol on the metallic shield.

The woman was the shorter than any of the men, if just barely. Her hair was a lighter shade of orange, with a few pale blonde streaks. It hung loosely over her uncovered brow, and was pulled back into a pony-tail that trailed, fully wrapped, down to her slender buttocks. The rest of her figure was as trim as her behind, fit without being skinny. Though her nose was shallow and her lips were too thin, there was still an elegant beauty to her face.

The second man might have been the tallest, though it was hard to tell due to the hairstyle of the last man. He was slender, appearing to weigh no more than his female comrade. His hair was the same color as the first man, and fell unencumbered around him, raining down past his knees in the back, and dropping to the middle of his chest in the front. His face was fairly nondescript, with a thin, straight nose, and slightly broad mouth.

If the second man wasn't tallest, the final invader definitely was. His hair style was superficial similar to the first warrior, but his hair was a darker shade of orange, and the points of his hairdo were longer and more random, though this may have been because he lacked a ninja headband to bind his locks. He had a broad nose and strong chin. In addition, he was also the heaviest of the quartet, his thickly muscled body contained at least as much mass as any two of his companions.

The shortest of the men took point. The massive doors of the Leaf Village's main gate had closed, but he did not slow. He lifted his hand, and an invisible force distorted the air before him. It struck the twin doors, denting them, and then dislodging them from their hinges and throwing them inwards. Choji caught one of the doors, and immediately swung it back at the four invaders. The other door struck the wall of Emporium Karin, shaking the entire building, and knocking over the owner/operator inside. Kiba, Akamaru, and Temari joined Shikamaru, and the Sand Jonin looked worried when she recognized both the first of the attackers and the damage he had done.

The leader launched another pressure wave, shattering Akimichi's improvised club before it could strike him or his fellows. Wood and metal rained down on them, but they ignored it.

"Naruto isn't here," Kiba shouted at them, assuming he knew the reason for the assault. His minor betrayal drew annoyed glances from his allies.

"Good," the lead attacker responded, as the second tallest of his companions hit the Chunin and his dog, "That will make this even easier."

The female trespasser brought out two scrolls, as the long-haired warrior's kick dislocated Kiba's shoulder and sent him flying into the broken barrier blocking the storefront. The Akatsuki robed woman unfurled the parchments, triggering the jutsu stored within, filling the entryway with predators. Seven cheetahs, one lion and three lionesses, three tigers, two jaguars, and one puma materialized inside the wall of the Leaf village, and looked at their trainer expectantly.

"Hunt," she ordered them, and the hungry animals began to disperse into the village. Choji moved to stop the lions, but group's leader cut him off with a stream of flames. The extra-large Tokujo turned to face his opponent, incanting, "Partial Expansion Jutsu."

The Rain renegade interposed his palm, and the same jutsu he had used on the door first stopped Choji's fist, then hurtled the hefty shinobi backwards, slamming him into the broken gate next to Kiba. He groaned, but like the dog trainer, he did not stand.

"Who are these guys?" Shikamaru asked his lover tersely, backing away from leader of the attackers, and dodging a punch from the muscleman. She started to answer, but a spear of water shot out from the laced fingers of the long-haired man. She brought up her fan to block, and was pushed back as the water broke on the iron weapon. This put her in range of the muscleman, who caught her neck faster than she expected. He squeezed tightly, and then dropped her. The Sand kunoichi's eyes rolled back into her head, and she collapsed limply.

Shikamaru was outnumbered, and he knew he outmatched as well. Though discretion was the smarter course, watching his girlfriend and best friend both felled with only a cursory effort lit a flame inside the normally apathetic young man.

"Shadow Possession Jutsu," he stated, slapping his hands together. His silhouette split in four, and extended across the ground at the invaders. The largest intruder jumped forward, spreading his arms so that all four of Nara's projections unexpectedly hit his shadow instead of his companions.

"Have it your way," Shikamaru growled, trying to force the trapped shinobi to turn towards his comrades. But the big man lowered his arm instead, and the Shadow user felt his arm being forced down as well.

'It's like Tayuya's second stage,' the Leaf Chunin considered, 'He's too strong for me. He must have known that. But I'll bet he doesn't know about this...'

Shikamaru struggled, but was able to bring his hands together again. He laced them so the tips of each finger were interlocked, palms down.

"Ninja Art: Shadow Seal Jutsu," he exclaimed, and the joined shadows around the largest attacker expanded and split, forming a black seal on the ground around him. Shikamaru's shadow disconnected, leaving the big guy trapped in the middle of the sigils, unable to move.

'Now, can I deal with the others?' Shikamaru drew a harsh breath as he thought that, but as he looked around he realized that the Rain rogue and the woman were gone, leaving only the long haired opponent. Who was also completing his own jutsu.

"Suiton: Water Prison Jutsu," the trespasser stated.

"No way, there isn't enough..." Shikamaru's complaint was cut off as the sphere of water sprang out from his enemy's hand, engulfing him. Nara tried to sign for another jutsu, but the liquid was too dense, and he could not twist his fingers into the shapes representing the noble animals. As he tried, he felt his lungs begin to burn, and started to regret all the times he failed to practice holding his breath. He manged to bring his hands together, and tried to send out his shadow again, but it could not pierce the barrier. His struggles slowed, and he appeared to pass out. Still, the long-haired ninja held him in the sphere, until his large ally was freed from the Shadow Seal, just to be safe.

After letting Shikamaru drop, the two invaders raced into the village to join their comrades.

* * *

"Konpyu, what's going on?" Tsunade demanded as she stormed into the command center. Her apprentice turned assistant followed closely behind.

"Four attackers," the tech ninja watching the monitors announced. The Hokage started to snort derisively, until the Hyuga analyst added, "all wearing Akatsuki robes."

"One of them has released a number of big cats," another security agent exclaimed, "They are attacking the civilians."

"Do you have any good visuals?" Shizune prompted. Konpyu nodded, and brought up the scene of Choji's brief battle, focusing on the enemy.

"Pein," the Sannin growled, "Of all the times for Jiraiya to be off gallivanting about."

"Alright, dispatch Genin teams and any available Inuzuka clan members to deal with the lions and such," she ordered, switching to her command voice, "And send medics to check on Shikamaru and company. Is Team Kakashi back yet?"

"No, ma'am."

"And Team Gai is out, too," she recalled, "Get the original Ino-Shika-Cho out there, but tell Choza to put his Genin squad on cat duty like the rest. Also send out the remaining members of Team Anko and Team Yugao, and Genma and Raido. Shizune, I want you down there, too."

"Of course, milady," the younger Jonin nodded, and then disappeared.

"Get everyone one else in the village ready to mobilize," the Hokage instructed, "We don't want to give Pein and his friends too many targets, but we need reinforcements ready. Have the remaining Chunin and Tokubetsu Jonin form a perimeter, to keep the civilians out of the line of fire and to prevent Pein's friends from slipping away. Order any other Jonin start carefully patrolling the village."

"You think there are others?" the head guard asked, as his juniors began making phone calls. Tsunade nodded.

"Pein's partner, Konan isn't on any of the images you've shown me," she answered, "And this attack seems too open. This is either a diversion, or a suicide mission, and even I wouldn't put money on the latter."

"Medical team reporting in," another of the sentries reported, "Choji, Shikamaru, and Temari are unconscious, but none of them are seriously injured."

"Good," the healer frowned despite her statement, looking around at the various screens. She started to inquire about Kiba, when she noticed something else.

"Hold on," Tsunade suddenly ordered, staring at the images one of the monitors, where a tech shinobi was amazing the recording, "Go back three seconds and freeze. Zoom in on her."

The young woman complied, and the screen showed the female invader, in the middle of summoning the felines. The imaged enlarged around her face, and the image briefly depixelated and then resolved.

"Have we started comparing this to the files?" she demanded.

"Actually, we were planning to test this new program that has the computer match faces in pictures," the leader of the guard team answered for his junior, "Why?"

"Her hair is the wrong color," Tsunade stated, "And well, she's supposed to be dead. But if it wasn't for that, I would swear that is Yugito Nii, the former Jinchuriki of the Two-Tails Cat Demon... Check it by hand, right away. Then check on the other two."

* * *

"… n't believe you are talking with me on the phone while you're nursing," Anko's incredulous voice emerged from the phone.

"When have you every refused a phone call, Anko?" Yugao asked frankly and without sarcasm. Rei whimpered, and Uzuki shifted the infant higher.

"I thought the seal was supposed to have expired already," Anko shifted the conversation slightly, hints of annoyance and chagrin warring in her voice.

"It should have expired ten days ago," the younger Kunoichi confirmed, "Shizune said my desire to spend more time with Rei might be causing my chakra to sustain the seal. Or that I might just have a natural affinity for nursing."

Sleeping on the floor next to mother and daughter, Ni-ne suddenly lifted her head, staring at the wall with a surprised expression. Then her eyes narrowed, her ears swiveled back, and she growled at the side of the house. Yugao looked at the tiny demon cautiously.

"I would have thought I had more _natural affinity_," Mitarashi teased.

Ni-ne's attention shifted again, her head darting to the left to hiss at the door. The human followed the feline's attention, curious as to what had the Bijuu so agitated. She wished she had Hinata's ability to communicate with the spirit.

"Yuga..." Anko's questioning voice was cut off as the kunai sliced through the former ANBU shinobi's cellular. Uzuki glanced back, and noticed the dagger was made out of folded paper. Still vocalizing angrily, the Two-Tails charged towards the now open door. Four more kunai flashed out, forming a trapezoid around the demon. After they hit the floor, the blades unfolded, revealing seals inscribed on the paper. Ni-ne hit the barrier and bounced off, shaking her head painfully. Snarling, the pet-sized demoness spit a small cone of fire at the scroll, but the fuinjutsu stopped the attack.

"Give me the girl," the attacker stepped into the room, "and I won't have to kill you."

The kidnapper was basically the same height as Yugao, but her limbs and hips were narrower, though her bust was larger. She had shoulder length, blue-grey hair, with a paper rose over her right temple. Her amber eyes locked on the last daughter of the Uchiha. She also had a small metal stud through the middle of her bottom lip. She wore tight black pants, and a dark grey top that started as a collar, and covered her chest and stomach down to just above her umbilicus, where it split apart, wrapping around behind her, and hanging loose over her sides and back, down to her knees.

"I will never willingly give my daughter to the Akatsuki or Madara Uchiha," Yugao said darkly, recognizing Pein's partner Konan. The invader smiled wistfully.

"I'm afraid I can't give you a choice," the origami ninja informed the Leaf kunoichi regretfully.

"May I set her down and meet you outside?" Uzuki requested, "After all, neither of us wants to put my daughter in any danger."

Konan nodded once. Yugao settled Rei into her cradle, the infant dozing after her meal. She secured a blanket around the girl, and then pulled her brassiere and shirt back into place. The two kunoichis' eyes met determinedly, and both exited the house, leaving the cat demon clawing at the chakra cage. Uzuki briefly met Ni-ne's eyes, but shook her head sadly. She wanted to free the cat, however she new that her enemy would never allow it, and Yugao decided it was more important to take the brewing fight away from Rei.

* * *

Genma hopped upwards, catching his scarred cousin. The remains of the attack that had sent Raido flying clipped second Tokujo as well, dislodging both his bandana and the senbon needle between his lips. The rescuer managed to get to twist around so he landed on the wall instead of crashing into it. Genma set his teammate down on the building. They stood parallel to the ground and watched their opponents. The four invaders ignored them, and continued to push forward.

"What was that attack?" Genma asked, catching his head covering as it fluttered by, and securing it again. Raido shook his head.

"I've never seen or felt anything like it," the other Tokujo answered, "When it hit me, it felt like I was jerked back from behind... No, it was more like I dropped backwards, like I had been lying on a trap door, and it suddenly opened."

"A gravity manipulation technique?" Genma pondered it.

"Could be. But to use such a technique without hand signs..."

"Maybe that's why you survived it. Normally gravity attacks are hard to use and very powerful. The attack was weakened because he did not fully shape it."

"Could be," Raido said again. Then he looked forward to where Choza Akimichi suddenly rose above the invaders.

"You think we gave them enough of a lead?" Genma asked. Raido nodded, and darted back towards the action, to help spring Shikaku's trap. As the marked ninja moved, his cousin frowned, considering their enemy's technique again.

'He should have been killed,' he placed a new senbon between his lips, troubled by the thought.

* * *

_"Pein," the surviving, elder Namikaze brother stopped his apprentice before the infiltration team could leave. Given Madara's presence, Gouki used Nagato's alias. Yahiko's body turned back to speak with his leader._

_"If possible, do not kill any of the Leaf shinobi," the X-Class renegade instructed the younger man._

_"Master Gouki?"_

_"Feeling badly for your old friends?" Madara asked smugly._

_"No," Gouki was unperturbed by the needling, "But Pein's paths are the distraction. Keeping the Leaf ninjas busy will be better served by leaving them hurt but alive. It means their medics will be healing, not attacking, and some of them will concern themselves with removing the injured. And they might keep some of their heavy hitters back."_

_"Also, it will serve as a message," the blonde renegade smiled darkly, "and I am curious to see if Tsunade-sensei recognizes it."_

_Pein's Deva path nodded._

* * *

Ibiki Morino frowned as the long haired invader sent out a burst of water, washing away the scroll in Inoichi Yamanaka's hands before they could complete the seal intended to trap the invaders. He flipped open his phone, and punched a certain number. After two rings, the other party picked up.

"Ibiki-senpai, this is hardly the time," Konpyu answered in a quiet hiss.

"Kon, is the Hokage there?" the interrogation expert asked forcefully.

"Yes," the tech ninja answered dubiously, "but she's busy."

"Give her your phone."

"Wha... why?"

"Give her your phone," Ibiki repeated sternly, and he could almost see the younger man shudder. He heard some words exchanged in harsh whispers, but could not hear the exact words. A few seconds later, a new voice came through the speaker.

"Morino, what is it?" Tsunade demanded angrily.

"It's about the invaders," he said respectfully, suddenly less sure of himself.

"You aren't supposed to be worrying about them. Get back on crowd control."

"Lady Hokage, I recognize one of them," he interjected. There was a pause, and she continued in a more neutral tone.

"Which one?"

"The long-haired one. The one using water jutsu," Morino's voice paused slightly, "I'm not sure, because the hair color is different, the weird jewelry is new, and, well, he's supposed to be dead. But he looks like Ueba, a Waterfall ninja I... _encountered_... a few times. This invader has the same face, and seems the same Kekkei Genkai, the ability to store extra water in his body so he can use advanced water techniques even when there isn't a lake or river around."

"Alright," she said slowly, "Thank you Ibiki-kun."

As she disconnected, Tsunade looked at the monitor again, her eyes flickering from the female trespasser to the long haired intruder.

"That's two 'they should be dead's," she mumbled, "That can't just be a coincidence..."

* * *

A dark shadow approached the Hyuga Manor. With the attacks, the clan was in an uproar, the visually acute members being dispatched to look for civilians that had not been moved to safety, or the animals that were hunting them.

As another Hyuga Chunin exited the house, Madara swooped down. Though the middle-aged man's Byakugan saw him coming, it was too late, and Uchiha buried the kunai in his left hand in his victim's heart, and his right hand blade in the Hyuga's throat. The Leaf ninja died before he could make a sound, and Madara tossed the body aside.

Uchiha was wearing a simple, standard stealth shozoku, but with jutsu bound into the threads that would prevent even the White Eyes of the Hyuga clan from seeing his face.

The traitor entered his first family's home, noting that the intervening decades had done little to change it. He turned down the hall towards the living area and nearly collided with a young kunoichi with the Cage Bird Seal glowing on her forehead, her headband still in her hand, and her Bloodline power inactive. Madara loosed the two bloody kunai he held, following them instantly with a handful of shuriken. The attractive teen fell before she recognized the danger.

"That's two members of my family you have killed," Hiashi Hyuga turned into the hall, the veins around his eyes bulging, "And the last. I don't know who you are, or why you are here, but you will not leave this house alive."

Madara chuckled, and bent his head slightly to remove the mask that prevented his enemy from seeing his features. He kept his eyes closed as he lifted his head.

"Itachi Uchiha?" Hiashi gasped. Like all the clan leaders, he was quite familiar with the somewhat hollow face of the double agent.

"Not quite," Madara hissed, revealing his too small orbs, floating in place of Itachi's.

"Those eyes... Madara?"

Madara turned up the corpse's lips, and charged down the hall at Hiashi.


	101. Mother and Father

**Chapter 101: Mother and Father**

"Rotation," Hiashi Hyuga announced, throwing his arms out. The chakra dome struck the walls of the hallway, stripping away the paint and cracking the wood paneling beneath. Madara hopped up and back, landing on the wall just above and behind the boundary of the hemisphere attack, and once it had dissipated, he charged again.

"Rotation," the clan leader repeated the jutsu, but Uchiha's Shin'en Sharingan had already memorized the move, even if he could not reproduce it. Madara altered his momentum, throwing himself at the opposite wall while reversing direction. He barely managed to outrun the chakra circle, before turning around again. He landed on the floor, just outside Hiashi's range, and regarded his great, great grand nephew more thoughtfully.

"So Naruto did not kill you," Hiashi stated carefully, frowning at the Akatsuki leader's attention.

"He came closer than anyone else ever has, including Hashirama," Madara offered, "The boy rendered my original body worthless. But he didn't know my secret."

Madara tapped Itachi's temple, indicating his eyes.

"That's why I'm here; I need a new body," the first Uchiha concluded.

Hiashi's scowl deepened, the traitor had the better bait.

"What about that body?" the white-eyed Tokujo demanded, "Itachi's body?"

"Itachi was already dead," Madara answered, "And unlike... certain others, I need a living, breathing body. Itachi is just a puppet. Raiton: Lightning Cannon Jutsu"

Uchiha launched a ball of lightning the size of his head at Hiashi, but the Hyuga leader ducked back into the hall from which he had emerged, and then turned and ran.

'I cannot fight him in these narrow halls," Hiashi decided, his Byakugan tracking Itachi's corpse as it followed him through the mansion, 'I have to get to the courtyard or one of the training rooms.'

The clan leader was hampered in his efforts by the other members of his family. Most of the Hyugas not summoned to patrol were elderly or children, but he did not expect Madara would spare them. So he was forced to track every individual and change directions frequently, to avoid leading the traitor too close to them. He hoped it looked to Uchiha like he was just trying to shake his pursuer. Finally Hiashi found himself all but trapped, and he made a painful choice.

"Eight Trigrams Empty Palm," he paused to thrust his hand forward, blasting a hole in the wall before him. As Madara closed in, Hiashi jumped through the gap, falling to the dirt one story below. He turned and spread his arms wide as Uchiha shot out of the break. He halted his Heavenly Spin when he realized Madara would pass over him and land outside his range. Instead, he started signing.

"Doton: Stone Jacket Jutsu," Hinata's father intoned.

"Katon: Solid Fireball Jutsu," the immortal countered, spitting a large cloud of flames at Hiashi. The dense inferno had the secondary effect of pushing Madara further into the air, and out of range of the trapping technique. Lacking sufficient time to counter, Hyuga dove to the side, but the flames still caught the edge of his robes, setting them aflame.

"Suiton: Dowsing Rain Jutsu," Hiashi pulled all of the moisture out of the air, dropping it on them both to extinguish his robes and the grass, but also to weaken Madara's lightning jutsu, should he try it again.

Madara paused, considering his next move. He truly wanted to battle the Hyuga shinobi with Taijutsu, to beat him at his own game. But Hiashi's previous action had shown he was not going to fall for that. The master of the Sharingan considered unleashing Tsukuyomi, but he also did not want to expend that much chakra. He might still need that energy during his escape, and simply animating Itachi's body was a constant, if minor, drain on his reserves. And even though Hiashi did not possess the Suigin Byakugan to reflect his Genjutsu, his regular Byakugan still gave him a slight edge, so there was a chance he might not be completely incapacitated by the technique. Madara decided to play it safe, for the time being.

"Suiton: Water Whip Jutsu," the jutsu copier used the water Hiashi had concentrated, and threw it back at the clan leader in a tight cord.

"Rotation," Hanabi's father pushed the water away again, but the concentration shift ended the drizzle.

"You are a one trick pony," Madara chided his opponent, "But your little Heavenly Spin won't stop everything."

* * *

'She has me at a disadvantage,' each kunoichi thought, almost in unison.

'She is an S-Rank criminal,' Yugao continued her internal monologue, 'She would be a difficult opponent for Kakashi, Gai-san, or Lady Tsunade. I am not unskilled, but I am not at that level. In addition, she is fully outfitted, while I am in civilian attire. But I must not let her take Rei.'

'Her eyes are dangerous,' Konan considered, 'She is a mother fighting to defend her child, she will go to any length to defeat me. I don't have her determination; I wouldn't even be here, helping Madara, if Gouki-sama had not requested it, and Nagato had not agreed. Her expression also says that she knows me. I'm sure between Jiraiya-sensei and Itachi, the Leaf must have an extensive file on me. But I do not even know who she is, or what to expect. I probably should have read the reports on Kakashi's adoption of Itachi's daughter...'

Konan glanced down briefly at the inside pockets of her top, appraising her supplies, 'It also took more chakra and paper than I expected, to break into the Uchiha estate. So I can't afford to test her too much, even if time wasn't an issue.'

"Weapon Summoning Jutsu," Yugao's katana appeared in her hands, and she quickly secured the scabbard to the belt of her jeans. The Leaf kunoichi did not draw the blade, instead she watched her opponent in an iaijutsu stance. Konan responded by drawing five sheets of paper from under her shirt, and started folding them together.

"Ninja Art: Paper Sword Jutsu," the former Akatsuki kunoichi intoned, her white blade matching the size and shape of Yugao's weapon. Konan dropped her katana to the same position as Uzuki's, though she held it by her left hip, instead of having it sheathed.

The two women held their ground, each waiting for the other to make the first move. Then the crash of a collapsing building outside the Uchiha wall rumbled across the compound, acting as a signal. Both shinobi charged forward, drawing their swords into diagonal slashes. Yugao sent her chakra into the copy of the Second Hokage's sword, generating the vibration in the blade. She hoped it would allow her weapon to cut through the paper imitation, but Konan's sword held. The blades met, and the women strained, but their strength was too closely matched. The Akatsuki kunoichi placed her left hand on her sword's hilt, to try to overpower the protective mother. Yugao stepped to the left, changing the angle of the opposition, and with her free hand loosed the scabbard from her belt, and swung it at Konan's right temple. The paper user dropped under the attack, again changing the angle of their clashing blades. This allowed her to push the metal katana higher, while driving the tip of her own sword towards Yugao's throat. The Leaf warrior broke off, hopping back to avoid being beheaded.

"Katon: Fireball Jutsu," Yugao dropped her scabbard, brought her left hand to her lips, and activated the technique without using hand signs. She spit a mass of flames at Konan, not really expecting to be able to burn the other kunoichi's focus material, but testing the possibility. The paper katana unfolded in Konan's hand, and she added three more sheets.

"Ninja Art: Paper Aegis Jutsu," the eight blank pages took on the form of a large circular shield, and Konan ducked behind it. The paper barrier stopped the fireball without so much as a scorch mark. As Uzuki's jutsu ended, the Akatsuki member snatched two of the sheets at the edge of the shield, each one automatically folding into a kunai with only a slight pulse of her chakra. She threw the daggers at Rei's mother, and the former ANBU member knocked them away with her sword. Konan followed her projectiles, the other pages twisting into a slightly longer and wider katana than before.

Konan sliced high, aiming for Yugao's left shoulder, and reached into her shirt with her other hand. The Leaf agent deflected the paper blade, dropping low and starting a leg sweep. The Akatsuki kunoichi brought out four more sheets of her ammunition and formed them into a second shorter blade. She jammed the new weapon down, and scored a shallow cut in Yugao's right calf before the younger woman could halt her momentum. Yugao dove to the side, and rolled into a crouch, regarding her opponent's daisho thoughtfully.

'I'm going to need a stronger jutsu to burn through that paper,' Uzuki decided, as she blocked the kidnapper's katana, and slid away from the wakizashi, but not soon enough to avoid damage to her loose shirt, 'The Abyssal Flare would probably do it, but I don't think she will give me the chance. Getting it wet might weaken it, except I never learned water jutsu....'

Yugao's eyes drifted to the old well at the edge of the courtyard, and she started to form a new plan. But her distraction cost her, and Konan nearly disarmed her, katana to katana, while jabbing the paper wakizashi deep into Uzuki's left bicep. Kakashi's fiancé retreated again, but this time with a purpose. As she did, the paper user unfolded her bloody shortsword, and turned all four sheets into kunai, launching them at the Leaf shinobi.

* * *

"Now," Shikaku instructed, and Sasame pulled her threads tight, cutting into the heaviest invader. He could not move further without seriously injuring himself. At the same time, the camouflaged insects detached from the wall and swarmed over the long-haired water user. Their bites each carried a minor paralytic, and they began to feast on the trespasser's chakra. Finally, the Yamanaka father and daughter hit the two remaining enemies with Mind Destruction Jutsus. Choza Akimichi relaxed, returning to his normal size, and gently touched the red and purple bruise forming over his right temple.

"Easy enough," the deer-herder noted, as Genma and Raido joined him, "Let the Hokage know we have captured them, and she can send the ANBU to take them into custody for interrogation..."

His statement trailed off as Inoichi Yamanaka shuddered and collapsed. The leader of the intruders turned and fired a weak gravity attack at his infested ally, crushing or dislodging the beetles without harming the shinobi. Ino cried out, and fell like her father, but remained barely conscious. The feline summoner turned, slashed at the Fuma clan threads with her fingernails. Sasame's jaw dropped as the nearly unbreakable strands were cut through, releasing the last of the intruders.

The water user turned on the members of Yugao's team, and gestured, incanting quietly, "Sution: Water Dragon Jutsu."

Massive waves appeared from Ueba's palms, taking the form of a giant dragon and washing over Shino and Sasame. Aburame struck one of the buildings and his colony leg briefly broke apart from the force and his wavering consciousness. Sasame managed to drive two anchors into the ground, and was not swept away by the deluge. But her choice hurt her more than if she had let the jutsu take her; the water battered her body worse than her partner's and she was forced to hold her breath longer. As soon as the jutsu ended, its user was behind Fuma. He reached for her head with his hand, and then, remembering his instructions, instead drove his fist into her side. As she gasped, already starving for oxygen, Ueba spun around, and, without leaving the ground, brought his heel down on the petite teen's collarbone. Sasame fell hard, her clavicle cracked but not broken.

"Sasame," Shino hissed, forcing himself forward. He kicked out with his prosthetic leg, but the long-haired invader did not dodge, believing himself to be out of range of the desperate attack. The insect limb stretched, and before it hit, bent in the middle. Shino's boot was lifted clear, and the kunai hidden in the swarm was exposed, cutting into the intruder's stomach. The water user backed away, tightly clutching his gut.

"Anchor Jutsu," Choza Akimichi announced, and the gravity blast from Pein flowed over him without dislodging him.

"Partial Expansion Jutsu," the large Jonin punched, his right forearm fist becoming larger and heavier than the entire rest of his body. The cool down time of the Shinra Tensei had not elapsed, and Pein was forced to block the strike with his arms. The renegade let his body go limp, allowing Choza to knock him back to limit the damage of the strike. He completed his mental count, and hit the Leaf shinobi with another wave of force.

"Raiton: Lightning Cannon Jutsu," Genma intoned, firing the compact sphere of electrical energy at the muscular invader.

"Doton: Personal Avalanche Jutsu," Raido's attack ripped out the cobblestones behind their opponent, and hurtled them at his back with the speed of an arrow.

"Hell Path: Skin of Torment," the big man announced, closing his eyes before allowing the attacks to hit him. The two jutsu only inflicted minor damage to him. The lightning that should have burned through him only damaged his cloak and lightly burned his skin. At the same time, the hail of rocks failed to break his bones. One struck his neck, raising a small bump, but any other injuries Raido might have inflicted were hidden under his robe. The Akatsuki warrior's eyes snapped open, the blue circles glowing with a perverse pleasure.

"Give me more pain," he demanded.

Shizune landed near Ino, while Shikaku sparred with Yugito. The cat like kunoichi dodged and feinted, trying to avoid the shadows that darted towards her.

"Ino, are you OK?" the medic asked. She already had two nurses moving Inoichi and Sasame away from the battle, and had been informed that the neither appeared to be in serious danger, though the blonde Jonin's mental state was difficult to diagnose.

"His mind was... was like nothing I've ever seen," the Chunin panted.

"_His_ mind?" Shizune prompted, confused.

"It's like there are three minds in her," Ino explained, "The mind of Yugito Nii, broken, hidden, controlled, trapped behind the second mind, this incredible, feral force. But the one controlling her body... His presence is almost as massive as the Shadow Roc. He is there but also not there. Whole, yet split in seven parts. I..."

The younger woman trailed off, exhausted and at a loss for words.

"What are we fighting?" the medic asked, lifting the young woman.

* * *

"Futon: Pocket Tornado Jutsu," Yugao had finally made her way across the yard, though she had taken a few hits more in the process. She directed the tiny whirlwind down the well, and quickly drew her katana against, catching the paper naginata Konan had switched to using. The cyclone hit the water and sent a column of it upwards, soaking the two women. Yugao did not let her hope show, but drew back her katana, and sent more chakra into the bonded jutsu that generated the deadly vibration through the blade. She swung the longsword overhand at Konan, who grinned slightly as she blocked. The water ran off the paper as if it were metal, and the steel blade of the sword was stopped cold.

"Sorry, my paper resists water as well as fire," the former Akatsuki member sounded genuinely apologetic. Then she rotated her polearm upwards, knocked the katana from Yugao's hand and clipping her chin. The younger kunoichi fell back, and Konan put the blade of the spear in front of her opponent's eyes.

"I ask you again," Konan said kindly, "Give me the child, and you will survive."

Yugao snarled, and thrust forward her hands, shouting, "Katon: Nova Jutsu!"

Konan did not have time craft her paper into a proper shield, so she just blew the polearm apart. The scattered pages mostly protected her from the first sphere of flame, though her left bicep and the right leg of her pants both suffered mild singes. Nagato's lover jumped back, bringing out enough pages to block the next two explosions. The kidnapper recognized she could have beheaded her opponent, but in that case the fire technique would have destroyed her as well.

'She was willing to let me finish her, if I died too,' the origami expert recalled her earlier thoughts. She brought out the rest of her paper, and covered her skin in a layer of it. The few sheets not used in her armor became a xiphos, and Konan pointed the blade at Yugao, as she landed standing over the younger woman's katana.

"I understand," she blue-haired woman noted, "No more mercy. I have a job to do, and you have a daughter to protect. Earth Style: Collapsing Fault Jutsu."

The ground opened under Yugao, and the prone woman was almost nimble enough to avoid the technique. But her right leg was snagged when the fissure closed, and her knee was yanked painfully as her jump abruptly stopped. Konan charged, and Uzuki started signing instantly.

"Raiton: Double Thunder," she proclaimed, pointing her right hand at the ground, and her left at Konan. Two lines of lightning appeared, though only one was successful. Yugao freed her foot, but the bolt that struck the paper user broke on her convex sword and did not slow her. Kakashi's lover cast about for a jutsu to use against the kidnapper, but Konan was too close for her to sign anything powerful enough to have a chance. She moved to block the xiphos, preparing to sacrifice her left forearm to gain a few more seconds to find a way to save her child. She raised her limb into the path of the horizontal slashing paper blade. Uzuki tried to turn her body out the way, but was slowed by her injured foot.

A figure appeared before her, and the leaf shaped paper sword clanged off the metal post. A second shadow hit Konan in the ribs, driving her back.

"Anko, Iruka," Yugao's voice echoed with relief as she recognized her teammates.

"And here I was going to yell at you for hanging up on me," Mitarashi scolded her friend, before helping Uzuki stand. Team Hizashi faced her as one, as Konan recovered, watching them uncertainly.

* * *

Hiashi fell back, panting. His right leg was seriously burned, and he shifted most of his weight to the other limb. As promised, Madara had shifted to using advanced fire and lightning type jutsu, negating Hyuga's water and earth techniques, and too powerful for the Heavenly Spin. Uchiha had continued to remain out of range of the rotating jutsu. The clan leader was growing tired, and this new injury would slow him down further. Hiashi's only compensations were that he had managed to avoid the worst of the attacks, and Madara was expending more chakra than he was.

"Father," a high, clear voice rang out, and a slight form landed in front of him.

"Hanabi," Hiashi's surprise quickly turned to fear, "What are you doing here? You are supposed to be patrolling the village!"

"I was... indisposed and distracted when the call came in," Hanabi answered evasively, not lying but not admitting she had been showering with her music turned up.

"As I was leaving my room, I saw Hariko's body..." her voice trembled slightly, "So I decided to investigate. Is that Itachi Uchiha? I was told he was killed."

"That isn't Itachi," Hiashi shook his head, "It is someone else using his form."

Madara let them talk, his eyes hungrily appraising the tween; a fact her father did not miss. Hiashi remembered Uchiha's stated reason for being there.

"Hanabi, get behind me," Hiashi said, pointing his left foot south. His daughter blinked at him.

"Father, I can help," she said derisively.

"Now, daughter," he barked, angling his injured leg east. He pointed at her with his right arm, incidentally towards the north, and the swept his left arm away, ending with it pointing toward the falling mid-afternoon sun. The girl's eyes widened, and she quickly complied. Itachi's eyelids narrowed, partially covering his hovering eyes.

"You will not take my daughter," Hiashi snarled, all of his remaining chakra glowing visibly through his flesh and robes.

"Eight Trigrams: Angelic Molting!" he shouted. Hiashi focused all of the spears forward. The barbs of energy shot forward, impaling Itachi's body over one hundred times. Some of the pikes even passed out the other side of the controlled corpse. As Hyuga's chakra ran out, the pikes disintegrated and Madara collapsed. Exhausted, injured, and out of chakra, Hiashi fell to his knees.

"Father," Hanabi crouched over him, openly concerned. Then a hollow laugh met their ears, and father and daughter instinctively lifted their heads to look. Madara rose to his feet.

"That is a very impressive technique," his voice wheezed from the new holes in Itachi's lungs. Black fire danced around his eyes, where he had used a touch of Amaterasu to protect himself from spikes.

"Once I have the Byakugan, I look forward to using it."

"Can't... have... her..." Hiashi tried to pull himself upright.

"Incorrect," Madara began signing, then announced, "Katon: Kagu-tsuchi."

He pointed his right hand at Hiashi, his fingers curled slightly. Yellow flames emerged from his thumb, an orange flare shot from his pointer, a red inferno roared from his middle finger, a blue conflagration exploded from his ring finger, and a white blaze flowed from his pinky. The five fires merged and burst over Hiashi's body. His hair and garments scorched away, and the Hyuga clan leader dropped to the smoldering grass.

"Dad!" Hanabi shouted, tears streaming down her face. She charged toward Madara, who smirked at her in amusement.

"Tsukuyomi," the Shin'en Sharingan flared, and the girl froze in her tracks. Her eyes widened in raw terror, and she let out a weak whimper. Her knees gave out, and Madara caught her gently as she fell.

* * *

Genma and Raido crashed down in front of Shizune, unconscious. The medic stopped short of launching her needles, so she wouldn't hit the Tokujo cousins. Their extra-large opponent charged towards Shino and the long-haired invader. He knocked Aburame away, putting out the young man's lights with a single surprise blow. The Naraka Path grabbed Ueba's shoulders, and a pool of blue-black flames formed around the water user. They flowed up over the former Waterfall ninja, and started burning the injury that threatened to spill the Human Path's intestines. But instead of charred flesh, the flames left behind unmarked skin.

Yugito lashed out, her forearm and hand turning into a tiger's paw. Shikaku jumped back, but the claws snagged his vest, and spun him around. He jumped forward as his training dictated, which saved him from her left handed followup strike. He sent shadows back blindly, but the former Jinchuriki avoided them. The deer-herder faced her again, pulling in some of the water that had been unleashed by Ueba, firing a quick Bubble Burst Jutsu at the Animal Path.

Choza collapsed to one knee, as Pein steadily increased the gravity under him, quadrupling, then quintupling the sturdy Jonin's weight. He appeared fascinated by Akimichi's struggling.

"Does it hurt?" he asked, almost innocent in his curiosity, "Are you in pain?"

Another set of eyes fell on them, taking in the whole battle, and the medic's work, and a handful of the other Chunin and Tokujo around her. Hiroko Hyuga focused on the four invaders, fascinated and horrified by what she saw. She opened her phone and dialed quickly. After a few quick conversations, she was put through to the Hokage.

"Cursebreaker, what is it?" Tsunade tried to control her tone, respecting the younger woman's self-control and insight. All reports indicated the battle was not going well, and she was trying to determine who to send in next.

"Those intruders," the Hyuga kunoichi began uncertainly, "They are unnatural. Each one has two chakra signatures. But not like a Jinchuriki, both appear human. But the thing is, both energies are strange as well. The first set of chakra is the same in each of them, as if they were the same person. But they don't appear to be clones, either. And the second signature... Each one is unique, but they all have something in common. They are all frayed and fractured... I've seen it once before, when I watched my teammate's life end with my Byakugan. This is what happens to someone chakra network as they die..."

"Hiroko..." Tsunade sounded as disturbed as the Hyuga scout. Then someone behind the Hokage said something that the Cursebreaker breaker couldn't hear.

"Hiroko, since I have you," the Sannin sounded relieved, "go in there, and have Shizune get Shikaku and the others out of there. Reinforcements are inbound."

"Dynamic Entry!" a voice roared, and a foot slammed into Yahiko's ear, disrupting the jutsu that was starting to crush Choza's insides. At the same time, a manriki-gusari wrapped around Yugito's wrist, pulling her away from Shikamaru's father. The four Paths of Pein all turned to face the new arrivals with matched expressions of triumph.


	102. Paths to Pain

**Chapter 102: Paths to Pain**

"Naruto, I've asked you not to do that," Kakashi shook his head at his student, as Sakura handed Hinata's weighted chain back to her. The renowned knucklehead just grinned at his teacher.

"Naruto Uzumaki," Pein's Deva Path said with smug satisfaction. As the two teams stared each other down, Shizune and Hiroko Hyuga moved in swiftly and silently behind Pein and extracted Shikaku Nara and Choza Akimichi.

"And I hear you're Pein, the leader of the Akatsuki," the blonde Tokujo countered, his mirth instantly switching to controlled fury. Kakashi's eyes narrowed at the attention focused on his apprentice.

"Yes," all four invaders answered in unison. Sakura and Naruto both frowned in annoyed confusion. Hinata activated her Suigin Byakugan, and immediately picked up on what her great-aunt had seen, though the younger woman was unaware of the significance of the damaged, second source of chakra in each figure.

"You are all Pein?" Kakashi asked evenly. Like the Hokage, he had recognized the face and figure of Yugito Nii

"Just as there are six realms into which a soul can be reincarnated," Yahiko's body confirmed, "there are Six Paths of Pain."

"Thus, we are all Pein," again Nagato's subdivisions spoke as one.

"You don't seemed too surprised, Kakashi-sensei," Sakura noted.

"That woman is... or maybe I should say was, Yugito Nii," the Copy Ninja explained, and both Hinata and Naruto recognized the name without his continued explanation, "the Jinchuriki of the Two-Tails Cat demon. She died when Ni-ne was extracted, yet here she is, with a few modifications. Most notably the Rinnegan."

"So Pein took over her body?" Naruto growled angrily.

"I resurrected her, as a part of me," the Animal Path answered, "She was too powerful, and her connection to the Animal Realm was too strong. I had to have her."

"That's disgusting," Sakura snapped.

"Better than an uncertain fate on the wheel of karma," Ueba, Pein's Human Path countered.

"Where are the rest of you?" Kakashi asked.

"There is no need for you to know that," the Deva Path answered, "you or your Hokage, who I am sure is listening."

"Why are you here?" Hinata demanded softly. She and Kakashi both caught the flicker of worry across their opponents' respective brows.

"Recruiting," the Deva Path finally answered, "My Ashura Path was not as powerful as I expected. And I decided, who better to represent the Demon Realm than the Jinchuriki who destroyed my plans?"

"Liar," another voice growled, and Kiba Inuzuka staggered into the intersection.

"You said you were happy Naruto wasn't here, it would make things easier."

The four Paths frowned in unison, and Human Path broke off towards the injured Chunin. His right arm reached for the dog trainer's head, but Naruto appeared between them, and smashed Ueba's wrist with Kitsune. Uzumaki's teammates took it as their signal. Sakura barreled into the Naraka Path knocking the muscular shinobi back.

"Eight Trigrams: Empty Palm," Hinata thrust her right hand at the Deva Path.

"Shinra Tensei," he countered, and the gravity strike barely overwhelmed the Hyuga technique, pressing Hinata back a few feet.

"Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu," Kakashi blew a barrage of small fireballs, focusing most of them at Yugito, but allowing some to fly close to Yahiko as well.

"Fire Absorption," the Animal Path countered with a quick set of hand signs, pulling Kakashi's energy into her body. The Deva path simply avoided the flames targeting him, moving closer to Hinata but also glancing over at the former Waterfall ninja.

"Kakashi," Shizune's voice seemed to emerge from the air beside his left ear, "Shikaku wants me to warn you that the guy Sakura is fighting has some sort of healing power. Shino disemboweled Ueba, the one with the long hair, and the big one restored him in a matter of seconds."

The Copy Ninja nodded as the Genjutsu ended.

"Kiba, are you OK?" Naruto asked quickly, keeping the staff-blade between his comrade and former Waterfall ninja. The long-haired Human Path regarded Uzumaki angrily, cradling his injured wrist.

"I'll live," Inuzuka barked harshly, then somewhat contritely offered, "But these guys took down me, Akamaru, Choji, Shikamaru, and Temari without breaking a sweat. So you had better not underestimate them."

"Don't worry, we'll take care of them," Naruto grinned smugly. He stepped in, swinging Kitsune's blade at Human Pein's head. Ueba gestured, and a lens of water intercepted the weapon. The blonde Tokujo quickly sheathed his staff-blade, and placed his hands together, stating, "Shadow Clone Jutsu."

Four versions of the teen surrounded the former Waterfall ninja, each launching a different punch or kick, both to try to overwhelm him and to learn how he fought. As the Narutos put space between their fight and Kiba, a slender young man in medical robes slipped in and extracted the injured dog trainer.

Sakura's attacks appeared ineffective against the Naraka Path. He did not block or dodge, he merely took every hit with a grimace of pain. Blows that should have shattered bone and ruptured organs did not inflict any visible damage to him. After taking her first few punches, he struck out in return, and Sakura blocked easily, surprised his blow wasn't more powerful. She kicked at his stomach, barely moving him, and he swung again, this time noticeably stronger. After delivering a backfist that should have caved in his skull, he launched a left jab with substantially more speed and force than he had previously exhibited.

"He's getting stronger from my attacks," she shouted, so her allies would be privy to her realization. Then the medic requested, "Hinata, switch with me."

The Gentle Fist user complied happily, on the verge of being crushed by Yahiko's attacks. As the two kunoichi crossed paths, the pale beauty whispered, "He was mainly using jutsu that control gravity to push or pull me around. Your strength should make it easier for you to resist."

Sakura nodded as she darted towards Deva Pein. Based on her friend's advice, she decided not to summon her axe. Instead she struck the ground, cracking the cobblestone street under Yahiko's feet.

* * *

Arms of paper, holding kunai of the same material, were knocked aside by twin staff blades. Konan's eyes darted from Anko to Iruka and back. She had removed the sheets that she had been using as armor, and formed them into an extra set of limbs, twice the length of her flesh appendages. She also had split her naginata into four slightly oversized kunai, holding one in each hand.

"Are you alright?" Iruka asked, glancing back at his wounded teammate.

"Yes, thanks to you two," Uzuki observed the fight carefully, readying herself to strike. Anko had already kicked her katana back to her, and the younger woman had sheathed the weapon.

"Anko was worried when your phone suddenly was cut off," Umino explained smiling slightly at his lover, "Katon: Fire Trace Jutsu"

"Why are you fighting one of the Akatsuki?" Anko barked, already suspecting the answer, but wanting to change the subject. She swung her weapon horizontally as Konan danced out of the way of Iruka's streams of flame. Mitarashi should have hit the intruder, but the paper arms snaked out and cushioned the blow.

"She is here to take Rei," Yugao confirmed, her ire rising again. She signaled her friends with sign language and eye movements, and the other members of Team Hizashi dipped their heads slightly in acknowledgment. Konan tried to capitalize on the momentary distraction, and jumped at Anko with all four blades extended. But Iruka was faster than she expected, and he caught her left ankle with his weapon. The weak attack disrupted her path, if only enough for the snake charmer to block one of the paper blades and avoid the other three stabbing kunai.

For the first time, Konan regretted not having her Akatsuki cloak. The robe may have represented her forsworn position as Madara's underling, but she reluctantly admitted to herself that it allowed her to carry more paper than her chosen uniform, and was slightly better armored. She landed, and turned to face the two melee attackers once more, putting a little extra weight on her right leg.

Both Anko and Iruka charged her again, Umino aiming for her head, and Mitarashi targeting her left hip. Konan blocked with her paper limbs, but the couple was ready for that. Each shifted to a one handed grip, and raised their left hands, palming then releasing a quartet of shurikens. The paper user yanked back her artificial limbs, wrapping the sheets around her stomach and bust to stop the eight throwing stars. Hizashi's students completed their admittedly weakened melee attacks, lightly striking the kidnapper's right ear and left thigh. Sensing her opening, Yugao started to sign.

Staggered by the mild concussion, Konan prepared to stab at her attackers with lances of her treated wood pulp. But before she could, they vanished behind her, and then caught her arms, trapping them at extension against the poles of their staff-blades. Konan admired the attack briefly, it would have neutralized most shinobi by limiting both their movement and hand signs, while also offered the duo an opportunity kick at their victim's chest, back, and legs. She shifted her paper around her torso, preparing to show them that the trick wouldn't work on her.

"Katon: Abyssal Flare Jutsu!" Yugao intoned, and Konan's eyes widened in fear as she recognized the mistake had been hers.

* * *

Sakura Haruno dug in her feet, sending chakra out to adhere to the street beneath her, and increase her connection to the earth underneath that. Pein's Deva incarnation sent a stronger Shinra Tensei at her but the Jonin medic bore through the shift in gravity, unmoved. She had already observed that his jutsu required at least five seconds between uses, seemingly more if the attack was stronger. After the wave ended, she lifted her left foot and stomped the ground.

"Seesaw Jutsu," she proclaimed, and as the cobblestones under her feet sank, an exponentially larger and taller portion of the intersection shot up under Pein.

"Bansho Tenin," Yahiko pointed his left palm at Sakura as he was projected into the air, pulling her after him. The pink-haired teen briefly showed surprise at the inverse technique, but she recovered and drew a kunai as the distance between them closed. Just before she reached him, as he started to fall, Deva Pein thrust his left hand back at Tsunade's apprentice, proclaiming, "Shinra Tensei."

Gravity reversed violently for the kunoichi, yanking her back towards the street with great speed. The sudden change in inertia strained her limbs painfully, and caused her eyes to become unfocused. She forced her attention back into place, and as she fell caught the stone pillar she had created, using it to slow and then arrest her fall. As she stopped five feet above the ground, clinging to the rock with her right palm and foot, she threw the kunai at Pein left handed. Not expecting her to recover, the Deva Path was caught unaware, and the dagger buried itself deep in his right shoulder. Yahiko landed beside the earthen column and stared up at her with a tiny bit of respect.

"Suiton: Sea Turtle Jutsu," Ueba created a thick shell of water, stopping Naruto's Odama Rasengan. The boy and the clone broke apart, abandoning the failed attack while the two other copies moved in from behind. One aimed a kick at them back of the Human Path's neck, the other at his knees. As they struck, Ueba exploded in a mass water.

"A Water Clone?" the real Naruto noted, glancing around.

"When did he..." one of the copies stammered.

"Where is he?" another Uzumaki demanded.

"Hyoton: Ice Prison Jutsu," the water around the two clones began to creep up their legs, freezing solid. Before they could be trapped, they ended themselves, sending their energy and knowledge to the original Uzumaki and the remaining copy. At the same time the last duplicate turned and fired a kunai at where Ueba's voice had been. The knife hit the wall of water, which both guarded Pein and bent the light around him, rendering him invisible. The liquid stopped the dagger, though it would have missed him anyway.

"Suiton: Hand of Waves," the former Waterfall shinobi disrupted part of the barrier to gain the ammunition to push Naruto back and hopefully destroy his clone. While the teen was distracted, Pein planned to move his Human Path to a knew hiding place. Instead both of the teens exploded in plumes of chakra, and Ueba's gifted Rinnegan widened.

"Did you think that would let you hide from me?" Uzumaki roared, dropping down from the top of the column guarding the water user. A Rasengan flashed in each of his hands as he descended on Pein.

Hinata ducked under her opponent's beefy fist. His blows still contained the strength he had obtained from Sakura, and Gentle Fist expert knew it would one take one direct direct hit to finish her. She had already deflected one punch with Ginmaki, and despite the kote's padding of both cloth and implanted jutsu, her right wrist was numb and that elbow stung from being twisted out of the way. She observed the odd flow of chakra around his body, attempting to determine what the jutsu surrounding him did. As she sidestepped a vertical knife-hand, she decided she had reached the limits of simple observation and needed to experiment.

Naraka Pein swung his right arm, aiming his wrist at the pale beauty's neck. He kept his left arm back, ready to fire it if she dodged within his range. Instead Hinata hopped away, and lightly tapped her glowing index finger on the point between Pein's second and third knuckles. His wide face exhibited shock as his hand partially unfolded, the chakra flow to his ring and middle fingers blocked. He stepped forward to add both power and reach to his left hand as he aimed it for her skull. She turned into the strike, her fingers settling briefly on three tenketsu in his extended wrist, and then she spun the rest of her body around to gingerly press her elbow, wrapped by the energy of the Gentle Fist, into his solar plexus. He coughed as she drew back, and few flecks of blood wet his lips.

"How?" he demanded, this Path's voice deep and harsh.

"I don't fully understand how you are protecting yourself," Hinata answered, "but it appears to react more to forceful attacks."

He growled and clenched his fists again. Then he took a deep breath, and forced himself to relax. He took comfort in knowing that under other circumstances, this would be a different fight.

Kakashi and Yugito circled one another, watching carefully. Upon learning he was fighting Pein, Hatake had raised his headband, and his Sharingan carefully recorded her moves. The former Jinchuriki sniffed at the air, taking in her opponent's confusion and curiosity. But she in turn wondered why the normal fear sent did not accompany his emotions.

"What are you hoping to discover, observing me like that?" the female Pein asked sweetly.

"Is any part of you Yugito, or are you all Pein?" the Copy Ninja answered by offering his own query. She countered by signing quickly, wrapping her fingers and nails in long claws of blue flame. Kakashi raised an eyebrow as he avoided her attack.

"Knowing her jutsu does not make you her," he shook his head, crafting his own seals, "Water Style: Sea Turtle Jutsu."

He illustrated his point by copying Ueba's technique, blocking the fire talons. The two jutsu neutralized each other in a cloud of steam. Kakashi charged through the heated mist, aiming his foot at her midsection. Yugito's body skittered back, landing on all fours, facing him. She hissed at him, showing slightly elongated canines. The nails of both her fingers and toes grew as well, and she pounced on him. The Leaf Jonin was caught off guard by the feral attack, but managed to throw her off before she her claws bit too deeply. Still his left cheek and jaw stung, and he could feel the blood running down his right arm.

"I still don't buy it," he shook his head, "Yugito was supposedly very loyal to the Hidden Cloud village. If she had any control, she wouldn't be here now. Unless you really are working with the Raikage in some fashion."

Pein's Animal Path snorted, but Kakashi could tell he had struck a nerve. Unfortunately, Minato's student didn't know which nerve he had struck.

Yugito's arms continued to lengthen, and she charged him again, now more of a quadruped than a biped. Hatake also noticed her ears; the tips had grown longer and more pointed, but they were curled back by the metal bar connecting the points to her lobes. The Copy Ninja swept her aside, but her rear claws tagged his ankle.

Ueba wanted to dodge, but he could not. The doubly defensive jutsu trapped him as well as keeping others out. Naruto was above the Human Path, and Pein did not have time to sign an earth jutsu to escape through the street below. He ended the barrier, pulling in the water as well as he could without a real technique, hoping to would slow Uzumaki as little. As the liquid hit the teen, Ueba dove recklessly to the side.

The first Rasengan scattered the water easily; there was not enough power or form to the chakra holding the water to fully destroy the spiraling sphere. Naruto drove the second sphere forward, even pouring a little more of his energy into it the compensate for the loss of his dual strike. The Human Path was no longer dead center in his view, but he had no fully escaped the blonde youth either.

"RASENGAN!" Naruto shouted needlessly. He ran the sphere down the back of Ueba's right leg, grinding the muscles down to the bone, until he met Pein's knee. The whirling orb engulfed the joint completely, and as the jutsu ended, the Human Path's lower leg fell in a different direction than the rest of his body. Ignoring the injury, Pein returned unsteadily to an upright stance, facing his attacker on only one leg.

"Hinata, keep your opponent there, he can heal Pein's other bodies," Kakashi ordered, ducking under Animal Pein's leaping stab with all four sets of claws. The white-haired Jonin rolled forward to avoid Yugito's backwards kick, incidentally placing himself part of the way between Hinata and Naruto. The Hyuga heiress nodded, diverting her fingers from Naraka Pein's chest to his hips. Pein's Deva path attempted the use his gravity attack to dislodge Kakashi and Hinata, but Sakura took advantage of his distraction, burying a kunai between the bones of Yahiko's left forearm, and then driving her elbow into the back of his skull as she continued past him.

"Let's see him heal this," Naruto exclaimed, spawning a single copy without a word or gesture. He held his hand above his head, and an orb of turbulent silver chakra appeared above it. Ueba's face twisted in fear, and the other three Peins looked angry and worried. The revived Watefall ninja began to gesture rapidly, but his hand seals were too late. The Shadow Clone had finished drawing the sphere out into a disc, and Naruto brought his arm down.

"Fuuton: RASENSHURIKKKEEEENNN!!!" the two Uzumakis roared, projecting the chakra star at Pein's Human Path. Water was beginning to congeal in front of Ueba, but the Rasenshuriken passed right through the incomplete shield. It struck Ueba, engulfing his body, shredding it first to the cellular level, and then even destroying those cells. For a brief instant, Ueba's face showed a contented smile, and then he was gone. The clone disappeared a second later, and Naruto grinned triumphantly at the other six shinobi.

Pein's three remaining bodies went from shock to rage in an instant. The Naraka and Animal Paths began to attack with much greater speed, force, and accuracy, maneuvering Hinata and Kakashi until they were back to back. They tried to capitalize on the Leaf ninjas' sudden restriction in mobility, but Hinata just smiled at them triumphantly.

"Eight Trigrams Palms Enfolding Dome," she proclaimed, and the altered version of the Heavenly Spin knocked both of the invaders away without touching Kakashi. Naraka Pein stood quickly, unharmed despite being knocked around, while Yugito was more slow to recover.

Yahiko's Rinnegan locked on to Sakura, the blue rings pulsing even faster at Hinata's minor success. He placed his hands together, pointing his fingers at the pink-haired Jonin's midsection.

"Shinra Bansho," he intoned darkly, pulling his hands slowly apart. Sakura froze, her eyes widening in surprise, fear, and finally pain. She let out an anguished cry, and wrapped her arms around her stomach. Pein's technique lifted Haruno slightly into the air; and Hinata's eyes also expanded in terror, as she observed what was happening inside her teammate. Naruto started to run towards Deva Pein, and Nagato's consciousness was struck by how much the young man resembled his leader. In that heartbeat, he recalled Gouki's request for the mission.

Pein suddenly shifted his hands, aiming at Sakura's left shoulder instead of her torso. The medic followed suit, releasing her stomach and grabbing her left shoulder with her right hand instead. Just before Naruto reached him, the Deva Path violently separated his hands. Sakura's scream pierced the ears of her teammates and the observing medics, as her left arm was torn off her body. Pein released his jutsu, and the girl and her limb both fell to the ground.

"YOU GODS-DAMNED BASTARD," Naruto howled, his form changing instantly. His real tail and four chakra extensions whipped violently behind him, and before Pein fully understood, Naruto's claws were wrapped around his neck.

"Shinra Tensei," Yahiko croaked, but the gravity attack did not even budge the Ascendent Fox. Behind them, the healers quickly moved in. Shizune lifted Sakura, while a white robed young man collected her arm, enacting a jutsu to preserve the appendage. For the first time since the four Peins began their attack, Shizune did not pass the wounded shinobi to another medic. She darted towards the hospital, carrying her junior herself.

"Shinra Tensei!" the Deva Path said more forcefully, placing both hands against Naruto's chest and sending more chakra into his jutsu. This time he dislodged Uzumaki, but the Fox's claws tore off strips of skin from Yahiko's throat as they were pried away.

"Fuuton: Tornado Lance Jutsu," Naruto snarled as he was thrown back. Deva Pein narrowly avoided the broad spear of chakra.

"Hinata, switch with me," Kakashi whispered.

"You know that normal attacks don't work on him, right?" the young woman's eyes were on Naruto, though her attention was still split between the three remaining Peins.

"I noticed," the Sharingan bearer said, "In fact, I'm pretty sure I know what he's doing. I can take him out of the fight."

She nodded and shifted her stance towards Yugito, but her face did not move.

"If it had been you," Kakashi reassured her, "Naruto would have killed all three of them by now."

"I'm not jealous," she said softly, "I'm worried about him."

"Worry after we finish these guys."

"Yes, sensei," she nodded. He turned his attention to the larger man.

"Well?" the Naraka Path asked, curious.

"When you get hit, it hurts you, but doesn't injure you," the Copy Ninja noted, "You feed off the pain."

"And?" the large renegade looked confused, not understanding what difference that knowledge made.

"And I am willing to bet the reverse also applies," Kakashi speculated, starting to sign.

"Ninja Art: Shiatsu Fingers," the Copy Ninja said, almost kindly. Pein's unique eyes widened as the Genjutsu eased his muscles, waves of relaxation washing over him. His eyes crossed blissfully, and then he blinked once. He tried to bring his hands together, but he moved oddly slowly.

"Release," he finally said, and his expression cleared. His Rinnegan locked on Kakashi with a hint of anger. He punched at the Leaf fighter's head, but the attack had no more power than before he had taken Sakura's hits, and Kakashi dodged easily.

"Ninja Arts: Anesthetic Jutsu," Hatake covered his Sharingan as he launched his next 'attack'. The rage drifted from Pein's eyes, and his shoulders hung limp. All feeling flooded from his body as the medical jutsu flooded into his brain.

"Now," Kakashi mumbled to himself, focusing on keeping the illusion running, "You and I can just stay here while those two take care of your friends."

* * *

Nagato grimaced as the glancing blow from the Rasengan fed back into his real body.

"Even if I were allowed to go all out, my Paths might not be able to beat these three one on one," he pondered, amazement almost masking the fear in his voice.


	103. Sisters' Secret

**Chapter 103: Sisters' Secret**

The focus of the village was on Pein; so as a result, even carrying an unconscious girl, Madara was able to make it back to the wall without being detected. Upon reaching the barrier surrounding the Konohagakure, he purposefully sought one the guards he had noticed on his way in, a Hyuga male in his early twenties, who covered his Caged Bird Seal with a beret instead of his Leaf shield. Rather than avoid him, Uchiha allowed the sentinel to see his face, and the face of Hanabi, only to kill the unlucky Chunin before he could report in.

As he landed in a oak outside the wall, Madara paused as he reached for his radio. He was gripped with another impulse for revenge. He breathed out harshly and triggered the device. He could not afford to alienate Pein and Gouki, yet. And he might need their help in a more immediate sense, if the Leaf ninjas gave chase.

"Unit 1," he spoke for the microphone, "mission complete."

* * *

Konan danced and jumped, doing everything in her power to dodge the three irate Jonin. Most of her paper was gone, she was down to a single holdout sheet. The purple hellfire had consumed her ingredients, though the treated pages had held out just long enough for her to dislocate her shoulder and escape Anko and Iruka. Even so, as she flipped away, Yugao's jutsu had caught the flowing edge of her top, and had Konan waited any longer to cut the smoldering tail away, the flames would have reached her back, burning her and rendering the shirt useless.

"Raiton: Spark Darts; Fuuton: Cyclone Spikes," the renegade unleashed the two jutsu in rapid succession, but only delayed Iruka. She caught Anko's staff-blade with her paper dagger, but had to quickly disengage to avoid Yugao's katana.

"Unit 1, mission complete," Itachi Uchiha's voice emerged from the radio. Yugao froze, recognizing the alto intonation from recordings Kakashi had been reviewing after the undercover shinobi's death.

Konan glanced at them briefly, and then turned and ran. Iruka and Anko started to pursue, but when Yugao did not move, they stopped.

"Come on," Anko urged.

"I cannot leave Rei," she reminded her friend.

"Damn. Sorry, Yugao," the serpent summoner nodded, having been too caught up to remember the kidnapper's target, "I'll stay with you. Iruka..."

"None of us are a match for her alone," Yugao asserted. But there was something else in her voice, an undercurrent of fear. Both of her teammates nodded, realizing the younger kunoichi's worry that the retreat was a ploy. Mitarashi placed her hand on Uzuki's shoulder, and the three turned towards the house Yugao and Kakashi were using.

"We need to report what happened here to the Hokage," Iruka asserted.

"And remove the seal trapping the Two-Tails," Uzuki added with a hint of reluctance. But the statement proved unnecessary, some of the floor boards had been pulled up and the tags were smoldering ashes on the floor. The domesticated demon was crouched defensively in front of the crib. When the three humans entered, the cat regarded them carefully, and sniffed the air thoughtfully, before finally relaxing.

"Were you protecting Rei?" Anko asked, kneeling to scratch the feline's ears. Unlike her teammates, Mitarashi never showed any hesitation around Hinata's 'pet'. Ni-ne mewed softly at her, before leaning in to accept the attention.

"Thank you, Ni-ne," Yugao told the cat gravely, briefly petting her before checking on the sleeping child. Satisfied that all was well, Iruka took out his phone and dialed the number for Ninja Ops.

* * *

"Unit 2," Konan reported in, have escaped the village without being noticed, "I encountered unexpected resistance. Secondary mission is scrubbed."

She could not keep a bit of satisfaction from her voice at being unable to fulfill Madara's selfish desire to control the Sharingan's heiress.

* * *

Pein's Animal Path formed fire claws again, but unlike her latest mentor, Hinata went offensive rather than defensive.

"Suiton: Fire Hose Jutsu," the kunoichi drew in the last remains of Ueba's liquid ammunition, and threw it in a tight stream at Yugito. Though it did not last long on the dry, September afternoon, it was enough to neutralize Pein's Fire Release technique. The force of Hinata's jutsu nearly slammed Yugito into a building, and the former Cloud ninja dug in her toes just in time to stop herself. But in the process she broke and shattered most of the claws on her feet, and the Hyuga heiress did not give her opponent time to recover.

"Eight Trigrams: Empty Palm," almost as angry as Naruto but more in control, the pale beauty caught the Animal Path before she could reclaim her focus and balance. The Byakugan technique drove Pein into the reinforced brick wall of a house Hinata recognized as belonging to Moegi's family. Yugito bounced off the ninja abode with a disturbing crunch, managing to land on her feet, though her right arm hung limp.

Deva Pein had abandoned his gravity attacks, as they just seemed to roll off the enraged fox, and the recharge time was putting Yahiko's body at risk. He switched to more conventional jutsu, and quickly realized that C and even B-Rank flames jutsu did not burn Uzumaki's fur, as befitted the inheritor of a fire demon. He expected A or S-Rank Fire Release techniques might have worked, but he did not have the time to execute them. So Pein instead focused on water and earth techniques to delay the teen. He hoped Uzumaki's rage or chakra would run out before the Leaf ninja could close the gap between them.

"Stone Claws," Naruto snarled without signing, and Deva Pein jumped back to avoid being snared by the three talons that erupted from the cobblestone street.

"Doton: Stone Claws Jutsu," the Rinnegan user countered with the fully executed form of the art, and his set of six hands immobilized the young man. Naruto growled again, and his four tails of silver chakra shot out, shredding the rock easily. Uzumaki lunged forward again, and his right claws clipped Yahiko's Akatsuki robe, but not the flesh underneath.

"Grand Fireball Jutsu," Naruto incanted bringing his left hand up to his mouth, even as his right finished the near miss strike. Pein spun away, removing the cloak and catching the flames in it. He threw the burning cloth at Naruto as he recovered his stance.

'I am sorry, Gouki-sensei,' he thought, 'It appears I will have to break my word to you.'

Yahiko's hands came together again, and he started focusing his gravity powers again.

"Unit 1, mission complete," Madara's report reached his ears, causing Pein to halt his lethal strike.

"Unit 2," Konan's voice emerged seconds later, "I encountered unexpected resistance. Secondary mission is scrubbed."

Deva Pein glanced at Animal Pein, and they both nodded. Yahiko's hands came apart, and he began to sign rapidly instead.

"Heaven Path: Wings of the Deva," he announced. He drew Kakashi and Hinata's attention to him, as three pairs of large, white-feathered wings erupted from his back. In the instant of distraction, Yugito scampered away. Hinata started to track her, but then Pein's Deva Path lifted into the air. Naruto jumped for him, but Yahiko's ascent was too fast and he flew above the teen's vertical reach. Naruto ran to the closest building, running up the side. But before he reached the top, Pein suddenly reversed course. He dove back towards Kakashi and his Naraka Path. Naruto leapt at his opponent, but missed again. Deva Pein caught Naraka Pein by the shoulders, and began to ascend again.

"Release," Yahiko added as he rose above the roof line. Naruto started to give chase, but Kakashi stepped in front of him.

"He's getting away!" Naruto snarled, looking ready to attack his teacher. Then a hand settled on his shoulder. He turned to glare at the owner, but when his eyes fell on Hinata, his rage broke.

"I'm sorry Naruto," she said, "But he's too fast for us to follow."

Naruto sighed, and his form returned to normal.

"Besides, our orders were to protect the village from him," Kakashi noted, "So we can't follow him if it means leaving. And that not even stopping to consider the possibility this is a trap."

Naruto nodded, frowning unhappily.

"But what the heck was all that about?" he groused, "Pein just shows up, attacks the village for a while, and then runs away?"

"We'll have to ask the information corps," the Jonin answered, "For now we should report in. Then, if Pein really did leave, and the Hokage doesn't want us on clean up, we can head over to the hospital and check on Sakura."

Naruto nodded tensely, and Hinata moved her hand from his shoulder to link her fingers with his.

* * *

"Waddya mean we can't see Sakura?" Naruto demanded tersely.

"She is still in surgery," the Hokage answered carefully, glancing at Hinata, and then shifting her eyes to Kakashi.

"How is she?" the Copy Ninja asked, confused by Tsunade's attitude.

"About as well as can be expected," the Sannin medic offered, "I will spare you the gory details, but the... separation was about as clean as we could hope for. They preserved her arm and got her into surgery right away. And we gave her a pint of the 'special reserve' for good measure."

She nodded at Naruto, referring to the quarterly donations of jutsu-altered blood the young man made. The Leaf village kept some on hand for emergencies, but Tsunade did not let him donate more than once every three months. She didn't want the medical corps relying on the Kitsune no Chishio too much, and also because she was not completely convinced there were no side effects.

"We won't be able to say for sure until Shizune is done operating" the Hokage concluded, "but it looks like with a few months to heal and a few more months of therapy, Sakura will make a full recovery."

Naruto sighed in relief, and Hinata let out the breath she had been unconsciously holding. But their canny teacher was only moderately mollified.

"In that case, why did you want us to come to the hospital, Lady Tsunade?" Kakashi queried neutrally.

"Sakura wasn't the only one hurt in the attack," the Hokage admitted, turning to Hinata.

"Hinata, the Hyuga manor was attacked. Two of the clan's shinobi were killed, and Lord Hiashi was seriously injured."

"My father?" Hinata trembled slightly, and it was Naruto's turn to take her hand.

"He has second and third degree burns over more than ninety percent of his body," Tsunade continued, "We're treating him as best we can, and we've given him a transfusion of Naruto's blood as well."

"How did it happen?" the pale beauty asked nervously.

"We don't know," the Hokage's voice turned more firm, "He has been asking for you and refusing to talk to anyone else. The stubborn fool has even refused any painkillers until he can speak to you."

"Take me to him."

The leader of the Leaf ninjas nodded, but then looked at the team's teacher and stated, "Kakashi, you're going to want to go to room 302."

Hatake frowned under his mask, concerned by her tone.

* * *

"Father," Hinata gasped slightly when they entered the room. Still sitting upright, Hiashi Hyuga was wrapped from head to toe in bandages, soaked in green ointment. Only his left eye and mouth were uncovered, but his lips were horribly melted. An intravenous drip ran into his left arm.

Naruto stayed by his girlfriend's side, still clasping her palm with his. Tsunade remained near the door, trying to remain inconspicuous as she listened.

"Hinata," there was relief in her parent's rough, weak voice.

"Father, what happened?" she demanded gently. Hiashi's good eye moved to Naruto briefly before he answered.

"Madara Uchiha."

"I killed him," Naruto stepped closer and raising his free hand in protest. Then he retreated, chagrined, and offered, "Sorry."

"So I said," Hiashi agreed, taking a long breath after the short statement, "but he said you just... destroyed his body... He was in Itachi's body... His eyes were..."

"Why?" Hinata frowned, her anger rising, "Why did he attack us?"

"Itachi's body... he called it a... puppet..." Hiashi answered shallowly, "It is failing... crumbling to dust... Madara is trying... trying to hide it... But I could see..."

He tried to lift his hand towards his eyes, but Tsunade flash-stepped forward and gently restrained him.

"No moving," the Hokage admonished.

"Madara needs a new body?" Naruto noted, worried, "That's why he was here? Does that mean..."

"Hanabi," Hiashi wheezed, "she hadn't left yet... she tried to... to help me... But she was Madara's... target. After he burned me... I could still see... still hear... Tsukuyomi, then he carried her away."

"Hanabi," Hinata gasped in fear.

"Hinata, I know... you don't think of her as your true sister," Hiashi's voice grew slightly stronger, "but please... please save Hanabi..."

His eye fluttered closed. The Hokage checked his pulse, and then injected something into Hiashi's IV.

"Lady Tsunade?" Naruto prompted carefully, not wanting his emotions to influence Hinata. Uzumaki put his other hand over their already intertwined digits.

"He passed out," the medic answered, "Besides the external damage, his lungs were badly burned by the heat and smoke. And we're not sure if his right eye will recover or not. I've given him a sedative and a pain reliever, to help him rest."

Hinata pulled away from Naruto and left the room quickly. Her partner and former instructor exchanged glances and raced into the hall after her. They caught her and cut her off, Naruto standing in front of her and Tsunade cutting off her escape to the rear. She stopped, refusing to look at them.

"I'm sorry, Hinata," Naruto told her, "This is my fault. If I hadn't let Madara get away; or if I hadn't hurt him so badly..."

Her head jerked up, and she glared at him. For a moment he thought she would yell at him, or even hit him, and he relaxed, prepared to take what she had to give. But seeing his sadness and regret, some of her ire melted.

"That's not true," she said firmly, "You did the right thing. You couldn't have known he would survive that. But if you really feel that way, help me get her back."

She turned to look at the Hokage, her suddenly metallic corneas somehow looking more like steel than quicksilver. Her gaze and stance challenged the older kunoichi to forbid her. But Tsunade smirked at the younger woman.

"I have no intention of stopping you, on one condition," the Fire Shadow said in her leader voice.

"What condition?" Hinata demanded.

"Give me twenty minutes, to check a few things out, and pull in a few others for this mission. Without some intel, you won't have a chance of tracking Madara and company. If you two can't agree to that, I'll have the ANBU take you both into custody."

Hinata wavered, not wanting to delay but unable to deny the Hokage's reasoning. Finally she nodded once. Naruto relaxed slightly, and offered the Sannin a thankful look.

"You two stay here, in case there is news about Sakura, Hiashi, or Yugao," Tsunade instructed, and Naruto took Hinata's hand as he indicated his agreement. Neither of the teens seemed to notice her mention of Kakashi's girlfriend. The Sannin vanished, and Uzumaki gently guided his fiancé to the chairs outside her father's room.

For the first few minutes they sat in silence. Though Naruto had been the one to grasp her hand, Hinata's grip on him was painfully tight. As she settled, easing her hold on him, Naruto felt safe in asking the question that had been plaguing his thoughts.

"Hinata," he called out, and she turned to look at him, her determined expression at odds with the tears on her cheeks. He noticed she had allowed her Kekkei Genkai to lapse again.

"What your father said earlier?" he probed gently, "About Hanabi not being your 'true sister'..."

"That's not true," she said firmly yet unhappily, "I've never felt that."

Naruto didn't say anything, but continued to regard her with a questioning expression. She suddenly refused to meet his gaze, but he would not look away. After nearly a minute, she smiled, just a little, at his determination and also his obliviousness. She decided guiding him to the answer would be better than simply telling him.

"Do you remember about my mother?"

"Of course," Naruto sounded slightly offended, "She was a baker; a little shorter than you are now, with medium blue hair, dark blue eyes. She and your father were in love, but your grandfather tried to keep them from getting together, 'cause she wasn't a ninja."

"And how she died? she prompted again, her briefly moment of mirth fading.

"She was killed, when the Raikage's cousin tried to kidnap you," he answered carefully, sadly.

"And how old was I?"

"You were three, right?" his lips turned down further, reflecting his confusion.

"And now, how old are Hanabi and I now?" she concluded.

"You're sixteen, seventeen in just over three months. December 27th," he answered easily, then had to

think about the other part of her question, "And Hanabi turned twelve back in March, right?"

She nodded, and then waited.

"Hold on, you're more than four years older than Hanabi," he realized after a almost a minute trying to figure out her point, "If your mom died when you were three, that means Hanabi can't be your sister."

"She is my sister," Hinata insisted again, even more sharply. Then she looked embarrassed by her outburst, and explained, "but technically, she is my half-sister."

"Half-sister?" he looked at her in surprise.

"After the incident with the Cloud ninja, my grandfather manipulated my father," she told him, "Hyouta convinced my father that I would not be a suitable heir, and that even on the off chance I wasn't a failure, he should still try to have another child, to be safe. My father was angry and depressed, and he came to agree with my grandfather. Five months later my father married the kunoichi grandfather selected, and just under a year after that, Hanabi was born."

"So, who was Hanabi's mother?" Naruto asked his eyes narrowed in thought.

"The previous leader of the Takamichi clan had three children; two sons, with a daughter in between," she began, "His daughter, Kazuko, was a Jonin rank ninja, and like her father and brothers, she felt the Takamichi clan should still serve the Hyuga clan. And of course, as a Takamichi she had at least some latent potential for the Byakugan. Her rank, her opinions, and her genetics made her the perfect wife in my grandfather's eyes, and she readily agreed. She was only too proud to marry the Hyuga clan leader, even considering their reasons."

"Things were better, while Kazuko was around," her eyes glazed in memory, "Father was not happy, but he was more... _contented_. And Kazuko was always kind to me."

"What happened to her?" Naruto prompted, "Why haven't I seen her?"

"She died," Hinata said sadly, "After Hanabi turned three, her mother returned to active duty. Not three months later, her whole team was killed on a mission. They didn't know who did it, but the water jutsu that killed Kazuko was commonly used by the Rain and Waterfall villages."

"I'm sorry, Hinata," Naruto embraced around her as best he could around the connected arms of the hospital chairs, "I'm a bad boyfriend. I should already know this. I should have asked you more."

"No," she protested, "You know I don't like to talk about those parts of my past, and you don't pry. And you already know more about me than anyone else."

"So if Hanabi is the kid of one of the Takamichis, does that mean those twins we met that day are related to her?" Naruto changed the subject, suddenly remembering the younger shinobi from the day he was captured by the Akatsuki.

"Kei is the son of the current Takamichi clan leader, and Keiko is the daughter of his younger brother," she noted, "Hanabi is cousin to both of them as well."

"Do they know? Does Hanabi know?"

"Keiko and Kei are aware, yes," she nodded, "We've talked about it a few times. But Hanabi... My sister has never shown any interest in her non-Hyuga family, at least not in front of me. I'm not sure if she knows her relationship to her teammates, or even how much she knows about her mother."

"Speaking of..." Tsunade interrupted. The lovers turned to look at her, disentangling themselves. The two Tokujo immediately noticed Hanabi's comrades were with the Hokage. As promised in their initial meeting, their uniforms disguised their secondary sexual characteristics, and Naruto could not tell Keiko from her male cousin.

"All of the members of Choza's team have special jutsu circuits in their uniforms, for tracking purposes," the Sannin explained, "Unfortunately, Choza is out of commission. But Keiko and Kei know the technique, too."

"We have found Hanabi's signal, moving west," Kei interjected.

"With the village in an uproar, and the number of injuries we took, I can't spare anyone else," Tsunade said, "The four of you will track down and rescue Hanabi. If at all possible, avoid fighting Madara, Pein, and Konan. If you have to fight, break off as soon as you have the chance. I don't think Keiko and Kei are up to fighting the Akatsuki, not quite yet."

Hinata nodded, but Naruto queried, "Konan?"

"Pein's partner was here as well," Tsunade informed them, "Didn't I mention it? She attempted to take Rei, but Yugao, Anko, and Iruka managed to stop her. She escaped; Team Hizashi couldn't put Rei at risk by going after her. Yugao took a few hits before Anko and Iruka arrived, Kakashi is with her and the kid on the next floor."

"Naruto," Tsunade said, with a trace of reluctance, "Hinata is too close to this and these two are just Genin, so I have to put you in charge. You should resupply if you need to, and then head out immediately. Now, I have other patients to attend to, so I'll leave this up to you."

She turned and walked away before they could see her true frown.

"Alright," Naruto surged to his feet, the chance to act banishing his worry and sadness, "Are you guys ready to go?"

The other three shinobi nodded immediately.

"Then let's get moving," he ordered, "You two can tell us how this tracking jutsu works and we'll fill you in on Pein."

* * *

Tsunade looked up at the two animal-masked ninjas reluctantly.

"Follow them, and if it is too late to stop Madara from taking over Hanabi's body... You know what needs to be done," her voice was dark and depressed. Towa and Komachi nodded curtly, and vanished from her office.

"Sorry, Hinata, Naruto," Tsunade whispered into the dark room.


	104. Chasing Dojutsu

**Chapter 104: Chasing Dojutsu**

"So, you can track each other anywhere?" Naruto asked, jumping toward the next branch.

"In theory," Kei Takamichi confirmed. Keiko was currently maintaining the jutsu, and her now glowing, yellow eyes were locked on an unseen point in the distance. Hinata had been quiet since they had left the hospital.

"We have never tested the limits of the range of the technique," the younger man added, "so it is possible if Hanabi were in the southwest part of the Land of Air, and we were in the Land of Snow, that she might be too far for us to find. But we have never been that far apart before."

"Also," he continued in a more worried tone, "the circuit is woven discreetly into our uniforms, so if they changed her clothing, we..."

"Kei," Keiko hissed. She waved her hand in Hinata's general direction, not able to shift her gaze. The male Genin lightly bit the inside of his cheek as he suddenly quit speaking.

"Her signal is still moving, La... Hinata," Keiko told the older woman apologetically.

"Still, maybe we should hurry it up," Naruto considered, "Keiko-chan, can you pick up the pace at all?"

"Not while maintaining the jutsu," the grey-haired girl answered, shaking her head very slightly, "This technique draws away my focus. If I were to go any faster, I would almost certainly trip or miss a branch."

"What if I carried you piggyback?" Naruto proposed after a moment of consideration.

"That might work," a hint of embarrassment entered the kunoichi's voice despite her agreement, "But wouldn't that tire you out?"

"Ha," Naruto barked a laugh, "Who do you think you're talking to? I could carry all three of you to the Land of Lightning and still have energy to spare."

A ghost of a grin passed over Hinata's lips at her lover's slightly exaggerated boast.

"Time isn't on our side," Naruto said more seriously, "so if I have to burn some extra chakra or calories to get us to Hanabi, I will."

"Alright," the Takamichi girl nodded, and then came to a stop on the widest tree branch she could find. Their assigned leader landed next to her, and knelt down so she could wrap her arms around his neck. He place his hands under her thighs, and took off again.

"Just tell me which way to go, Keiko-chan," he told her, and he felt her chin hit his shoulder.

"They have stopped moving," she said, "141 kilometers due west."

"Let us know if they start moving again," Hinata instructed faintly.

* * *

Pein's Deva Path and Konan entered the meeting room of the old Uchiha stronghold. Madara claimed the Leaf village was not aware of this particular hideout, but the paper user was still wary. Pein's other two Paths were tucked away in another room. After the Naraka path had repaired the Animal Path, Nagato put them into their comatose state, at Konan's insistence. Madara joined them, having placed Hanabi in one of the rooms off the central hall. The girl was still unconscious from the Tsukuyomi, but the first Uchiha had tied her down anyway.

Now that they were assembled, Yahiko activated the communications jutsu, and a translucent version of Gouki Namikaze appeared before them.

"Pein, Konan, Madara," the brown-haired renegade greeted them, "How did your mission go?"

"Our results were... mixed," Pein answered in a slightly petulant tone, "Madara was able to capture Hanabi Hyuga, and I was able to disable a number of the Leaf shinobi, though as per your order, none were mortally wounded. Despite that, Konan encountered heavy resistance, and was unable to kidnap Itachi's daughter. And Naruto Uzumaki was able to destroy my Human Path."

Gouki's blue eyes widened, but he suppressed his grin. It appeared the trip to the Konohagakure had been the lesson he had hoped to give Nagato.

"Very good," their leader commended them, and while Yahiko and Konan's moods improved at his praise, Madara twisted Itachi's lips into a scowl.

"Pein, I have a new task for your Deva Path," the X-Rank criminal continued, "Kohaku has encountered some... _difficulties_ with her target. It seems the individual in question believes we are reforming or regrouping the Akatsuki, and is therefore reluctant. However I think it might help our cause if 'Lord Pein' says otherwise."

"And if that fails?" the Deva Path asked.

"Then play on her madness and turn her against one of the Hidden Villages," Gouki ordered, "Preferably the Hidden Stone, as they are the most thoroughly entrenched. At least that way, she might distract them during the next phase of our plan."

Yahiko's head dipped in acceptance.

"Konan, you and the other two Paths will remain to guard Madara," Namikaze turned his attention to the kunoichi, "My agent in the Leaf reports the Naruto Uzumaki, Hinata Hyuga, and Hanabi Hyuga's two teammates left the village ninety minutes after you did, with orders to rescue the girl. He said that the girl's teammates have a way to track her, but he was not clear as to how. He was under the impression that it would slow them down. In addition, I have asked your backup to intercept the Leaf ninjas. Still, it is possible they will reach you before Madara is finished."

Madara turned and left without comment, causing the woman to frown.

"Are you sure we just can't leave him for the Leaf, Gouki-sensei?" she asked darkly.

"Quite sure," Gouki chuckled, "Madara still has a role, that only he can play."

"Alright," she sighed.

"Good. I will see you both tomorrow," the Leaf renegade ended the jutsu.

"I will be going, too," Pein told her, "I am rousing the Animal Path, and you two can wake my Naraka Path if Naruto's group arrives."

He squeezed her shoulder, and then left. Konan sighed again, and left the meeting room to find Madara.

* * *

"We have guests," Hinata whispered just loud enough for her teammates to hear, "Three shinobi, trying to get ahead of us, to cut us off. Naruto, they appear to be wearing the robes of the acolytes of Pein."

Uzumaki frowned, recalling the three warriors he had fought in the Canyon of Dawn. They had managed to stop his Rasenshuriken and one had used a jutsu that combined two opposing elemental chakras. Then, after he killed one of them with Kitsune, they had surrendered and sold out Madara for the chance to report back to Pein.

"Just three?" Naruto asked, unsure how many total acolytes Pein had.

"Within my visual range," his fiancé responded, "I don't know if there are more further away."

"Do we try to outrun them, or do we stop and fight?" Kei prompted their leader.

"For now, both, Kei-kun," Naruto answered with a grin, then asked, "Where are they, Hinata?"

"Two are almost two kilometers northwest, and the other is seven hundred fifty meters due south," she informed him, already knowing his plan.

"Keiko-chan, hold on tight for a second, OK?"

He removed his hands from bracing her legs, and she hastily wrapped her stems around his waist to keep from dropping lower on his back. Her glowing eyes never shifted.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu," Naruto slammed his hands together without slowing, and the six duplicates sprang into existance and then broke away.

"Hopefully the clones can buy us enough time to get away," Uzumaki explained, supporting Keiko's legs again before she choked the breath out of him, "And if not, then I'll have some idea of what we're up against."

Hinata watched as Naruto's two clones hit the closer acolyte. She was able to observe their initial exchange of Taijutsu before their respective movements carried the three fighters outside of her range. A short time later, the second group of clones hit the paired pursuers But this set was able to keep their momentum, continuing to draw closer the the Leaf shinobi.

"Darn it," Naruto suddenly exclaimed, nearly breaking Keiko's focus. Hinata turned her head to look at him, while still watching the other fight.

"What happened, Naruto-sa... Naruto?" Kei asked.

"That guy killed my clones with some sort of acid jutsu," Uzumaki growled.

"Hinata, you'll probably be able to see him again in a few seconds," he added contritely, well aware of her Byakugan's range. She waited, but Pein's follower never reappeared.

"I don't see him," she noted, offering, "Maybe you hurt him enough to slow him down."

"I didn't think so, but maybe he had a trick knee," Naruto couldn't shrug with the younger kunoichi on his back.

* * *

Towa's chakra spear retracted, once again becoming the tattoo on his right arm. As it did, the acolyte of Pein collapsed to the ground. Komachi leaned down and retrieved her senbon, pinning up her hair again with the four undamaged ones, and slipping the damaged ones into one pouch before replacing them with fresh needles from a second pouch. The two ANBU agents exchanged glances, and resumed following the teens, remaining back just far enough that Hinata's Byakugan could not see them.

* * *

An explosion reached their ears, and Kei turned to Hinata.

"What happened?" the Genin asked.

"I got one of them," Naruto did not sound happy.

"But he blew himself up to take out Naruto's clones," Hinata added, "And the last one is catching up."

"Alright," Naruto stopped, and set the younger girl down, "Hinata, stay with Keiko. Kei and I will take care of this guy."

Hinata nodded with a hint of reluctance, understanding her lover wanted to keep the tracking jutsu going, and also see what the Takamichis could do in battle.

"I think I should go with you, Naruto," Keiko said, finally blinking, "It is about time for Kei and I to switch out anyway."

"Fine," their leader nodded. The male 'twin' signed the jutsu, and began looking to the spot his cousin had been locked on to.

"Where is he?" the blonde Tokujo asked his fiancé again.

"That way," she pointed, "Four hundred meters and closing."

"Thanks, Hinata," he squeezed her hand affectionately, "We won't be long."

She nodded curtly, her eyes tracking Kei's gaze. The young woman hated the delay, but knew in the long run is was safer and probably faster then letting the renegade catch up with them.

Naruto closed his left eye and squinted the right orb as he sorted through the memories of the clones. He nodded and addressed Keiko.

"OK, this guy seems to be a mid range fighter, focusing on wind and lightning jutsu," the older shinobi explained, "What about you?"

"I also specialize in mid range combat," the teen answered, "But my elemental affinities are towards earth and water."

"OK, then you should drop down to the ground and hit him from below," he instructed, "Try to keep him off guard so I can get close."

"That is a... straightforward strategy," she noted.

"Well, my family name isn't Nara, and we don't have time to plan anything fancy," he shot back, annoyed. She dipped her head nervously.

"You're right, I'm sorry," she said quickly.

"Nah, you should speak your mind," he regretted snapping at the kunoichi, "I always do. It's just we're in a hurry now."

She nodded again.

"Now down," he ordered, "before he sees you."

Keiko dropped from the branches to the forest floor, and continued to follow Naruto, using her chakra to draw in the water from the loam beneath her.

"Raiton: Artillery Arc," the deep voice of the acolyte of Pein echoed before him, and Uzumaki just barely dodged the curving bolt of lightning that appeared between the tree trunks. It hit a sturdy oak behind the Tokujo, and split it in half.

"Fuuton: Cyclone Spikes Barrage," Naruto peppered the treetops with green cones of wind chakra, firing randomly in hopes of hitting the pursuer. The acolyte emerged two hundred feet to the fox-faced teen's left, completely outside the area hit by the air darts.

"Fuuton: Vacuum Bolt Jutsu," Pein's servant whipped up a hand crossbow, and fired at Naruto. The bolt left the weapon far faster than it should have, and struck Uzumaki seemingly before he had a chance to dodge. But a heartbeat later, the young man exploded, leaving a skewered log in his place. The acolyte cast around desperately for the Leaf warrior.

"Suiton: Rain Bullets Jutsu," Keiko finished signing, and four high-density, fist-sized teardrops of water flew up at the acolyte. The first hit his knee, and the second his stomach, but he slid around the third missile, and the last missed him entirely. He glanced down at the girl in surprise. And the moment of confusion cost him.

"Raiton: Rasengan!" Naruto dropped down on the rogue from above, leading with the purple sphere of chakra. As he hit, however, the acolyte of Pein disappeared out from under him. Naruto landed on the branch, tracking the elder warrior as he flash-stepped backwards.

"He's fast," Keiko noted as she started to sign again.

"Double Arts: Lightning Tornado Jutsu," the harrier launched an inverted cone of green and purple chakra at Uzumaki. But Naruto just grinned as the attack struck him, and he exploded into a thin mist.

The real Naruto suddenly appeared, standing on the trunk of the tree. He swung Kitsune almost casually, and the wind chakra blade sliced cleanly through the branch that supported Pein's follower. Both human and tree limb fell towards ground, and the ninja prepared to push off the branch to leap to a new foothold. But Uzumaki did not give him the chance. He jumped downwards, removing the green sword, and slammed Kitsune's pole into the acolyte's shoulder. The renegade plummeted even faster, unable to recover before he slammed into the ground. As he hit, Keiko was already signing.

"Doton: Stone Jacket Jutsu," she intoned, and rocks and mud surrounded the stunned rogue, immobilizing him from the neck down.

"Now what?" Keiko asked, not wanting to kill a helpless foe. Naruto slammed his staff-blade moderately into the acolyte's temple, destroying the last remnants of the man's awareness. He sheathed his weapon, and stepped away.

"Leave him," Naruto said coldly, "If he wakes up and manages to escape, he can explain to his boss what happened to him. Otherwise, we'll pick him up on the way back, and let the Interrogation Unit see what he knows. Come on, we better get moving."

The girl nodded, and they hurried back to their teammates.

* * *

"Just what are you doing?" Konan asked neutrally, watching Madara inscribe chakra seals on and around the unconscious tween. He did not answer her.

"You said after Naruto beat you, you were going to take his body then and there," she reminded, her voice a bit sharper, "So, why do all of this?"

"Naruto Uzumaki possesses no Dojutsu," the immortal Uchiha answered without looking up, "I would have simply burned my way into his eyes, taking their place and destroying his soul."

He paused, wondering if the trap the Kyubi had laid might have triggered in that case. His lips twitched at the amusing possibility that Hinata Hyuga had saved him.

"But to preserve Hanabi's Byakugan, to make it mine, I must be more careful," he continued, painting a kanji onto the girl's forehead, "I must strengthen her eyes, and prepare them for a true joining. At the same time, I must weaken her spirit. The Tsukuyomi was a good start, but her mind is stubborn."

He set aside the materials, and carefully going over his work again. As he did, Konan watched as the distal joint of Itachi's right pink turned to dust and crumbled away.

"Leave," he barked, hiding a touch of nervous anticipation, "I am going to begin, and I do not need you distracting me further."

Glancing regretfully at the young girl, the origami kunoichi complied. She had not walked three steps out of the room, when Pein's Animal Path joined her. Even though it was Yugito's face, Konan recognized Nagato's expression.

"What is it?"

"My acolytes missed their scheduled check in," the Animal Path answered, "Which means they are either in the midst of a battle, or more likely, they are all dead."

The Rinnegan met her amber eyes, and she nodded.

* * *

The teens forced their way through a dense section of the woods into a small open space. The trees around the break in the forest all leaned inwards, masking it from above. In the center was a moderately sized stone building, with an area more than twice the size of Naruto's condo. Faded paint on the wall facing them bore the insignia of the Uchiha clan.

Naruto set down Kei, who ended his tracking jutsu. Hinata tensed noticeably, putting her allies on edge.

"Hanabi is in there," the male Takamichi offered.

"Yes, she is," Yugito Nii agreed, as the Animal and Naraka Paths stepped into view, "But you will not get inside."


	105. Family Business

**Chapter 105: Family Business**

Naruto dropped into a fighting stance, appraising their two foes. The few hits Kakashi had scored on Yugito's body were gone and the Naraka Path had also lost the large bruise on the back of his neck. All of Hinata's blows on either of them had also been erased.

'The jerk that hurt Sakura isn't here,' Naruto noted, 'which means he's probably inside, guarding Madara and Hanabi.'

"Hinata, can you see what's inside there?" he asked quietly. The two Paths of Pein just watched them, while staying close to the entrance.

"No, this is an Uchiha base, it's shielded against the Byakugan," she answered.

"OK, I'll take these two," Naruto whispered the instructions reluctantly, "I'll distract them with my clones, and you three slip inside. But be careful, that gravity guy is probably inside, and I don't want him doing to you guys what he did to Sakura."

'Or worse,' he added mentally. The twins nodded; on the way Naruto and Hinata had filled them in about the fight and the powers Pein's Paths had exhibited.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu," Naruto yelled, charging forward alongside his ten duplicates. Hinata and the Takamichis followed, hiding behind the clones on the outer edges of the pack. The first four Uzumakis surrounded the Naraka Path, and assumed the stance of the Whipping Willows, hemming him in and waiting for him to attack them. The five duplicates that hit the Animal Path were less gentle. Each launched a punch or kick at the head or torso of the resurrected Jinchuriki.

"Cat Scratch Jutsu," she met them with rapid, wild swings of her talons, destroying the clones and leaping through clouds of chakra to strike at the last clone and the Genin he was escorting. Keiko and Kei fell back, as the copy tried and failed to hold Yugito off.

Pein's Naraka Path launched his fist at one Naruto's neck, but the clone leaned slightly to the side, and gingerly pushed the arm way. The big man grimaced and launched a heel kick at the blonde copy behind him, but again Naruto subtly dodged without giving the hell-bonded warrior anything to work with. The original Uzumaki, who had been escorting Hinata, darted back towards Yugito, Keiko, and Kei, as his fiancé entered the Uchiha hideout.

"Ninja Art: Shadow Shuriken Jutsu," the cousins intoned in unison. Each released five throwing stars at the Animal Path, and their chakra turned the barrage of ten blades into a cloud of forty.

"Fuuton: Wind Screen," the female Pein stated without signing, and even without hand signs the barrier was enough to stop the projectiles.

"Katon: Abyssal Flare Jutsu," Naraka Pein grunted, and the purple flames of the underworld incinerated two of the fox-faced duplicates before Naruto could react.

"Raiton: Forked Bolt Jutsu," Yugito countered with only three hand signs, five lances of solid lightning shooting towards the twins. Naruto appeared beside her and forced her wrist high, deflecting the energy still connected to her palm.

"You guys are playing for keeps this time, huh?" he growled.

"This is no longer a distraction mission," the former Two-Tails Jinchuriki matched his tone, "there is no longer any reason for us to hold back."

She kicked back at him, knocking him away and freeing her arm. Naruto pounced forward as soon as he landed, and his eyes flickered to the twins.

"Get going, you two," he snapped.

"That doesn't appear to be an option," Kei noted evenly, as the Naraka Path used a wind jutsu to slash through the clone standing behind him, and then moved in front of the door, his Rinnegan daring them to try to get past him.

"We can help you," Keiko added, "We can stop that guy, without hurting him. That way you can focus on her."

Naruto shook his head, forcing himself to remember the Hokage's orders.

"The only other options are for the two of us to turn back, or to see if we can escape from these guards long enough to locate another way in," Kei explained calmly, "And the latter gives Pein the option to follow us and fight us where you cannot help, for the slim chance we will be able to find another unguarded entrance."

"And if we run, it will just take you that much longer to get past these two alone," Keiko offered. The Animal Path snorted, slashing at Uzumaki with elongated fingernails. The female Genin glared back at the renegade.

"Fine," Naruto admitted defeat, catching Yugito's claws on Kitsune, while a hail of stones from the male Pein eliminated the last clone. The Naraka path stayed by the door, but watched them carefully, ready to strike the moment they made a move.

The twins shared a glance and a nod, and then dashed towards Pein's Naraka Path, weaving back and forth randomly. Once they reached a certain both started signing, and as they called out each seal, their voices sounded as identical as their appearances.

"Ninja Art: Restful Dreams Jutsu," one of the grey-haired teens announced. The large shinobi's eyes began to flutter.

"Doton: Ensnaring Mud Jutsu," the other Takamichi stated. The ground beneath the Naraka Path softened, and began to pull him down.

"Kei, he's behind you," the earth user shouted, and the supposedly trapped Pein disappeared from the mire, reappearing behind the Genjutsu user. That Genin released the illusion and dove forward, barely avoiding avoiding a kick to the neck.

"Thanks, Kei," the assaulted twin offered, landing facing Pein again, "How did he escape my Genjutsu? Naruto said Kakashi-san got him with a Shiatsu Fingers..."

"Your will or jutsu will need to be much stronger to trap me," Pein's Naraka Path boasted.

"Then we'll show you both," the teens answered in harmony.

Naruto slid Kitsune forward against Yugito's claws, until the crosspiece struck her pinky. The staff-blade nearly hit her chin, but Pein rotated her head out of the way, and buried the ball of her foot in Uzumaki's gut. The blonde Tokujo tumbled back, digging his weapon into the soft earth below to avoid being knocked too far away. He shifted Kitsune to his left hand, and stampeded back towards her, a Rasengan forming in front of his right palm. But as soon as he was clear, Pein's Animal Path had started crafting her own jutsu, and she finished before he reached her.

"Ninja Art: Steel Claws Jutsu," she intoned, her already cat-like fingernails growing longer, sharper, and taking on a metallic sheen. She crossed the bladed nails in front of her chest, stopping the Rasengan cold. Naruto pressed forward, and the sphere whined against the tiny daggers. He had the mass and muscle to push her back, but his jutsu could not overcome Yugito's. Pein split her fingers apart, and while the talons on her left hand guided the chakra orb away from her, she stepped in, angling her right hand blades at Naruto's heart. Though it was not his preferred grip, the Leaf shinobi brought up his staff-blade underhand, tangling it in her fingers and stopping her claws. He dismissed his father's jutsu, and returned his right hand to Kitsune. He spun the weapon back up into a standard grip, pushing her off balance in the process.

* * *

Hinata raced into the large meeting room, her Kekkei Genkai instantly taking in the four doors around the back of the chamber The walls inside the building were just as resistant to her Byakugan as the outside ones were, and Hinata forced herself to take a breath. She knew that like most of her clan, she tended to rely to much on her enhanced vision. So she paused, listening; and even though she lacked her lover's keen nose, she also took in the smells.

"No need to search," a feminine voice offered, and Konan exited the portal in the northwest corner.

"Madara and your sister are in the room on the other side of this one," the paper user told the younger woman, gesturing towards the portal of her origin.

"Why are you telling me this?" Hinata asked dubiously.

"Two reasons," Konan answered, "First, because you will notice her soon enough anyway. And second, because no one deserves what Madara is doing to her."

'And hopefully this will put you off balance,' Konan added silently.

"I fail to see how it is different than what Pein did to Yugito Nii," the Leaf shinobi said darkly, and then requested, "But if that is the case, then please stand aside."

"I can't do that," the rogue kunoichi shook her head, dropping dozens of sheets of paper into each hand, "I was ordered to protect Madara. My little rebellion doesn't gain you anything, but I can't let you pass. Ninja Art: Paper Shuriken Jutsu."

Konan released the pages, and they folded into six-pointed stars and shot towards Hinata. The Hyuga scion quickly planted her feet, and started flicking her arms towards the incoming paper blades.

"Protection of the Eight Trigrams Sixty-four Palms," the pale beauty countered, her strings of sharpened chakra slicing through the origami weapons. The former Akatsuki member's eyes widened as the remains of her attacks fluttered to the floor, most cut into four pieces.

'I'm not sure what she did,' Konan pondered the invisible attack as she extracted more paper from her replacement top, 'but it seems projectiles are out; I can't keep my paper strong enough if I don't have a physical connection to it. On the other hand, she's also a Hyuga, so melee combat is also a bad idea.'

"Eight Trigrams Empty Palm," Hinata did not hesitate or even consider her next move. Her right hand thrust forward launching a column of force at the her opponent. Konan swung her arms up, and a double thick barrier of paper appeared against her hands. The outer layer was torn away and scattered, but took most of the force of the Hyuga technique with it. The hardened inner layer stopped the remaining power of the Empty Palm without so much as a dimple.

But Hinata wasn't done. She followed her initial attack closely, lifting her left hand. A turbulent sphere of visible chakra hovered above her palm.

"Rasengan," Hinata hissed driving Minato's ninjutsu forward. The orb hit the paper barrier, ripping to shreds the pages it struck. Konan frowned, and focused her energy, sending the pages towards Hinata's wrist. But the Byakugan picked up the chakra running through the pages, and her right pointer finger flicked forward. The Gentle Fist severed the flow of chakra in each piece of paper, causing them to flutter to the floor instead of removing her hand. Konan released the six pages closest to the younger woman, and pulled back the rest, hopping away from the Leaf kunoichi.

'Dangerous,' Konan frowned, 'She's as fast as I am, and her Bloodline trumps my regular origami arts. My only options are to break out one of my trump cards. Or to leave Madara to his fate. Except part of Nagato is still here too... Alright, I guess I have already used this tactic, so there is little harm in using it again now.'

"Katon: Nova Jutsu," Nagato's lover proclaimed as the teen drew closer again.

"Rotation," Hinata's Heavenly Spin disrupted the first wave of flames, but rather than maintain her technique, the Hyuga Tokujo rolled back to avoid the next two explosions. She watched the older woman more carefully.

'Itachi's report said she used water, wind, and earth jutsu,' Hinata recalled, 'Could she have mastered a fourth element in five months? Or was that intelligence incomplete?'

The pause made Hinata take stock of the battle. She forced herself to settle down, knowing she could not help Hanabi if she was killed, incapacitated, or even just stalled long enough.

"It will be enough if I can just slow her down and escape," Hinata whispered to herself. She changed her stance slightly, readying herself for the Eight Trigrams Sixty-four Palms.

"Raiton: Charge Spiking Jutsu," as Hinata prepared her Byakugan assisted jutsu, Konan raised her hand, containing an oblong of lightning. Before the younger woman could attack, spikes of electrical power erupted towards Hinata. The teen caught the pikes on Ginmaki, her enhanced kote neutralizing the shock.

"Now lightning, too?" Hinata asked, though her question was not fully directed at Konan.

* * *

"Ninja Art: Profusion of Flowers," the twins said in unison. Before Pein's Naraka Path a storm of petals and blossoms sprang up, filling his nostrils with their sweet scent and obscuring his sight. He tensed slightly, waiting for their attack. But nothing approached him, and glances from the animal Path told Pein that the two Genin were simply standing there, focusing on the illusion. He pressed his hands together, feeling the external chakra inside his tenketsu.

"Release," Pein incanted, and he felt the Genjutsu shatter. Despite the success, the false world impeding him did not break apart, or even change. He looked at the roses, daisies, and carnations in annoyance. Then Nagato smiled, and his understanding reflected on the Naraka Path's face.

"It was not a combined technique," he announced, "You both used the same illusion on me. So when I thought I had broken it, it was really just one of you. Now, for the other. Release!"

Again, he forced the extra chakra out of his system, and again, his view did not change. So he shifted to his other senses, and then he heard it under the false wind and rustling petals.

"Ninja Art: Profusion of Flowers," a slight voice whispered.

"So that's it. Not only do you double the jutsu, if one is broken, you just reapply it over your partner," Nagato decided his Animal Path must be too focused on Naruto to hear the quiet vocalizations.

"But you are too dedicated to the illusion, so you can't attack," he taunted them, "and now that I know, I can just... Illusion Sever Jutsu."

Rather then simply stopping and flexing the flow of chakra in his body, Pein attached fragments of his own chakra to all of the outside chakra in his system, and forcibly expelled the energy. The Illusion Sever was for more effective than a Genjutsu Release, but it required the presence of mind to form hand seals and expended more energy.

"Still, I commend you on the perfect synchronization of your illusions," the Naraka Path added as his vision returned to normal. He charged the closer of the two Genin before they could start their next move. He caught the teen by the throat, but the Leaf ninja exploded. The cloud of the destroyed Shadow Clone was thicker than usual, and Pein started to choke on it.

"Gas?" he croaked, glanced about to find the second twin.

The tip of Kitsune's pole stopped just before Yugito's heart, as she placed her foot against the staff-blade's crosspiece to stop the weapon's forward advance.

"Wind blade," Naruto activated the extension with the vocal focus instead of the usual gesture. The Animal Path pushed off Kitsune' guard, escaping the green chakra sword with only a minor cut to her foot. Pein glared at him, but Naruto met her look without flinching.

"You came to my village, buddy," Naruto countered her expression with words, his blade missing her chin by a centimeter, "You helped Madara take Hanabi. I'm the one who should be staring you down."

Pein's ferrous fingernails snaked out in response, and Naruto blocked them with his staff-blade. Kitsune's sharpened addition even sliced off the claw on her left pinky. Yugito's body pivoted, as she fired a kick at Uzumaki's midsection. The Leaf shinobi stopped it with a kick of his own, driving her leg wide while smashing her knee. The Animal Path hopped back, and landed gingerly on her newly injured stem, though she curled her hands in front of her and began to gather her chakra between them.

"Two-Tails Menacing Fire Ball," she hissed, launching the sphere at Naruto. Uzumaki's eyes widened, but he quickly positioned Kitsune in horizontally between, the wind blade parallel to his chest. He placed the flat of his left hand and took a deep breath.

"I hope this works," he grunted softly, and then roared, "FUUTON: RASENBLADE; BARRIER MODE!!"

The green chakra began to twist violently, as Kitsune's sword mode shifted to its second stage. Then the extension started to grow and it's shape changed. It expanded into a pentagonal wall, seven feet from one side to the opposing point. The bottom corner of the barrier dug into the ground in front of Naruto. Pein's eyes widened in shock as the Tailed Beasts' signature move hit the shield and broke apart. The three largest fragments still exploded, but neither the force nor the flames passed the roiling wall of wind. Two heartbeats later the shield retracted into the staff-blade, and the two former Jinchuriki faced one another, panting from their respective efforts.

"How the hell... did you do that without Ni-ne?" Uzumaki demanded, fumbling for the food pills in his belt pouches.

"Some fragments of the Two-Tails still in this body... with the assistance of the Rinnegan," Pein gasped, having inferred what 'Ni-ne' referred to. Nagato was shocked that anyone could stop even a weakened version of the Menacing Ball. And even worse, the younger man was already recovering.

'So this is the difference in power between the Two-Tails and Nine-Tails...' Nagato thought, and unbidden, the Naraka Path glanced away from the Takamichis to observe the Kyubi's former host.

"I guess it's like how Gaara can still control sand," Naruto commented, popping the tablet into his mouth even though his breathing had already returned to normal, "But it also doesn't look like you'll be doing it again any time soon."

Naruto lifted Kitsune in both hand, and stepped toward the Animal Path again.

"Why isn't he down, Kei?" one of the twins asked, hopping away from Pein's fist. His attack was slowed, but was also more powerful.

"I don't know, Kei," the other Takamichi answered.

"That toxin," Naraka Pein coughed, but already his movements were returning to their previous speed and accuracy, "It hurt to breath."

"Anything that causes him pain doesn't injure him," one of the Genin recalled angrily, embarrassed at the mistake, "and makes him stronger instead.

"Great, so what do we do?" the closer cousin sounded worried, "Our Genjutsu isn't strong enough, he avoided our trapping jutsu, and the knockout gas only made him tougher!"

"We stay alive until Naruto-san finishes the other one," now that they were not speaking to Uzumaki, the younger teen returned to a more polite form of address.

"Easier said than down," the endangered teammate flipped back to avoid a kick to the chest.

* * *

Hinata dove forward, slipping between the fire attack on the ground and the water jutsu aimed at her neck.

'All five elements, without hand signs,' Hinata pondered in growing fear and confusion, 'Not even Kakashi-sensei or Lady Tsunade can do that. Does she possess the Rinnegan somehow? But I would be able to see that, wouldn't I?'

That line of thought caused Hinata to realize her Byakugan was not penetrating Konan's uniform. Because the cloths did not cover the older woman from head to toe like a stealth shozoku, the Hyuga heiress had barely made note of her opponent's built in concealment.

'Why bother to hide only part of her body?' Hinata pondered, 'Or rather, what is she hiding?'

"Raiton: Thunder Dragon Jutsu," Konan said, again without signing. The white teeth of the chakra wyvern closed in on Hinata, who ducked underneath, and rolled forward. The jutsu crashed into the front wall of the meeting room, shaking the whole building, but not punching through. The Byakugan user landed in a crouch, still observing.

"What's so interesting?" the renegade asked carefully. The origami user was worried the Leaf kunoichi had deduced something, but kept her tone light with practiced skill.

"Our data on you says you should not be able to use fire and lightning elemental arts," Hinata answered, hoping to trick something out of Nagato's partner.

"Your information is outdated, and frankly, wrong," Konan shrugged, gathering her pages and preparing another jutsu.

"It could be that both Jiraiya and Itachi missed something," the Hyuga scion admitted dubiously, "But your uniform... Why spend the time and effort to make it with stealth materials and jutsu, when it leaves almost forty percent of your body uncovered?"

"A certain immortal pervert is about to gain the Byakugan, and with it the power to selectively see through almost anything," Konan shrugged, "I have my dignity and modesty to worry about."

Hinata blushed slightly, remembering her friends' accusations and her own occasional indiscretion.

"Those are both reasonable answers," the pale beauty agreed, "But I can see that you are lying."

Hinata sent lines of lightning chakra into each half of Ginmaki, generating the electrical blades. She somersaulted forward, and then jumped recklessly towards the former Akatsuki member. Konan sent out her pages, forming two wakizashi to stop the younger woman's weapon. As Naruto's creation clashed with the paper, the origami ninja was forced to send more energy to the sheets, to keep Ginmaki from cutting or burning its way through. Hinata drew her left hand back, and stabbed out again. The Leaf warrior waited until her attack had been blocked, and then turned over her right hand. The move allowed Konan's blade to slice into Hinata's top, but also let the teen carve a long line down Konan's left forearm. The shock sent a tremor through Pein's ally, and she hopped back to prevent Hinata from taking advantage.

Naruto's teammate stayed close, and started forming a Rasengan in her right hand. She jabbed weakly the the bladed kote on that arm, hiding her palm behind the brilliant purple blade. Konan parried, but Hinata twisted her wrist at the last possible instant, and instead of the lightning edge, the chakra ball hit the paper short blade. The failed kidnapper grimaced as she sent more chakra into the blade, but still Minato's jutsu shredded and scattered Konan's paper. The paper user countered, scoring a not immodest cut on Hinata's thigh with her remaining blade. The Hyuga teen flinched slightly, but pressed forward. Hinata kneed Konan's wrist away, and then brought Ginmaki's left side blade sweeping up. The paper user fell backwards, literally, but not quite soon enough. The purple chakra edge hit the valley dividing Konan's impressive chest, splitting the reinforced cloth of her shirt, but not cutting the soft flesh underneath.

As her rear hit the wooden floor, Konan's breasts popped out from the bottom of her now further split top. But her modesty was never in jeopardy; starting an inch below the bottom swells of her cleavage, multiple, overlapping strips of paper covered every inch of her newly exposed skin. Hinata's white eyes quickly took in the odd undershirt; each of the tags was slightly thinner than a paper bomb, and each was covered with a unique set of shapes and kanji, in various inks. Konan instinctively covered her chest with one arm, but that did nothing to hinder the Byakugan.

"Those are jutsu circuits, aren't they?" Hinata was familiar with the basic concept. The Leaf village used ninja arts inscribed into computer chips sparingly, mostly for encryption or tracking. But she recalled what Naruto had told her about his mission to the Lands of Greens and Birds.

"But weaponized, like the ones the Hidden Grass tried to develop. You adapted the design to your special paper."

Konan grimaced, and then glared at the teen.

"You think I stole this from that weak, foolish village?" she asked angrily. Then she kicked out, trying to sweep Hinata's legs as she spun back to her feet.

"Even if you know about my jutsu talismans, it doesn't mean you can stand up to all the techniques I can bring to bear," Konan asserted, intoning, "Ninja Art: Agony."

One of the slips of paper covering her left breast lit up. The Genjutsu hit Hinata hard, and she went rigid, shrieking in pain. With no visual component, there was nothing her Suigin Byakugan could do. Instead, the teen recalled the pain of her near death experience, using it to dive through the illusionary torture. She clapped her hands together, and though the action aggravated the jutsu, increasing her suffering, she was able to force out, "Release."

Hinata breathed out weakly as the Genjutsu fell away, but she did not relax or take her focus off Konan.

"I am sorry Hinata Hyuga," the renegade offered sincerely, "I had hoped to let you live... for various reasons. But I can't let you go with this knowledge."

She raised her paper sword again, and intoned, "Fuuton: Massive Wind Sword."

* * *

Steel claws clanged on steel post, as Yugito struggled to prevent Naruto from pushing her back. Pein's Animal Path was seriously bleeding where Uzumaki had cut deeply into her left bicep, but the Naraka Path could fix that quickly enough, once he caught or escaped those squirrelly twins. Until then, the former Cloud ninja just had to hold out.

A scream echoed out from the fort, and Naruto's head jerked up. He knew Hinata's voice instantly, and the remnants of Sakura's cries were still fresh in his mind.

Pein tried to take advantage of his distraction, launching the sharp talons on her right hand at his heart. But without even looking at her, Naruto caught her wrist with his right hand. As he transformed again, he closed his fingers, shattering both of the bones in her wrist. Then, just as casually, Kitsune slipped out twice, first into Yugito's stomach, and then into the side of her head. She collapsed instantly, but Uzumaki did not bother to verify that she was dead. Instead he darted towards the door.

"Hold him," he instructed Keiko as he passed her. In his Ascendant Fox form, Naruto realized he could easily tell the 'twins' apart.

"We'll try," she answered, still using the masked voice. He nodded, understanding their dilemma. As he raced around the Naraka Path, Kitsune flicked out again. It struck the large warrior's knee, and as he noticed the move, Pein smiled. The confidence did not last, for as the staff-blade struck, not only did intense pain warp through the Naraka Path, but his patella shattered and the femur underneath cracked. He crashed to the ground unceremoniously, his face showing fear. But Naruto vanished into the Uchiha fort without even looking back.

* * *

"My Skin of Torment," Nagato muttered, a weaker version of Pein's pain spreading through his limb, "He can't do that..."


	106. Payback

**Chapter 106: Payback**

"Who cannot do what?" Gouki Namikaze asked his apprentice. The Leaf traitor had arrived at his junior's room to request a status report, only to find Nagato in the trance that indicated one of more of Pein's Paths were locked in combat. He observed the slightly younger shinobi in fascination, still intrigued by the Kekkei Genkai that afforded Nagato the power to resurrect and control up to six other people. A few minutes later, Nagato had snapped violently back to awareness, and made his almost fearful exclamation.

"Naruto Uzumaki," the true Pein panted, "He broke.. no, destroyed, my Naraka Path's right knee, even though my Skin of Torment was active..."

"Hmm," Gouki pondered that, "Well, if I remember correctly, the Skin of Torment only stops around ninety five percent of the damage from physical attacks, while increasing the pain of the attacks, and turning that pain into strength. Combined with that body's naturally high endurance, it gives you the illusion of total invulnerability. Perhaps his attack was such that even only five percent of its power was enough to inflict that kind of damage. I know six, maybe seven, jutsu that could do it, and I suspect your Shinra Tensei or Shinra Bansho could do it as well, if your built them up enough."

Nagato shook his head. Gouki frowned at the denial.

"The other option is that his ninjutsu somehow bypassed your Skin of Torment," Minato's brother added, but still Pein's head rotated in denial.

"It wasn't a ninjutsu," Nagato explained, noting his teacher's confused expression, "He hit me with that stick of his."

"That is all? He hit you with his staff-blade?"

"He was transformed into his fox form," the former Akatsuki leader admitted.

"I've heard interesting things about his Kitsune," Gouki's turned away from Nagato, wonder filling his voice, "But I may have underestimated it. This may be one of those rare, one in a million weapons, on the level of the Kusanagi or my Syphon."

"It may be time for you and Konan to pull back," his master's tone solidified again, "and Madara too, if you can dislodge him."

"No," Nagato protested. Gouki frowned at him, and he explained, "I can finish off those annoying twins, and then repair my Animal Path, and have her patch up my Naraka Path. Then Konan and I can face Naruto and Hinata, three on two."

"If Konan is not already out of commission," Gouki noted darkly, not happy to find out that both of Pein's Paths were injured.

"Hinata just screamed in Agony," the Rinnegan bearer noted, "That is what set Naruto off. And we need Madara for the next phase, don't we?"

"Alright," Gouki sighed uncertainly, "I will give you a little longer. But I would rather save you two and abandon Madara, than risk losing all of you."

"Thank you, Gouki-sensei," Nagato nodded, and then closed his eyes, focusing on his two Paths again.

* * *

"Did you see that?" Kei exclaimed, slipping into his normal, deeper register in surprise. Keiko glared at him and he corrected the error, continuing in their matched voice, "Naruto-san took him down in one hit, after telling us he was invulnerable."

"Obviously that intelligence was incomplete," Keiko stayed in character, "But I doubt we would be able to achieve the same thing. We should stay with the original plan."

"It is still too early for you children to underestimate me," Naraka Pein's eyes cleared, and he surged back to a standing position, though the bottom half of his right leg was twisted at an odd angle.

"Ninja Art: Event Horizon Jutsu," Keiko announced, having started signing as soon as he spoke. To Pein, the twins appeared to start moving faster, and he again lost track of which one was which. In addition his body felt heavier, too heavy for his lone leg to support him. He ignored the feeling, and placed his hands in the familiar formation.

"Release," he countered, and as soon as the illusion broke, he began forming his response.

"Dual Arts: Feet of Clay," he completed, and the dense, yet flexible material flowed out of the dirt, wrapping his legs up to the middle of the thigh. The thick layer of clay turned his leg back into the correct position, and he took a step forward onto the damaged limb experimentally. Satisfied by the result, he jumped forward, catching the closer of the twins. The Genin ducked under the fist, but was unable to avoid the kick to the left hip. The Leaf warrior tumbled away, but landed standing, bleed from the left eyebrow.

"And now I can tell the two of you apart," Pein noted matter-of-factly.

"Good for you," Keiko wiped the red from her brow, no longer trying to mask her voice, "Shadow Snap."

She buried a single kunai in the Naraka Path's shadow, and he stared at her incredulously. Rather than waste his chakra, he took out a flash bomb, altering the shape of his silhouette long enough to escape from the immobilizing technique. Then he shook his head.

"Weren't you taught not to use that against a real ninja?" he asked, taking another step closer. But she smirked back.

"Don't you know a distraction when you see one?" she shot back. Kei glided in behind Pein, his hands before his chest. He started to blast a chakra laced mist at the layer of earth supporting the Rinnegan user's broken leg. But the Naraka Path casually slammed his good foot into Kei's nose and mouth. The teen tumbled back, and Pein smiled gently at the angry kunoichi.

"Yes, I do," he said, preparing to sign again.

* * *

Hinata blocked the invisible sword with Ginmaki, then twisted the wind blade away, trying to get close enough to tag Konan with her Gentle Fist. The elder Kunoichi hopped back to avoid being touched.

"Even if your bloodline lets you see it, you shouldn't be able to block it like that," the origami user noted, curious and mildly shaken. Hinata did not answer, she slipped closer to try to hit Konan with her glowing fingers. The renegade brought her sword down, but the Leaf shinobi was too close. Hinata blocked the sword, and angled her digits towards Konan's elbow. Nagato's lover was not able to dodge, so she sent one of her 'regular' pieces of paper to intercept the blow. The Gentle Fist broken through the chakra in the page, and it fluttered to the ground, lifeless.

Dozens of pages littered the floor around them, and Konan had wrapped most the ones she had left around her upper body, to protect and hide her technique tags from immediate view. Hinata was waging a war of attrition, slowly eliminating her opponent's resources, and though it pained Konan to admit it, the younger woman was winning. She had tried to reestablish the link with her unique ammo, but the Hyuga heiress had prevented that as well. Pein's partner had tried to use her extra techniques to even things out, but she was also limited. Inside the Uchiha hideout, she couldn't break out her biggest and most powerful attacks. Or rather, she could, if she were willing to put herself and her abhorred ally at risk as well.

"Rotation," Hinata's Heavenly Spin did not stop the semi-solid air blade, but it did stop the paper sword it was crafted over and the hand that held it, so the effect was the same. Konan ended the wind jutsu, and instead channeled her energy into a tag just under her right breast.

"Katon: Grasping Inferno Jutsu," the paper user reached for the pale beauty with giant hands of scarlet flame.

"Eight Trigrams Palms: Holy Cyclone," Hinata's enhanced version of the Hyuga technique knocked the Fire Release jutsu away, but did not end it. As soon as the teen's dome fell, Konan's enhanced hands closed in on her again. The burning digits grabbed onto Naruto's lover, but instead of being burned, the Leaf kunoichi exploded.

"Shadow Clone?" Konan retreated back to the door, honor bound not to let the younger woman pass, "Where is she? Ninja Art: Illuminating Light."

A bright glow leapt out from the paper-user's palms, and it melted away the arts Hinata was using to hide in the shadows of the opposite corner of the room.

"Are you running out of ideas?" Konan asked honestly, torn. She did not want to let Hinata escape with her secret; but she knew Madara would be overjoyed if she killed the teen, which was reason enough to let her live. And the former Akatsuki member couldn't risk being drawn away.

"No, I am just trying to determine the most efficient way to end this," Hinata answered. Her voice carried neither doubt nor boast, and Konan frowned her opponent's assurance.

"Fuuton: Cyclone Pressure," the paper user sent chakra into a tag on her right hip, and them to the circuit directly under her left collarbone, "Dual Arts: Inferno Lightning Jutsu."

A twisting mass of wind hit Hinata powerfully yet gently, pinning her to the wall and lifting her off the floor. Then, from Konan's right hand emerged a bolt of forked lightning, but orange in color and far hotter than natural lightning.

"Eight Trigrams Empty Palms," Hinata turned over her right arm so her palm was facing Konan, but pointed her left hand down. One column of energy disrupted the wind jutsu and even pushed Konan back into the door, while the other Empty Palm propelled Hinata upwards, out of the path of the combined fire/lightning technique. The younger woman flipped up, landed on the ceiling, and then sprang toward the former Akatsuki kunoichi, a Rasengan once again glowing in her right hand.

"Interesting way to use that technique," Konan noted as she jumped to the side, spinning to direct her foot at Hinata's back.

"It is better to master one jutsu and use it creatively," the Hyuga heiress quoted as she rolled forward under the kick, "than to barely know a dozen jutsu, that you can only use in one way."

"Did you hear that from Jiraiya-sensei as well?" Konan sounded mildly wistful as she recalled the line.

"I heard it from Naruto," Hinata answered, "But he must have heard it from Master Jiraiya."

"Well, I think I will take your advice."

The paper surrounding her abdomen flowed out to Konan's arms, and the special sheets under her top and pants followed suit.

* * *

Keiko hopped back, struggling to stay out of Pein's reach while keeping her eyes on both her fallen teammate and Pein's unconscious alternate. The earth/water jutsu not only replaced the Naraka's Path's damage limb, it also enhanced his speed and agility. The young kunoichi had hoped to run her opponent out of energy, expecting the hybrid technique to be a heavy drain on Pein's chakra. But only two minutes after Naruto's departure, she recognized that her plan would not work. She was having to spend her chakra to keep away from Pein, and she was woozy from where her head struck the ground. In desperation, and a small hint of hope after Naruto's success, she drew out two kunai, and threw them. They barely dimpled the skin of his left arm, before bouncing off and dropping to the earth.

"Darn it, Kei," she mumbled to herself, "You are supposed to delay and decoy, so I can knock them out. Why did you get in close to use Cleansing, instead of hitting him with another Genjutsu?"

"Trouble?" the Naraka Path asked. Despite Naruto's injuring him and escaping, Nagato could not help but have his interest piqued, and even be somewhat amused, by the young woman.

"Unreliable partners, impossibly strong opponents," she shot back, "I'm sure you can relate."

He snorted in appreciation, nodding.

"Then, what if I told you you could go?" he offered openly.

"Fine."

"What?" despite having sounded honest in his offer, Naraka Pein was taken aback by her acceptance.

"My orders were not to engage you," she answered, "and if that happened, to escape as soon as I could. So if you are offering to let me go, I have to accept."

Then she paused, her lips turning down, "Though I suppose I should inquire about my short-sighted cousin over there. I don't suppose you would let me take him, too?"

In both locations, Nagato sighed in thought. He could not decide if the girl was attempting to fool him again. Following orders fit with his expectations of the Leaf, but that was only if she was not lying.

'But if she is being truthful, I can restore my Animal Path,' he considered, 'and go after Naruto Uzumaki.'

"By all means," he agreed magnanimously, "I know how important loyalty is the the ninjas of the Hidden Leaf Village."

Keiko blinked once, then she sighed and shrugged, "I suppose that means I shouldn't just leave Naruto and Hinata behind."

"Would you make up your mind?" his eyes narrowed and his mirth faded into annoyance. Then he stumbled, and his Rinnegan flashed again

"Alright," she smirked, "then I think its time to stop stalling."

He glared her, as his vision wavered.

"What did you..." he demanded, "How did you..."

She pointed to his arm, and he looked down at the three senbon buried into his muscle. He reached up with his right hand, and extracted the needles, but still he felt nothing. Then his eyes flicked to the kunai lying on the ground a few meters away from him. Kei dropped his Genjutsu, and instead of collapsed on the ground, the young man was crouched facing his cousin and their opponent, though there was still a trickle of blood leaking from his nose.

"Your ability protects you from things that hurt you," she explained, "but a little topical anesthetic to prevent you from feeling the needles, a painless poison, and..."

She let the statement trail of smugly.

"Keiko!" Kei shouted in warning, as the Naraka path lunged for her. She hopped back, and Pein collapsed to the dirt just short of her. But she failed to comprehend her partner's warning, until Yugito's claw ripped into her back.

* * *

Konan wrapped her fire jutsu tags around the outside of her origami claymore, and sent just enough chakra to them to give the blade a superheated aura. The burning energy was mainly to prevent Hinata from destroying the weapon with the Gentle Fist.

She swung the heavy blade overhand at the younger woman, who blocked with both of her kote. Then the Hyuga heiress shifted her weight, diverting the sword towards the floor with her left arm, while freeing up her right hand to stab at the origami user's heart. Konan removed her right hand from the sword's grip, and instead knocked aside Hinata's strike, wrist to wrist. The Leaf ninja attempted to a cut her opponent's arm by widening the lightning projection of Ginmaki, but the renegade has already spun away, aiming her claymore for Hinata's midsection. Again the bracers absorbed the blow, but their owner was pushed back.

Konan lashed out again, using her weapon's reach to keep Hinata at bay. In turn, Hinata tried to trap or redirect the sword long enough to move in and land a blow on Madara's reluctant defender. At an impasse, the former Akatsuki member switched tactics.

Konan held her claymore vertically, and split her hands horizontally. The long blade split in two, and in the process, five of the pages, each with an attached Katon tag, folded into a shuriken and launched at Hinata. As the pale beauty dealt with the blazing projectiles, the sheets in each of the paper user's hands folded into a kama. Each of the harvesting tools had both Suiton and Raiton tags on the outside.

Nagato's lover closed the short distance between them, and swung her small scythes in at two different angles. Hinata blocked with Ginmaki, and the aura of water chakra around the kama disrupted the lightning projections of the kote. The Byakugan user aimed her fingers at the weapon in Konan's right hand, but the origami expert switched the elemental energy around the paper to lightning, and Naruto's lover had to stop short so she did not shock herself. Konan slashed with her scythes again, and this time when Hinata blocked, she hooked the blades around the teen's bracers, and yanked them wide, giving her a clear kick to the younger woman's sternum. The Hyuga scion fell back, coughing for her breath, and Gouki's student followed.

"Eight Trigrams: Heavenly Cyclone," Hinata spun, sending out her chakra to push Konan back. As her jutsu ended she retreated further back, while her opponent recovered. After she stopped moving, Hinata briefly examined the shallow cut on the underside of the right arm, where the twisting kama had sliced her skin around the straps of Ginmaki. But as Naruto had promised, the new fasteners were scored but intact.

"Rasengan," Uzumaki's partner intoned, a slightly larger than normal sphere forming in her right hand.

"I'm not going to let you get close enough to use that," Pein's partner advised, a touch of smugness in her voice. She sent out another sliver of her chakra, and the kama lengthened and shifted until they were hook-swords. She lifted the weapons, holding her left hand blade high and right sword low, both pointing in the same direction and parallel to the ground. She waited briefly for Hinata to make her move, but the younger woman just stood there, slowly increasing the size of the Rasengan. Having heard about Naruto's Odama Rasengan, and not sure if her opponent could form a sphere of that size given sufficient time, Konan took a step forward, preparing to leap at the Leaf kunoichi. Hinata watched the tension build in the renegade's legs, until it reached the point of no return.

"Eight Trigrams, Empty Palm," Hinata suddenly thrust her arm forward as Konan left the floor. The Hyuga technique launched the Rasengan, and also provided a chakra conduit for Hinata to keep the orb energized and stable. Konan's eyes widened as the turbulent ball rocketed towards her, too quickly for her to defend or dodge in her current position. The Rasengan struck her solar plexus, and both the orb and the Empty Palm propelling it forced her back into the wall. The sphere dug into her chest, cracking her breastbone, and compressing the organs underneath. Konan's lungs were forcibly emptied, and a thick mist of blood accompanied the air. Hinata's attack ended, and the former Akatsuki shinobi slid to the ground. Konan's eyes fluttered, and her hand landed close to one of her fallen swords. She focused her attention on it, and started to extend her chakra to the weapon.

"HINATA!!!" Naruto roared as he burst into the room. Konan had to struggle not to lift her head. Instead, she stopped reaching reaching for her weapon. She closed her eyes, triggered her radio, and tried to pretend she was dead, or at least unconscious.

"Naruto," Hinata turned to him, stunned, "Where are Keiko and Kei?"

"Huh?" Uzumaki was stunned to see his fiancé was ragged and bleeding from a few cuts, but mostly unharmed. His anger and fear abated, he unconsciously returned to his human form.

"I killed or knocked out Yugito, and broke the other one's leg," he answered, "They are keeping the big guy busy so he can't fix her up."

"I heard you scream," his voice was accusing, with a strong undercurrent of worry.

"She hit me with a Genjutsu," Hinata could not help but smile at his concern, "I was surprised, but I've felt worse, so I was able to break free."

"Great," he nodded, relieved. Then he frowned, his eyes narrowing, and asked, "Where's Hanabi?"

Hinata started. She had gotten so caught up in the end of the fight that she had forgotten their hurry.

"Konan said my sister and Madara are in that room," she pointed to the portal the paper user had emerged from.

"Come on," he grabbed her arm and pulled her forward.

* * *

"Not a fair trade," Nagato growled, "But better than nothing."

"What?" Gouki Namikaze asked, "I thought you said your Animal Path had come to?"

"Those kids killed my Naraka Path. They numbed him and then poisoned him," Lord Pein answered, "But my Animal Path hit the girl. I am... _She is_ still woozy, but I should be able to take the boy, too."

Suddenly their communicators crackled to life, and they heard Naruto and Hinata converse.

"Konan?" Nagato demanded, but did not receive an answer. His eyes went wild, but Gouki placed a restraining hand on his student's shoulder.

"Someone had to turn on her radio, and I don't think it was the Leaf ninjas," the lead rogue reminded the Rinnegan user.

"Konan, can you hear us?" Gouki prompted more levelly.

"Yes," came the harsh whisper, "They are gone now."

"What is happening?"

"Hinata got me," the kunoichi answered her master's inquiry, "I was going to try to take her out with me, when Uzumaki showed up. They are headed towards Madara and Hanabi now."

"Can you move?" Gouki asked.

"Maybe, if I use my paper to help."

"Good," the X-Rank criminal, "I want both of you to retreat."

"Lord Gouki?" Nagato looked at his sensei in confusion.

"As I said before," Namikaze noted, "Your Animal Path might be replaceable, but losing Yugito would be a pity. And Konan cannot be replaced. You two are both injured, so help each other get away, while those two are focused on Uchiha."

"Understood," Konan could not keep the happiness out of her rough voice, and Nagato nodded.

* * *

"...Mi, Saru, Tori, Tatsu, Ne," Itachi's voice was chanting as the door swung violently inwards. Madara exhaled sharply at the disturbance.

"What is it, Konan?" he barked, turning to look. But Itachi's already pale and cracked skin blanched further as Naruto Uzumaki and Hinata Hyuga darted into the room. His Shin'en Sharingan flitted between their faces, resting briefly on her silver eyes and his glowing whiskers. Black fire began to glow desperately around his eyes, but Naruto took a step closer. Madara remembered the Kyubi's mocking request, and the Amaterasu faded. His mind raced, but he was already low on chakra, limiting his options. The first Uchiha tried to convince himself that the lump in 'his' stomach was not fear.

'I cannot defeat them both,' he decided hastily, 'Not like this. I only have one choice.'

For an instant, his anger and hatred outweighed that feeling that wasn't terror.

"Suseri," he announced, and after one heartbeat, Itachi's body was restored to its pristine state. His skin was smoothed, and the crumbling digits were intact and restored. He gracefully turned the rest of the way, and rose to his feet, facing them head on. The teens tensed, but before they could attack, Madara made his move. The immortal flash-stepped over to the wall, and glanced at Hanabi with greed and regret. Then he vanished through the hidden door.

"Madara!" Naruto shouted, and charged the spot where Uchiha disappeared.

"Hanabi," Hinata cried out, crouching next to her sister. Naruto stopped short of tearing into the wall with a Rasengan, and joined his beloved and her sister.

* * *

"If I had tried to take her," Madara tried to console himself, "It would have slowed me down, and forced them give chase."

"Madara Uchiha."

Itachi's body stopped, as two ANBU agents appeared in front of him. The immortal's mouth briefly turned down, then he smirked at the new possibility.


	107. Contrite Flowers

**Chapter 107: Contrite Flowers**

She was staring absently out the window, when they entered her room. She did not turn, or react in any way. They walked slowly over to her bed, and sat down beside it. Even when a gentle hand touched hers, she simply gazed at the clouds and the leaves.

* * *

_"How is Hanabi?" Hinata asked Tsunade anxiously._

_"I removed the lingering effects of the Tsukuyomi," the Hokage offered, "There is nothing physically wrong with her, but she remains generally non-responsive."_

_"Why?" Naruto prompted._

_"I'm not a psychologist," she warned them, "But from what we were able to glean from the seals on her, and what little she has said, Madara was trying to break her spirit. If you two had arrived even ten minutes later, she might not have any mind left."_

_"Will she be OK?" the Hyuga heiress looked frightened, and her lover put his hands on her shoulders supportively._

_"We'll do everything we can, but ultimately it is up to her. She might just keep retreating from the world. And if we try to force her to come back... Using genjutsu to treat mental illness has been attempted before, but it is dicey at best. We might accidentally finish what that bastard started."_

_"Isn't there anything we can do?" Naruto's voice carried an unfamiliar tone of helplessness._

_"Just be there with her. Let her know that you are there, and that you care."_

_Hinata nodded. She took Naruto's hand off her shoulder, and led him out of the Sannin's second, medical office._

* * *

Naruto and Hinata sat there for over an hour, not speaking, Hinata warmly holding her sister's hand. Hanabi never acknowledged their presence, never looked away from the sky. Finally, their time with her ran out. Hinata reluctantly let go, and they both stood.

"Good night, Hanabi," the pale beauty said softly, "We'll be back tomorrow."

The couple walked towards the door. But as he reached for the handle, a sound stopped them.

"Uzumaki-san," Hanabi said weakly, and they both spun to face her. She had turned her head slightly, looking into the corner instead of at them.

"Hanabi?" he responded cautiously.

"Thank you. I have been horrible to you, but you still came to rescue me."

"Of course," he agreed evasively, "I'd never abandon another Leaf ninja. Just like they wouldn't abandon me."

"That's not true, you know?" she asked softly, "There are those in the village who would not try to rescue you. Those in this room who would not have tried to save you."

"Maybe not," he shrugged, "But it doesn't mean I wouldn't try to save them."

"Of course you would," her eyes welled up in tears, "I'm sorry, Naruto."

Then it was like floodgates burst within her. Hanabi sobbed uncontrollably, rocking back and forth, and chanting, "Thank you, I'm sorry." over and over. Hinata rushed back across the room and wrapped her arms around her sister, holding the younger girl steady. Naruto joined them a heartbeat later, taking Hanabi's right hand in both of his. Both Naruto and Hinata found that they were crying as well. They held her like that, until she fell asleep.

* * *

There was a rather rotund, and slightly familiar-looking doctor waiting for them in the hall, when they exited the tween's room.

"I thought it was best not to interrupt you," he told them, "That was the most emotion she has shown since waking up."

"Is she going to be OK?" Hinata asked the psychiatric specialist.

"If you had asked me an hour ago, I would have said no," he answered honestly, "but I think her chances better now."

Hinata nodded with relief.

"Now, I heard you say intended to visit my brother's other student," the healer noted, "Visiting hours are over, but given the circumstances, I'll give you a pass."

He scrawled something barely legible on a sheet from his prescription pad, and handed it to Hinata.

"This will get you ten minutes with Keiko Takamichi," he explained, "Give it to the nurse and she will escort you."

"Thank, doc," Naruto said gratefully.

"You're welcome. Now then, I trust I will see you here again tomorrow?"

Both teens nodded.

"Excellent. Good evening."

* * *

"Ten minutes," the severe-faced nurse advised them sharply as she closed the door. Naruto shuddered fearfully, and quickly turned to look at the young woman in the bed. Keiko Takamichi was asleep or unconscious, but the older man in the chair next to her glanced at them with bleary green eyes. He had dark grey hair, but naturally rather than the result of age. He wore a typical Jonin's uniform, but he wore two Leaf headbands, one around each bicep.

"Hyuga-dono, Uzumaki-san," he greeted them, and Naruto frowned in thought, trying to remember if he had met the shinobi before.

"Naruto, this is Saburo Takamichi, Keiko's father," Hinata introduced her fiancé to her uncle-in-law. The two men nodded at one another.

"How is Keiko?" Hinata asked anxiously.

"She is..." he paused, searching for the words, "She is about as good as we could hope for. It was close for a while, with all the blood she lost, but she is stable now. The healers have informed me that the paralysis she was experiencing was caused by the compression of her broken vertebrae, rather that actual nerve damage. She already has some feeling back, and once her back heals, she will be able to walk again. But no amount of medic treatment will fully remove the scars on her back."

"I'm sorry," Naruto said darkly, "This is my fault."

"Yes, but also no," the Jonin glared at the younger man, "You were the leader, and from what my nephew has told me, some of your decisions were questionable. However my daughter and her cousin also bent the Hokage's instructions more than once. And you were right to go in when you thought Hinata was injured or dead, though you could have made sure Pein's body things where more completely disabled. But in the end, you were also the one who kept Keiko stable long enough for her to be properly treated."

"Also my daughter and nephew defeated Pein, or at least a part of him," Saburo said with proud satisfaction, "He may have been tired, weakened, and injured from his previous battles, but they finished him, and that is an accomplishment. So even though I would like to blame you, Uzumaki-san, I find I cannot."

"Still, I am sorry."

"Then learn from this, so that you can do better next time."

Naruto nodded, and Keiko's eyes fluttered open.

"'ruto, Hinata," she called out to them weakly, "You came ta see me?"

"Of course we did, Keiko-chan," Hinata smiled at the younger woman.

"Sorry we woke you," Naruto added.

"S'OK," she murmured, "I been sleepin' too much anyway."

"We were happy to hear you were going to be OK, Keiko-chan," the pale beauty told her.

"Yeah," the Genin sighed wistfully, "and I'm gonna have some really cool battle scars, too. But is a good thing I can hide them, or that twins thing wouldn't work anymore."

Her eyes fluttered closed again.

"The painkillers they gave her are a little strong," her father noted.

"But if I know Keiko-chan, she really will be happy to have some 'cool battle scars," the Hyuga heiress countered.

"Yeah," the Takimichi clan member grinned slightly, "You are right, Hinata-dono. She will at that."

There was a knock at the door, and the frightening nurse stared in at them.

"We will come back tomorrow," Hinata told him, as the young couple hurried over to the door. The Jonin nodded his thanks, and could not resist an icy shiver as the medic's gaze settled on him.

* * *

"Sakura, I thought you were supposed to be staying in bed," Kakashi Hatake admonished his student as he entered her room. The young woman had swept aside the curtain that was meant to divide the room in two, and was doing one armed pull-ups on the reinforced rod. Her left arm was still in a sling and her left shoulder was bandaged.

"I know, Kakashi-sensei," she dropped down, and bounced back over to her bed, lying down, "But my shoulder feels fine, and I'm just so full of energy I can't sit still. I've been checking my sutures, and even healing myself a little bit, and everything seems good. I'm ready to get started on therapy."

Then she frowned thoughtfully, and pondered aloud, "All this energy I have, could it be because of Naruto's blood?"

"We can't rule out the possibility," he agreed simply, "Is that why you asked me to come here, so I would talk to the Hokage about pushing up the timetable of your recovery?"

Her expression darkened further, and she shook her head slightly.

"No, there was something else I wanted to ask you about," she answered apprehensively.

"What is it?" he prompted carefully, recognizing her melancholy.

"Kakashi-sensei, do you think I'm strong?" she asked quickly, almost desperately, "Not physically strong, but just in general?"

"Of course you are strong, Sakura," he answered easily, "You made Jonin after all. Not everyone can do that."

"But you always say rank doesn't equal power," she countered, "Like Naruto was still a Genin just over a year ago, and he was still considered one of the strongest Leaf ninjas. And being a Jonin is based mostly on skill, which is why you get people like Ebisu and that Duke that Naruto fought."

"That is all true," he conceded, not sure what else he could say.

"So would you say I am in the top fifty strongest Leaf ninjas?" she queried suddenly after a few moments consideration.

"Yes, certainly."

"Then what about the top twenty? Or the top ten?" she pursued him.

"Sakura, I don't sit around all day ranking my Leaf village comrades," he stated, trying to sound like he wasn't evading her question, "You'd have to ask the Hokage something like that, and even then, the answer is at least somewhat subjective."

"You're dodging the question," she shot back, "Am I in the top twenty Leaf ninjas?"

"_In my opinion_," he qualified pointedly, "yes, you are one of the twenty strongest ninjas in the village."

"Top ten?" her voice and face told him she already suspected the answer.

"No," he said as gently as he could, "Probably not."

"But there are currently almost five hundred active Leaf shinobi," he tried to mollify her, "Even if most of them are Genin and Chunin, being considered one of the twenty strongest at your age is an impressive achievement."

"What about those two?" she demanded.

"Which two?" he deflected innocently.

"Don't pull that, Kakashi-sensei," she barked, "Hinata and Naruto."

"Sakura..." he tried to stop her.

"Naruto's in the top five, right?" she demanded forcefully, "Him, you, Tsunade-sensei, Jiraiya, and Might Gai, right?"

He did not answer, and she plowed onwards.

"I mean, that knucklehead beat Madara and Pein, so he has to be pretty high up there, Tokujo or not."

"Sakura," his voice was gentle, and she glared at him. He sighed, and shrugged.

"Fine," he relented, "Without stipulating to any specific order, I would agree with your assessment of the five Leaf ninjas _who are most dangerous in battle_. Not necessarily most skilled, or even the best shinobi, just the five with the highest combat ability."

She nodded, but was not about to let him go at that.

"And Hinata?" she continued, "She beat Konan alone, something it took all three members of Team Hizashi to do."

"There is strong evidence Konan was not serious in either battle," he interjected, "And from what I have heard, Hinata was generally evenly matched against Konan, while Yugao, Iruka, and Anko defeated her fairly easily."

"Still, she's in the top twenty, too, isn't she?"

He nodded.

"Top ten?"

He did not answer, which was all she needed. She collapsed with a sigh.

"So Hinata is that far ahead of me?" she asked herself as much as him.

"If Hinata is in the top ten, she's only number nine or ten," the Copy Ninja tried to comfort her, "and I never said where in the top twenty I think you are."

"Then am I top fifteen?" she prodded darkly.

"Sakura, I think you are putting too much emphasis on combat ability," he sidestepped her again, "You are also one of the three best healers in the village."

She smiled slightly at that, but only for an instant. For a few minutes, they sat there in silence, Sakura thinking, and Kakashi unsure what he should or even could do for his student.

"How can I catch up?" she finally asked.

"Sakura?"

"I can catch up, can't I?" she sounded desperate again, "I mean, before Naruto came back, would you have put Hinata in the top twenty? Or even before she started training with him?"

"Probably not," he decided to stop trying to dodge her questions.

"So if she can come that far in nineteen months, I should be able to catch up, right?" she appeared reassured rather than upset by his agreement.

"I'm sure you can, Sakura. If you really want to."

"What does that mean?" she asked dubiously. He sighed.

"If I tell you, you have to promise that it doesn't go beyond this room," he said nervously.

"I promise," she said eagerly.

"Then," he exhaled, still anxious, "then I'd have to say you need to stop training with the Hokage."

She frowned at him, and prompted, "What does that mean?"

"Lady Tsunade is an incredible kunoichi and healer," he said quietly, as if afraid he would be overheard, "but there is a certain fundamental flaw in her style. And her methods are not necessarily the best suited for you."

"What are you talking about?" she lowered her voice as well.

"For the first part," he explained, "Lady Tsunade says that a medical ninja is obligated to stay healthy, because otherwise no-one can heal the squad. That's why she focused your a lot of your training on dodging, and analyzing an enemy's style."

She nodded.

"And then for combat, she taught you close combat with her incredible strength," Kakashi stated, trying to keep the disapproval from his voice, "Which means if you want to contribute in battle, you have to put yourself in the most danger. Oxymoronic, wouldn't you say?"

Sakura nodded in spite of herself.

"Which brings me to my second point," he moved on, "You know what the three basic types of chakra users are?"

"Taijutsu types, who excel at using their chakra in or close to their own bodies," she ticked off the fingers of her good hand, "Ninjutsu types, who excel at using chakra outside of their bodies; and Genjutsu types, who excel at inserting their chakra into another person's body."

"I've never liked those labels," he noted, "since the type of chakra user you are doesn't directly relate to those types of ninja arts, but they are the common usage, so I use them."

She nodded again.

"Lady Tsunade is a Taijutsu type," he resumed, "which is why she is so good at focusing her strength. Taijutsu types are also the second best type for healing, because their chakra still has some native connection to the Human body. But Lady Tsunade has both a talent for healing and a personal drive that have allowed her to surpass even Genjutsu type medics."

"But you said I am a Genjutsu type," she remembered.

"Which is part of why you are such a good healer," he agreed, "But it also means that Lady Tsunade's physical techniques are not as well suited for you."

"Don't get me wrong," he added defensively, "You have mastered and even excelled at what she has taught you, particularly the muscle boosting."

"And that leads me to my third point," he frowned slightly.

"But you only had two points."

"I had two points against Lady Tsunade," he shook his head, "The last point is against the two of us."

"Part of the reason Naruto and Hinata have surpassed you is because they have had more teachers than you. You have only had me and Lady Tsunade, and to be honest, I've never given you the level of attention I should have. But Naruto has had myself, Jiraiya, Lady Tsunade, Iruka, and Anko; plus some of the personal studying he has done to master his mother's ninjutsu and taijutsu. Hinata had Kurenai, then Naruto, Lady Tsunade, myself, and more recently Shizune, Tenten, and Temari."

Sakura nodded, and then asked neutrally, "So what do you suggest, Kakashi-sensei?"

"In general, I think you should broaden your horizons. But specifically... and this is just my opinion... you should become more of a ranged fighter. Your team already has Naruto and Hinata both of whom can function at either close or mid range. You should hang back, assisting them at long range, so you can also be ready to heal them."

"How can I assist them at long range?"

He considered that, and answered, "Again, this is just me, but I think you should learn more genjutsu. If you can confuse or trick your opponents, it will give Hinata and Naruto a better chance to land a killing blow."

She nodded.

"Also, you might try learning to shoot a bow. Given your strength, you could put an arrow through an enemy, even if he was standing behind a brick wall. It would give you a way to use your physical power, while still staying out of range."

Sakura's brow narrowed in thought.

"I'll think about that," she said, "Thanks Kakashi-sensei. Sorry for being such a pain."

"It's the prerogative of a student to ask their teachers hard questions," he countered glibly, "Just let me know if there is anything else I can do to help."

"I will," she smiled up at him.

* * *

"Lady Tsunade, thank you for coming," Hiashi Hyuga offered formally as the Hokage entered his hospital room.

"Of course," she nodded, "I was hoping for a chance to check on you anyway. If we might get that out of the way first?"

"Please," he agreed.

In the two weeks since his battle with Madara, Hiashi had made an almost miraculous, if incomplete, recovery.

'Or perhaps it would be more accurate to say an _infernal_ recovery,' the Sannin medic decided silently, 'considering the source.'

The Hyuga leader was now hairless from the neck up as well, though there were indications that his hair and eyebrows were starting to grow back. His skin was mostly healed, though here and there the worst of the burns had left their scars. Hiashi also had recovered almost full movement of his limbs, though his left fingers and toes were sluggish. Unfortunately, his right eye had barely recovered as all; though intact, it had taken on a yellowish hue, and Hiashi could only make out the dullest of lights and shadows with it. The doctors had ordered him not to use the Byakugan, as it would put more stress on the weakened orb, and might arrest any further recovery.

"You are doing better than I would have suspected," she told him smugly.

"I owe it to my son-in-law," Hiashi noted, mirroring her thoughts.

"Aren't you getting a little ahead of yourself?" her smirk widened.

"Perhaps, a little," he shrugged.

"Alright, then what did you want to talk to me about?" she switched gears rather than start gossiping about her students' love life.

"It is about Hinata," the Hyuga lord started.

"What about her?"

"I have been told that it is unlikely I will make a full recovery," he deflected slightly, "And particularly worrisome is the damage to my eye, and the effect it will have on my Byakugan. In addition, my clan is still looking for a fifth Elder. So I have been thinking I might want to step aside for my daughter sooner, rather than later."

Tsunade inhaled sharply, and stared at him in disbelief.

"I am not speaking of the immediate future," he explained, "But I am considering a timetable of one to two years, rather than eight to ten years."

"Still, I can't imagine you would have even suggested this a year or two ago," she noted.

"Hinata has changed, and so have I," he countered, "Two years ago, she would never openly defied her grandfather, and I probably would not have supported her if she had."

"OK, but why come to me?" the Hokage questioned.

"Because, even if I were to decide to wait twenty-seven months, that would be just after Hinata's nineteenth birthday," Hiashi reasoned, "making her the youngest ever leader of the Hyuga clan by almost three years. There will be many who would be resistant, and I would need the support of the Hokage to help... _convince_ them."

She nodded, understanding the politics of the situation. Then she frowned again.

"What about her and Naruto?" she prompted, "If she's Hyuga clan leader, it will be harder for them to get married."

"Actually, we have spoken about that, and she has been formulating a plan..."

He explained his daughter's idea, and Tsunade chuckled.

"The knucklehead is definitely rubbing off on her, but she just might be able to make it work, if she has the Elders' support. Has she talked to Naruto yet?"

"I don't think so," Hiashi grinned ruefully.

"I wonder how he will react..."

* * *

"Kakashi, Yugao," Tsunade's mood, uplifted her conversation with Hiashi, fell as she made her next stop.

"Lady Tsunade," the couple greeted her in unison. In a crib in the the corner of the hospital room, Rei burbled happily and shook a kunai shaped rattle.

"I have a couple of things I want to discuss with you two," their leader said darkly, "Neither of them particularly pleasant. So I guess we'll go with mostly fact before pure speculation."

Both Jonin frowned seriously at her.

"Yugao, I know, despite SOP, you were pretty close with Towa and Komachi while you were an ANBU," the Hokage started, and the younger woman nodded, not sure why the Sannin was bringing it up at this point.

"When I sent Naruto's team to rescue Hanabi, I had Towa and Komachi follow them," Tsunade explained, "If Naruto's group didn't make it in time, I didn't think those kids would have been able to kill Hanabi's body to get to Madara. So I sent the ANBU to finish the job, if necessary. I couldn't risk Madara gaining the Byakugan in addition to the Sharingan."

"But Naruto and Hinata saved Hanabi," Kakashi interjected, confused, as she paused, "Though one of Hanabi's teammates was seriously injured."

"Yes," the Sannin conceded, "but Towa and Komachi chose to... _stretch_ my orders. They went after Madara anyway."

"And?" Yugao prompted dubiously.

"Komachi is downstairs in Intensive Care," Tsunade answered, "She was gravely hurt in the fight, and used her acupuncture to keep her body going so she could report back, but that further aggravated her injuries."

"Towa did not come back," she continued, "We sent units to investigate the site of the battle. They did not find Towa's remains, but they did find what was left of Itachi's body."

Yugao inhaled in shock, and Kakashi frowned deeper at the implication.

"That, combined with what Komachi was able to tell us, leads me to believe that Madara has taken Towa's body instead of Hanabi's."

"That is not good," the Copy Ninja noted, "Madara could be even more dangerous, with Towa's chakra tattoos."

"He might not be able to use them correctly," Tsunade speculated, "And Madara was never very good with weapons."

"That doesn't matter," Kakashi shook his head in denial, "Madara will figure it out. Then all he has to do is find the right weapon masters and watch them with his Sharingan."

For a few moments, they stood in silent thought, until Yugao remembered Tsunade's introductory statement.

"What was the other thing did you wanted to tell else, Lady Tsunade?" the younger kunoichi asked.

"There was something odd about Pein's attack," the Hokage answered, "He didn't kill anyone, even though he had the chance, especially with Sakura. So we watched the tapes, to study his fighting style. As we would have expected, it bore a strong resemblance to Jiraiya's style. But what we were not expecting, was that certain moves more closely resembled Orochimaru or Sarutobi-sensei's methods."

"An apprentice of Orochimaru and the Third who tries not to kill his opponents?" Kakashi shuddered, "That sounds like..."

"Gouki Namikaze," Tsunade filled in after her trailed off, "We could be wrong, Pain could have learned from Orochimaru while they were both in the Akatsuki, and the other points could be coincidence. But we can't be sure that he isn't connected to Gouki, either..."

* * *

The door to Keiko Takimichi's hospital room slid open, and three pairs of eyes turned to look at the newcomer. And all six green orbs widened simultaneously in disbelief. Saburo Takimichi's jaw dropped, while Kei recovered his composure. Both men scrambled to their feet. And Keiko blinked and shook her head dubiously.

"I'm sorry," Hanabi Hyuga quailed under their scrutiny. She looked smaller to them. Though her form was no different, her self-confidence and self-importance had always made her seem larger. Now her trepidation made her look shorter and thinner by comparison.

"If this a bad time, I can come back later," she offered softly.

"No, please stay Hanabi-sam... Hanabi-san," Saburo insisted. Unlike his daughter and nephew, he was still not comfortable speaking to the young woman without using the deferential honorific.

"Thank you, Takimichi-san," she bowed. Then she faced her teammates and shuddered slightly when she looked at IV tubes running into Keiko's arm. Hanabi could tell her comrade had lost some weight as well.

"What can we do for you?" Kei asked evenly.

"Nothing," Hanabi shook her head, "I just wanted to see how Keiko is doing, and to thank you. And not just for rescuing me. I have not been a good teammate to you two, but you have always stood by me, and you came to rescue me."

Her eyes started leaking again, and Keiko looked surprised again.

"I'm sorry," Hanabi said in a self-chastising manner, wiping away her tears, "and I am sorry, for everything."

Kei crossed the room, and gently led Hanabi over to the chair he had vacated.

"Sorry," she said again, hiccuping.

"It's fine," he told her.

"No it's not," she countered, "Hinata tried to show me, even to tell me directly, that how I was treating people was wrong. Naruto-san, too. But I was too full of myself."

Then she looked around at them.

"I never even asked how we were related," she said softly, "I know my mother was a Takamichi, but I never bothered to find out anything more than that. I never cared..."

"We're cousins," Keiko said bluntly, the drugs removing any residual subservience she felt towards her younger comrade, "Your mom was my dad's older sister."

Hanabi closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. She smiled slightly as she exhaled.

"If it's not to much trouble, could you tell me about my mother some time, Uncle Saburo?" the white-eyed girl asked.

"I would like that," the Jonin relaxed for the first time since the girl had entered the room. Then the door opened again, and a nurse stuck her head in.

"Miss Hyuga, it is time for your appointment," she said reproachfully.

"But I haven't even asked how Keiko is," Hanabi deflated further.

"They say I'll be stuck in this bed for two months, and then I'll need up to a year of therapy to get back the strength in my legs and flexibility in my back. I'm sure you'll want to find a new team."

"Keiko," her father barked angrily. But Hanabi smiled and placed her hand on the other kunoichi's.

"I deserve that, but I will not abandon you, any more than you abandoned me," the tween said regretfully, "I will do anything I can to help, and work hard on my own, so by the time you are well, I will be able to stand beside you as I should have before."

"Good, you better," Keiko shot back, but this time her rejoinder was more kind.

"Come, Hanabi-san," the nurse prompted again.

"May I come see you later?" Hiashi's daughter requested.

"Yeah, I think I might like that," Keiko smiled at her, and Hanabi smiled back.


	108. The Challenge

**Chapter 108: The Challenge**

Red eyes, accented by black tomoe, scanned over the page, and despite their special power did not take in any of the script. Realizing he had spent fifteen minutes reading and had learned nothing, Orochimaru grabbed the scroll, and threw it across the room. His venting still held a measure of calculated safety, as the ancient parchment landed softly on the bed.

'Problem?' Sasuke asked smugly.

"I may have undervalued Kabuto's skills at translating these old scrolls," Orochimaru noted neutrally, not wanting to let his body's original owner rile him.

'Then why don't you just bring him back?' this time, the trapped soul's question was more curious than mocking.

"It is not so easy, finding a body for the Impure World Resurrection," the snake answered, "Living or recently dead shinobi, or a child with the necessary chakra supply and physicality... And even if I could find such a candidate, the Leaf Village has been watching for strange disappearances since my last encounter with your former teammates."

Recalling that annoyed him.

"Naruto Uzumaki has been a thorn in my side for too long now," Orochimaru hissed, "First he defeated that idiot Mizuki, preventing me from obtaining the sealed scroll. He interfered in the Forest of Death, and then he stopped Gaara from destroying the Konohagakure. He delayed you when the Sound Four recruited you. And on and on, always that boy gets in my way."

Orochimaru paused, a smile playing across Sasuke's lips.

"But perhaps I can solve two problems at once..."

* * *

Hinata knocked on the door to Naruto's condo, and was more than a little surprised when he did not answer immediately. After waiting slightly longer than was required by social etiquette, she knocked again, this time firmer and louder. She wondered if he was still in the bathroom getting ready. Just as she prepared to rap on his door a third time, the portal suddenly opened, and Naruto faced her with a sheepish grin.

"Sorry, Hina-chan," he said quickly, "I was going over Dad's Tiger & Heron scrolls in the armory, and I wasn't sure if I really heard you knock."

"That's alright. Naruto," she said thoughtfully. There was something strained about his expression and his words. She felt something was bothering him, but she decided not to press him, yet.

'I could be wrong,' she thought, 'so I'll wait until I'm sure, or until Naruto is ready to talk to me about it.'

"Come on, let's go," he grabbed her hand, and stepped out of his home. After locking the door, he pulled her back towards the stairs. As he passed her, she noticed again the shadow in his eyes.

* * *

Naruto tried his best to act like everything was normal for their date day, but Hinata could see the gaps in his performance. He had been fine when they visited Keiko and Hanabi, however in Sakura's room, his interactions had been more forced. Sakura must have noticed too, she had given the other kunoichi a questioning look and a raised eyebrow after he left the room. During lunch he had dropped his chopsticks three times, and Teuchi had asked if he was feeling alright. Lastly, during the movie, his reactions to the action and comedy were slow, when he reacted at all. As they exited the theater, Hinata decided she could not wait any longer.

"Hinata?" Naruto asked in surprise when she stopped in the middle of the street.

"Naruto, let's go home," she told him as firmly as she was able.

"But what about our reservations?" he prompted without conviction.

"You aren't enjoying yourself," she pointed out, "You are distracted, and whatever it is, I doubt you will want to talk about it in public."

"You noticed?" he asked sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head.

"Naruto, everyone noticed," she informed him with a hint of exasperation.

"Huh," he was surprised. He had been more confident in his acting abilities than that.

"OK, let's go back to my place," he conceded. She nodded, and wrapped her arm around his tightly.

* * *

"Naruto, please tell me what is bothering you?" she asked, after they were secured within his home. She guided him over to the love seat, and sat beside him, staring at him intently.

"Well," he frowned, trying to put words to his dilemma, "It's about my... our Nindo. Like what if you make a promise you know you shouldn't keep? And for that matter, when does a promise really become a promise?"

"I don't understand," she told him honestly, "Who did you make a promise to?"

"Nobody, yet," he admitted, "It's just... Let's say, hy-pathetically, that Gaara sent me a letter in secret, asking me to duel him, so we could test how strong we are. And he asked me to come alone and not tell anyone, because it could be a problem, politically. But I really thought I should bring Sakura with, so she could heal us, 'cause you know one or both of us would get pretty hurt. Technically, I haven't really promised not to tell anyone, but by reading the letter and accepting his challenge, I also kinda did, you know?"

"Naruto, did someone ask to fight you?" Hinata asked, worried.

"No, no, no," he waved his hands, "That's just an example. Like if Kakashi-sensei left a phone message about wanting to teach me a special jutsu, in secret, on a day when you and I have a date scheduled. Just when does a suggestion of secrecy become a promise?"

"Hmm," she pondered that, not fully convinced, "I can't really say. It depends on the situation. The Kazekage challenging you to a friendly match would be different than an enemy of the village demanding a duel to the death."

She watched his reaction, but did not get one, so she continued, "Also, what is at stake could change things. Like a chance to capture or kill Madara or Pein would be more important then meeting their demand for a secret fight."

Again he considered her words without flinching, and Hinata started to wonder if her initial suspicion had been wrong.

"I guess that doesn't really help, does it?" she prompted.

"Not at all," he said frankly. As she began to shrink into herself, he grinned and kissed her.

"But I still feel better, anyway," he said brightly, "Thanks, Hinata."

She smiled back at him, and nodded.

* * *

"Gramma Tsunade," Naruto panted slightly as he darted into her office, slamming the door behind him. She frowned at him, both amused and annoyed.

"What is it, knucklehead?" she demanded, "I'm busy."

"I need the next two weeks off," he answered quickly. She raised an eyebrow, and her expression darkened dangerously.

"I already gave you and Hinata the last two weeks of September off," she reminded, "and light duty in October, so you two could spend time with Hanabi."

She didn't begrudge them the chance to help the psychologically injured girl recover, but she couldn't have him taking advantage of her either.

"Yeah, but this is different," he insisted, desperately.

"Then tell me why you need the time off," she offered more openly.

"I can't," he grinned mischievously, "that would ruin the surprise."

Though it made her even more curious, the statement did little to convince the Leaf village's leader.

"Come on, Tsunade-neesan," he switched his label for her, hoping to butter her up, "November's always the slowest month anyway."

She sighed, knowing his trick but finding herself influenced by it nonetheless.

"You're going to have to give me some sort of reason," the Hokage said gently, "It's not that I don't trust you, Naruto..."

Then she stopped and smirked at him, "No, actually, that's exactly what it is."

"Fine," he glared at her a little, "You know the Weapon Forge Jutsu?"

She nodded thoughtfully.

"Well, I'm working on something," he continued, "and if I can get it right, it will benefit the whole village."

Her eyes narrowed as she studied him. She was well aware of the quality of his previous creations, but still his suggestion seemed a little grandiose. Finally she exhaled and shrugged.

"Alright, knucklehead, you can have the next two weeks off," she relented, "Since this isn't a vacation, I'm guessing I won't need to give up Hinata, too?"

"No," he said hastily, "In fact, if you could not mention this to her..."

"You want to surprise her, too?" Tsunade asked suspiciously.

"That," Naruto scratched his cheek sheepishly, "and I'm afraid she might want to watch, which could be... distracting..."

'They're as bad as Dan and I were,' she thought, a touch of lecherousness entering her brown eyes, "Okay, I'll keep quiet."

"Thanks, Gram..." her eyes narrowed, and he rapidly spit out, "_Tsunade-neesan_."

He ran back out of her office, and as he did, his expression turned melancholy. He hated misleading her, but he didn't have any other choice.

* * *

"Gai-sensei!" Naruto hailed the bowl-cut Jonin loudly.

"Well, hello, Naruto," Might Gai returned the greeting imperiously.

"The Hokage gave me the week off," the blonde youth fibbed, "So now will you teach me how to fight the Sharingan?"

"Of course, Naruto," Kakashi's rival gave the Tokujo an exaggerated thumbs-up. Then he queried, "But why is it so urgent for you to learn it now?"

"Even if he didn't get Hanabi's body, Madara is still out there," Naruto said hatefully, "And now that she's getting better, I want to make sure the next time I see that guy, I can put him down for good."

Then he grinned, embarrassed by his seriousness, "And I suppose there is also Orochimaru. I'll probably have to fight him again someday, and he might still be in Sasuke's body."

Gai nodded, "I understand. Indeed, there is no time like the present. In that spirit, shall we begin right now?"

"Great," Naruto nodded.

"The first secret to fighting the Sharingan..." Gai started as he led the young ninja towards the practice field. As they vanished down a side street, Hinata stepped into the main thoroughfare, a worried expression on her lovely face.

* * *

Hinata wandered back into the village, despondent. She had secretly observed Naruto's third morning with Might Gai, returning once more to her expert skills in stalking Uzumaki, unobserved.

Her lover's clone training was allowing him to learn the anti-Sharingan techniques at a rapid clip. Having already heard from Neji some things about the style Gai created to fight Kakashi, she doubted Naruto would need the whole week to finish his studies. But what really had her worried was what came after the lessons.

"He wouldn't, would he?" she mumbled to herself.

'Of course he would,' she answered herself silently, 'to fulfill the promises he made to Sakura, to Kakashi, and to himself... But what should I do?'

"Well good morning, Hinata," a somewhat boisterous voice broke her reverie just before she bumped into its bearer. Jiraiya's clothes and hair were dirty and ragged, as if he had just returned from a difficult trip. He smiled down at her, until she looked up, and he saw her desperate expression.

"Master Jiraiya," she sniffled, on the verge of bursting into tears, and the Sannin took a step back in surprise.

* * *

"Better?" Jiraiya asked, before sipping his own tea. Hinata bobbed her head, looking down into the ceramic mug. The Toad Sage had hurriedly led the somber teen to a nearby tea shop, and placed her in a booth before getting them both a soothing blend to drink.

"Good," he nodded back, "Now do you care to tell me what is wrong?"

"It's Naruto," she whispered, "I think he is going to fight Orochimaru. In secret."

The Sannin frowned at the accusation, "What makes you think that?"

"Five days ago, on our date, he was worried and distracted," she explained, "And when I confronted him, he asked if being challenged to a duel alone constituted a promise to accept the terms of the duel. Like coming alone, even if you knew it wasn't the best idea. Then, a day later, he suddenly took a week off, and asked Gai-sensei to teach him how to how to fight against the Sharingan."

"That's pretty circumstantial," Jiraiya argued, though his tone seemed to indicate he agreed with her.

"I know," she said, "That's why I don't know what to do."

"The way I see it, you can either support him, or you can try to stop him," the legendary pervert suggested, "If you want to stop him, you could go to the Hokage, but somehow I doubt Tsunade would react well. Or Naruto for that matter. Or you could confront him, but short of threatening to dump him, I doubt you could get through to that numbskull. Could you do that?"

"I don't know," she said, her heart breaking a little just thinking about it.

"Unfortunately, even if you did, Naruto might just let you, thinking he would try to win you back _if_ he survived. And that's hardly the way you want him going into this kind of fight..."

"So you are saying I should support him?" she asked, confused.

"I'm not going to tell you what to do, Hinata," he countered gently.

"But it is what you would do?" Hinata pressed him.

"Heck, no," Jiraiya shook his head, "I'm not sure Naruto is ready to kill Orochimaru, especially if it means killing Sasuke. I'd haul him into Tsunade's office for his own good, and on the off chance our people could catch the snake at the rendezvous."

"But then again," he grinned lecherously, "I'm not sleeping with him, and I couldn't tear up and beg him to 'come back to me no matter what'. If I were, that just might give the knucklehead the kick in the pants to go all out against my old friend."

"So that is what I should do?" The pale beauty blushed furiously, but did not back down.

"Again, I'm not saying that. It's just one way you could help him; give him your trust and emotional support, and give him a reason to come back."

"Or you could just follow him," he shrugged.

"What?" Hinata perked up.

"Some mildly unflattering rumors suggest you are pretty good at tracking Naruto without him noticing," he squinted at her suspiciously with his right eye, closing his left, "And it would not surprise me one bit to find out this is some kind of trap. So you could follow him, and make sure everything is kosher. Naruto would definitely complain if you stepped in on a fair fight; but if Orochimaru brought resurrected versions of the Akatsuki members, the kid probably wouldn't squawk at a little backup."

"Sorry, Hinata, but I have other things to take care of," he stood suddenly, "but I hope I was able to help you a little."

"Yes, Master Jiraiya, thank you," as she nodded there was a renewed determination in her white eyes.

'I guess I know what she's going to do,' the Toad Sage told himself, as he strode out into the street, 'Though I'm not quite convinced she is right about what is going on, otherwise I'd tell Tsunade and risk both of their wraths. But if she is right, I had better stop stalling. Naruto's life might just depend on what I find. First, Emporium Karin to replenish my supplies, and then a quick chat with Shikamaru...'

He turned suddenly and headed for the ninja tools shop.


	109. Road to Battle

**Chapter 109: Road to Battle**

Naruto was almost thankful when his week with Might Gai came to an end. It wasn't just that Gai was both crazy and demanding in his training, though that was certainly part of it. No, the young man was relieved because throughout the week, he could not shake the feeling that he was being watched. He had never seen, or heard, or even smelled anyone, and Gai didn't seem to notice either. But the feeling was still there, like a dull itch in the back of his neck and scalp.

He thought he knew the reason for the feeling, he was afraid he would be caught. If the Hokage learned he was training to fight the Sharingan, she would want to know know how it related to the weapon she thought he was working on. Then he would have to lie to her in earnest. Or come clean, and risk her stopping him. Right now he could still claim she had misunderstood him, and drawn connections he hadn't meant. But if she came straight out and asked him, he wouldn't be able to weasel his way out like that again.

He returned to his condo, and headed straight for the armory. Naruto began taking out everything he might need. Kitsune; extra kunai, shurikens, and paper bombs; some food pills; rope; a spare uniform; a few generic antidote pills for snake bites... Though he still had a few days before the appointment, he wanted to be ready.

As he packed, unpacked, and repacked, his thoughts drifted to Hinata. They had only gotten together once in the last week, and Naruto really missed his fiancé. He wanted to talk to her, hold her, kiss her at least one more time, in case he didn't return. But at the same time, he wanted to keep her away, afraid his resolve would break, or that she would figure out what was going.

"She can't know I'm leaving to fight Orochimaru," he muttered.

* * *

'I still don't understand this,' Sasuke Uchiha grumbled, 'Challenging Naruto, even though you ran from him the last two times you met up. And your so-called promise, should he win? Even that guy isn't stupid enough to believe you. He will know this is a trap.'

"I had my reasons for retreating," Orochimaru answered smugly, "In the former case, I was already weak from fighting Madara, and fighting both your ancestor and your teammate at the same time would have been... difficult, to say the least. And last time I had wasted too much chakra on that stupid soul summoning technique, and I was potentially facing Naruto, those two kunoichi, and dozens of enraged toads. Withdrawing was the only reasonable course."

"And as for your second point," Orochimaru smirked superiorly both outside and on the wall of the soul cage, "There is no trap. This will be as fair of a fight as can be, considering the difference in our powers and skills."

'You're joking,' Sasuke stated incredulously.

"Not at all," the snake's grin did not diminish, "You see, I have learned something about your little friend. Making him angry, betraying him, that is not a good idea. Particularly in this instance. Aside from my afore mentioned superiority, that Jinchuriki will also be hampered by the fact he does not want to hurt your body. If I make him angry enough that the demon starts to influence him, that advantage will be gone as well."

"So a fair fight, no tricks, no traps, no backup, and Uzumaki's own honor will be his downfall."

In his prison Sasuke _tsk_ed, both impressed and disgusted that Orochimaru could make being honest so twisted and devious.

* * *

Naruto settled onto the wind-hollowed tree branch, and pulled a trio of riceballs out of his pack. It was just after noon, and only five hours since he had left the Hidden Leaf village. Normally he would not have stopped so soon for lunch, or might have even eaten on the go, but he was taking this journey slow and conserving his strength. He had given himself two days to make a journey, even though at his best speed would have taken him just over one day.

As he returned the thermos to his pack, Uzumaki's keen nose caught a whiff of a familiar scent. He scowled in annoyance, masking no small amount of anxiousness. He took off through the trees again, any thoughts of a leisurely pace banished. He raced forward as fast as he could, the forest becoming a blur around him. It was not quite so quickly as he could have moved on an open field or trail, but it was enough that he could have left any horse or automobile in his dust.

She caught up to him an instant later, her pale eyes filled with worry.

"Please, don't run away, Naruto," his fiancé requested desperately, "You know I am faster than you, unless you use your Ascendant Fox Jutsu. And even then, it is only until you run out chakra. So, would you stop, please?"

"Hinata," Naruto skidded to a halt and faced his beloved. The exaggerated surprise on his face masked his true shock, hers had not been the aroma he detected.

"What are you doing here?" he asked with feigned nonchalance.

"We followed you," Hinata tapped her fingers together. She had thought she was past that nervous tic, but the knowledge that she had betrayed her lover brought it out again.

"Why would you follow me?" he asked dubiously, trying to sound confused.

"Don't give us that, knucklehead," Sakura barked, finally catching up. Her left arm was still in a sling, but otherwise she appeared normal. The Jonin chose her position so that she and Hinata had Naruto partially blocked off. His only route to escape was back towards the village. Hinata frowned at her, and Sakura briefly showed her friend a contrite grin; Haruno was the one who had drifted out of position, allowing Naruto to catch her scent.

"What are you talking about, Sakura?" Uzumaki chuckled weakly. Then he glared at her, and honestly demanded, "Should you even be out of the hospital?"

"If you hadn't been distracted this last week, you'd know I'm back at home, except for physical therapy," the healer countered the deflection, "And I'm here to support Hinata; and I guess you, if she decides we're going with you, instead of dragging you back."

"Hinata?" Naruto looked at his girlfriend in a mix of confusion and annoyance. She quailed, then took a deep breath, and banished that part of herself.

"I know you are going to fight Orochimaru," the pale beauty announced firmly.

"What... what are you talking about?" he tried to sound astonished, but it came out as worried instead.

"You are going to a duel, you thought you should bring Sakura even though you were asked to come alone, you had Gai-sensei teach you to fight the Sharingan," she rattled off her points, "And whoever you are dueling it had to be someone you would have reason to break protocol to fight."

"I told you, that duel stuff was just something I made up," he said defensively, "And I'm not breaking the rules, I'm on vacation."

"Bend, break," Sakura snarked.

"If that is true, where are you going?" Hinata asked directly, "and why wouldn't you tell me? Did you not want me to come with you?"

"It's a surprise," he said weakly.

"You aren't lying," his fiancé noted, "but you are hiding something."

"Give it up," Sakura shrugged and exhaled in derision, "You aren't fooling me, and if you can't do that, there's no way you'll fool Hinata. She knows you better than I do, and she has the Byakugan."

Sakura noticed she managed to say that without even a twinge of jealousy, and Inner Sakura gave her a thumbs up.

"How did Orochimaru convince you to do this?" Hinata asked gently.

"He promised to give back Sasuke," Naruto whispered. Both women's eyes widened, and Sakura raised her good hand in front of her face as she gasped.

"He what?" Hinata probed again, not believing her ears.

"He asked me to fight him, all alone,one on one, " Naruto said with determination, "And he promised that if I won, he would leave Sasuke's body. Forever. That's why I have to do this, it may be my last chance to fulfill my promises, to you, Sakura, to Kakashi-sensei, and even to myself and Sasuke. I have to do this."

"It's a trap," Sakura tried to lecture him, but fear and hope stole the force from her voice, "It has to be. That snake would never agree to something like that."

"But I have to take that chance," the fox-faced youth argued, "Orochimaru's already been in Sasuke's body for over a year, which means Sasuke's only got two years left. Maybe not even that long."

"Hinata, please," he grabbed his lover's hands, and stared pleadingly into her eyes, "don't try to stop me. I have to do this."

She studied him for a moment, and then nodded.

"Thanks, Hinata," he leaned in and kissed her gratefully, "I'll see you two in a few days, OK?"

Sakura looked surprised and slightly disgusted. But as he started to step back, Naruto discovered Hinata was now holding his hands, and shaking her head.

"We're not going back, Naruto," the Hyuga heir said firmly, "we are going with you."

Sakura grinned approvingly, and Uzumaki looked stunned.

"But... but I have to go alone. That was the deal," Naruto protested weakly, and both women knew that was not really his concern.

"Normally, I don't mind when you want to protect me, Naruto," Hinata told him lovingly, "but this time we are going to protect you. If Orochimaru is truly being honest, we will stay out of it. But _when_ he breaks his word, we will be there to even the odds."

"And besides," she smiled slyly, "you wanted Sakura there to heal Sasuke's body, after you beat the renegade Sannin out of him, right?"

The medic chuckled in agreement. Naruto was at a loss for a moment, all of his excuses sundered and his true reasons laid. Then he shook his head with a defeated yet happy grin.

"OK, I guess there's no way around it."

"You're right, there isn't," Sakura smirked darkly at him, adding, "and if you try to leave us behind, Hinata and I will make you wish Orochimaru had made you his guinea pig."

"Won't we?" she smiled sweetly at her former rival, and Hinata jumped a little. Then the younger kunoichi nodded firmly at both of her teammates.

"I know better than that," Naruto told the Jonin nervously. Then he shook out his head and neck, and grinned broadly at his teammates.

"Let's go get Sasuke back."

As he took off, Hinata frowned in worry.

* * *

Even though he had already checked twice, Jiraiya plotted the coordinates again. The cave entrance was unassuming, one of dozens or even hundreds in the surrounding mountain range. But this one matched exactly with the latitude and longitude values Sasuke had secretly supplied to him during the battle that ended Itachi's life.

As he approached the cave, the Toad Sage shivered. At first he wondered if it was nerves, then he realized there was a cold breeze issuing lazily from the cavern. He recognized the tactic as a way to keep random animals or bandits from taking up residence in the serpent's den; if someone or some thing was looking for warmth and shelter, it or they would not pick a place colder than it was outside. He nodded.

'It looks like you haven't thrown away everything Sarutobi-sensei taught us,' Jiraiya mentally commented to his absent comrade. He tightened his cloak, incidentally bringing the tool pouches on his backpack closer.

"Well, let's see what your 'last resort' is, old friend," the aging Sannin noted, before stepping into the chasm.

* * *

"Hinata, is something wrong?" Sakura asked, noticing her friend's pensive expression. Naruto was a short way ahead of the two kunoichi, leading the way, yet being very careful not to leave them behind.

Over the past few hours, Hinata's visage had slowly darkened, growing thoughtful, then dubious and a little frightened.

"Are you having second thoughts?" the pink-haired Jonin asked, "We could still drag him back, and let the Hokage sort it out."

"No, that's not it," the pale beauty said carefully.

"Then what?"

The Hyuga heiress regarded her friend for a moment, as if struggling to know what to say or how to say it. Then she sighed and dipped her head slightly.

"It's..." the dark-haired Tokujo started, "It's just... when Naruto brings Sasuke back, he'll probably rejoin your team. I mean, it's where he belongs, and to be frank, I'm not sure anyone else would accept him easily, if at all."

Sakura nodded sagely.

"But what does that mean for me?" Hinata sounded slightly desperate, "I don't want to be selfish, and I don't want to be in the way. But when Sasuke comes back, that means I'll be alone, without a team. Kiba and Shino are doing well with Sasame, so I couldn't go back to them, even if I wanted to. And I don't, I love being a part of Team Kakashi, and not just because of Naruto."

Sakura smiled kindly at the younger woman.

"Even if Sasuke rejoins Team Kakashi," Haruno reassured Hyuga, "that doesn't mean we'll just throw you away. You are a part of our team now, Hinata. And frankly if asked to choose between Sasuke and you, Naruto would pick you."

Then the medical ninja grinned mischievously and added, "Me, I'd have to think about it."

"Naruto would pick me over Sasuke?" Hinata sounded dubious, "I mean for the team... After all he's doing all of this to get Sasuke back."

"Yeah, but that's because of the promises he made," Sakura countered, and then it was her turn to look sad, "You know how that knucklehead feels about keeping his word. I don't think Naruto has given any thought to what happens after that, but I'm pretty sure he doesn't trust Sasuke any more."

Hinata nodded, remembering how Naruto had told her he had given up on Sasuke, thought he still wanted to complete his oaths.

"And you might be getting ahead of yourself," the Jonin noted, "First Naruto has to beat Orochimaru, then the snake has to keep his promise. Even if that happens, who knows when, or even if Sasuke will return to duty."

"Naruto will win," Hinata insisted.

"Of course he will," Sakura agreed wryly.


	110. A Borrowed Rivalry

**Chapter 110: A Borrowed Rivalry**

As the sun neared the horizon, the three teenage ninjas had taken down their temporary camp, and were getting ready to depart. They had discussed the duel, and decided that the two kunoichi would stay about a kilometer away, far enough away that Orochimaru should not be able to find them, but well within range of Hinata's Byakugan and close enough to intervene if the snake broke his word.

Sakura gave Naruto a brief hug with her good arm, and then stepped aside. Hinata embraced her lover fiercely, and pressed her lips to his. Their pink-haired teammate looked away hastily, feeling like a third wheel. After they broke off the kiss, Hinata rested her chin on his shoulder, tears streaming lightly down her cheeks.

"Promise me," she whispered into his ear, with a hint desperation in her voice, "Promise me that you'll come back to me, no matter what."

"I will Sunshine," he told her lovingly, "I swear, I will."

Sakura snorted and rolled her eyes, but her lingering grin was happy, if somewhat wistful.

"I better get going," Naruto said as he reluctantly separated from his fiancé, "I wouldn't want Orochimaru to think I stood him up."

He grinned at them confidently, and then turned and ran up an oak's trunk, stepping onto a branch and vaulting forward into the treeline. Hinata activated her Kekkei Genkai, and after he was the agreed upon distance ahead of them, she signaled Sakura, and the two young women followed.

* * *

The forest opened onto a broad, idyllic field. The grass was thick, lush, green, and grew just past Naruto's ankles. Here and there, large grey boulders broke the monotony of the flowing emerald carpet. A few hundred feet away, a wide, shallow stream meandered through the meadow, with a soft, sandy southern bank, and short, sharply cut off, dirt 'cliff' to the north. The late afternoon breeze sent slow waves through both the grass and the water. Uzumaki felt regretful, both that he hadn't seen this place under more peaceful conditions, and for the damage he knew to battle would inflict on it.

On one of the flat-topped stones, sat Sasuke's body, his left leg lying bent against the rock, and his right knee propped up so he could lean forward onto it. When Naruto first entered the plain, his eyes were closed, but now he opened them. The twice-younger man grimaced at the hybrid orbs, Sasuke's Sharingan were carved partially in half by Orochimaru's shake-slit pupils. As the blonde teen approached, the Sannin forced his stolen body to slide smoothly into a standing position. He looked around, before addressing the Leaf shinobi.

"Where are Hinata and Sakura?" Orochimaru asked, using Uchiha's voice with a slightly mocking tone.

"How did you..." Naruto sputtered in surprise, and a touch of fury.

"I passed your camp a few hours ago, on my way here," the snake summoner answered, still sounding like the youth he possessed, "I was quite surprised you chose not to honor the terms I laid out in my letter. I almost turned back, but I decided to give you the benefit of the doubt, and hear you out, first."

"They followed me," Naruto stated, glaring at his opponent darkly for multiple reasons, "They promised not to interfere as long as you didn't cheat, but said if I didn't let them come with and watch, they would drag me back to the village."

"It sounds like my reputation has come back to haunt me. But I hope I can trust _them_," the Sannin sounded innocently dubious, "Where are they now?"

"Back in the woods, watching."

"Maybe they should come to the edge of the forest," the serpent raised his voice so the kunoichi could hear him, "So they can get better view, and so I can make sure they don't try anything."

"Stop using Sasuke's voice," Naruto growled, his rage reaching the boiling point.

"But it is the natural sound of this body," Orochimaru said openly, "Given the situation, I didn't want to spend the chakra to modify it."

Uzumaki glared at him, unsettled by the body-thief's laid-back and seemingly honest attitude. Though he kept his face a careful mask of naivety, Orochimaru could not help but be amused by the effect his exaggerated act was having on his opponent, even though it was not what he had hoped. His Sharingan watched the trees, and a few seconds later, Sakura and Hinata appeared at the edge of the field. The two kunoichi found reasonably comfortable positions to stand watch, and like their male teammate, started to glare at Sasuke's captor.

"Before we begin, I would like to clarify one thing," the Sannin held up his hand, as Naruto started to coil for his initial lunge. Uzumaki paused, shivering from the built up energy in his muscles.

"What now?" the Leaf Tokujo snarled in annoyance.

"I proposed on a one on one battle, with no advanced preparation of the battlefield," Orochimaru reminded him, and Naruto nodded, "I just want to stipulate as to whether that excludes my summoned snakes and your summoned toads as well."

"Uhh," the blonde youth frowned at the legitimate question, "Well, I guess if it's really one one one, then no, no summons."

"Alright," Orochimaru nodded agreeably, "In that case... Summoning Jutsu."

All three Leaf teens tensed for a betrayal, but the Sannin did not make any aggressive moves. A single python coiled around his arm, and disgorged Kusanagi into his right hand. He banished the snake, and then plunged the sword halfway in his stone perch.

"I wanted to make sure I had my weapon on hand," he explained, "so I would not be accused of treachery if I decide to use it later."

The young women relaxed, but Naruto shook with rage.

"What is all this crap?" the younger man demanded, and Orochimaru twisted Sasuke's face into an expression of surprise.

"I promised you an honest fight, and I intend to deliver that," the older shinobi answered without a hint of sarcasm, "Now then, I am ready to start. Shall we?"

"Darn right," Naruto roared charging forward, "Rasengan!"

The serpent caller smirked at his opponent's haste. He side-stepped, caught the blonde teen's wrist, and flipped him over. As Naruto started to fall, Orochimaru kicked him away. But as the foot connected with his side, Uzumaki grinned at his rival's stolen face, and then exploded into puff of chakra. The Sharingan darted around, searching for his opponent, but finally settled angrily on the young women.

"Is this a trap for me, then?" he demanded, "Lure me out with a fake Naruto, and then have the ANBU try to capture me?"

Sakura shook her head, as if disappointed; but Hinata glared back. The body-thief took a step towards them, however before his foot hit the ground, the earth began to shake. Orochimaru jumped back, but not quite soon enough. Naruto shot out of the ground, fist first, and he clipped Sasuke's chest. The snake completed his backwards somersault, and landed looking at the triumphant Leaf ninja.

"Did you really think you could yank my chain just by acting polite?" Naruto asked smugly.

"Perhaps not," Orochimaru shrugged apathetically, but inside was pleased that his plan to keep the teen calm yet still somewhat off-balance had not failed, "Chidori."

He darted in, his lightning coated hand ready to stab forward. Naruto hopped back twice, watching Sasuke's wrist. But Orochimaru stopped at Uzumaki's original position, and thrust his hand forward as if to strike where Naruto had been.

"Raihebi," the Sannin announced, and the lightning chakra left his fingers, shooting at the younger warrior in seventeen, slithering, snake-shaped streaks. But Naruto had enough distance, and was aware of the maneuver, so he was able to roll to the left and avoid the attack.

"I guess that means you decided on a name for that jutsu," Yukihana's son grinned darkly as he returned to a fighting stance.

"I see my old friend has been telling tales," the snake countered lightly, "But I'm still not sure about it. 'Raihebi' doesn't sound much better than 'Chihebi'."

"But I think that is enough for the warm-ups," Orochimaru added more seriously. He charged in, aiming a right cross at Naruto heart. As the blonde youth blocked, the body-thief shifted his momentum, spinning around into a left thrust kick that hit Uzumaki in the stomach. But the attack did not have as much impact as the Sharingan user was expecting, and Naruto caught Sasuke's ankle, and attempted to drop his heel onto the knee of the trapped limb. Orochimaru shifted 'his' body, placing his hands on the ground and swinging his unhindered leg up to hit Uzumaki's attacking leg, heel to heel. The impact jarred Minato's son enough that the Sannin was able to twist his grappled limb free. The two men fell back slightly, each favor his leg that had not just been stunned by the brutal impact.

"Phoenix Flower Jutsu," Sasuke's voice incanted rapidly, and he spit a wide spray of small fireballs at his opponent.

"If you're hoping for the same thing as last time, you're gonna be disappointed," Naruto shouted, quickly forming three hand seals before stating, "Fuuton: Tornado Lance Jutsu!"

The large cone of green chakra carved through the fire sphere barrage, destroying those it touched. The Leaf ninja pulled his arms in tight and followed the attack. Though his uniform's right shoulder and left calf were mildly scorched by remnants of the flames, Uzumaki reached the stolen Uchiha effectively unscathed. Orochimaru was forced to abandon his jutsu to avoid the wind technique. But as he ducked and rolled, Naruto reached him and attempted to sweep his legs. The Sannin grimaced as he hopped over the attack.

'Why didn't he use the Cyclone Spikes like I compelled him?' Orochimaru demanded of Sasuke, but the trapped teen ignored him. The renegade instead focused his will into the Sharingan thinking, 'Left roundhouse kick.'

He tensed his body to avoid the attack he expected the fox-faced shinobi to launch, planning a counterattack that would have broken Naruto's knee, at least temporarily. But instead of the kick, Naruto launched twin punches, one at Orochimaru's nose and the other at his gut. Sasuke's form scrambled back, and the red and black eyes stared even more intently at Uzumaki.

After a few dozen attacks worth of studying Naruto, Orochimaru realized what was happening. He was very accustomed to people not wanting to look him in the eye, even before he had acquired the Uchihas' legendary orbs. But even then, they generally looked at his shoulders or chest, occasionally glancing up at his face. Naruto, on the other hand, did none of that. His blue eyes were focused on Sasuke's feet, never moving above the knees.

"Afraid to look me in the eye?" Sasuke's conscripted voice mocked him, but the younger teen grinned without looking up.

"I know if I look into your Sharingan, you can influence what I do," Jiraiya's apprentice answered, "Maybe you can't totally control me, but even if you try to make me throw a right cross and I throw a right jab or left cross instead, it's close enough to give you a major advantage."

"Then what about..." Orochimaru trailed off, launching a backfist at Naruto's right temple. But the blonde shinobi deflected it with ease.

"'Any attack worth making takes your whole body'," he quoted Might Gai, smirking at the serpent's ankles, then added his own two cents, "So even if you try to hit me while only moving your upper body, your attacks would be too slow and weak to matter."

"Even if that were true," the Sannin countered dubiously, "you are forgetting one important detail..."

The body-thief had raised has hands in front of his face as he said that and as he trailed off, and finished shaping his next attack.

"Suiton: Wave Pounding Jutsu!" Sasuke's voice proclaimed, and the stream wrenched out of its banks, taking on the form of a clenched human fist as it struck Naruto.

"If you can't see my hands, you don't know what they are doing," Orochimaru explained loudly, "like forming a ninjutsu, readying a paper bomb, or throwing a shuriken."

He punctuated the last statement by do just that, aiming four throwing stars at the shadow of Naruto under the water. The deluge continued to engulf Uzumaki, with smaller, denser, fists of water punching him as they flowed by with the more normal mass of liquid. The blades passed through the torrent easily, and slashed into the blonde warrior's form. As the jutsu ended and the water started to recede, the renegade stepped closer, mildly surprised has opponent hadn't done anything else.

Suddenly 'Naruto' exploded, peppering Sasuke's body with splinters of wood and metal. What was left of the log toppled over, and both Orochimaru and Sakura regarded it with confusion. Their surprise was short lived, as Naruto barreled in from behind, and his right knuckles slammed into Orochimaru's jaw as the rogue turned towards the rustling of the grass.

"Adding some papers bombs was a great idea, thanks," the younger man grinned, "I just wish I wouldn't have had to run back so far after substituting for that fallen tree."

He hiked his thumb back towards the forest, opposite where Hinata and Sakura watched. Orochimaru hissed slightly as he spun back to his feet, aiming a quick kick at the Leaf ninja's left knee. Naruto hopped back, grabbing for the extended limb, but this time he failed to connect. Both men resumed their fighting stances, and paused, considering.

* * *

"Naruto's doing better than I expected," Sakura noted softly, "I thought he would be holding back, and would be pretty beat up by now."

"No," Hinata shook her head, her braid flailing behind her, "They are both still holding back."

Sakura glanced to the side, and recognized the tense look in her friend's silver eyes.

"Hinata, what is it?"

"I would say Naruto is fighting with about half of his full strength right now," the sharp-eyed kunoichi answered, "But if I understand what I am seeing, Orochimaru is still only at around thirty percent. And Orochimaru appears to have two different sets of chakra; if I am right, both his and Sasuke's. He still doesn't have Naruto's reserves, but it is more than anyone else I have seen."

Sakura shuddered slightly, but then tried to look reassuring.

"But Naruto still has his Ascendant Fox form on top of that, right?" the medic reminded, "so it's really more like the knucklehead is only at twenty-five percent right now."

'But when they reach that point, will Naruto still have the chakra to use that technique for a practical length of time?' Hinata thought, not wanting to dash her teammate's hopes.

'Assuming that idiot hasn't already spent all his energy on Shadow Clones and Rasengans,' the injured woman continued to herself, not wanting to depress her sensitive comrade.

* * *

Orochimaru started signing again, but Naruto knocked his hands apart, breaking the jutsu before it was fully formed. He stepped in and rammed his elbow into Sasuke's solar plexus, and then stomped on his right foot for good measure. The Sannin retaliated by boxing the former Jinchuriki's ears. The snake then placed his foot on Uzumaki's knee, and used it as a springboard, jumped back and slammed his knee into the blonde's chin. As he flipped over, Orochimaru started signing again.

"Blast Avalanche Jutsu," he announced once he was fully inverted.

Naruto recovered quickly, a thin stream of blood leaking from the already closing cut in his jawline. Then his eyes widened, and he scrambled back as dozens of stones, each slightly larger than his head, tore into the ground were he had been standing. He was careful not to look at his rival as he started crafting hand seals of his own.

"Doton: Stone Claws Jutsu," Naruto shouted, watching as a half dozen claws of earth grabbed his opponent's legs. He ran back in, aiming a crescent kick at Orochimaru's left side.

"Sparkling Coat," the renegade stated in response, sending a shock down Uzumaki's leg. The lightning jutsu did not destroy the earth technique, it weakened the claws but not enough for Orochimaru to break free. So he quickly signed again while the Leaf warrior was still reeling.

"Dual Arts: Steam Scourge Jutsu," the Sannin intoned, and the creek boiled over its boundaries, this time quite literally. The column of superheated water brushed by Sasuke's left side, destroying the Stone Claws on its way towards Naruto. The younger teen placed his hands together in the seal for Dragon, but said 'Ryu' instead of 'Tatsu'. The traitor snorted in amusement as Uzumaki vanished in a blur.

"You need a hand sign to flash step?" Sasuke's voice demanded mockingly. Naruto reappeared right in front of Orochimaru's stolen form, smiling confidently, and staring the renegade straight in the Sharingan. The Uchiha's Dojutsu compelled him to throw a punch at the snake's chin, but the knucklehead just stood there, looking laid-back.

'If he's not planning to attack, I can't make him,' Orochimaru frowned at the limit of the auto-hypnosis. Then he shrugged slightly, and simply launched a punch of his own at Uzumaki's nose, while trying to force the blonde man to continue to stand there passively. But before he could finish drawing back his arm, a kick to his back sent him tumbling forward, and Naruto casually stepped out of the way. As he fell, a third Naruto's fist dug into Sasuke's side. Orochimaru tensed and compacted his body, rolling past the fourth copy of the Tokujo without being hit. He slithered to his feet, staring at the four fox-faced teens suspiciously.

"When did you..." he hissed, then realization dawned on him.

"You like my Flash Split Jutsu?" Naruto asked in stereo, grinning at his opponent.

"It is moderately ingenious," Orochimaru agreed, trying not to sound impressed, "I wish I had been paying close enough attention to copy it. Would you mind showing me again, so it doesn't die with you?"

"Nah, I'm not worried about that," Uzumaki shook his head, and Sasuke's stolen shoulders bobbed again in acceptance. The next heartbeat, three of the versions of the blonde warrior stampeded forward, launching a concentrated barrage of punches and kicks, all while staring Sasuke firmly in the eyes.

* * *

_"The second option, for dealing with the Sharingan, is one you are already somewhat familiar with," Might Gai said dramatically, "It is to use a small number of Shadow Clones to overwhelm the auto-hypnosis power. Generally three to five attackers is what you need. Any more than that, and it will be so tightly packed Madara could turn your clones against one another. Plus with only a few clones you can reinforce them, so they can take one or two moderate hits before they implode."_

_"I can do that?" Naruto asked, "Make my clones tougher?"_

_"Probably," Gai seemed mildly dubious, "My attempts to teach the method to Neji and Tenten were a failure, but having heard of your Blood Clone Jutsu, I think you might be able to handle it..."_

* * *

The copy's heel dug into the grass as he skidded back. But a second Naruto clipped Sasuke's hip with his fist, turning him into the path of the third version who kicked him firmly in the chest. The final Uzumaki, who had hung back, finished signing.

"Doton: Double Stone Jacket Jutsu," Uzumaki announced, and the field erupted, wrapping Orochimaru in two feet of compressed earth. The three copies surrounded him still ready to attack. Sasuke's head drooped as he struggled, and the real Naruto took a step closer, watching his trapped enemy carefully. But after his second step, Orochimaru's head snapped up, and his Mangekyo Sharingan locked onto Naruto's now unguarded eyes.

"Tsukuyomi," he hissed confidently.

* * *

Naruto's mindscape was laid out like a martial arts dojo, and the young man was frozen near the entrance. Orochimaru briefly examined the scrolls with the names of the dojo members. First was Naruto Uzumaki, naturally, and then Hinata Hyuga, Sakura Haruno, and Kakashi Hatake. He looked down the names of the Leaf shinobi and the current Kazekage; and the Sannin chuckled at the tenth name, Sasuke Uchiha.

"Now, what shall I do with you?" he addressed the teen, who was slowly moving closer, "I was thinking of going with my usual for the sake of simplicity. Most Humans don't enjoy being forced to molt their skin. They aren't exactly designed for it after all."

"That's disappointing," a soft female voice chided him from behind, "It is only natural that Madara has much more experience than you, but I was hoping for something more insightful and creative than a simple snake related trick."

Orochimaru spun around, and saw a scantily clad female version of Naruto frowning at him. The Sannin glanced back, but the original Naruto was still in the same spot, and even with his leaden reaction, he didn't seem to notice the other mental construct.

"And what are you?" Orochimaru asked carefully.

"You should know that already," the young woman said pointedly, and for an instant, nine tails of red energy flashed behind her.

"In that case, why don't you stop right there?" the snake instructed. His Sharingan flared, as he drew on Sasuke's memories of suppressing the Bijuu's power. She laughed darkly at his efforts, and sauntered deliberately closer.

"That doesn't work anymore," she purred.

"So now you protect your captor?" the body-thief tried to hide his nervousness by deflecting the demoness. But she only smirked more broadly and slid even closer.

"My, my, what have we here?" Naruko leaned in closer staring intently at Orochimaru's chest. The serpent summoner tried to step back, but found his actions suddenly slowed as well. The mental constructed lifted her hand, which had transformed into a large, vulpine claw. She slashed out, carving through Orochimaru's heart.

* * *

The white box holding him shook, to Sasuke's amazement. In all the time since he had surrendered to Orochimaru, nothing the snake had done had ever had that sort of effect on the soul prison. Normally, the only change in his cage was when Orochimaru chose to show him what was happening outside, as he was doing now.

The trapped Uchiha stood and walked around the room, probing the walls. As he did, he felt something he could not see. A set of four ridges in the 'back' wall, as if the box had been dented by some outside impact. Intrigued, Sasuke continued to examine the sudden and unexpected alteration to his prison.

* * *

Naruto frowned and cringed, but nothing happened. An instant later, a look of pain and terror flashed across Sasuke's face, and Orochimaru glared at the teen in livid confusion.

"How did you convince the vixen to help you?" the renegade snarled, prompting a look of surprise from the teen. Naruto quickly recovered and strode more confidently forward.

* * *

"That was the same move Itachi used to put Sasuke and Kakashi into comas," Sakura noted, "The one you bounced back at the vampire. Why didn't it work on Naruto?"

"Orochimaru said the Kyubi helped Naruto," Hinata whispered nervously, "But I thought the fox was gone."

"Maybe Naruto came up with something?" Sakura said dubiously, "Some sort of counter Genjutsu, that makes his enemy see the fox?"

The two young women shared dubious, worried glances, before returning their attention to the stalled battle.

* * *

"Are we done?" Naruto asked pointedly.

"No," Orochimaru answered condescendingly. Kusanagi sliced out of its stone sheath, and flew across the plain. It speared two of the clones, destroying them instantly, and then carved away the dirt trapping its master. He slashed through the final clone, and then pointed the blade at Naruto.

* * *

"That's right," Sakura gasped as she remembered.

"What?" Hinata asked.

"I was thinking about what you said earlier, and thought something felt wrong," the medic answered, "And I just remembered, Lady Tsunade said Orochimaru's style is swordplay, with minimal movement. All that dodging and all those kicks weren't like him. He really was just playing with Naruto."

"That explains it," the Byakugan user said in a thoughtful tone. The pink-haired Jonin looked at her friend inquisitively, and Hinata explained, "Earlier I said Orochimaru was fighting at thirty percent, and his fighting spirit had been steadily raising. But just now, the tension in his muscles and the flow of his chakra shifted, and he is down below where he started, at maybe twenty-five percent..."

* * *

"Now, we begin," Orochimaru hissed, stabbing out with the lengthening sword.


	111. The Snake and the Fox

**Chapter 111: The Snake and the Fox**

Naruto scrambled away, to avoid being impaled. However, Orochimaru's sword continued to follow him, until Kusanagi's blade was almost fifteen feet long. The jian finally stopped growing, and Uzumaki regarded the sword with suspicion as he stopped backpedaling.

"Kitsune," the blonde teen summoned his weapon and scabbard, and drew the staff-blade. He tapped Kusanagi with the pole experimentally, hoping that a blade of the length to be either very flexible or very brittle. But the Grass Cutter was neither, bending just the right amount from the pressure Uzumaki applied.

"If you think this sword will be easy for you to break, just because of its expanding powers, you will be disappointed," the Sannin warned him, pushing Kitsune away and stabbing slightly towards Naruto's stomach. The Leaf warrior knocked the attack wide, but Orochimaru angled the point back towards his opponent's shoulder. The staff-blade blocked again, and in turn the jian moved towards Naruto's knee.

"Maybe," Uzumaki conceded the point as he shifted his leg to avoid the jab, "but at that length, all you can do is fencing type moves, and you can't even get your full power behind them."

The snake countered by turning Kusanagi slowly away from Naruto. The four-meter long ribbon of steel hummed as it flashed through the air, until it stopped, still resonating slightly, pointing to Orochimaru's right. The Sannin took two steps closer, and swung the extended blade as hard as he could at Uzumaki's neck. Kitsune intercepted the jian, but the staff-blade and its owner were knocked over by the impact. The teen rolled with the blow, and came up crouching, staring suspiciously at the body thief.

"Simple physics," Orochimaru answered the unasked question, "Circular motion is fastest on the outer edge, and force increases as speed does."

"Simple physics also say that sword should be too heavy for you to swing like that," Naruto growled back, "especially if it still has the strength to be a viable weapon.

"Kusanagi is selective," Orochimaru shrugged, unable to deny the statement and slightly shocked Naruto even knew that.

The Tokujo surged to his feet, charging towards his former teammate's body. The rogue drew back his oversized sword, and slashed out again. This time Uzumaki put both hands on Kitsune's grip, and leaned into the attack. This allowed him to absorb the impact and continue forward, scraping the jian's blade along the junction of the staff and the crosspiece of his weapon. When he was within striking distance of Sasuke's sword arm, Kusanagi instantly returned to its regular size. Naruto stumbled slightly, having still been applying some of his weight to the Grass Cutter. He recovered even as Orochimaru stabbed at his chest. The fox-faced warrior spun past the blade, and angled his weapon's pole at the intersection of Orochimaru's left shoulder and neck, still wielding the staff-blade two-handed. The snake caught the blunt weapon in his free hand, and smirked triumphantly at its owner.

"You're not looking at my feet anymore," he noted, slashing his blade across the younger man's unguarded chest.

Naruto released Kitsune as he stumbled back. The deep cut to his torso was not closing as fast as he would have expected, and Orochimaru's grin widened at Uzumaki's realization.

"The chakra already bonded to Kusanagi resisted Kabuto's anti-healing technique," the Sannin said, flipping Kitsune into his left hand, "but I was able to strike a balance that should slow the fox down, enough to make you mortal."

Now it was Naruto's turn to smile, finding it slightly amusing, if strange, that Orochimaru was unaware of his change in situation. He engaged the regeneration jutsu Tsunade had beat into him. He hoped the activate healing, combined with his Kekkei Genkai, would be enough to overcome the weakened version of the Medical Arrest technique. Sasuke's lips frowned slightly as the wound began to close more rapidly. The Sannin lifted both weapons as Uzumaki kipped up and tensed for another charge.

Naruto jumped in, and Orochimaru stabbed Kusanagi at the young man's chest with an incredulous expression. Naruto slapped his hands together, trapping the slender blade between his palms. The snake just shook his head and sent chakra into the Grass Cutter to increase its length again. But before the point of the jian hit Naruto's chest, the blonde's Ranshinsho reached Orochimaru's hand. The electricity caused Sasuke's hand to spasm, and the renegade released the sword.

Naruto spun Kusanagi around, and caught the hilt. As he landed, he lashed out with the borrowed weapon, aiming for a shallow cut across both of Sasuke's thighs. Orochimaru blocked with Kitsune, staring at Naruto impassively. The weak attack stopped, the Sannin's eyes narrowed slightly, and he hissed, "Mine."

Kusanagi wrenched itself out of Naruto's hands, and spun back around in mid-air to decapitate the teen.

"Kitsune," Naruto called evenly, and the staff-blade disappeared from Orochimaru's left hand, materializing in its creator's right palm just in time to parry the hovering jian. The flying sword jabbed, then weaved around behind Uzumaki, forcing him to choose between turning his back on Orochimaru or letting the Grass Cutter get behind him. Instead Naruto swiped his empty hand across the still leaking cut in his chest. He sent his chakra into the crimson liquid, even as he rotated his body to track the dancing sword.

"Blood Clone Jutsu," Naruto spawned a single hemoglobin based clone. The duplicate followed the retreating, signing Sannin, while the original engaged in kenjutsu with the legendary weapon.

"Spark Darts," Orochimaru switched to a simpler technique, abandoning the more advanced lightning jutsu he had been forming, so he could launch something before the duplicate reached him.

"Cyclone Spikes," the copy of Naruto countered. The two attacks did not interact at all, and both shinobi were forced to dodge as the weak projectiles struck. Orochimaru hopped back, staring at the Blood Clone, hypnotically urging him, 'Do that again.'

"Doton: Stone Spears Jutsu," Naruto announced, and spikes of rock exploded around Sasuke's body, but the expert shinobi was able to use the possessed teen's agility to avoid them. He landed on the largest protrusion, starting to sign again while using the Sharingan to order Naruto's duplicate, 'Use a lightning jutsu.'

"Odama Rasengan," the false Uzumaki formed the enlarged turbulent sphere and charged forward, shearing through the sharpened boulders he had dredged up. As his perch was destroyed, Orochimaru somersaulted forward, barely continuing his hand seals.

'Why isn't it working?' the Sannin demanded of his Uchiha captive, not caring that he was not showing Sasuke the battle, thus the teen did not know what Orochimaru was asking even if he were inclined to answer his captor.

* * *

_"You have done quite well, Naruto," Might Gai declared with hyperbolic pride, "There is only one more piece of the anti-Sharingan puzzle."_

_"What's that, Gai-sensei?" the teen asked eagerly, despite his thorough exhaustion._

_"If you suddenly think of a way to attack Madara, do the opposite," the turtle summoner answered loudly._

_"I don't understand," Naruto frowned._

_"If you think you should punch, try to kick instead. If an air jutsu seems like a good option, try a lightning or fire jutsu instead."_

_"I still don't get it," the Tokujo's eyes narrowed in thought._

_"The Sharingan can't force you to do anything," Gai explained, "It can just influence your moves, plant ideas in your head. By doing something completely different, you can disrupt Uchiha's plans. But you have to mix it up a little, because if you always do exactly the opposite, your opponent will catch on to that, too."_

_"How do I do that?" Uzumaki nodded his understanding, but his look of concentration did not fade._

_"We'll work on it with some taijutsu," the Jonin offered, "I will start calling out attacks, and you try to do something that's not like what I say as quickly as possible. Are you ready to give it a try?"_

_"I guess so, sensei," Naruto sounded slightly dubious._

* * *

'The Sharingan is worthless against him,' Orochimaru snarled to himself and his 'host', 'Tsukuyomi and the hypnotic power don't work, and he hasn't hit me enough to warrant Suseri. I could try Amaterasu, but I'm worried the fox might have some way to counter that, too. All it can do is read his moves, which I could almost do without this Bloodline. I can copy all of his moves except the Rasengan, but I already know every other technique I've seen him use. And he throws around so much chakra in his ninjutsu, that it makes up for the difference in our skill.'

'I guess you'll just have to stop playing Uchiha and fight him as yourself,' Sasuke finally answered, his voice dripping with contempt. But Orochimaru smiled both inside and outside at the taunt.

"How right you are, Sasuke," Orochimaru said aloud, "That is the most obvious way to defeat your former teammate."

Naruto's clone looked disturbed by the exaggerated betrayal. Then he shook it off, drew a kunai in each hand, and charged towards his opponent again. His head suddenly felt clearer, but despite that he ignored his initial plan to stab at the snake's shoulders. Instead the facsimile threw a right snap kick, trying to decide if it was really his idea to follow it up by throwing one kunai and slashing Sasuke's knee with the other.

His deliberations were of no use, as Orochimaru caught his attacking leg. Then the serpent's arm lengthened, wrapping around the duplicate's ankle, starting to crush it. At the same time his leg slithered out, and swept Naruto's left leg. With his other leg caught, the clone could not dodge and he crashed to the ground, his right hip partially wrenched out of joint by the fall. The Sannin launched another kick at the younger man's crotch, and Uzumaki had to take the hit with his free knee to avoid more vital damage. The Blood Clone tried to craft seals for a counterattack, but Orochimaru's other arm also extended and became serpentine, and the renegade pulled Naruto's hands apart, his nails digging into the Tokujo copy's wrist.

* * *

Naruto parried, and once again had to stop short of slashing back meaninglessly. Fighting Kusanagi alone presented an odd difficulty, the remote controlled blade could twist and slash in ways no Human user could have. And, of course, there was no wielder to attack. Jiraiya's student had attempted to break the legendary jian, but as Orochimaru had stated, the slender sword was much more durable than it appeared.

Naruto caught the Grass Cutter again, and also struck harder than he would have if blocking a Human opponent's swing. The thin blade spun with the force of his blow, and its hilt collided with his left wrist powerfully. Kusanagi shifted its axis of rotation, and its edge arced towards Uzumaki's neck. The teen ducked and knocked the hovering blade away, holding back his cracked arm while his Kekkei Genkai repaired the bone. Kitsune flashed out again, throwing the jian further afield. The blonde Tokujo watched the Grass Cutter as it flew back towards him. Though he had a good grasp of its attack pattern, that didn't really give him a way to counterattack.

"This isn't working," he mumbled, "getting into a sword fight against just a sword doesn't work... But why do I have to fight it as a sword?"

He took his staff-blade in both hands, and batted Kusanagi's hilt, sending the jian halfway to Hinata. Then he tucked Kitsune under his arm and carefully crafted a set of hand seals.

"Fire Style: Metal Burn Jutsu!" Naruto activated one of the jutsus the Nine-tails had bequeathed him. But unlike his ill-advised use of the Creeping Napalm, the teen had discussed how this technique with his mentor, and even tested it a few times.

A thin beam of intense yellow light emerged from his right hand pointer and middle fingers. It shot across the field, and hit the approaching Kusanagi in the middle of its blade. The steel instantly lit up, and a heartbeat later, over one third of the sword was glowing yellow hot.

"Fuuton: Tornado Lance Jutsu," Naruto overlapped the impact points, hoping the wind technique would damage or destroy the weakened relic weapon. But the drilling spear of green chakra merely cooled down the Grass Cutter, which reached him a handful of seconds later. The fox-faced youth took his weapon out from under his arm and parried Orochimaru's sword once more.

"Darn it," Naruto groused, "I can't break it with Kitsune or ninjutsu, and if I try to grab it again, I doubt I'll be able to hold it any more than I could last time... Wait, I can't hold it, but maybe..."

"Ne," he signed as Kusanagi pulled back for another strike. He hammered the jian down when it tried to cut into his stomach.

"Hitsuji," he twisted his fingers, focusing his chakra intently. Then he caught up Kitsune again, and deflected the Grass Cutter's stab at his eye.

"I," Naruto called out the symbol of the boar, and then side stepped the jian, pounding on its hilt as it passed him.

"Tastu," Uzumaki created the final seal, and then incanted, "Doton: Stone Claws Jutsu!"

Naruto's formation of the technique was drawn out not just so he could keep blocking, but also so he could reinforce the art and pour more chakra into it. Nine sturdy talons of stone exploded from the grass. Three grabbed Kusanagi's hilt. Two latched on to the Grass Cutter's cross-piece. And the final four acted in pairs, each set sandwiching a different section of the jian's blade in an imitation of the barehanded blade block. The legendary sword struggled, but the nine, strategically positioned, stone hands where able to do what Naruto's one flesh and blood hand could not; they held Kusanagi fast.

"Great," Naruto grinned, "Now you just stay there, while I take care of your boss... owner... whatever."

As he started to turn towards where his copy and the body-thief were fighting, suddenly the clone's memories and remaining chakra flooded into him. He swung Kitsune around violently to ward off the charging Sannin. But Orochimaru's Sharingan was not focused on him, and when the renegade declared, "Forked Lightning Jutsu," all three lances of energy missed him. Instead that attack hit Kusanagi, shattering two of the claws on the hilt, two on the guard, and two on the blade. The remaining three rocky constructs were not enough to hold it, and the Grass Cutter sliced its way free. Naruto ducked under a punch from Orochimaru's serpentine fist, and warded off the dancing jian with his staff-blade.

"Fighting like a snake again?" Uzumaki noted, glanced at his opponent's lengthened arms and loose, coiled posture, while also sorting through the clone's experiences.

"Indeed," the Sannin answered agreeably, "Your former teammate suggested I might have better luck fighting you with my preferred style, with some minor assistance from the Sharingan, instead of trying to fight like an Uchiha."

Naruto frowned, and across the field Hinata took on an angry expression and clenched her right fist tight enough that her pointer and pinky nails cut into her palm. Sakura, however, looked deeply upset by the statement.

"Is Sasuke really working with Orochimaru again?" she whispered uncertainly.

"Great," Naruto growled darkly, his expression not shifting, "I was beginning to think you weren't taking me seriously."

"Oh no, I won't make that mistake again," the renegade shook his host's head. At the same time Kusanagi darted towards the blonde shinobi's chest, and the Sannin's left arm launched a whip-like forearm strike at the younger man's throat. Naruto caught Orochimaru's wrist with Kitsune, and tried to force the snake's arm into the path of the jian. But the floating sword stopped short, and Sasuke's arm twisted free of its imprisonment. Hinata's lover blocked another slice from the Grass Cutter, and kicked out at Sasuke's torso. Orochimaru stepped back, easily avoiding the attack, and started to sign a new jutsu.

"Oh no you don't," Naruto grunted, spinning past the jian's vertical slash and racing toward the Sannin, Kitsune pulled back for a diagonal strike. Kusanagi shot back in between them, forcing Naruto to slow down or risk losing his right arm. The Tokujo nearly stopped, then knocked the hovering weapon away before closing the distance. That bought the renegade the time he needed to complete his attack.

"Ninja Art: Poison Cloud Jutsu," Sasuke's pilfered voice intoned, and a thick purple mist emerged from his nostrils. Uzumaki skidded to a halt and flipped backwards, but not before he breathed in some of the gas. Coughing harshly, he weakly fended off another attempt by Kusanagi to impale him, while digging into on of the pouches in his uniform. The sealed pocket was very near the cut in his uniform, but fortunately was intact. He extracted a pill and jammed it into his mouth, grinding it between his molars before swallowing it. His gasping quickly settled, and the pain eased from his face.

"I see you came prepared," the snake summoners smirked slightly, "Try this; Katon: Blazing Fastball."

He pantomimed an overhand throw, and when he finished the motion, a two point nine inch diameter sphere of flame rocketed at Naruto. The younger man stepped into the pitch, Kitsune swinging. The blonde warrior drove it in a straight line back at his former teammate's stomach. While Orochimaru dealt with the deflected ball, Kusanagi flashed down again nearly taking off Naruto's ear, and still managing to cut deeply into the teen's left shoulder. The wound started to close, more quickly than was natural, but still slow for the former Jinchuriki, and Naruto realized that somewhere along the way he had let the healing jutsu lapse. Instead of renewing it, Uzumaki tried to create more clones, but a powerful blast of air from Orochimaru and quick slice at his knees from the Grass Cutter disrupted him.

"How am I supposed to fight two of them at once?" Naruto grimaced.

* * *

"Doesn't this violate the one-on-one terms of the duel?" Sakura demanded anxiously. But Hinata sadly shook her head 'no'.

"Kusanagi is not independent," the silver-eyed girl answered, "Orochimaru is controlling it directly with his chakra. In some respect, it is less of a second attacker than one of Naruto's clones."

"You're no help," the medic complained.

"Sorry," Hinata said absently, still more focused on the fight.

* * *

Naruto palmed a shuriken and pushed Kusanagi aside so he could throw the star at Orochimaru. That disrupted the snake's next jutsu, which seemed like it would have been a lightning or wind technique. The young man had discovered he could stop the snake's attacks in this way, but knew it was an imperfect defense, and more importantly, a limited one. He still had nearly a dozen kunai, almost twice as many shuriken, plus a handful of smoke bombs that might do in a pinch. But after those, he knew he would be in trouble again.

As the Grass Cutter missed his nose, Naruto notice something he hadn't seen before. A tiny line in Kusanagi's blade caught his attention.

'That's where I tried to melt it,' Naruto felt a glimmer of hope, 'It looks like I did some damage to it after all. Now, if I can just....'

"Suiton: Water Burst," Orochimaru incanted quickly, taking advantage of Uzumaki's reverie.

"Wind blade," Naruto commanded Kitsune, and then sliced through the liquid sphere. The mass of water reflected the burnt umber of the skyline at him, but despite that Minato's son was able to block Kusanagi's heavy blow, hitting the mark on the blade with the green chakra edge. Then he attacked the floating blade again, absently throwing two daggers at the Sannin.

'Still not enough,' Naruto decided silently, determining that the dancing sword was in no worse shape after two more attacks, 'in that case...'

He quickly ran his left palm up Kitsune's length, and the chakra projection changed under his hand. The extension ceased to be smooth and sharp, and instead became shifting and turbulent. He parried another slash by the flying blade, and it may have just been his imagination, but he thought the mark in the legendary weapon widened slightly.

'Come on, you, break,' Naruto half ordered, half pleaded in his mind as he dodge first one of his own kunai that Orochimaru threw back, and then an extended limb punch from the snake. He hit Kusanagi again, and this time the indentation definitely grew, and a tiny notch appeared in the blade itself.

"Alright," Uzumaki couldn't help but exclaim, taking his staff-blade in both hands. He swung a powerful overhead strike, aiming for the break in the sword as it rotated towards his stomach.

"RASENBLADE!" Naruto roared instinctively as the two swords connected. He pressed down hard, and for an instant Kusanagi pushed back. Then, with an echoing clang, the chakra blade carved through the steel one. The two halves of the Grass Cutter tumbled away, the hilt dropping to the turf, while the severed blade continued on its disrupted path, scoring an incidental hit on the teen's left side.

Naruto ignored the injury, turning the face the Sannin squarely, with a look of triumph. But his pride quickly faded to confusion at the amused smirk on Sasuke's lips. That, and a slight rustling triggered his training, and Naruto threw himself to the side. The fragment of Kusanagi slid into his back between his ribs and sliced cleanly out the front of his chest. His random dodge saved his life, preventing the broken blade from cutting his heart, but it still passed through his left lung.

"Unfortunately, the broken parts of Kusanagi's blade are only good for one attack," Orochimaru noted as the sword shard vanished into the deepening twilight, "But it doesn't matter too much..."

The main portion of the Grass Cutter floated back into view, and it lengthened and shifted until the blade had resumed its original form. Naruto watched with a despondent look, clutching the exit wound in his chest, gasping as blood poured into his damaged lung.

"You should feel a little happy," the Sannin noted openly, "According to legend, only two beings have ever damaged Kusanagi before, and one of them was a god and the other was a demon. Though I suppose you are somewhat demonic yourself."

'I can't fight two of them again,' Naruto thought, 'Especially since these wounds aren't regenerating. I'm not fast enough, and I don't think I can take any more hits like that.'

"I think it is time to end this," Orochimaru said with sincerely portrayed false kindness.

'I need something more,' Naruto stepped back, glaring despite his pain, 'I need... Duh, I need that!'

He threw Kitsune weakly at Orochimaru, the chakra projection fading from the staff-blade as it flew. Then he took his hand away from his wound and began signing.

"Tatsu, Inu, Tora, Ushi, Saru, Kitsune," his fingers moved faster than any of his previous techniques, as this art was now built into his genetic code.

"I, Ne, Tatsu, Kitsune," he finished the thirtieth seal an instant before Kusanagi reached him again, and shouted, "ASCENDANT FOX JUTSU!"

A wave of visible silver chakra rolled off his body, temporarily interrupting the connection between the snake and the jian, and sending the thin sword flying. As the yellow-gold fur erupted on the exposed portions of his torso, Naruto's injuries healed, both as a product of the transformation and from his unnatural healing kicking into overdrive. He flexed the claws on his left hand, grinned with the vulpine teeth under his muzzle, and summoned the Fox talisman weapon back to his right hand without even a word or gesture. Three tails grew out behind him, one of flesh and two of energy.

Orochimaru took back control of his own weapon, and sent it shooting towards Naruto faster than it had previously moved. But the transformed Tokujo batted it aside easily with his free hand, and leaped horizontally at the body-thief. The Sannin dodged sinuously, trying to find an escape while also repositioning Kusanagi. But as the Grass Cutter drifted up behind Naruto, his nostrils flared and the two tails of silver chakra stuck. They batted the blade back and forth between them, keeping it from getting past Naruto.

"How?" Orochimaru demanded anxiously.

"I can hear and smell it," Naruto's pointed ears twitched as he answered. The serpent frowned and listened, but could not hear the movement of the blade over the sunset breezes.

"I'll have to take you word for it," Sasuke's possessor noted, punching out at the teen's fox snout, while sending the blade high, trying to get above the reach of his extensions. Naruto's response was to flip forward, causing the fist to hit his Leaf shield and the thick skull underneath, hurting Orochimaru's hand far more than Uzumaki's head. At the same time, this kept his tails in range of the jian, and they slammed the sword in unison, sending it back towards the earth.

"Cyclone Spikes, Spark Darts, Stone Bullets," Orochimaru unleashed the three weak attacks rapid fire, hoping to hurt Naruto or at least keep him off balance as he completed his acrobatics.

"Stone Jacket," Naruto activated the trapping technique to swallow up all of the projectiles, though it was cracked by the electrical jutsu. The vulpine ninja landed with his right foot on Kusanagi's hilt, and he sheathed Kitsune while staring down the renegade thoughtfully. Then he lifted both of his hands before him, cupping his fingers slightly. Green chakra began to spin before them; in gaining his Kekkei Genkai, Naruto had somehow learned to forge his father's jutsu out of wind chakra directly, instead of creating the Rasengan, and injecting the elemental energy afterwards. He created the sphere slightly larger than normal, though not quite into the Odama Rasengan range. Then he shifted his foot aside, and drove the orb down.

"Fuuton: Rasengan," he growled, pressing the orb into the hilt and guard of the jian. Kusanagi resisted momentarily, but the sharpened chakra began to slice into it. A few seconds later, there was a small crater in the field, and all that was left of the legendary Grass Cutter was just over half of the blade. Orochimaru's eyes narrowed and he shuddered in rage. But Uzumaki was not intimidated in the slightest, and he charged towards the body thief again.

"Claws to Fangs," the Sannin intoned, and his fingernails transformed into snake's teeth, dripping with venom, and he directed them at the incoming Tokujo. But Naruto's own claws lashed out, snapping the jutsu fangs, scattering them. The Leaf fighter buried his fist in Sasuke's stomach, almost faster than the Sharingan could detect, and certainly faster than the Dojutsu's user could block. He swept Orochimaru's legs, and as the Sannin fell, caught him backhand in the jaw, sending him flying.

"That is an intriguing transformation," the renegade slurred the words slightly due to the pain in his jaw, "I wonder how it relates to my new toy. It is another of the ancient jutsu I... liberated. But don't worry, I have already tested this one. So it won't have any unexpected results like last time."

Naruto closed the gap again as Orochimaru started signing, but this time the Sannin did not dodge or hop away, he broke into a full retreat, while continuing to craft his jutsu. After the first twenty seals, he stopped, and an aura of red energy began to flow around him, deflecting Uzumaki. The blonde furred teen paced before the cocoon, anxiously aware how fast his altered state was draining his chakra. For good measure he reached into the pocket containing his food pills, only to find one of the attacks had cut through and the pouch was empty. As he tried to decide if he should stay in his fox form, now that Kusanagi was gone, the shell around the renegade cracked.

"Ninja Art: Soul Revelation Jutsu," Orochimaru announced in his own voice, as the chakra barrier disintegrated. What stood there no longer looked anything like Sasuke. He appeared to be made up of three white large snakes, one for each arm, and the third as the upper part of his torso, neck, and head. That main serpent's face also looked like Orochimaru's original face, more or less. His legs ended in two-taloned feet, also covered his white scales instead of flesh. The whole creature was fifty percent taller than Sasuke, and towered over Naruto.

"Do you like it?" the snake asked in three part harmony, "The Soul Revelation allows me to assume the form of my soul shell, without needing to leave my body..."

His right 'arm' lashed out, much faster than before, and sent Naruto sprawling. Uzumaki recovered quickly, and tore two large chunks out of the limb before Orochimaru could retract it. But there was no skin, muscle, or blood under the scales; and the damaged healed almost instantly.

"The soul cannot be harmed by physical attacks," Orochimaru taunted his opponent mildly, punching the younger man down to the ground, "If this was my real soul shell, and you were a real shinobi, you might be able to seal me away, but neither of those apply here."

He swung again, and this time his fangs clipped Naruto. The tagged arm went rigid with pain, and Naruto swallowed a second curative, this time with much less effect.

"My soul venom isn't like other poisons. But I suppose between that generic antivenin and your regenerative powers you will probably survive."

"Rasengan," Naruto countered, still slightly weak. The sphere dug into Orochimaru's chest, but again failed to hit anything substantive. And when Uzumaki darted back, his head clearing, the Sannin was again uninjured already. The fox-formed Tokujo drew Kitsune, and slammed the staff-blade as hard as he could into Orochimaru's left wrist, as the snake tried to bite him again with that arm. Naruto was hoping bludgeoning might have some effect where slashing did not. But the body thief powered through the counterstrike and bowled the Leaf shinobi over.

"Doton: Stone Claws Jutsu," Naruto tried to buy himself some time and space to think. But because he tried to use the jutsu without hand seals, only three claws appeared. Uzumaki briefly wondered if this was how other people felt when they fought him. Orochimaru slipped around two of the claws, and smashed the third when it grabbed him.

"Katon: Fireball Jutsu," the Sannin announced, and the flames emerged from the snake's mouth that served as his right hand. The flames failed to burn the Ascendant Fox, and the teen used the time to form the Rasenblade on Kitsune again. He stepped forward, his actions masked by the flames, and sliced off the head of the fire-breathing reptile arm. The severed soul shell part melted as it fell, and a new head extended from the odd white structure of Orochimaru's being. Then his left arm whipped across the staff-blade, knocking it out of Naruto's hand. The teen started to call for his weapon, but the Sannin's restored right arm looped around his arms and torso, and began to steadily crush him. The renegade's free arm punched the younger man in the stomach, one of his fangs scraping him. Uzumaki lost control of the jutsu as his breath left him, and reverted to his normal form.

"Well, this is a little disappointing," the three headed snake offered, "This form just makes everything too easy. I guess it is time to end this."

His left hand scooped up the remaining piece of Kusanagi's blade, and aimed the inert yet still very sharp metal at Naruto's neck. Across the field, the two kunoichi both tensed to move.

"Can you see a way to deal with that thing?" Sakura asked angrily.

"Yes," Hinata answered simply. The broken sword began to descend, and the two women prepared to break their promise. But Orochimaru suddenly stopped, shuddering. His center and left heads both turned to look at the horizon, incidentally moving the broken sword away from Naruto. None of the three teens were snake experts but they could still see the undiluted shock on the serpents.

"What?" Orochimaru hissed, "No... That's not possible... NO!"

His grasp around Naruto loosened, and the young man barely recovered in time to land on his feet. The white form of his soul shell melted away, leaving his body, Sasuke's body, still standing there, staring into the distance.

"No," he hissed one more time, turning on Uzumaki in a rage...


	112. The Last Resort

**Chapter 112: The Last Resort**

Jiraiya stepped gingerly over the tripwire and carefully placed his foot between the two pressure pads on the other side. He crouched to avoid the second, neck level cord, and lightly hopped over to the clear space.

"I'd like to think you are slipping old friend," he told the cave, as if its creator could hear him, "But it is more likely you use this level of trap to kill the inept, and lull the skilled into a false sense of superiority. I don't intend to fall for that trick, either."

The only Sannin, who looked the proper age, slid forward carefully, doing his level best not to disturb the sand on the floor any more than he had to. He had tested the walls and the ceiling, but they were altered to resist attempts to stand on them with chakra, and had been made so unstable that using mechanical means to traverse them would have caused a massive cave-in. As would setting off most of the traps. So Minato's teacher took it slow, using jutsu to enhance his senses.

As he crept down the tunnel, he suddenly heard a slight and familiar hissing noise. Glancing around anxiously, he found the source; a tiny hole in the floor with sand spilling into it. Jiraiya quickly reached into his pack and drew out a single marble. He flicked it precisely, and the tiny orb plugged up the pipe.

'Now that's a little more like it,' he added silently, wondering what would have happened if he had not stopped the flow of the sand. After he was past it, he heard a sputtering sound from the blocked drain, and his eyes widened. He glanced back, and could see the marble shaking slightly where it was lodged in the hole, as if it were under pressure.

'Nice,' he applauded his former teammate as he took off running, 'Let the sand go down, trigger one trap. Stop the flow of air completely, trigger another trap.'

The marble shot out of the trap, shattering against the roof. Following close behind was a high-pressure water stream, and the cavern shook when it hit the ceiling. The liquid continued to impact the weakened stones above, and afterwards fell to the sand, which quickly became saturated. With its limit reached, the water began to flow downwards, towards the fleeing pervert. As it started to catch up with him, Jiraiya could feel the heat pouring off the near boiling water. He picked up speed, his careful jog becoming a heedless run. He was further encouraged to hurry by a loud rumbling behind him. He started signing as he ran, no longer worried about what he might do to the already collapsing cavern. As he completed the last sign, he turned suddenly to face the hybrid avalanche/flood.

"Earth Release: Stone Barricade."

He swung his hands up, and a thick wall of rock rose up between the Sannin and the trap. He kept pushing the sturdier stone up to compress the deliberately destabilized ceiling. Jiraiya heard a dull crash as the deluge of water and rock hit the barrier, but it held. The walls and ceiling on his side of the barricade crumbled slightly, but did not trigger another catastrophic collapse.

The Toad Sage sighed in relief, and took stock of his situation. He estimated he had run almost a mile, but did not know how much further he had to go to find his unknown goal.

"I just hope there is another way out," Jiraiya commented to the tunnel, "It will take forever to drill out through that, and that's assuming it settles."

With no other immediate options, he turned and continued deeper underground.

* * *

Jiraiya pulled the dart out of his palm, then swallowed another of the antidote pills he had brought with him. He had expected Orochimaru would make extensive use of poison, but the sheer volume of the toxic traps still surprised the third Hokage's student. Mists, darts, sprays, the serpent Sannin had every angle covered and recovered. In addition, poison was frequently added to more mundane traps. Like the cobra venom on the smashing walls, kept virulent by a jutsu.

As he waited for the curative to kick in, the legendary pervert stared deeper into the cave, focusing chakra into his eyes. The corridor had become gradually smoother, as if it had been crafted, or at least altered, by human hands. Now, a few dozen feet ahead, just beyond the edge of his electric lantern's glow, the tunnel split in two. He glided slowly forward, being extra careful while the feeling returned to his extremities.

"I'm surprised this is the first split," Jiraiya noted, "I expected you would have made a maze down here... Unless it is a maze, and it is just this far between branches."

The thought made him pause again.

"I've already been in here six or seven hours," he decided, and then looked at his watch, "or ten... So maybe I should take a break and have some Shadow Clones scout ahead. Shadow Clone Jutsu."

Jiraiya split off two copies, who each took one of the paths. They moved with even greater care than the original had, knowing that it would not take much of a trap to destroy them. Then the real Sannin lowered himself to the floor, and extracted a jutsu-sealed bento box from his backpack. Inside sat a beautiful cheeseburger and a mound of fried shoestring potatos, still warm and fresh thanks to his technique.

"I'll never understand why that jutsu isn't more popular," he commented to the cavern again, after savoring the first bite. He poured himself a cup of tea, also maintained at the right temperature, and appeared to relax as he ate his dinner.

* * *

After the initial fork, the clones encounter numerous other splits in the cave. Each time they would duplicate again. Many of the paths were dead ends, in some cases literally as the copies were destroyed by some of the more subtle traps. Other times the tunnels would merge back together. One clone had encountered the skeleton of a tiger or other large cat. In the end, all the remaining routes eventually converged on a single expansive room, with a large, ornate door in the opposite wall. It was in this cavern that the real Jiraiya now stood, staring at the portal.

"Those seals are fairly impressive," he told his fallen teammate, as he popped a food pill into his mouth, "But the knot that binds them together is too obvious. It must be some other kind of trap."

Despite this realization, the Toad Sage could find nothing out of the ordinary about the tag containing the central seal. It was not tied to anything, nor was it on a central plate. After studying it for a few minutes, Jiraiya had a new idea.

"It is almost as if this is to keep whatever is on the other side of the door in," he mused, "rather than keep whoever was in here out... Is this your 'Last Resort'; do you have something sealed back there that you would only want let out if you thought you had no other choice?"

The one obvious choice chilled Jiraiya to the core.

'He couldn't have captured the Six-tails Chameleon on his own, could he?' the Sannin pondered silently, 'No, not even Orochimaru is that good. But the Chameleon supposedly had a Jinchuriki, so Orochimaru could have caught her. That would make sense; unleashing the demon or trading it to the Akatsuki would both be suitable last resorts for that snake.

The Toad Sage examined the seals again, and decided he might have jumped to conclusions. The barriers would not have held a Bijuu. Or at least he hoped he was right about that. His attempts to probe beyond the door failed, and he was too curious to wait. Jiraiya stood before the door, and reached for the paper anchoring the seal. His eyes narrowed slightly and he exhaled to prepare himself, as he tore the tag free.

A handful of the other seals exploded weakly, throwing the elder Jonin back and kicking up a huge cloud of dust. As the sediment settled, he could see a figure step forward. The newcomer had spiky white hair, red robes, and a headband with the kanji for 'oil' on it.

"Well, well, well, who is this handsome devil?" Jiraiya demanded smoothly, facing himself. The copy did not speak, but instead threw an uppercut at the original's jaw. Jiraiya slid around the attack, and attempted to bury his fist in the duplicate's stomach, but the clone dodged as well. The real Sage attempted to sweep his opponent's legs, hoping the non-standard move would confuse the attacker. Instead, the clone hopped over his leg, and launched a snap kick at Jiraiya's lowered head. The Sannin shifted his weight and raised his arm, taking the blow on his left shoulder instead of his left temple.

'This appears to be the same jutsu Team Gai encountered, when the Akatsuki captured the Kazekage,' Naruto's teacher decided, 'If I remember correctly, those things were tougher than Shadow Clone. Normal attacks didn't even hurt those guys, but one really good blow and they went down. Maybe a distraction with Shadow Clones, or a summoning jutsu...'

As he formulated strategies, another part of Jiraiya's brain looked at the faded scroll and thought, 'I wonder if Orochimaru stole this from the Akatsuki, or if they stole it from him?'

The clone appeared to be unencumbered by such introspection, it simply pressed the attack, launching the real Leaf shinobi's favorite one-two punch combo. Jiraiya recognized the move, and blocked the left jab easily enough, but stopping the right cross put more strain on his already injured left shoulder. The Toad Sage hopped back twice, biting his thumb. He signed quickly, then ducked low to press his palm to the stone.

"Summoning Jutsu," he proclaimed, calling out for Gamaono with his chakra. But the martial artist toad did not appear, and Jiraiya felt his chakra twist and then shatter.

"A Summoning Seal?" he looked around for the symbol that blocked the contract, but could not see it. The Toad Sage decided it must have been buried in the floor or the walls, possibly both. The duplicate stepped in during the moment of distraction, and thrust its right palm into Jiraiya's chest hard enough to crack ribs. Then the cave guardian grabbed his shirt and flung him towards the wall. The Sannin twisted around as he fell horizontally, getting his legs between himself and the wall. He landed on it with his fingers crossed, and looked up at his evil twin.

"Shadow Clone Juts..." the statement was cut off in shock at seeing his enemy making the same motion. Four more instances of Jiraiya appeared, two flanking the original and two guarding Orochimaru's creation.

"So you can copy my jutsu too?" Jiraiya pondered, and the silent duplicate did not answer, "That's right, Neji reported his opponent could even use his Byakugan Arts, also like a Shadow Clone."

The two sets of weaker copies charged one another, and rapidly exploded in a display of symmetrical violence. In the mean time Jiraiya began to gather chakra into his right palm, spinning it into a turbulent blue orb. He considered hiding the Rasengan, but decided the duplicate would probably be aware of that trick as well. The copy created a Rasengan of its own and stalked slowly forward. Jiraiya hopped back down to the floor, and walked sideways, keeping his distance from the clone. He prepared to pour more chakra into the Rasengan, but held back, expecting the copy would do the same if acted too early.

They sprang forward in unison, as if expecting to catch the other off-guard. A few feet before they met, the real Human began to reinforce his jutsu. But the enemy clone did the same, and the Toad Sage noted with a shiver of fear that his opponent's orb was more rapidly becoming larger and denser.

'Of course, this thing doesn't have to worry about saving chakra for later,' Jiraiya told himself their Rasengans met and his exploded. The duplicate's sphere lasted a moment longer, and shredded the pervert's right fingertips, before the concussion blew them apart. Jiraiya's hand shuddered from the pain, and he looked down, seeing the glimpse of the last bone in his middle finger.

'I have to find a way to beat this thing,' he pondered, 'And I can't do it like Gai's team did; I'm too far past my prime to just decide to become stronger. Which means I'll have to come up with some way to trick it. Except it know what I know, can do anything I can do. Other than talking, apparently. But there has to be another way. Is there some jutsu that will hurt him more than it hurts me?'

Jiraiya ducked under a right jab, and decided the blow to his chest might have dislocated a rib instead of cracking it. He countered with an uppercut at the clone's chin, but missed. The imposter answered with a knee to the Sannin's side, just below his injured rib.

'What can I do against a chakra construct?' the Sage tried to plan his attack as he was pushed backwards, 'Well, if I think of it like that, I guess there is always _that_ jutsu... But would I expect me to do that? It is a long-shot, at best. If I try it, and he dodges or counters, I might as well just lay down and let him kill me. On the other hand, if it works, I'll have him...'

He signed 'Ne', holding on to the chakra formation tightly as he launched a spinning backfist at his opponent's temple. The copy absorbed the attack with his left wrist, and then aimed a kick at Jiraiya's knees. As he retreated, the proud pervert signed two more times, but these to seals were decoys, designed to make it appear as if he were preparing a lightning jutsu. He continued to draw in his chakra, have discovered years before that a single Rat seal made this jutsu somewhat more safe and efficient. He blocked another kick, feeling his energy reach its peak, and begin to rapidly drop. The facsimile interrupted its taijutsu barrage with a quick, weak fire jutsu, and Jiraiya slammed his forearms together, catching the inferno in his reinforced sleeves. Despite the flame-retardant nature of his uniform, the Sannin still felt his skin crack and blister from the heat. His jutsu complete, he surged forward and grabbed the copy's right arm in his left hand. He thrust his right palm forward, and the clone prepared to block, but the Toad Sage's attack was not a physical one.

"Ninja Art: Negative Chakra Jutsu!" he announced, and the column of black energy struck Orochimaru's creation square in the chest. Jiraiya shuddered as the feedback of the technique drained the strength from his muscles, and the clone pulled away from his weakened grip.

The effect on the duplicate was much more pronounced. It jerked randomly as it stepped back, and the area of its torso where the inverted energy had hit flickered in and out of existence. It tried to kick again, but fell backwards, no longer able to maintain its balance with only one leg. It fell down onto one knee, its face pointed towards Jiraiya, but its eyes unable to focus.

"You didn't figure that one out, did you?" Jiraiya asked darkly. He took the copy's head in his hands, favoring his uninjured left hand slightly. Then he slammed his knee into the clone's nose as hard as he could. The construct fell back and began to fade away.

"Not exactly like the ones Gai's squad fought," he decided, dropping roughly into a sitting position. The Sannin first consumed a food pill, and then took out bandages and ointment, and began to treat his injured fingers. He checked his rib carefully, and decided it was a light crack rather than a dislocation, and that there was nothing he could do about it. His self ministrations ended, the Toad Sage rose unsteadily to his feet, and approached the door again.

With the central seal gone, it was a relatively simple matter to clear the rest away, though he was lightly shocked when his numbed right hand brushed a tag that he did not mean to touch. Once the path was clear, the author grasped the ornate handles, and, with a grunt of effort, pulled the large, reinforced doors towards him. He braced himself to be overwhelmed by the Six-Tails or its shape-shifting host.

There was no demon on the other side of the portal. Instead an even larger chamber sat on the other side of the barricade, so huge the light from his torch barely dented the darkness. As his eyes adjusted he realized he was looking at a small town or village. It was ancient, probably from the era when the Bijuu and their ilk controlled the continent, and chakra was still considered magic. It appeared to be empty, no lights or sounds reached him. Despite this, it was fairly intact, only here and there had time or earthquakes claimed a few of the stone buildings.

"OK," Jiraiya exhaled, suitably impressed, "But what are you hiding down here, my old friend?"

His eyes settled on the center of town, on easily the largest building, some sort of temple or castle.

"Whatever it is, I'm sure your ego wouldn't let you work on it anywhere else."

He trotted down the ramp as quickly as he could, his energy starting to recover from the Negative Chakra Jutsu. Halfway down, he heard the twang of a crossbow, and barely ducked under the bolt that flew by at head level. He looked down, and saw a slight impression in the rocky floor.

"Right, you wouldn't lay off the traps, even this close," Jiraiya noted, and he proceeded with renewed caution. He reached the bottom of the slope unscathed, and padded towards the church, having decided the structure must have had a religious purpose, rather than a military one.

Not long after he passed the first set of composite homes, a new noise reached his ears and his eyes widened. On either side of him, the baying of hounds drew swiftly closer.

* * *

Jiraiya leaned against the inner wall of the ruined blacksmith's shop, closing his eyes against the pain. He tightened the bandage over the chunk that had been torn out of his left thigh, but the bleeding only slowed, it did not stop. He wondered if that was a good thing, as the blood loss was probably the main thing keeping him from succumbing to the last three poisons he had been subjected to, now that he was out of antidote pills.

The dogs, giant, nearly feral creatures, had chased him through the city as he whittled down their pack. The Sannin wondered if it was just coincidence that they had driven him into so many of Orochimaru's snares, or if they had been trained to do so.

"Are these things able to find enough food to survive down here?" Jiraiya asked the snake, "Or do you keep them in chakra stasis until they are needed?"

After he had killed the seventeenth of the twenty-three canines, the rest got the message and backed off. Still he could hear and smell them, prowling around the perimeter, too afraid to attack further, yet either too well trained or too vindictive to just let him go.

The Sage took stock. He was only a block away from the temple. Other than the large injury in his leg, he had almost two dozen, new, minor cuts and punctures, from either the dogs or the traps. He clenched his fists to focus, and the pain in his fingertips flared again. But he was thankful, it helped clear his mind of the poison fog descending on his thoughts.

"Almost there," he said, stepping back into the street, "I hope..."

He banished away any thoughts that the temple might be the wrong place, or that it might be the portal to another system of tunnels. He strode confidently forward, counting on his bravado to keep the surviving hounds at bay.

When he reached the temple, he felt the presence of the dogs fade away, and he took that as validation of his choice. After checking for traps and finding none, he placed his palms on the double doors and shoved them firmly inwards. They opened without even a whisper of protest. Jiraiya picked up his lantern, and shined it inside.

The church was mostly empty, except for a single alter in the center. He limped towards the stone pedestal, no longer acting for the beasts. As he approached, he could see there was some sort of depression in the center, and the sides were carved with advanced fuinjutsu and ninjutsu seals. Recognizing some of his former comrade's preferred arts, he hastened his uneven steps.

Jiraiya gasped in surprise when he saw what was in the stone casket. It was a single human body, a male, with skin so pale white it almost looked blue in the shadow of the box. He had stringy, jet-black hair, extending past his shoulders. The man was shorter than the Toad Sage, and much more slender. He wore simple white robes, and though his eyes were closed, the purple marks around them cemented for Jiraiya the fact that, had they been open, they would have been yellow and slitted.

"Orochimaru," the Sage began to laugh, and part of him recognized the intoxication as a symptom of his poisoning. He choked the mirth down, and began examining the byre with his eyes and his jutsu.

"It is you," he commented in amazement, "the real you, your original body. That's what Sasuke meant. This is your last resort, because even if whatever body you are currently in is destroyed and you cannot find a new one in time, your soul will just snap back here and you can start all over again."

He marveled briefly at the suspension jutsu that maintained the renegade's body without letting it age. But then he shook his head, and moved his attention to the jutsu protecting the snake's form.

"This must have taken you months, maybe even years," Jiraiya traced the web of connected seals, both permanently etched into the stone and in tags. The wards were powerful, precise, and glaringly obvious. They eloquently conveyed Orochimaru's message, touch me, or even get to close, and you will die. Painfully. The loyal Sannin tried to find a way to unravel the protections, but the key seals were on the inside.

"You must have placed the final seals from in there, before putting yourself into stasis," the Toad Sage told his unhearing teammate, "ingenious. If I had Hinata's eyes, Naruto's chakra supply, and Hiroko's natural talent, I might be able to find a way in. But as it stands..."

He smiled briefly, mentioning the Cursebreaker's name reminded him of their occasional, past dalliances. But his sliver of happy recollection quickly melted. Jiraiya took out his cellular, and predictably, had no signal. He signed three times, sending his energy into the phone to enhance the reception. Hoping the two bars he now had would be enough, he hit number one on his speed dial. The phone on the other end rang four times, and the Jonin Sage was afraid it would go to voice-mail. But just before the last ring, there was a click as the connection was established.

"Jiraiya, what is it?" Tsunade started without greeting, her voice dangerous.

"Is it a bad time?" he asked weakly, unable to muster his normal self-assurance.

"I just found out that Sakura and Hinata left the village yesterday, without authorization," the Hokage answered more evenly, worried by his tone of voice.

"I wonder why that could be?" he queried, but his soft intonation hid the undercurrent of meaning in his words.

"I suspect it has something to with Naruto's sudden vacation," she told him with a sigh. Then she turned her attention back to him, further agitated by his lack of a glib reply, "Anyway, why are you calling? Are you in trouble?"

"In a manner of speaking," he smiled as he said it, "I guess the reason I'm calling is to apologize. You asked me not to die, but it looks like that won't be possible."

"Jiraiya?" she demanded anxiously, "What does that mean?"

"Sasuke's message," he started to explain, "Shikamaru and I decoded it. 'Snake's Last Resort', and some coordinates. I'm there, now."

"What is it?" Tsunade's emotions warred in her words, "What did you find?"

"Orochimaru. His original body. His contingency against being killed."

"That's great," she sounded cautiously optimistic, "If we bring him back here..."

"Won't work," he cut her off, "Seals are too much. Even the Cursebreaker couldn't do it. Have to kill him here. But it will take a sacrifice..."

"What are you saying?" she barked, anger covering her fear.

"Seals protect him, and kill anyone who gets to close," Jiraiya's breath was growing short, "but he made a mistake. He assumed no-one would be willing to die to kill him. The right type of jutsu, like say an Odama Rasengan, could cut through the seals and still kill Orochimaru. But it would be a suicide mission, the seals would tear apart the attacker. That's why I'm going to end it now."

"Don't you dare," she ordered furiously, "As the Hokage, I'm ordering you to stay there and wait for backup. You hear me, Jiraiya?"

"It's too late," he told her gently, "I'm already dying. Getting through all of Orochimaru's traps was too much for this old body. At this point, it's a race to see if the poisons kill me before I bleed out. Even if I could survive, part of the tunnel collapsed behind me, so it could take you days to reach me. And by then it might be too late..."

Though he was thinking about his knucklehead student and the possible duel, Tsunade took it to mean to late for Jiraiya.

"Besides," he continued, "This is my responsibility. Orochimaru was my teammate."

"He was my teammate too," she insisted, tears running down her cheeks in despair.

"But you are Hokage now," he countered, "You couldn't afford to do this, even if you were in my place."

He coughed harshly, as one of the toxins hit his lungs.

"I don't have much time left," he informed her, "So, I'm sorry Tsunade. Tell Naruto and Hinata to take good care of one another. I wonder what would have happened, if I had had the courage to knuckle down and ask you out seriously..."

Realizing he was babbling, he allowed the phone to slip from his grip, clouds of chakra forming in his hands as he took another step closer.

"Jiraiya? Jiraiya!" her anguished cries echoed around the church, and a six-foot diameter Rasengan coalesced between his hands.

"I'll see you on the other side, old friend," he told Orochimaru's comatose form.

"Odama... Rasengan," he gasped, falling forward, putting his weight on to the chakra sphere. The seals reacted instantly, and lighting, fire, wind, and darkness burned, tore, and flooded into his body. Jiraiya focused all of his remaining chakra and attention into the orb, keeping it stable, forcing it through the barriers. The spiraling chakra shredded some of the shields, and slipped around others. The Toad Sage's hair was gone, melted away, when the Rasengan finally pierced the shell. Jiraiya grunted, and pressed down with his arms, feeling his air damaged muscles rip deeper from the effort. The last resistance of the barriers gave way, and the Rasengan plunged into Orochimaru's chest.

"Goodbye, Tsunade."

Orochimaru's eyes snapped open, and an inhuman howled issued from his throat, as Minato's jutsu destroyed his ribs, and then the organs they protected. The serpent Sannin's scream cut off, as the last breathe was ejected from his throat, and his eyes emptied of all feeling. As the renegade's body died, so did Jiraiya's strength run out, and what was left of the Toad Sage collapsed on the alter, the sputtering remains of the seals fading around him.

"JIRAIYA!" Tsunade's scream echoed from his phone into the ancient church.


	113. One Final Betrayal

**Chapter 113: One Final Betrayal**

'My body,' Orochimaru thought, as he punched wildly at Naruto. The younger man blocked, but could not counter other than to swipe at the Sannin's retracting arm. The Tokujo tried to get back in range, but a telescoping chop at his leg forced him to dance sideways or be tripped.

'I thought I saw Jiraiya before... before my real body was destroyed...' Orochimaru hissed at Sasuke as he dredged up his original form's final recollection, 'And now I am truly bound to this body. But how? How did he know?'

He glared inwards at Sasuke even as in the physical plane he hopped away from Uzumaki, striking the blonde's wrist with both of his palms to push the staff-blade wide. Uchiha sat cross-legged in the middle of the prison, his look of serenity cracked by a hint of smugness.

'I told Naruto's teacher where to find your backup plan,' the trapped Genin stated neutrally, 'I sent him a message when you fought Itachi. I was beginning to think he had not received it, but I suppose it just took him a while to decode it.'

He opened one eye and looked up at Orochimaru's face on the wall, 'I guess you shouldn't have shown me your little fail-safe.'

Sasuke returned to meditating, and the serpent returned his full attention to the real world, clicking his tongue in futile rage.

The master shinobi took stock of the situation. His original body was dead, which meant his personal chakra supply was gone, leaving him only Sasuke's energy to use. Orochimaru tended to use his own chakra, unless Sasuke's was better suited for the jutsu; his 'sleeping' body regained spent ki faster, giving him an addition advantage. This meant he still had most of the Uchiha's reserves left, but that was a small comfort.

'I'm not sure I will be able to use the Soul Revelation in this state, but Naruto has also abandoned his Ascendant Fox form, so I may not need it,' the renegade decided. He took out a kunai, and activated a quick jutsu to temporarily transform it into a longer blade. The altered weapon was no replacement for Kusanagi, but he felt it was better than nothing.

* * *

"What just happened?" Sakura asked, cautiously relieved.

"I'm not sure..." Hinata's eyes narrowed as she stared hard at Sasuke, "There was some sort of unusual chakra reaction around Orochimaru, and then his second chakra supply suddenly vanished. Whatever happened, I don't think he was expecting it."

"Then this is Naruto's chance," the medic asserted hopefully, and the pale beauty nodded.

* * *

Naruto frowned as he knocked aside the altered dagger, trying to get closer. After his outburst and sudden reversion, Orochimaru's attacks had become desperate and undisciplined. But now the body thief seemed to be regaining his composure. His extending, snake-like arms were still keeping the Leaf Tokubetsu Jonin at bay, though Uzumaki expected if he were to use Kitsune's air sword, that would have changed quite quickly. Fortunately for his composite opponent, Naruto was not willing to maim Sasuke, not when he was suddenly gaining momentum against Orochimaru.

"Ryu. Flash Split Jutsu," Naruto vanished and reappeared at four points around Orochimaru. But the Sannin's arms snaked out and immediately destroyed two of the Shadow Clones. The renegade shook Sasuke's head with a wry grin.

"That jutsu places you in a perfect square, making it easy to predict your locations," Orochimaru explained, blocking an attack from one of the remaining Narutos, and drawing a second kunai in his off hand. He stabbed out at the version that was keeping his distance. His jutsu disrupted, that Naruto drew Kitsune and tried to disarm his opponent. During the weapons exchange the Sannin scored a hit on the teen's left elbow, and the clone exploded with a regretful expression.

"You're right, and I'm working on that," the real Tokujo conceded the point, "but you're also wrong on two counts. Flash Split."

Orochimaru turned to intercept the incoming duplicates, but the copies were not where he expected. Instead two Naruto's were closing in on him from shallower angles.

"I can also do triangles," Naruto explained as he stabbed Kitsune towards Sasuke's shoulder. Orochimaru rolled past the strike, and kicked one of the clones full in the belly, destroying it. He blocked one Kitsune with his transformed kunai and the other on his unmodified knife. He turned the blades over, extending his arms and score hits on each teen's left shoulder. The one who had spoken exploded, surprising the Sannin slightly, and the remaining Naruto formed the Dragon sign again.

"And also... Ryu. Flash Split Jutsu."

The four Narutos reappeared in a square again, but this time, instead of surrounding Orochimaru, the closest one was twenty feet away, with the others further out.

"Even if you know the shape, you can't really predict where we will end our flash steps," the nearest Uzumaki noted, as the other three started signing.

"Raiton: Spark Darts Jutsu."

"Fuuton: Cyclone Spikes Jutsu."

"Katon: Fire Trace Jutsu."

The copies unleashed their attacks, and once the three elements had passed him, the lead Naruto followed, Kitsune raised high.

* * *

With Orochimaru's attention back on the battle, Sasuke moved back to the scar on the soul prison, and began to examine it again. He had already discovered in the past, that when the snake was extremely focused on something, usually a fight or some manner of ancient book or scroll, he could exert some small control over his body. But now dragging his feet in a pattern or tapping a finger would not suffice. He only had one chance, so he had to make the very most of it.

"I am still an avenger," he whispered, finding an especially rough seam in the top indentation, "Only my target has changed."

Sasuke started to dig his fingers into the crack.

* * *

"Ninja Art: Mud Surge Jutsu," Orochimaru countered, and a nineteen foot tall wave of muck washed towards Naruto, easily consuming the three weaker techniques. It crested over the younger man and his three copies. The Shadow Clones were destroyed instantly, but the real Tokujo was not so lucky. Uzumaki was battered by the thick swell, before ultimately being buried under it. Hinata held her breath, but a second later Kitsune's wind projection sliced through the settling earth. Naruto clawed his way back to the surface, gasping for air.

"Ninja Art: Poison Mist Jutsu," Orochimaru summoned the toxic cloud again, expecting that the panting teen would be more susceptible to gas.

"Fuuton," Naruto croaked, not using a jutsu, just expending his wind chakra to enhance the evening breeze. The purple fog drifted back towards its creator, who ended the technique with a harsh chuckle.

"Can't form a real jutsu?" the renegade asked mockingly. Naruto regained his feet, forcing his breathing to return to normal.

"Didn't need to," the blonde warrior shot back. He raced forward, and the Sannin gave ground, blocking the swinging staff-blade with both of his weapons. The modified blade cracked, and he threw the intact kunai at the teen. Naruto deflected the projectile, and stabbed out in response. Sasuke's right fist slipped past Kitsune, and tagged Uzumaki's throat. Kitsune's wind blade flared out, but Orochimaru's forearms whipped away before they were cut.

'I should reconsider this,' Orochimaru considered as he stepped back again, 'I am in an especially vulnerable state. I should retreat, and formulate a new backup plan. But then I would lose this chance to acquire Uzumaki's unique physiology.'

He ducked under Naruto's slice at his head, and his neck twisted and lengthened, allowing him to bite the Leaf ninja's forearm near the elbow. Uzumaki tried to pull away, but Orochimaru's teeth lengthened, digging deeper into Naruto's tissues. The teen instead tried to slam his free hand into Sasuke's ear, but the serpent blocked with one hand while his other palm shot at the shoulder of Naruto's trapped limb. The younger man's arm was thrown out of its socket, and the Sannin unlocked his jaw, releasing the limb.

Kitsune slipped out of Naruto's grip as he popped his right arm back into place with a grimace of pain. He briefly glanced down at the odd combination of human and snake teeth marks, closing quickly on the skin visible under the damaged sleeve of his jacket. Then he threw his entire mass behind his left fist, aiming it at Orochimaru's throat. The snake slid around the punch, but failed to see the knee that jabbed into his side. The secondary attack was weaker and slower, and the Sannin caught Naruto's leg and tossed him away.

'No, right now the risk is too great,' Orochimaru stepped towards the forest, plotting his escape route, 'All I need is for him to land an unlucky Rasengan. Once I have a new contingency or two in place, I can try again.'

He took two more measured paces away, while still facing the recovering blonde. Then he turned and darted towards the treeline as fast as Sasuke's legs would carry him.

"Hey," Naruto exclaimed in confused annoyance, as he finished regaining his feet. He raced after the renegade, but his rival was still the faster of the two of them. Hinata and Sakura also tried to move to intercept him, but even though Hinata was the fleetest of them all, she was too far away to catch Orochimaru before he made it to the woods. Only fifty feet from the forest, Sasuke's body pitched forwards, as if he had tripped on something.

"What are you..." Orochimaru hissed angrily as he bounced off the turf. The two kunoichi stopped and Naruto slowed, expecting a trick. A few heartbeats later, Sasuke rose to his feet. But this time there was a different cadence to his movements, and when he lifted his head, the Sharingan was gone, and his pupils were round, rather than slitted.

"Naruto..." Sasuke said softly, his voice an odd mixture of annoyance and regret.

"Sasuke?" Naruto's eyes widened in recognition of the tone the serpent Sannin had never fully replicated, "Is that really you?"

"For the moment," The real Uchiha answered harshly, as if that fact should have been obvious. Then his visage darkened, and he continued more sadly, "But only a moment. Which is why I need you to kill me."

Hinata's shoulders shuddered, as she realized what the rogue Genin had done.

"Kill you?" Naruto's face creased in uncertainty, "But you broke free. Even if it's temporary now, we can find a way to make it permanent."

"Don't you know?" Sasuke asked dubiously, "Didn't Jiraiya tell you about my vow? Or did you just choose to forget?"

Sakura gasped in remembrance, and both young women started crying.

"What are you talking about?" Naruto queried anxiously.

"I swore a Blood Oath to Orochimaru," Sasuke answered, "That if I ever interfered in a fight between him and you, Sakura, or Kakashi, my soul would die. I would be completely evicted from my body, and Orochimaru would have full ownership of my body. Even now, I can feel the seal, tearing at me. I don't have long."

"Why?" Naruto demanded, tears streaming down his face, "Why did you do this? I could have beaten that snake, and gotten you back!"

"No, you couldn't," Sasuke shook his head dubiously, his tone mocking, "Even _if_ you were strong enough to win, Orochimaru would have left my body, like he promised. But only so he could take yours. Then he would have taken my eyes, and put them in your body. And if you lost, he was going to use your body to resurrect Kabuto."

"And I couldn't let this pass," Uchiha continued darkly, "I owe Orochimaru for everything he did to me. Now is the best chance I might ever have to see him dead. You see, he had a backup plan for in case his stolen bodies were killed. But that was just taken care of. That's why he was running. He didn't want to risk you killing him when he was this vulnerable."

"Then... then you kill yourself," Naruto requested desperately, "You're an avenger right? If you want Orochimaru dead, then you should be the one to kill him."

"I can't," Sasuke said, his voice weaker, "He's still in here, trying to take back control. It's all I can do to just stand in this spot. If I tried to do that..."

Hinata nodded in spite of herself, remembering Naruto's mental struggle, when the Kyubi had taken over and tried to kill her.

"You promised to bring me back to the village, right?" Sasuke goaded his rival, "The only way I'm going back, is for you to kill me and bring back my corpse. Otherwise, I _will_ return to the Konoha, as Orochimaru's host, the next time he attacks."

Sasuke shuddered, then added desperately yet angrily, "I'm slipping... You have to do it now, Naruto!"

"I..." Naruto turned his head to look at Sakura. His expression begged her for validation. The Jonin closed her tear-filled eyes, and she nodded once.

"Sorry, Sasuke," Uzumaki lifted his right hand, a tiny orb of chakra forming over each finger. Uchiha closed his eyes and smiled angelically.

"RRRRAAAHHH," Naruto roared wordlessly as he stepped in, thrusting his arm forward.

"I win, you damn snake," the renegade Uchiha whispered. Then his shoulders slumped, and half a heartbeat later, his head snapped back up, the slitted, Sharingan eyes locking on the sky.

"Sasuke!" Orochimaru shrieked as Naruto's attack began to dig into his chest. His shout crescendoed into a howl of raw agony, as the marble-sized Rasengans not only shredded through tissue and bone, but also sent a destructive vibration into the area between the spheres, namely Sasuke's heart. The Sannin forced his view down, glaring hatefully at his killer. His arms reached for Naruto's wrist, but he was too late.

"Five Points Rasengan!" the Tokujo yelled the name of the jutsu. The reverberation reached its peak, and Sasuke's chest imploded. The miniature Rasengans were hurtled away, digging five new exits from the stolen body.

"Naru...to..." Orochimaru gasped with what was left of his right lung, as he collapsed to the grass. Sasuke's eyes returned to normal, even as the light in them faded. Naruto turned away from his rival's corpse, looking despondently at his lover and his friend. Both kunoichi started towards him, lifting their arms to embrace him. But before they were halfway there, Hinata froze with a look of terror, and half of a step later, Sakura matched her teammate's action and expression. Naruto spun back around, and then hopped back in surprise.

"NARUTO UZUMAKI!" Orochimaru shrieked in his original voice, as his soul shell erupted out of Sasuke Uchiha's back...


	114. Divine Wrath

**Chapter 114: Divine Wrath**

"Give me your body," Orochimaru's three mouths hissed forcefully in triplicate harmony, as the monstrous Sannin stepped away from Sasuke's corpse. His left arm whipped out to grab Naruto, but even though Uzumaki's grief had amplified his shock at the Sannin's reappearance, the teen's reflexes were enough that he was able to dive to the side. The soul shell's head and left 'hand' continued to follow Uzumaki, but the right serpent looked at the two kunoichi.

"Give me a body," he demanded again.

"Hinata, Sakura, get out of here," Naruto shouted, drawing Kitsune and intoning, "Rasenblade."

The blonde ninja sliced down, the roiling blade carving through the left snake between the eyes. An instant later, the Sannin's 'arm' was whole again, and lunging for Naruto.

"Suiton: Water Spout Jutsu," Hinata finished signing and launched a large sphere of liquid at the point where the three snakes joined. The technique was far less effective than it should have been, however Orochimaru was still pushed a few feet away from Naruto.

"You said you had a way to deal with this thing, right?" Sakura asked, trying to decide if she could perform hand signs properly with one arm in a sling, or if she should risk wielding her axe with only one hand.

"I did before, when it was a ninjutsu," the pale beauty shook her head with a worried expression, "But I don't know what I'm seeing now, and I can only guess what we could do against it. There are no bones, muscles, organs, not even tenketsu; just some sort of strange undifferentiated matter and chakra. I might be able to seal him; except I don't have a suitable vessel, and I have avoided learning necromancy related fuinjutsu..."

"So what can we do?" Sakura asked herself as much as her teammate.

"Katon: Grand Fireball Jutsu," Orochimaru intoned, and the soul shell spit huge clouds of fire from each of its three mouths. The two kunoichi were both far enough back that they were able to avoid the attack, but Naruto was too close to dodge. Instead he brought up Kitsune, and the staff-blade's spiraling wind chakra extension carved a wedge in the flames. Uzumaki hopped back as Orochimaru's technique ended. He frowned in consideration when he noticed the snake pant once, before controlling his 'breathing'.

'I have to be careful,' the essentially dead Sannin reminded himself, 'without my body as an anchor, my soul shell is less stable than normal. And my chakra is even more limited. I need to fight smart.'

"So, you were willing to kill Sasuke after all?" Orochimaru's hiss dripped with insinuation, "I would not have thought you had it in you. But since you were too weak to bring him back alive, you decided dead was better than nothing."

"Shut up," Naruto growled, pointing Kitsune at the main serpent's head.

"Of course, even then you couldn't do it on your own, could you? You needed Sasuke's help, and Sakura's permission."

"Shut your damn mouths," the fox-faced teen barked.

"Or what?" the snake's lips turned up mockingly, "You'll ask your girlfriends to save you?"

Naruto tensed to lunge, grief and rage scattering his prior caution like dried leaves in a fall wind. But as he drew back Kitsune, something pulled him back.

"Naruto," Hinata called out softly, and her beloved froze. He turned to look at her, and her sad smile cooled his emotions.

"I can't begin to know how you are feeling right now," she admitted, "But I do know that you can't let Orochimaru manipulate your emotions. Otherwise, Sasuke's sacrifice will be for nothing..."

He shuddered, tears forming in his eyes again. He nodded at her, and then turned back to the triplicate serpent, his focus restored. But as he did, the reptilian arms lashed out, biting down on his wrists.

"Whether you charge me recklessly, or pause to let your lover talk you down, it serves me just as well," Orochimaru hissed triumphantly, as Naruto tried unsuccessfully to pull away, "You were distracted and now you are mine."

As the snake leaned in to engulf Naruto, a sudden light flared on the teen's stomach, bright enough to be visible through the damaged sections of his jacket. Hinata's Byakugan recognized a certain part of the Fourth Hokage's set of seals reappearing on his son's skin. For a moment Minato's fuinjutsu glowed, and then it exploded, blinding all four combatants, and throwing Orochimaru back. Hinata's vision cleared first, and as it did, she noticed four new figures between Naruto and Orochimaru.

The first figure was instantly recognizable to the Leaf shinobi, even Sakura, who had not seen him in person on their last encounter with Orochimaru. Minato Namikaze was still a few centimeters taller than his son, but his hair remained almost identical, though his face was a little fuller, and his expression was more serious. He still wore the standard Konoha ninja jumpsuit and vest, accented with a long, white jacket bordered in red flames. His eyes met Naruto's and he smiled slightly.

The second newcomer was also the tallest, and had a similar build to Minato. He had a classically handsome face and dark brown hair trailing to the middle of the back. His honest eyes were of a similar brown color. He had a Leaf shield across his brow, and unusually for a ninja, he wore heavy, deep crimson, plate armor on his torso and arms.

The third warrior was similarly garbed, though his armor was blue rather than red, and had a fringe of white fur around the neck. His hair was white, and stood out from his head. Instead of the standard headband, his Leaf insignia was part of a partial mask that also partially covered the shinobi's cheeks. He had deep red eyes, and a series of scarlet tattoo lines one his cheeks, chin and neck.

The last to appear was also the shortest. He had short, spiky locks of a medium brown hue and a matching goatee. He wore a dark grey karate gi, trimmed in white, with an armored mesh visible underneath. The younger shinobi thought he looked familiar, but none of them could identify him. However Orochimaru's eyes widened in recognition.

"What is this?" Orochimaru hissed suspiciously, but also fearfully, "What have you done, Naruto Uzumaki?"

"My son had nothing to do with this," Minato Namikaze took one step closer, "If you seek to blame someone for what is about to befall you, look to myself and Sarutobi-dono."

"But to be fair, it's mostly your own fault," Tobirama Senju told the renegade, quickly circling around the renegade. Hiruzen Sarutobi followed closely behind his predecessor, but stopped sooner. Hashirama Senju moved in the other direction, and before he had realized it, the snake was surrounded by the four deceased leaders of the Hidden Leaf Village.

"What does that mean?" Orochimaru snarled, his three heads trying to track his four new opponents. The First gestured, and wooden vines grew quickly out of the field, entangling the Sannin's legs.

"I tried to warn you, tried to steer you away from this path," the Third said regretfully.

"You have angered the gods once too often," Tsunade's grandfather explained directly, "Particularly your continual disruptions of the afterlife. And now that your real body is dead, the Reaper is able to take action."

"What action? You?" the traitor demanded, and the other four spirits all nodded.

"It takes the shinigami some time to manifest in the mortal world," Minato told the living and recently dead ninjas.

"And that's not even considering all of the divine bureaucracy required for a god to create an avatar," the Second Hokage noted.

"The death god was worried you might be able to run, or take a new body, before she could arrive," Naruto's father continued, "But thanks to Sarutobi-dono and myself using the Reaper Death seal, we were available to fill the gap."

"The Reaper offered us a deal," Hashirama took over the exposition, "We could be returned to the mortal plane, through the remains of the seal placed upon Naruto Uzumaki. Then we could hold you, until the Reaper arrived. If we did so, we would be granted our freedom, with you taking our place."

"A generous offer, the four of you for me," Orochimaru glared at them through narrowed eyes, "But you might be getting ahead of yourselves. Do you really think you can stop this form?"

To emphasize his point, he tore the plants holding him out of the soft earth, and threw them at the elder Senju disdainfully.

Sarutobi shook his head sadly, stating, "Once again, your arrogance blinds you."

"Just because your soul shell is larger and more grotesque doesn't mean it is stronger than ours," the Second pointed out, then smirked noting, "Or did you forget that we are the same as you right now?"

He stopped holding in his power, and Tobirama grew until he was half again as tall as he had been in life, and his body was suffused with a brilliant blue aura. His white her seemed to become liquid, and the scent of salt water washed off of him. The other three Hokages followed suit, Hiruzen taking on a slightly simian appearance and an orange aura. Minato's legs transformed into lightning bolts, and the Golden Thunder's halo of energy matched his name. The First Hokage's feet split and spread, becoming like roots, and his cloak of spirit was a deep green.

"Stay back," the Fourth warned the three teens. Hinata and Sakura gently pulled Naruto away, and the medic began to treat her teammate for the ghostly snake's toxins.

"Earth Style: Stone Dragon Jutsu," Sarutobi incanted, and a giant stone maw sprang up Orochimaru, catching him around the waist in its fangs. The rest of the wyvern's head flowed out of the ground, carrying the snake into the air.

"Raiton: Stone Cracker Jutsu," the Sannin countered, shattering the rock teeth. He prepared to jump away, using the beast as a platform to escape the Hokages and potentially reach Naruto. But as his talons left the dragon, Minato appeared in front of Orochimaru in a explosion of golden lightning.

"In this state, it appeared I don't even need tags to perform this," the Fourth noted, and then he brought both hands down, chopping the serpentine soul back to the ground.

"Suiton: Trapping Rains Jutsu," the younger Senju brother completed his technique, and a dense downpour began to fall around the Sannin. The weight of the water was such that Orochimaru could barely move, but he started to craft a fire jutsu to counterattack.

Hinata gasped. For the last few minutes, the sky had been growing steadily darker, and the teens had thought it was just the natural progression of nightfall. But the Hyuga heiress realized it was more than that. There were no stars, yet the sky was clear. And the darkness was greater than that, blacker than the deepest, cloudiest night. The keen-eyed woman also noted that the shadow was spreading towards them from all directions. There was something unnatural yet comforting about the encroaching night.

"Katon: Mass Evaporation Jutsu," Orochimaru growled, realizing he was only reacting. He tried to attack, but Hashirama hit him with a massive log, plowing him into the remains of Hiruzen's dragon. The Sannin managed to slither out, just as the Second, Third, and Fourth Hokages hit him from all sides with Mudslide Jutsus. The snake decided to burrow down under his attackers, but as he dove into the turf, he hit a net of roots that promptly constricted around him. The First dragged him back to the surface, and the four leaders of the Konohagakure darted forward, one grabbing each of his limbs.

"What is this?" Orochimaru hissed, annoyed at having to repeat himself. He struggled to pull away, but the other four spirits held him fast.

"It is time," Minato answered, almost reverently, and all four Hokages looked to the sky, drawing the gazes of the others with them.

The entire sky was blacker than the purest pitch, and yet a thicker, still darker swirl had appeared above the five souls. It began to fall towards them, like a tornado. Halfway to the ground, a bolt of midnight lightning shot out of the funnel, exploding before them.

The form of the Reaper was like nothing any of the shinobi, living or dead, would have expected. The god of death appeared as a young girl, perhaps four years of age. She wore the traditional robes of a Shinto priestess. Her stark white hair was longer than her height by half, and cascaded together as if bound in a ponytail, but with no ornaments to keep it in place. Her locks would have trailed on the ground, had she not been floating four feet in the air. She glanced briefly at the teens. Her features were perfect, beautiful, yet also inhuman, like a doll crafted by a master artisan. Her eyes were pools of the same darkness that blotted out the sky, though occasionally streaks of color flashed across them. She turned back to the five souls.

"Orochimaru," though she sounded young, her voice held none of a child's innocence.

"Time and again you have violated my domain and the domains of my fellow gods; summoning back the long departed for your own purposes. You have made no apologies or supplications for these transgressions. And you have sought to forever elude my grasp by gaining immortality. But no more. Your body is dead, and your soul has no shield from me. You are mine."

Her left hand suddenly snapped out and she lightly tapped his chest. Under her gentle fingertips, Orochimaru's soul shell shattered, leaving behind only his original shape. Her right hand lifted and a scythe appeared in it. The weapon appeared to weigh more than the Reaper's avatar, but despite that she lifted it above her head with ease. Something about its blade kept their eyes from locking on the sickle. She drew the scythe back slightly and swung it down, cleaving Orochimaru in twain. But as the blade passed through him, rather than falling away split, the Sannin's spirit followed behind, being sucked into the Reaper's tool. When the sickle reached the ground, Orochimaru was gone. She lifted the blade again, staring at the four Hokages, and for a moment the three teens tensed. Then the goddess released the scythe and it vanished.

"As we agreed, Hashirama Senju, Tobirama Senju, Hiruzen Sarutobi, and Minato Namikaze, you are all free. You may journey to the afterlife and whatever rewards and punishments await you there."

"Wait, you don't know?" Naruto demanded incredulously, and the other six Konoha ninjas stared down at him in horror. But the Reaper did not appear offended. Her entire body rotated in mid air so she could meet his gaze, and she smiled at him kindly.

"No, Naruto Uzumaki, I do not know for certain what awaits your father and his comrades," she answered, and then she grinned mischievously, "though I may have some idea."

"I am not the arbiter of the realms beyond," the deity explained, "I am merely the gate and guardian of the walls between this world and the next. That is why I was the most aggrieved by Orochimaru's actions, no matter which afterlife those souls returned from, he summoned them through my domain."

"Now my time in this world is ended," the child-like goddess told the teens, "I wish you each a good, long life."

Unlike her dramatic appearance, the shinigami simply faded from sight. The instant she was gone, the sky cleared, and the three teens and four souls faced one another.

"Thank you," Hinata bowed to the four Hokages, "Thank you for saving Naruto."

"It wasn't entirely altruistic," Tobirama shrugged, "We did win our own freedom."

"I failed to stop Orochimaru twice," Hiruzen shook his head at his teacher's flippancy, "I am thankful to have had one final chance to make good."

Uzumaki staggered back to his feet, Orochimaru's spiritual venom neutralized when the renegade's soul was taken. He looked at his former benefactor fiercely.

"It's about time, too," he snapped at the Third Hokage. Then his expression softened, and he asked, "So now what happens?"

"Now?" Hashirama Senju smiled, "Now we move on..."

A platinum gate faded into view, floating in the air above them, and as it opened, the night was tempered by a warm yellow glow. Translucent stairs extended down from the portal, ending next to the Hokages. All of their eyes were drawn upward, except for Minato Namikaze.

"What about you, young man? Will you be coming with us?" the Fourth looked past his predecessors, and the soul of Sasuke Uchiha stepped forward, becoming visible as he entered the nimbus of the heavenly light.

"I did not think I would be allowed," he answered, mildly sarcastic despite his reverence and honest self-doubt.

"Well, you're in luck, little brother," a voice emerged from the gate, and the living and dead turned en masse. The four teens reacted in varying degrees of shock, when they saw Itachi Uchiha standing on the other side.

"It seems the gods have decided that the sins you have committed were balanced out by the evil done to you," the deceased double-agent explained, "and so sacrificing your soul to finish Orochimaru tilted the scales in your favor."

"Come on, guys," another voice commanded, and Naruto's eyes filled with tears as they fell on his mentor. Jiraiya looked almost the same as he had as he had while the teens had known him, except his skin was was less weathered.

"The gods sent an honor guard to guide you in," the Sannin explained, "So it would be pretty bad manners to dawdled."

Behind him three more forms appeared. Naruto recognized his mother, while Sasuke gaped at his parents. The avenger struggled to keep his composure and stepped closer.

"Don't you think you've kept me waiting long enough, Minato?" Yukihana asked tersely, but there were tears of joy in her green orbs. Her appearance briefly diverted Naruto's attention, but he quickly returned his gaze to Jiraiya.

"Pervy Sage, what are you doing up there?" he asked weakly.

"Sorry kid," the Sage looked away, "It was the only way to eliminate Orochimaru for good."

"The only way? What does that mean?" Naruto looked from Sasuke to Jiraiya, recalling his rival's previous statements.

"I don't have time to explain," the Sannin shook his head, "but Tsunade knows."

"Jiraiya is correct, we must not delay any longer," the First Hokage instructed. He and his brother walked quickly through the door, and Hashirama grasped Jiraiya's hand. Hiruzen Sarutobi put his hand on Sasuke's shoulder and led him into the light.

"Goodbye, Naruto," Minato said, "I don't think I will see you again on this side."

"Bye, Dad."

Minato stepped through the door, and Yukihana pounced on him.

"Yuki, not in front of everyone," he scolded, blushing as the door started to close.

"Shut up and kiss me," she demanded, and the portal to the afterlife sealed shut and vanished. Naruto turned back to his lover and his friend, and took a deep breath, forcing the sadness from his face. Hinata embraced him anyway, and Sakura touch his forearm comfortingly with her good hand.

"Thank you both," he told them, putting his arms around his fiancé. As they stood there his face started to cloud over again, so the medic tried another tactic.

"Well, what do you know..." Sakura said pointedly, in mock surprise, "I guess there is such a thing as ghosts after all."

"Sakura!" Hinata's voice sounded scandalized, but she too was acting, for her beloved's sake. Naruto shuddered, and then managed a weak grin.

"Ghosts like that, I can handle," he announced. Then he sobered, and looked down at the ground, at the remains of his fallen rival and friend.

"Come on," Naruto Uzumaki stated, "It's time to bring Sasuke home."


	115. Returning Home, Again

**Chapter 115: Returning Home, Again**

She sat up suddenly in bed. She was not sure what had awakened her. She glanced over, hoping she had not disturbed her lover, but ready to downplay it if she had. He shifted slightly, but remained suspended in his dreams. She looked around their dark apartment, trying to figure out what had interrupted her slumber. Nothing was out of place in their home, none of their phones had rung. After almost a minute she suddenly understood.

It had been with her for years, the pain. The constant, burning ache where her neck met her left shoulder. The stiffness, that interfered slightly with the reflexes in her left shoulder. The yearning, a dark urging to give in to her fate. Most of the time it was just there, but occasionally it flared up, some times with her emotions, and other times for no reason she, the medical corps, or the sealing experts could determine. Moderate or intense, no matter what, the pain was there. Always. And after over a dozen years, it had become a part of her.

Now it was gone. The pain, the tightness, the call, all of it. She could not believe it. The kunoichi scrambled to the side of the bed. She opened the nightstand, scrambling for the mirror in the drawer. Her wild actions finally roused her partner, who opened his eyes and looked at her in confusion.

"Anko, what is it?" Iruka asked drowsily.

"Iruka," she stopped just short of jumping out of bed, as if suddenly remembering her lover's existence. She dropped back to the mattress, and slid towards him. Untethered, her violet hair hung halfway down her back, and she hastily pulled it over her right shoulder, giving him an unobstructed view.

"What do you see?" she demanded, and her actions brought the male Jonin to full awareness. She had always avoided showing him her back. It was riddled with small scars, leftovers of the various missions and battles she had been in since returning to the village and joining Team Hizashi. She proudly called them her battle trophies, but Umino knew that boast was mostly a cover. The marks only existed where she could cover them, any injuries to her breasts, stomach, arms, legs, and face had been properly treated. And even now, he knew most of the blemishes could have been reduced or eliminated by a skilled medical ninja. The scars were Anko punishing herself for her association with Orochimaru, which was why she usually hid them, even while flaunting as much of the rest of her body as she could without being arrested.

But that was not her point, and his eyes were drawn up to her neck, to her other brand, the Cursed Mark of Heaven. Except that the serpent Sannin's seal was not there. He reached out, and she flinched. He paused, and she murmured a terse apology, upset with herself at her fear. He touched her skin gently, but it was smooth and clean. Iruka had little natural talent for fuinjutsu, but he had studied hard despite that, as ninja seals directly impacted two of the most important people in his life. He activated a few quick techniques, probing the area with his chakra, but there was no evidence of Orochimaru's brand.

"What is it?" she asked anxiously, trying in vain to see for herself. She ended up staring at her lover instead.

"Nothing," he answered carefully.

"What? Nothing?"

"I'm not the best choice for this, and I can't be one hundred per cent sure," he qualified, "But I don't see it and I can't detect it. Anko, I think your Curse Mark is gone."

She turned her face away from him, and her shoulders began to shake. He realized she was crying, and he cautiously put his arms around her, half expecting her to dodge or even throw him. Somewhat unexpectedly, she not only let him comfort her, she placed her hands on his and leaned back into him.

"It's gone," she both sobbed and laughed in pure joy, "I'm free."

Iruka kissed the now blank spot, to confirm her statement. Her grip on his arms tightened, and after almost a minute, her happy yet sad shaking settled, and she took a deep breath.

"Iruka?" she asked tentatively, shifting in his embrace so she could meet his eyes, "That little box you keep in your nightstand? Could you maybe show it to me?"

His eyes widened, and he quickly disengaged. He rolled back off the other side of the bed, clumsy in his haste. He yanked open the drawer, harder than he intended, and withdrew the ring box. Then Iruka took a deep breath, and walked slowly around their bed. He clicked on the light on her nightstand, before kneeling in front of her. He opened the box, showing her the oval cut diamond in the simple gold band.

"Anko Mitarashi, will you marry me?"

For a moment she smiled happily at him, then her eyes sharpened and she snorted a laugh.

"Hell no," she barked in her normal tone of voice, "I just got out of one prison, why would I jump right into another?"

For a moment, the male Jonin looked stunned, his jaw hanging slightly. Then he shut both his mouth and the box. He slammed the container down on the bedside cabinet. Glaring at her, Umino half jumped, half dove forward. He caught her shoulders and gently carried her back until Anko was laying across their bed, with Iruka pinning her down.

"Damn it, Anko," he growled in false rage, "If you're going to be like that, I'll just have to ravish you until you lose your mind and say yes."

"I'd like to see you try," her voice was dangerous, but her eyes glowed with lusty anticipation.

"I'm sure you will," he agree, well aware of his partner's appetites. Then he leaned in the rest of the way, and kissed her passionately.

* * *

Unlike their leisurely trip out, the three teens hurried back home. Despite the late hour and the trouble she knew it would cause, Sakura called Shizune, and informed the Hokage's assistant what had occurred. Shizune in turn told her that Tsunade was awake, and why. Master and apprentice had then spoken briefly, and Sakura was unnerved that Tsunade had not raised her voice once, or even scolded her. The Hokage instead just said she would dispatch another squad to meet Team Kakashi and escort them the rest of the way.

Naruto had been silent the whole trip, and he neither objected to Sakura calling Tsunade, nor to the news that they would be getting chaperons. Uzumaki merely tightened his grip on Sasuke's body, wrapped in his bedroll. A few hours later, they were met by Gai, Neji, and Tenten, and the blonde man did not acknowledge them, either. The two younger Jonin remained impassive, but Might Gai kept glancing at Naruto, his expression fluctuating between mild anger, disappointment, and sadness.

When they reached the Hidden Leaf Village, the sun was just starting the peek over the eastern horizon. Gai's squad lead them to Ninja Ops, but instead of the Hokage's office, they were directed to one of the labs on the ground floor. The other trio turned to leave, while Team Kakashi entered. Tsunade and Shizune were both waiting there, and Sakura and Hinata could both tell the last Sannin had been crying very recently. She looked at them impassively for a few moments, before speaking.

"Put Sasuke's body on the table," she instructed them, "And then I want the three of you to go home and get some rest. I will debrief you later."

For a moment Uzumaki hesitated, as if he did not want to release the sleeping bag. Then he complied, all without making a single sound.

Sakura was thoroughly unnerved by her teacher's reaction, or lack thereof, and she wasted no time in exiting. Naruto trudged out after her, and Hinata sketched a hasty bow to her superiors before following her teammates.

Tsunade opened Naruto's bedroll, and sighed heavily as she saw the face of Orochimaru's last victim. She unzipped the sleeping bag all the way, and moved Sasuke's body on to the antiseptic table. The chief medic reached for a scalpel, not trusting her jutsu at the moment, but the physical blade slipped from her fingers.

"Milady," Shizune interrupted, "If you would rather... I can do the autopsy..."

"Thank you, Shizune," despite her words, there was no gratitude in her voice, only grim resignation, "But I have to do this. There is something I need to see."

She lifted the surgical knife, but before she could make the incision, the intercom sounded.

"What is it?" Shizune asked tersely, when her mentor stopped, but did not answer.

"Ma'am, Team Anko and Team Yugao are here as the Hokage requested," Raido said quickly, not knowing what had the normally calm healer annoyed.

"Send them down here," Tsunade said, her voice trembling. She set down the scalpel, and stepped out in the hall, both because there was not enough space for eight more people and one large dog in the room, and because she did not want them to see Sasuke's body. A few moments later, the two teams arrived. The Hokage noticed Anko was walking slightly bow-legged, and that she looked much more openly happy than usual. She put aside her suspicions for the moment, and addressed them as normally as she could.

"Thank you all for coming," the Sannin put on her leadership mask, "I have an important, last minute mission for all of you."

"Two teams?" Kiba asked, "We haven't done that since the Akatsuki fell apart."

"Nevertheless, this mission will take all of your talents," she grimaced at the interruption, but couldn't work up the anger to snap at Inuzuka as she normally would have.

"Shikamaru," she said loudly, and the apathetic Chunin hopped slightly, "I understand you know about the 'Snake's Last Resort'."

Anko looked at her student curiously, and the normally relaxed teen frowned worriedly.

"You could say that," he admitted, "But I thought you didn't believe that message was the real deal."

"I do now," she confirmed darkly, "Team Anko, Team Yugao, your mission is to go to that location and retrieve the bodies of Jiraiya and Orochimaru."

"Master Jiraiya?" Sasame's eyes widened in shock, and a heartbeat later her green orbs became wet with tears. Shino touched his teammate's shoulder gently to comfort her, aware that she still felt indebted to the now deceased Sannin. Yugao had a similar, if more subdued reaction, and Anko pursed her lips thoughtfully. Shikamaru also frowned, but Ino, Choji, and Kiba betrayed no emotional impact.

"What does that mean?" Shikamaru asked carefully.

"Those coordinates are to a cave," Tsunade explained, "A trap filled maze, where Orochimaru had hidden his original body, in stasis."

"'Snake's Last Resort'," Anko repeated, "It was his insurance in case whatever body he... _acquired_ was killed or burned out."

"Exactly," their leader concurred, "Jiraiya infiltrated the cave, but was severely injured in the process. He determined that getting to Orochimaru's body through the snake's seals and barriers was a suicide mission. So, since he was already dying, he decided to take our former teammate with him."

"So this team setup..." Yugao deduced.

"Anko knows Orochimaru. Kiba and Shino are scouts, and Sasame is a trap expert. Shikamaru knows the coordinates Sasuke provided. Jiraiya said the cave had partially collapsed, so you might need Choji's muscle. Ino will provide medical support, and Yugao, you will be the mission leader. Head out as soon as you are ready."

The two shinobi teams turned to leave, and the Hokage added, "Anko, if I could have a minute alone?"

"Go on, maggots," Mitarashi directed her charges, more kindly than usual, "I'll meet you at the gates."

Once they were gone, the two women faced one another, and the younger Jonin grew nervous.

"Show me," Tsunade demanded.

"Show you what?" the snake summoner asked uncertainly.

"Your neck," the medic elaborated, "Your Curse Mark is gone, isn't it?"

Anko slipped her jacket down, and shifted her armored fishnet top aside, showing the now clear patch of skin.

"We'll want to have Hiroko Hyuga double check that when you get back," the Hokage noted neutrally.

"How did you know?" Mitarashi queried carefully.

"Aside from your unusually sunny disposition?" Tsunade snapped slightly, "Orochimaru's real body wasn't the only one that died last night. I still haven't gotten all the details, but Sasuke and Orochimaru's roaming soul were killed as well. You old master is finally gone."

Anko nodded.

"Get going," the Hokage ordered, "I have things to do."

The younger woman hurried out, and the medic turned back to the autopsy gallery.

* * *

As the three active members of Team Kakashi exited Ninja Ops, Neji and Tenten were gone, but Might Gai was waiting for them. Naruto walked right past, as if he did not see Kakashi's self-appointed rival, and Hinata glanced briefly at the bowl haired Jonin before following her lover.

"Naru..." Gai started to call out for the Tokujo, but Sakura stepped in front of him, her arms spread to block him, her eyes fiercely protective.

"I can imagine what you want to say to Naruto right now, Gai-sensei," she said softly, "You are angry and feel betrayed, that he tricked you into training him under false pretenses."

He nodded vigorously.

"Well, Naruto is in no condition for a lecture right now. Even Lady Tsunade knows that. He was forced to kill Sasuke last night, and on top of that lost Perv... err Master Jiraiya at almost the same time."

Gai's stern look softened; he had not know the situation surrounding Sasuke's death, nor had he been aware of Jiraiya's demise.

"Besides that, let me ask you something," Sakura started slyly, "What would you have done in this situation? One final battle against your rival, and a chance to save your friend at the same time? If it was Kakashi instead of Sasuke, and you were in Naruto's place, could you really say you would have done anything differently?"

Gai opened his mouth to deny it, and found he could not. He closed his mouth and considered her words.

"I suppose I would have done the same," he admitted, without his normal grandiose tone. Then his expression and booming voice returned to normal, "Alright! I guess I will let Naruto off the hook, this one time."

"Thanks, Gai-sensei," she smiled sweetly at him. Then she turned and jogged away. The elder Jonin noted her path would not take her home, but more likely would lead her to the Uchiha estate.

* * *

After entering his apartment, Naruto froze inside the doorway, seemingly unwilling or unable to decide what to do next. Hinata closed and locked the door behind her, and then gently took his hand and led him into the bathroom. She carefully removed his tattered uniform, and then took off her clothes as well. She guided him to the shower, and after getting the water running at a suitable temperature, she pulled him in after her. She began to wash him, cleaning away the dirt, grass stains, and most importantly, the traces of both Naruto's and Sasuke's blood. He barely moved, except as she directed him with soft whispers. As always, his body had healed perfectly; the only scar he bore being that line over his heart that she held so dear. Even though there was nothing romantic or sexual about the shower, she could not resist kissing his scar again.

After they were both cleaned, Hinata toweled her lover off gently, before drying herself. Then she took his hand again, and drew him into the bedroom. She dressed for bed, taking a light pink camisole and matching loose shorts from her drawers in Naruto's dresser. Then she extracted a pair of Naruto's sleep shorts, and put them on him. Uzumaki finally seemed to awaken, a little, and he glanced at his fiancé regretfully.

"Thanks for doing all this, Hinata," he whispered hoarsely, "But you should go home. I... I just want to be alone right now."

"No," she shook her head, "I don't believe that's what you want. And even if you really did, I wouldn't leave you. Especially not now."

"Don't you get it," he snapped, as he whirled around to glare at her, "It's not safe to be around me. Not for you, not for anyone. If I were stronger..."

"You could protect me?" she asked carefully, her thoughts in turmoil.

"No," he shook his head, "If I were stronger, I could be alone. I could go back to the way things used to be, before I had friends, before I fell in love. Back when everyone hated and avoided me, no-one got hurt for me, and I didn't have to worry about hurting people I cared about."

"You can't believe that," she whispered hoarsely, struggling to keep back her tears.

"Kankuro and Gamabunta died to help me," he shouted, not quite looking at her, "And from what he and Sasuke said, Pervy Sage probably did, too. Shino lost his leg because of me. Kiba's still on the outs with Choji, Shikamaru, and Neji because of me. And... and I killed Sasuke. He was my friend, my comrade, my rival. I promised I would save him. Instead he died because of me. If I hadn't gone to fight Orochimaru, he would still be alive."

"And so would Orochimaru," she countered, more sharply than she intended, "and he would be out there right now, finding a way to undo whatever it was Master Jiraiya did. And that would mean Master Jiraiya would have died for no reason."

His expression changed to one of shock and realization, but it did not completely replace his dismay and self-loathing. Hinata smiled kindly, regretting her harsh words, and she wrapped her arms around him tightly, placing her head on his shoulder.

"And what about everyone you have helped," she whispered in his ear, "How many people would be worse off without you? Do you think Neji would have good relationship with me, or my father, without you? Do you even think he would have let himself fall in love with Tenten? And for that matter, I don't think my father would be so open or kind with me or Neji."

"I..." he paused, unable to think of a counter.

"Gaara would have died two years ago if you hadn't been there for him," she continued gently, "He would not be the Kazekage without your friendship . And to be honest, if you hadn't helped him in the first place, he would still be a psychopathic killer."

"Yeah," he admitted, his dark resolve fading.

"And where do you think Sasame would be, if you hadn't saved her from Orochimaru?" she said, more firmly, "Or Lady Tsunade and Shizune, if you hadn't convinced Lady Tsunade to become Hokage? And Lady Toki, Lady Haruna, and Yukie? You not only saved their lives, you helped them become good leaders for their nations. And Isaribi, and Tazuna and all the people of the Land of Waves?"

"OK, but..."

"Your father and the other three Hokages?" she interrupted, "If you hadn't killed Sasuke, they would all still be trapped in the belly of the Reaper, and your parents wouldn't be together."

"That's true," he smiled slightly, and she pulled back so she could look him in the eye.

"And what about me? Where do you think I would be without you?"

"You'd be fine," he answered dismissively, "You always would have been."

"That's sweet," she looked pleased, yet shook her head 'no', "But you still don't seem to understand what you have been to me. Before we started spending time together, when we were only friendly acquaintances, you were my inspiration. Even back at the academy. You saved me from myself more times than I can count, just by being there, just by being you. I don't know what I would do if you vanished from my life."

She kissed him, and for a moment he hesitated. Then he leaned into her, sending all his love and gratitude to her through their joined lips. He embraced her tightly, as if suddenly afraid to let her go.

"You don't have to worry about that," he said darkly, when they broke apart, "Like I already said, I'm too weak and afraid to do that..."

"Is that the only reason you're with me?" she prompted sadly, "Because you are too frightened of being alone, to force me away?"

"No," he shook his head violently, "I love you, Hinata, and I love being with you. Even when your self-doubts drive me to distraction. You mean so much to me. But..."

"But?" she queried more evenly.

"But I promised myself if I ever became a danger to people close to me, I would leave rather than hurt them. Go and live on a mountain alone somewhere."

"Naruto, I'm so much safer with you, because of you, than I could ever have been without you," she told him earnestly. He briefly smiled at that, and kissed her again.

"Thanks, Hinata. I guess I'll just have to work harder to protect my friends from the troubles I bring them."

Then his eyes darkened again, and he added, "Though, it's too late for Sasuke or Pervy Sage..."

She interrupted his melancholy again with her mouth. And this time when the kiss ended, she didn't just break off, but instead pulled his lower lip towards her invitingly. Blushing, she took her arms from around him, and caught his hand instead, drawing him firmly towards the bed. He resisted, and her seductive expression turned to one of kind worry, though the redness in her cheeks did not fade.

"Let me help you forget for a while," she told him, "Even if only for a few hours."

After a moment, he nodded, and let her guide him into their bed.

* * *

The members of Team Kakashi each possessed the jutsu code to enter the Uchiha compound. Unlike normal, Sakura used hers to enter without ringing the bell. She moved quickly through the compound's narrower avenues, until she reached the central courtyard. As she moved towards her teacher's residence, her eyes fell on the main family's larger home, and she again wondered if Kakashi had chosen one of the other houses in deference to his missing student. She passed the now familiar dojo, and slowed as she approached the Copy Ninja's front door. After a few seconds of introspection, she shook her head and knocked three times.

"Good morning, Sakura," the Copy Ninja greeted her as he opened the door.

"Sak'ra, Sak'ra!" Rei Uchiha chanted, smacking her spoon into her oatmeal happily. Kakashi crossed to his daughter's high-chair, and wiped her face. He took the spoon, and fed her another mouthful. The toddler dribbled out more than half of the porridge back onto her chin and shirt. After cleaning her again, Kakashi set the bowl aside, understanding his daughter was done eating. He moved Rei to her playpen, before returning his attention to the younger Jonin.

"The Hokage called, she has been looking for you and Hinata," he informed his guest neutrally, watching her expression.

"I just came from seeing her," the medic offered, her tone carefully controlled as well. He nodded, and walked back over to his student.

"What can I do for you?" he asked, his interest piqued by her odd mood.

"There is something I need to tell you, sensei," she began quietly, "about Sasuke."

His uncovered eye widened, and he was unable to keep a hint of nervous anticipation from his voice as he offered, "Maybe we should sit down."

She bobbed her head, and sat gingerly on the recliner opposite Rei's pen.

"About two weeks ago, Orochimaru challenged Naruto to a duel..." she started slowly.

* * *

"When we got back to the village, Gai-sensei's team team took us straight to Lady Tsunade. She had us leave Sasuke's body, and told us to go get some rest. I think she was going to perform the autopsy right away."

Sakura paused for breath, having rushed through what Hinata had told her when the Hyuga heiress had recruited her, and what she had seen during the duel.

"But instead of going home, I thought I should tell you what happened," she concluded.

"Thank you, Sakura," he said, his voice somewhat rough. The elder Jonin sighed and took a deep breath to study himself.

"And where is Naruto?" he queried.

"Hinata took him home," she explained, "I hope she's still with him. I'm worried about him. He was acting very strange on the way back. And for a second I thought he wouldn't give Sasuke's body to Lady Tsunade."

"Hopefully he just needs some time to work things out. And what about you? How are you handling all of this?" he asked, his eye scanning her face.

"I'm actually fine," she answered, "more or less. Maybe it just hasn't hit me yet. But I think I pretty much came to terms with Sasuke's death when Jiraiya told us he gave Orochimaru his body. And the only time I spent with Jiraiya was the mission where we met Sasame in the Land of Rice Patties. So while I feel bad for you, and Naruto, and Lady Tsunade, his death just doesn't have the same impact for me. What about you, sensei?"

"I don't know yet," he said honestly, "I'm still processing all of this. And I guess I am waiting to hear what the Hokage knows about Master Jiraiya."

She nodded her understanding. Then she stood up.

"I should probably get home, in case the Hokage calls me there," she said somewhat regretfully, "I'll see you later, sensei."

"See you later, Sakura," he offered back. Then as she reached the door, he called out to her again, "And Sakura? Thanks you for coming to tell me."

She bobbed her head again, before exiting his abode.

* * *

Naruto shuddered in a mixture of grief and rage. Although the announcement had gone out to the whole village, only a score of people were present as Sasuke's memorial service commenced. The memo had included a formal commendation, honoring Sasuke as one of the three shinobi responsible for the death of the traitor and heretic Orochimaru. Despite that, most of the shinobi and civilians still viewed Uchiha as a traitor. The four members of Team Kakashi and the four members of Team Gai composed almost half of the attendees. Of the clan leaders only Hiashi Hyuga, Tsume Inuzuka, Choza Akimichi, Inoichi Yamanaka, and Shikaku Nara were present, although, even though they were aware of the truth, their presence was still more of a matter of protocol then of a personal desire to say farewell to the deceased Genin. Kakashi had brought Rei with him, and Naruto had learned that Anko and Yugao's teams were both on a mission, though he had not been made aware what their task was. Tsunade was officiating, and the three elders had turned out, if only to keep an eye on the Hokage and make sure she did not reveal any uncomfortable secrets. The only other attendees were Shizune and Iruka, and while the former teacher genuinely regretted the loss of his wayward student, the medic was primarily concerned about her teacher and her self-appointed little brother.

Hinata held Naruto's hand tightly. She had spent nearly every moment of the last four days with her lover. Though she did not think he would hurt himself, she was worried he might do something else foolish in his malaise. And she just wanted to be there for him, to try to help him overcome his grief. Naruto had shown signs of improvement the previous morning, to the point of complaining that she didn't need to keep following him into the bathroom. But then the notice for Sasuke's funeral had arrived, and the blonde Tokujo had relapsed into the near catatonia he had display upon their return to the Leaf Village. Reading over the announcement, Hinata had wondered if Sakura had spoken to the Hokage. She and Naruto had not yet spoken to the surviving Sannin, but there were veiled references to the duel and Sasuke's sacrifice in the memorandum.

If anything, Hinata was glad to see Naruto's anger at the poor turnout. It was better than the roller coaster of apathy and self-loathing he had been riding.

"What the hell?" Uzumaki growled quietly, managing a small measure of decorum, "Where is everyone?"

"Unfortunately, not everyone is as quick to forgive as you are," Kakashi informed his student, shifting Rei to his other knee. The toddler giggled, unaware of the gravitas of the gathering, and looking at Sasuke's niece caused Naruto to relax, if only slightly.

"And most people don't know the whole story," Sakura reminded him from the other side of Hinata, "The whole hero announcement was a shock to anyone who didn't know the truth about Itachi."

"What truth about Itachi Uchiha would that be?" Rock Lee asked innocently, leaning forward to join their conversation. Sakura looked startled, then embarrassed, at her slip, and Kakashi shook his head. Naruto started to bark an answer, but Hinata's grip on his hand tightened painfully and Gai spoke first.

"Unfortunately, Lee, that is secret reserved for the clan leaders and certain members of the Jonin Council," his teacher stated in a quiet version of his usual imperious tone, not wanting the Hokage or the village Elders to hear him. But Danzo's sole eye drifted over to them anyways.

"But do not Naruto and Hinata know?" the taijutsu master frowned in confusion.

"Naruto was told because of his connection to those involved," Kakashi answered, "And he was allowed to tell Hinata, because he can't keep a secret anyway, and the Hokage hoped Hinata would be able to keep him from telling everyone else."

He glanced over at his students' clasped hands and Hinata blushed slightly, while Naruto's frown deepened. Uzumaki glared at his surviving mentor, but refrained from speaking, as if to spite the silver-haired Jonin. Though Kakashi's expression remained impassive, inside he was pleased. Like Hinata, he knew his student would have to express his emotions in order to move on, and that irritation was a start.

"Does that mean Neji and Tenten know what Sakura meant?" Lee continued, turning his attention to his engaged teammates.

"No," Neji shook his head, while at the same time, Tenten nervously answered, "Yes."

Neji's head snapped around to stare at his lover in surprise.

"Tenten and her father were both told, given their... connection... to Itachi," Gai offered. The elder Hyuga cousin's eyes narrowed slightly, and he nodded.

Before they could continue their conversation, the Hokage finished her benediction, and she looked at the two teams. Sakura expect her healing instructor to scowl at them for talking during the ceremony, but Tsunade's expression was subdued and neutral. She stood and stepped away, allowing the other shinobi the chance to approach the dais and say their farewells. Though the customary framed picture sat on the platform, instead of the casket there was a small urn.

The three elders stepped up first, and after saying their token goodbyes, Danzo paused before Tsunade.

"I see you chose to cremate Sasuke's body before the funeral," the founder of Root stated, an accusation in his voice despite his emotionless tone.

"Given both Madara's use of Itachi's body, and Orochimaru's predilections, I judged it to be the safer course," the Senju princess answered, unperturbed, "Do not be concerned, I personally verified Sasuke's identity and oversaw the cremation."

"A wise precaution," he agreed unenthusiastically, his gaze drifting back to the burial vase even as Team Kakashi made their way up to the stage. Then Danzo tightened the slack on his ever-present sling, and strode away.

Naruto knelt before the photograph, and offered a quick prayer, despite knowing his rival's fate.

"Goodbye, Sasuke," he said despondently. Hinata took his arm again, and guided him away.

* * *

Tsunade did not face the three teen members of Team Kakashi as Naruto and Hinata told their leader about the events leading up to the duel, as well as the battle itself. Sakura remained silent, having already given the Hokage a brief rundown of the fight and its aftermath, when the Sannin was planning Sasuke's send off.

"Alright," Tsunade said flatly when they finished, "Is there anything else you want to add?"

"Yeah," Naruto's tone was similar, but with an undercurrent of anxiety, "What happened to Pervy Sage? He said you knew. Is he really dead?"

"We won't know for sure until Anko and Yugao find him," their leader qualified, "But given what you three saw... Yeah, Jiraiya's dead."

"How?" Naruto demanded harshly, and then more sadly continued, "Why?"

The Hokage sighed, but did not face them.

"There was something we didn't tell you, about when Jiraiya and Itachi fought Orochimaru," she started at the beginning, "during the fight, Sasuke scratched out a message in the dirt. Jiraiya and Shikamaru decoded the message, and it led the pervert to a cave in the mountains, deep in the Land of Snow. It was full of Orochimaru's traps, but after he made it through, Jiraiya found the snake's original body, still alive, in stasis."

"That's what the Reaper meant," Sakura interjected.

"Right. Because his real body was still alive, even if Orochimaru's stolen body was killed, his soul was still attached to this plane by his real, living body. When Jiraiya found it, he called me. He told me he was already dying, from the injuries he suffered getting to Orochimaru. He said that the fuinjutsu and ninjutsu guarding Orochimaru would have killed anyone who tried to get to the snake. So that idiot sacrificed himself, to finish things with our old teammate. And it sounds like he might have saved your life in the process, Naruto."

"That was why Orochimaru stopped, when he was about to stab Naruto," Hinata realized, "He felt his body die."

"More likely one of the seals told him something had happened," Tsunade disagreed, "But either way, the timing seems to work out. And that's it. Like I mentioned, I sent Team Yugao and Team Anko to bring back Jiraiya and Orochimaru's bodies."

"Unless there is something else, you three can go," the Hokage told them apathetically.

"What, that's it?" Naruto groused.

"What do you want?" she turned her chair slightly, glancing at him darkly with one eye.

"Aren't you going to yell at us? Give us Genin jobs for a month? Threaten to beat the stuffing out of us or demote us? Something?"

Sakura glared at her teammate, but Hinata nodded in spite of herself.

"Why would I do that?" Tsunade barked a laugh, but there was no mirth in her, "You were on vacation, and just happened to be attacked by Orochimaru, right? Even if that vacation was granted under misleading pretenses, you did a pretty good job of insulating yourself, Naruto. Besides, I can't punish the the hero who took down one of the worst missing-nin the Hidden Leaf village ever produced, can I? And it wouldn't be fair to penalize Sakura and Hinata if I can't punish you."

"I'm not going to punish you, just so you can feel better, Naruto," she said, her voice full of loathing and self-pity, "After all, no-one is going to censure me for my mistakes."

"What the hell does that mean?" Naruto stood up, and slammed his hands on her desk.

"It means, I'm the reason Jiraiya is dead," she snarled angrily, "If I had trusted his instincts and experience, I could have sent a full team to investigate those coordinates. That fool wouldn't have had to go it alone, and he would still be alive."

"And Naruto would be dead, or Orochimaru's host," Hinata whispered, and both blondes turned to stare at her incredulously. She wilted slightly, then forced herself to continue, "He would have stabbed you Naruto, and even if that didn't kill you, you were having a hard time with that snake transformation of his. If Master Jiraiya had been part of a team, and had not been injured, they would have probably tried to get to Orochimaru without sacrificing anyone, and that would have taken too long. Master Jiraiya's sacrifice saved you, and also broke Orochimaru's jutsu."

Both of the incensed shinobi calmed at her words, if only slightly. They returned to glowering at one another.

"Hinata may have a point, but you still should have trusted the Pervy Sage," Naruto growled, "especially after everything you two went through together. You were teammates, after all."

"Yeah, teammates," Tsunade sighed in depression, remembering Jiraiya's delirious musing at the end of their conversation.

"I'd follow Hinata or Sakura to Hell if they really believed they needed to go there," he continued, before quoting Kakashi, "Anyone who abandons their teammates is the worst kind of scum."

The surviving Sannin's shoulders slumped at his words. But Uzumaki wasn't done yet.

"And if you're looking for someone to make you pay for your sins, old lady, I'll be more than willing to beat that lesson back into you!"

The two kunoichi of Team Kakashi looked at their male partner like he had lost his mind. And the Hokage lifted her head again, a dangerous glint in her brown eyes.

"You think you have it in you, runt?" she asked, her voice strangely flat given her words and expression.

"Believe it," Naruto snapped back.

* * *

The two grieving warriors collapsed to the dirt, face down. Sakura started to step in, when both Naruto and Tsunade rolled over, landing facing one another. The two younger kunoichi had followed the Hokage and their teammate, and watched their fight with warring emotions. It was no ninja battle, but rather a brawl between two hurting souls. Neither used any ninjutsu or weapons, and their martial arts were rough at best. Even without using her chakra to boost her strength, Tsunade was still the stronger, but Naruto's regeneration made up for that. In the final exchange the Sannin's had landed a fierce blow to Uzumaki's jaw, but had taken a breath-stealing knee to the stomach in return. Now the combatants stared at one another, to far away to reach, and still unable to stand.

"Is that... all.. you got... old woman?" Naruto panted roughly, trying to grin smugly.

"Like hell... knucklehead," Tsunade's tone remained firm despite her own labored breathing, "You're still a decade away from being able to challenge me."

Each tried to keep of the facade of confidence and anger, but they could not. After three more heartbeats of scowling at each other, they both started grinning. Naruto's coughing turned to chuckling, and before long both were laughing wildly. Tears were streaming down their faces, but not just from the mirth of their shared idiocy. Sakura snorted one laugh at them, while Hinata smiled in relief. A few more minutes passed, before their guffaws died down.

After catching his breath, Naruto sat up. He staggered to his feet, and shuffled over, offering the Hokage his hand. As he pulled her up, Tsunade realized for the first time that Uzumaki had grown a few more centimeters since returning from his training with Jiraiya, and he was now noticeably taller than she was. Then he unexpectedly pulled her into a hug. Her eyes widened for a minute, and then she returned his embrace.

"It wasn't your fault, either, Auntie Tsunade," he told her, striking the balance between the 'grandma' label he normally applied to her, and the 'big sister' honorific he used to butter her up, "It may have hurt but we both did what we could with what we had."

His eyes fell on Hinata as he used the words she had said to him on their second day back. Then he broke away, and grinned.

"Besides, it was a better way for him to die, instead of keeling over in some brothel of alcohol poisoning. Right?"

"I suppose it was," she smiled back kindly. Then she grinned sharply.

"Now, about that punishment you were begging for..."

Sakura groaned.

* * *

Jiraiya's funeral could most easily be described as the exact exact opposite of Sasuke's send off. Instead of a solemn, traditional ceremony, it was patterned after a Land of Air farewell party, if slightly more subdued. And not only had the entire Leaf Village turned out, but the Kazekage, Mizukage, and Tsuchikage each attended with a small number of their shinobi, all of whom had met the Toad Sage at some point over the years.

Naruto had been more or less back to normal after his 'spar' with Tsunade, and though his mentor's funeral hit him a little hard, he was able to get into the swing of things. He danced repeatedly with Hinata, and once with Sakura, and shared humorous stories of the self-proclaimed 'super pervert' with anyone who would listen. As the first round of food trays were cleared to make room for the next course, the blonde Tokujo had another unexpected encounter.

"Hey, Naruto," Anko Mitarashi greeted him informally as she sidled up. Since his defeat of Madara she had refrained from calling him 'maggot' or 'punk', though 'kid' occasionally slipped out. But now Naruto detected something else in her sharp voice, a hint of genuine, open affection. He noticed she was wearing a different outfit; though she wore her standard jacket, her normal fishnet and short skirt had been replaced white, lightly-armored, sleeveless, turtleneck shirt and knee-length jean shorts.

"How are you doing, Anko-sensei?" he asked his staff-blade teacher.

"Pretty good," she admitted, "Really good, even. Which is why I came over."

She paused, blushing slightly. Then she took hold of herself, disgusted by her own actions.

"Sorry, I might have had a little to much sake," she lied roughly, "Or was it rum? Anyway, the reason I came over here is because _Iruka_ seems to think I owe you a bit of thanks."

"What for?"

She rolled her eyes, and then pulled her collar down, showing him her blank neck.

"My Curse Mark is gone," she told him loudly at his oblivious look, "Because you killed Orochimaru, I'm finally free."

"Huh," he grunted, having never considered that. Then he grinned at her slyly, and asked, "Does that mean you're gonna accept Iruka-sensei's proposal?"

Anko blushed again as she looked over at her lover.

"Maybe," she said noncommittally, "We're still... negotiating."

Naruto just smirked at her.

"Don't give me that," she groused. Then she suddenly leaned forward, and hugged him.

"Thanks, kid," she whispered in his ear.

"Sure thing, Anko-neesan," he returned her embrace. She blushed again, and pushed him away to cover.

"I better get back to Iruka, before he or Hinata get jealous."

* * *

Kakashi walked slowly up to the Hokage, who in turn regarded him with suspicion. He had noticed she held no glass, mug, or cup of any kind, which was more than enough to put the Copy Ninja on guard. But he had another reason to cautious.

"Kakashi, what are you doing?" Tsunade finally asked in exasperation.

"Just being careful," he answered carefully, "trying to avoid a fist fight at Master Jiraiya's funeral... or whatever this is."

The surviving Sannin's face relaxed, and she grinned sardonically, "I see Sakura has been telling tales."

"I will neither confirm nor deny that," he felt safe adding a hint of sarcasm to the canned reply, "But _someone_ was certainly worried when you and Naruto started brawling like a pair of common boxers."

"We had some things to work out," she admitted, "But I'm doing better, and so is the knucklehead."

"And how about you?" she tilted her head to study him, "Sakura told me she told you, and you weren't sure how you felt."

"I'm OK," he answered without conflict, "I was never as close to Jiraiya as you and Naruto were. And I think this was a better death than he could have hoped for, given his _habits_."

"Naruto said pretty much the same thing," she smirked again. Kakashi affected a look of horror for a moment, and then they both chuckled.

"Quite the party," he commented, thankful to be able to make small talk.

"It's what he specified in his will," she explained, her voice trembling slightly, "A not immodest portion of his savings went to pay for this. And the rest is to be divided between Naruto and village."

"No illegitimate children to care for?" he asked glibly, and for a moment he thought he had gone too far. But the Hokage just snorted derisively.

"No, in that respect he was responsible enough," she countered, and as his uncovered eye widened in surprise, she amended, "meaning he was careful never to knock up his one night stands."

Kakashi nodded.

"Well, I better mingle some more," she said, and then she winked at him, "and it might even be time for a beer."

Kakashi sighed in relief, and returned to where his fiancé was talking to her former teammates.

* * *

The auburn-haired shinobi glanced briefly at the number of the incoming call, before answering his cellular phone with a slight smile.

"Good morning, Kohaku, my love," he said, "To what do I owe the pleasure of hearing your voice?"

"Gouki," the Jinchuriki sounded worried, and she started without pleasantries, "I just heard, about Orochimaru. Is it true? Could he really be dead?"

"Yes, it is true," he answered with a sigh, "my agent in the Konohagakure told me what has transpired, and also the absurd steps that were taken to dispose of sensei's original body. There can be no doubt."

"How are you doing?" she asked carefully.

"I am fine," he reassured her, "I may have still respected him as a scholar and as my teacher, but I have no more emotional ties with him. I severed those, before I decided to use him in my first scheme."

"Are you sure?" she asked, "I could come back."

"No," he told her kindly, "Thank you, but your mission is far more important than any minor distress I might be feeling. And on that subject, how is our mummified ally doing..."

* * *

In the two weeks after Jiraiya's funeral, the unseasonably warm November quickly chilled as December arrived. And as she promised, the Hokage split up the members of Team Kakashi temporarily, assigning them the most menial and tedious of jobs; repairing leaky roofs and drafty windows, stacking livestock feed, and the old standbys of dog-walking and babysitting.

Naruto had also been surprised to learn his status as Jiraiya's heir. Most of the Toad Sage's monetary wealth had been donated to the academy, but the royalties for the Make-Out books Naruto had helped write now belonged wholly to the young Tokujo. In addition, Jiraiya's not modest library of books and scrolls, dealing with both the shinobi arts and other more mundane subjects, became Naruto's. Though the dispensation of his mentor's estate briefly sent Uzumaki into depression again, this time the mentally and physically resilient young man recovered more quickly from the new reminder of his loss.

As her beloved's mood returned to normal, Hinata started plotting again. The duel with Orochimaru, and its outcome had delayed her, but she still needed to talk to Naruto about her father's decision, and her thoughts.

Naruto returned from a day trip to a nearby village, where he had painted a particularly large fence a lurid shade of pink for a demanding, elderly woman. As he entered his condo, he found his kitchen besieged by a disheveled and chagrined Hinata. The entire room was a mess, with a fine layer of flour having spread out into the living room and dining room. Hinata was staring forlorn at a bowl of blackened something, and as she heard him enter, she looked at him with dismay.

"What's going on, Hinata?" he asked dumbly. The answer was obvious enough , but his brain just could not accept it.

"Well, you are always cooking for me," she blushed as she said it, "So I wanted to cook for you for once. But I've never cooked anything but sweets."

"You've brought lunch before," he protested lightly.

"Sandwiches, made from leftovers or store bought materials," she shook her head, spreading some of the white powder clinging to her braid, "It's not the same."

Naruto didn't argue further, but moved closer to look into pot. Hinata tried halfheartedly to block his view, but he slipped past her.

"Ramen?" he looked at the grey noodles and scorched egg.

"Well it's your favorite," she noted, "And you have made onigiri, sashimi, sukiyaki, and other Land of Fire dishes; burgers, ribs, pizza, and many kinds of Land of Earth foods; and even a few Land of Snow stews. But you have never cooked ramen for me."

"That's 'cuz I've never made ramen before," he offered, "I mean real ramen, not the instant stuff."

"What about the time you, Sakura, and Choji helped Teuchi-san?"

"Yeah, there was that," he remembered, "but that wasn't the same, I was just taking orders from old man Teuchi and not really paying attention to the ingredients or any other part of the process."

Then he smiled sadly, and added, "And Pervy Sage flat out refused to let me learn to cook ramen for him. He said I survived on ramen for the first twelve years of my life, so it was time I branched out."

"But since then?" she prompted.

"Since then, I've been back in the village, so if I want ramen, I can just go to Ichiraku. My ramen probably wouldn't be as good as theirs, anyway," he shrugged, "Teuchi and Ayame are professional chefs, and that's their specialty."

As he finished speaking, Naruto caught up her stirring spoon, and, to Hinata's horror, tasted the broth. His face remained passively appraising, but the Hyuga heiress thought she saw a brief quaking in his knees. He turned back to her, and gave her his usual humorous grin.

"Well, it's better than my first attempt at spaghetti," he told her, "but maybe we should call Ichiraku and have them send Nishi over with our regular order. Then I can clean up in here while you take a shower."

"Yes," she nodded, thankful but also slightly saddened. Then he gave her a different kind of grin.

"Or maybe I should have some clones clean up, so I can come in there and help you," he offered suggestively, "I mean, you do have quite a bit of flour in your hair."

"I think some of it is sugar..." she turned a deeper shade of red, for more than one reason. He frowned in confusion, and she added, "The broth started to get too salty, so I tried to fix it."

"But it would be wonderful if you helped me... wash up," she met his eyes, a hint of possibility in her white orbs.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

Before the copies had finished forming, Naruto had taken Hinata's hand and was pulling her towards the bathroom.

* * *

"So, what did you want to talk to me about?" Naruto asked, pushing away the now empty bowl. It had taken a little longer than initially planned, to get Hinata squeaky clean, and his clones had waited to call in the order until they received a certain signal. Now dressed very casually, the couple had eaten in pleasantly exhausted silence, until Naruto decided to speak his mind.

"W-What?" she stammered in surprise. Then she stared into her dish and inquired, "How did you know?"

"We've been together for fifteen months, Hinata," he told her happily, "I can usually tell when something is on your mind, and when you're trying to butter me up..."

She nodded, but continued to look down. He waited while she consumed another mouthful of noodles. After she finished covering for gathering her thoughts, she answered him.

"It's about... it's about our wedding," she told him.

"Hmm," his scrunched as he thought about that, "I guess we have been engaged nearly three months. I shouldn't be surprised you were making plans. What did you have in mind? Pervy Sage said all women want to get married in the spring. Were you thinking of a traditional ceremony or a more modern one?"

"Actually," she said hesitantly, "I wasn't really thinking about that sort of thing..."

"Well, just tell me what you want," he said happily, "I don't really care to much about the details. I just want to be with you."

"Actually, I was hoping we could delay the wedding a little," she informed him anxiously.

"Sure," he shrugged, "What were you thinking? September? The day we first kissed? Or we could get married on the same day we got engaged. I'm sure your grandfather would love that."

She smiled briefly, but she shook her head.

"What then?" he looked confused, "Summer would be too warm. I guess if we wait until next winter, we could pick the day in the middle of out birthdays..."

"I wasn't think of a specific time," she cut him off, having worked up her courage, "But I'd like to wait four years."

Naruto stared at her blankly, as if she speaking a foreign tongue.

"Maybe five years," she added after a moment's consideration, not noticing his expression because of her own focus.

"Wha..." he final blurted out angrily, "What are you talking about Hinata?"

She did not answer, and he correctly read the anguish in her gentle eyes.

"Why Hinata?" he said lovingly, "I am willing to wait for you. I mean, I know I made you wait long enough for me. But why?"

"My father has decided to retire soon," she answered, her voice more steady at his words of acceptance, "Mostly because of his injuries from Madara, but also for me. If everything works out, by this time next year, I will be the leader of the Hyuga clan."

"That's great, Hinata," he grinned happily. Then he frowned again, "But what does that have to do with us waiting to get married?"

"There would be all sorts of problems if the leaders of two clans marry."

"But I'm not a clan leader," he stated incredulously, and then added, "And besides, what about Ino and Choji? Their dads are both clan leaders."

"Ino is not slated to lead the Yamanaka clan," she explained, "Due to their clan laws, her elder cousin is the heir. Besides, I'm not sure Ino ever intends to get married."

"I wonder if Choji knows that," Naruto interjected.

"And now that people know about your Kekkei Genkai, you are expected to become the founder of a clan," she reminded him.

Naruto considered that. Last week, the five Kages and Hiashi Hyuga had finally agreed on a cover story for the former Jinchuriki's new bloodline trait, and for the fate of the Kyubi. It was announced that the Kitsune No Chishio was an ancient bloodline, and that the Akatsuki's attempt to extract the Nine-Tails had both awakened his latent Kekkei Genkai and had also broken the demon apart, destroying it, at least for a few decades. To help sell the lie, it was also said that the hidden bloodline was part of the reason Minato had sealed the fox in Naruto to begin with.

"I don't care about that," he protested.

"I know you don't," she smiled broadly, "But I do. I care in your place. And that's why I need to finish my business with my clan quickly, so I can retire and stand by your side."

"Hinata, I would never ask you to..."

"I know," she took his hand, "But to be honest, I don't care about my clan, I care about my _family_. I want to change the way we have been treating each other, all in the name of power and politics. With the support my father and Aunt Hiroko, I can start making thing better. Get rid of the Caged Bird seal, and offer more say to the branch families. If everything works like I have planned, in no more than five years, Neji will be able to take over as leader of the Hyuga clan, and I will be free to marry the leader of the Uzumaki clan. To help him make his clan better than mine has become."

"That sounds great, Hinata," he squeezed her fingers gently, "I'll do anything I can to help."

"Thank you, Naruto," she said earnestly. Then she smiled at him again, "And it's not like we won't still be together. I told you before, I could never imagine breaking up with you."

She leaned in close, and he met her half way. And once again, their loving kiss sent tingles down her spine.

* * *

"And now that my chosen generals are gathered, it is time for the second phase to begin," Gouki Namikaze to the other six figures in the room, "Madara, are you ready?"

"Yes," the recently restored immortal answered with grudging respect.

"Good," the younger Leaf renegade stated, "For the initial stages, I will assign Kohaku, Konan, and Pein's Deva path to assist you, until you have some suitable helpers ready. After that, Kisame and Bunjiro's strike forces come first."

"As you wish," the first Uchiha agreed with a touch of derision. Nagato and the two indicated women all nodded their assent.

"Then, my friends, let us get to work."

* * *

**The End, _A Growing Affection_, Book 3**

Beginning Sept '10, _A Growing Affection_, Book 4

(though there will probably be at least two 'fluff' chapters between books 3 & 4)


	116. Preparations

**Chapter 116: Preparations**

The Village Hidden in the Leaves did not receive many visitors, and as such, it only had three places for travelers to rest. The Octagon Shuriken was a high class, high price hotel, with a five-star restaurant on ground floor and four large suites on each of the other three floors. It was commonly rented out to the most wealthy and influential clients of the Konoha, though occasionally some of the more well off ninjas would rent a suite for a small party or a romantic evening. The Tsukino Inn had been the manor house of a now defunct shinobi clan, but had been sold off and converted into a bed and breakfast in the Land of Mist style. It generally played host to foreign ninjas who had business with the Leaf, or to clients who were too frugal to stay at the Octagon Shuriken. And lastly, the Dragon's Roost was a seedy motel that failed to live up to its grand name. It was a refuge for the most desperate of petitioners, or for one night stands between the Konoha's citizens. However the three hotels were not often full, except for two weeks every two and a half years, when the Leaf Village played host to the Chunin Exams; and New Year's Eve.

The Shuriken had been retrofitted after the last Chunin Exam, At the center of the building there were now four fast, quiet elevators, one for each stack of suites. Gaining entry to each lift required the key to one of the three rooms it served, affording guests an additional level of security and privacy. Now the 'B' elevator door opened onto the foyer of suite 3B, and the porter slowly wheeled the room service cart out into the entryway. Unlike most Leaf civilians, he had little love or interest in the Leaf ninjas. He held no hate, fear, or prejudice towards them, he simply did not idolize them either, and with a few exceptions, could not have picked out a given ninja in street clothes from any other random citizen. Despite that, he was painfully aware of the identities of four of the suite's thirteen inhabitants, and he checked the contents of the cart again, before knocking anxiously on the door.

"Just a minu..." the supplication was cut off as the door suddenly swung inwards, accompanied by a half-dozen outraged shouts of "Anko!"

The porter's eyes widened at the sight of eleven women in various states of undress. All but three of them hid as quickly as they could, some simply diving behind the couches and chairs, but a few used ninjutsu to vanish into the suite's other rooms. The remaining three simply stared at him impassively, even the slender teen with long blonde hair who was completely topless. The brunette woman with the red triangle tattoos on her cheeks resumed tying her bustier, not paying him any further thought.

"Do you have everything?" Anko Mitarashi demanded. The kunoichi's long, purple hair was loose for a change, and she had answered the door in a strapless bra and thong panty set that would not have stood up to the rigors of a ninja mission. She held herself proudly, even suggestively, and found it hard not to laugh as the young man struggled not to stare at her chest or hips.

"Yes ma'am," he croaked, taking the cover off the tray. It held fourteen glasses of ice water, and a variety of lipsticks, blushes, hairsprays, and other cosmetic accouterments. The uninhibited Jonin looked over their order and nodded, pulling the cart into the room. As she started to close the door, the attendant found his voice.

"Wha... what about my tip?" he asked quickly.

"Your _tip_ is telling me you already got your _gratuity_," Anko smirked, and her eyes flickered lower. The already blushing young man turned red from his forehead down to his neck, and he quickly turned and darted back to the elevator. Mitarashi closed the door, and Ino laughed lightly, finally reaching for her own strapless brassiere.

"That was cruel, Anko, shortchanging him like that," Hana Inuzuka stated, though her tone didn't match her words. The veterinarian kunoichi finished securing her lingerie, and then stalked over, collecting a water and the lipstick she had requested from the tray.

"Come on, that peek had to be worth at least 100 Ryo," Anko chuckled.

"You might have warned us first," Yugao chided her teammate, emerging from one of the bedrooms, "Most of us are not as... unabashed as you three are, and using substitutions isn't good for keeping your hair in place."

The Hyuga sisters emerged from behind one of the sofas, both red in the face, and Hinata nodded her agreement with the former ANBU operative.

"I'm surprised you ducked out, Temari," Anko ignored her friend and addressed the Sand shinobi as she and Sakura returned to the main room from the second bedroom, "You don't strike me as the bashful type."

"I acted on instinct," the blonde Jonin shrugged. She also grabbed a beverage, before returning to her bag. She shed her more utilitarian undergarments and began replacing them with more seductive versions. Like most of the women, her hair was loose.

"Now I feel even more sorry for you, Ino-san," Keiko Takamichi stated boldly as she and Moegi left their hiding place behind the other couch, and Sasame uncurled from her spot behind the recliner. Anko smiled at the teen dangerously, but the recovering Genin met the Jonin's glare without flinching.

"If I minded, I would have hid like the rest of you," Yamanaka shrugged as she finished adjusting her bra.

"What's with you wimps?" Orochimaru's former apprentice sounded genuinely annoyed, "No-one here as anything to be ashamed of, unless it's being a little too skinny. What would you do if you had to show some skin for an assignment?"

Hinata, Hanabi, Moegi, Sasame, and Sakura all blushed at the suggestion. But Yugao shook her head in objection.

"I don't think there is a woman here who would not expose herself, if it were truly necessary for her mission," the younger purple-tressed woman countered, "But that is separate this situation. And I doubt your fiancé would be happy to learn you are flashing random porters to avoid paying a gratuity."

"I didn't do it to get out of tipping him," Anko looked slightly chagrined, "That was just a bonus. I just didn't think is was worth waiting."

"Shizune-san, Tenten-san, do you want me to bring you your waters and the eyeliner?" Sasame called to the north facing bedroom where the last two kunoichi were still sequestered. Two statements of ascent followed, and the petite red-head collected the mentioned items, and carried them into the other room. Temari moved behind Hana and began braiding the dog-trainer's hair.

"Why is Shizune-san hiding in the other room?" Hanabi asked softly, sliding on her camisole undershirt. Unlike most of the women, the youngest girl's new underwear was not designed for sex appeal. Sakura began to work on Keiko's hair, but the medic also surreptitiously checked on the four long scars on the younger woman's lower back.

"Senpai doesn't want Hana-san to see her before she is ready," Sakura answered brushing out Takamichi's long, grey locks. Hanabi's pale eyes widened, and Moegi's jaw dropped for a moment. Ino fixed the Inuzuka kunoichi with an appraising gaze.

"Does that mean you two are going out tonight as more than just friends?" Keiko prompted the tattooed kunoichi. Hana nodded carefully, so as not to pull her hair out of Temari's hand's or disrupt the Sand shinobi's movements.

"I'm sorry," Hanabi gasped. Most of the women chuckled at the teen's reaction and Moegi realized she, Keiko, and Hanabi were the only ones who had not known the two women's plans constituted a proper date.

"Why?" Hana asked, unperturbed.

"I didn't know you were..." the younger woman trailed off. Since her encounter with Madara, she had become overly self-conscious about her treatment of others, and she did not want to risk offending the Tokujo.

"… interested in women?" Hana finished for Hanabi, and the girl nodded contritely.

"I don't know that I am," the animal healer shrugged noncommittally, "I've always found other women attractive, and not just in an aesthetic way. But I generally prefer men. I like the way they smell, and there is nothing like a long, hard..."

Temari coughed suddenly, and Hana trailed off. Hanabi had taken a play out of her older sister's book, and her face was a brilliant crimson. Moegi and Sasame were also blushing, though not as furiously. No longer an inexperienced virgin, Hinata still turned a little red, as did Sakura and Yugao. But Keiko leaned away from Sakura with an expectant look, and Ino nodded in agreement.

"… bicep to hold onto on a cold night," the Inuzuka daughter completed her statement, though none of the other women looked convinced by her dodge, "But there was something about Shizune; she and I just clicked. There is a bit of an age difference, but we have so much in common, like our interest in medicine..."

"And practice running herd on untamed bitches?" Anko interjected. Some of the kunoichi chuckled, and a few looked aghast. But Sakura smirked at the older woman, even as she pulled the Takamichi Genin back into position.

"I'll try to remember not to mention that to the Hokage," Shizune called out from the other room, and Haruno nodded her agreement.

"And I would appreciate it if you didn't talk about Kiba-san in that fashion," Hanabi said softly. The other girls goggles at her, and then most burst out laughing.

"Damn it, Hanabi," Anko wiped tears of her face, "You're gonna make me ruin my make-up."

"But that was good," Keiko complimented her teammate, and the young ninja smiled happily at the success of her jibe.

"So, I'm not clear," Hana asked carefully yet pointedly, "Does that mean you have forgiven my brother, or not?"

During her hospital stay, Kiba and Naruto had had a run-in outside of the younger woman's room. The dog trainer had taken the chance to get a few digs at the former Jinchuriki, including suggesting that the Kyubi's death had been a lie to get people to accept him. But Hanabi had overheard them, and she had told Inuzuka to leave. After Kiba stalked off, she and Naruto had discussed his life as a demon host, cementing the forgiveness and acceptance between the tween and her older sister's fiancé. And the next time they had met, she had started using a new honorific to refer to Uzumaki.

"Well, I'm not sure," Hanabi blushed again, but this time not so thoroughly, "I still think he should not have said those things to Naruto-niisan, but he would not be Kiba-san if he did not feel and act in that way. And he also helped us, although I doubt that was what he intended, or that he would be pleased."

"Someone needs to give that guy an attitude adjustment," Ino snapped, flexing her fingers as if she wanted to slap him again.

"What do you think about Kiba's reaction, Hana-san?" Hinata asked carefully yet curiously. Tsume's eldest child considered that briefly, before speaking.

"My little brother is passionate and stubborn," she stated, "like the rest of my family. He would rather hold a grudge than admit he is wrong. And he is entitled to his opinion, even if I don't agree with him."

Hinata nodded, thankful for a more moderate opinion of her friend and former teammate.

"Is that why you're not going out with the hound tonight, chibi?" Anko prompted. Hanabi shook her head.

"Kiba-san does not think of me in that way," she added as Ino grabbed her ears, to stop her head from moving. The immodest blonde began combing out the younger Hyuga's hair.

"I am not sure if he is oblivious to my interest, or is simply pretending he doesn't know."

"He's oblivious," Sakura snorted.

"How do you know that, Sakura-san?" Hanabi looked slightly confused, and Ino had to steady her head again.

"He's a man. They're all oblivious," the pink-haired medic stated, and there was another round of head nodding by the kunoichi who were not currently having their hair styled.

"Oh, it's not just men, is it Anko?" Yugao stated so smoothly that those ladies who were not fully privy to Anko and Iruka's past missed the barb. The snake summoner stuck her tongue out at the other purple-tressed Jonin.

"Is that why you're going to with Kei-san?" Moegi prompted Hanabi.

"No," Hanabi tried to shake her head slightly, but Ino was too quick and too strong for the younger teen to indicate her denial, "Kei asked me, and I accepted. Even if Kiba-san had asked me later, I would not have abandoned my commitment. Even if Kei merely invited me out of obligation, and perhaps pity as well."

'Oblivious,' Keiko mouthed the statement silently so Moegi, Hinata, Hana, and Temari could see her, but Hanabi, and thus the others, could not. Hinata grinned slightly and Temari chuckled.

"You are done, Moegi-chan," the elder Hyuga girl stated, as she finished securing the complex braid in the Genin's vivid orange locks.

"Thank you, Hinata-san," Moegi said, sliding forward, and checking the weaving in the mirror Hinata held up for her, "What do you want me to do with your hair?"

"Just a pony-tail, I think," the white-eyed Tokujo answered as they switched places, "Anything too fancy won't hold up, and I usually have it braided."

"Dancing again?" Ino asked, rolling her eyes. But despite that, there was a hint of jealousy in her voice, "Do you two own part of the Golden Shoe yet?"

"We like dancing," Hinata said defensively, "And it's good for timing and footwork."

"Plus it gives you two an excuse to hang all over each other in public," Tenten teased from the other room. Hinata blushed, yet also offered a small, sly grin. Then her expression cleared as she spoke again.

"And we aren't exactly going alone," Hinata glanced around the room her gaze finally settling on Anko. Remembering Hinata's aborted party for his sixteenth birthday, Naruto had decided to rent the entire Golden Shoe for New Years, dipping into Yukihana's savings for the first time to do so. All of the kunoichi in the suite, save one, and their dates, were attending, plus a few others not present.

"Naruto's buying the booze, I'm not about to say no to that," Anko shrugged, trying to cover her own love of the fancy dance hall.

"Try not to drink him out of house and home, Anko," Yugao suggested tactfully.

"You insisted Kei and I join the rest of you, sister," Hanabi said, petulant in her uncertainty.

"You could have said no," Hinata frowned unhappily.

"No, it's fine," Hanabi said hastily, "It isn't like we had any other plans. And I'm sure Kei will be more comfortable than if we were somewhere alone."

"What are you doing then, Ino?" Sakura said rather pointedly.

"I managed to convince my father to let us attend _the_ party," the blatant blonde answered smugly. Every year on New Year's Eve, the Yamanaka clan hosted a lavish soiree. Besides the other Clans' leaders and wealthy local businessmen, some of Ino's mother's former associates in the fashion and entertainment industries were always in attendance. But only adults who were also of drinking age were generally invited. Sakura knew her friend and rival had been trying to wrangle an invitation for years.

"Wow," Moegi exhaled enviously, her eyes practically glittering like stars, "Do you know who was there last year..."

"_I_ would rather spend New Year's with friends," the pink-haired medic interjected, and Hinata nodded. They had both taken their blonde comrade's rejection of Naruto's invitation somewhat personally.

"Well, not all of us get to spend a month lazing around on a movie set as bodyguards," Ino shot back, tugging on Hanabi's hair a little more firmly than she intended, making the younger woman grimace, "So we have to take any chance to hobnob that we can get."

"It's too bad you won't be joining us," Sasame said neutrally, attempting to head off any more arguing, "Though I can understand wanting to spend the holiday with your family."

Sakura and Ino continued glared at each other despite the thread-user's words, until Hanabi squeaked in pain under the blonde's normally skillful hands, causing both of the older teens to relax.

"Yeah, well, if we get bored, maybe we'll swing by," Ino conceded.

"Keiko, you and Udon-san are coming to, aren't you?" Hanabi prompted her teammate.

"Yes," the other girl answered, "It isn't like a date, we were just going to the party, so we decided to go together instead of going alone."

The grey-haired girl paused with an annoyed look. She and Sakura had finished styling one another's locks, Keiko also preferring a simple style, and the medic's short hair being easier to work with and offering fewer options. The Genin was pulling up her dress, but it, like her new underwear, was more snug around her hips and butt than it had been when she had picked it.

"I need to get back to my normal workout schedule," the recently injured kunoichi groused. Anko snorted, drawing a confused look from the teen.

"I don't think that will help, Keiko-chan," Yugao explained, "You're going through puberty, your hips and bust are going to get bigger."

"But... But it's been over a year since my first... cycle," she looked embarrassed to admit it, "I thought I was going to stay more slender."

"You're hardly voluptuous, kid," Anko noted confidently.

"Your previous diet and exercise regimen hindered your growth," Sakura offered, "and in an unhealthy way. But that changed while you were in the hospital and now that you're in physical therapy."

"And as long as you're under our care, you'll keep eating right, and letting you body develop naturally," Shizune lectured from the other room.

"You'll still probably never be as big as some of us," Ino leaned over and poked Hinata's left breast, mostly to illustrate her point. Hinata let out an angry squeak, but turned bright red as well.

"But what about Kei and I?" the Takamichi girl sounded almost desperate, ignoring Yamanaka, "We won't be able to fight as twins anymore!"

"Kei-kun could always start dressing like a woman, instead," Hana offered with a mild grin. A few of the other women chuckled, and Keiko grinned sheepishly.

"We have discussed that option, in passing," Takamichi admitted, blushing.

"Maybe Naruto could teach Kei-kun the Sexy Jutsu," Temari suggested, setting off another round of laughter and drawing horrified looks from both of the aforementioned Genin's teammates.

"I could ask Naruto, if you would like," Hinata added innocently, having mostly recovered from Ino's assault.

"Oneesan!" Hanabi squeaked in protest.

"You ladies are having too much fun," Tenten announced, emerging from the bedroom where she and Shizune had been sequestered. Her hair flowed behind her almost to her knees, Shizune haven given the younger woman's tresses a wave that was just beyond subtle. The weapon expert's makeup was similarly understated, with just a hint of blush on her cheeks and a light pink gloss on her lips. Her dress was a shimmering green silk sheath, going over her left shoulder only. It ran almost down to her ankles, but had a slit in the left side that ran up to the middle of her toned thigh. She carried a small, black leather handbag, and wore matching pumps.

"If you don't hurry up," Neji's fiancé continued to admonish them, "you won't be done before our reservation for this suite runs out."

"I'm trying," Keiko pouted, sliding her dress a few centimeters higher, "But I don't want to tear it."

"Hold on a moment, Keiko-chan," Yugao approached the young woman, signing, "Ninja Arts: Alterations Jutsu."

The elegant warrior ran her fingers down the sides of Keiko's dress, straining against the young woman's curves. As she did, the dress loosened slightly, and the Genin was able to slide it into place.

"Thank you, Yugao-san," the younger woman said in relief as she slipped her arms through the straps. The red dress was straight cut and ended just above the teen's knees. The moderately thick straps provided some extra coverage above her modest cleavage, and crossed in the back.

"You might not want to buy such tight fitting clothes for the few years," Hana advised her, the canine trainer's eyes momentarily slipping away from the door Tenten had just exited. The other kunoichi all briefly looked at Keiko's hair, makeup, and outfit, and deciding it was acceptable, they returned to their own preparations.

Sakura was the next to finish, and was arguably the most simply dressed. She wore a pale, yellow tank top, and a layered white skirt with a matching, short-sleeved, half jacket. Her lips had been tinted the color of her shinobi uniform, and she had applied a dark eyeliner to give more definition to her green orbs. She also frowned in spite of herself; Keiko's tight dress made it look like the younger woman was more voluptuous than the medic, though that was not far from the truth.

"Are you going to hide in there all night, Shizune?" Anko prompted as Hana secured the belt on her pants. The veterinarian slipped her suit jacket on, and buttoned it. She wore no shirt underneath, and the cut of her coat showed more than a little décolletage as well as the top of her bustier. The pinstripes of the black material matched and complimented the light grey silk of Hana's undergarment. Her braided hair was tucked into the jacket, and the canine expert slipped a rakish fedora onto her head.

"I'm waiting for Hana to be done," the healer answered nervously, remaining out of sight.

"I'm ready, Shizune," the Inuzuka heiress stated, after checking her make-up and securing a gold chain so its sapphire pendant hung just above her cleavage.

The master healer stepped into the room slowly. Her short, ebony hair had been given a layered style by Tenten, and the weapon mistress had also put a light crimson blush on Shizune's cheeks, and a darker shade on the her thin lips. Shizune's dress was of a deep, almost black, purple satin, wrapping straight around her breasts and going down to her knees. There was a band a silvery silk under her cleavage that helped emphasize the medic's more modest curves. The sheath dress boasted two spaghetti straps, but was tight enough that they were more for show than for support. She also wore a silvery silk cuff around each of her wrists, and Sasame had no doubt that there where multiple senbon needles tucked into the decorative bracers.

"I guess we know who wears the pants in that relationship," Anko noted shamelessly, still not bothering to put on anything clothes besides her lingerie.

"Actually, Shizune picked this out for me to wear," Hana said softly, her blush partially hidden by her clan tattoos. Most of the women looked at the Hokage's assistant in surprise, but Shizune just smiled sweetly at them.

"All done," Ino noted, stepping back from Hanabi, and offering the girl a mirror. Under the Chunin's expert hands, the youngest kunoichi's face had been carefully augmented with eyeliner and rogue, until she looked closer in age to Moegi than to Keiko, though the effect was aided by the early development she shared with her sister.

"Let me help you get dressed," Yamanaka added, "so you don't wreck your hair."

Hanabi nodded carefully, still marveling at her appearance in the looking glass. Ino had wrapped the younger Hyuga's long hair into a complex series of overlapping, ever-lengthening loops, the central arc hanging down to the middle of the tween's back. Ino lifted her tresses gently up as Hanabi stepped into her white gown, and slid her arms into the sleeves. Then the stylish shinobi zipped up the dress, and smoothed it over Hanabi's shoulders. The girl turned, shaking out the loose, calf-length skirt portion of her dress, and then dipped her head slightly to her artist.

"Thank you for all of your help, Ino-san," she said in earnest gratitude.

"Sure thing, kid," the mentalist answered, having picked up some of her new teacher's vocal tics.

"What do you want me to do with your hair?" the young woman asked, sliding behind Yamanaka, "I'm not as skilled as you are..."

"Can you do a merging triple braid?" the blonde asked.

"I..." Hanabi trailed off.

"It's easy, I'll talk you through it," the Chunin offered, "start by splitting my hair in three like you would for a normal braid..."

After she and Shizune finished looking at each other's ensembles, Hana started her own work on Temari's hair. Unlike the others, the Sand Jonin had not waited until her hair was done to get dressed. She had slipped on an alligator skin vest, low cut and ending just above her navel. Below the waist Gaara's sister wore a matching miniskirt and thigh high boots. She started applying her lipstick, as the vet started combing out her long, golden hair.

"What do you want, Temari?" Hana asked.

"I agree with Hinata, just a ponytail will be fine," the fan-wielder decided, "Anything more would be troublesome..."

She frowned, and set done the lipstick angrily.

"I can't believe I just said that," she complained, as the others started laughing again.

"It could be worse," Sakura noted through her chuckles, "At least you aren't running around saying 'Believe it'."

"I only did that once," Hinata protested softly as she turned bright red. Temari smiled appreciatively at the teammates.

Moegi finished securing Hinata's ponytail, and the white-eyed woman and the younger redhead started getting dressed. Konohamaru's comrade and girlfriend slipped into a simple, silver, loose-fitting cocktail gown. Unlike most of the other kunoichi, Moegi's dress was designed to mask the fourteen year old's slender build, rather than cling to her curves.

Hinata's dress was a charcoal cotton sheath that tied around her neck, but with cut-outs to make it look the the top was two strips of material wrapping around her body. But instead of baring her skin, the gaps where filled with a gossamer orange fabric. The lower, skirt part of the gown was solid and hung just past her knees. Hinata slipped on a pair of dark grey pumps, and rechecked her makeup, though as usual, she wore very little.

"Good job, Hanabi," Ino complimented the girl as she finished verifying Hanabi's work on her hair. She then collected her little black dress, and slipped into it. She zipped it up, and then adjusted it around her bust so the her undergarment did not peek out of the low cut top. Sakura and Shizune both cringed visibly at the six-inch stiletto heels Yamanaka removed from her bag.

"With those, you'll be taller than Choji," Anko warned her student.

"It's OK," Ino shrugged as she buckled her shoes on, "Choj' likes me in heels."

Sasame nodded as she buttoned up her artificially faded, forest-green, fitted, silk blouse. After smoothing her top into place, she slid on her black, pleated skirt and snapped and belted it tightly around her waist. She also had heels, but even if they had been high enough to boost her height by a foot, she would not have been taller than her date, Shino. She looked over herself, and then at the other women, frowning slightly.

"I look more like an office woman than someone going to a party," she said sadly.

"You look lovely, Sasame," Yugao reassured her charge.

"You should have more confidence," Hinata added, "I am sure Shino will like it, too."

Sakura grinned and raised an eyebrow at the irony of her friend's statement, a fact most of the other women caught as well, though they did not laugh this time, both for Hinata and for Sasame. The thread-user nodded, and slung her purse over her shoulder before putting on her shoes.

"I'm surprised you're not wearing a kimono, Ino-chan" Shizune noted, her attention shifting to the less practiced healer, "I remember the Yamanaka parties always being very traditional."

"That sort of faded away the last few years," Ino shook her head carefully, "besides a kimono is too much of a hassle."

She winked at Temari as she said that, and the Sand ninja snorted.

Yugao shook her head as she removed her dress from its hanger. Her choice was also black, but was a shimmering material, unlike the matte cloth of Ino's and Sasame's outfits. It had a mildly plunging neckline, and was low cut in the the back. It flowed down to the Jonin's ankles with a short slit on either side.

"You could have been a model, Yugao-san," Moegi noted in awe. The former ANBU agent smiled, yet shook her head in denial.

"It would be too exposed for me," Kakashi's fiancé countered, "I like my privacy."

A few of the other kunoichi nodded their agreement. As the conversation dropped off, the other women all started staring at Anko. The serpent user still was clad only in her underwear, and under their gaze she leaned back lazily and took a steady sip of her water.

"What?" she asked innocently.

"Were you planning to get dressed any time soon?" Shizune asked sharply.

"I was thinking about going like this," Mitarashi shot back smugly, but without even a hint of teasing or sarcasm.

"But it's almost freezing outside," Moegi stated.

"I have a coat."

"The Golden Shoe might not have the firmest dress code," Hinata argued, her cheekbones gaining a touch of red that was not from cosmetics, "But I don't think they would let you in like that."

"Everything is covered that needs to be," Anko shrugged, "Besides, Naruto reserved the whole place, so he's in charge, right?"

The phone rang, and Yugao answered it. As she started speaking quietly into the receiver, Shizune prompted, "Stop playing around, Anko."

"Alright, thank you," Yugao concluded, before gracefully setting down the handset. She turned back to the rest of the kunoichi.

"That was the manager," she informed them, "He wanted to remind us that we have to check out in ten minutes, and to let us know that there are some people downstairs waiting for us, though he did not elaborate further."

"Fine," Anko sighed in defeat. She opened her garment bag, and took out the aquamarine frock contained therein. She shimmied into the tight fitting dress, pushing it down to her knees. It covered more than most of the other women would have expected, with strips coming out from the sides and wrapping over her opposing shoulder, before connecting again to the the main part of the dress in the center of the back. Yugao took note that it left her friend's entire neck and collarbone uncovered.

"Happy?" she asked. Though she sounded annoyed, there was a buried tone of worry in the forward Jonin's voice.

"You look almost like a proper women, Anko," Uzuki winked at her former teammate.

"Damn, I knew I should have went with the hot-pink halter top," she shot back, but she turned a little red, and smiled slightly at the compliment.

"Alright ladies, lets not keep the boys waiting," Anko grabbed Yugao and Hinata's arms, seemly roughly, but in such a way that she didn't muss their hair or clothing.

"Well, except you two," she smirked at Hana and Shizune, who linked elbows in a more intimate fashion.

* * *

Ino slipped out of onto the balcony, taking a deep breath of the crisp air, and letting it out as a long sigh. A few moments later she heard the door open and close again. A jacket dropped over her shoulders.

"Thanks, Choji," she said quietly, recognizing his lover's footsteps.

"You don't seem to be enjoying yourself," he rumbled gently, without any preamble.

"What's not to enjoy?" she tried to keep the bitterness from her voice, "All the important people in the village are in there, standing around talking and sipping wine. The Daimyo came, with his wife and daughter. And I haven't seen Nyoko for almost a year. I think I saw the stars of Minako's favorite soap. Yukie Fujikaze is even here."

Choji recognized part of her annoyance stemmed not just from the staid environment, but from her recognition of the fact her father had only let them attend because the Hisoka Honokata had brought his own underage offspring along.

"Not any more," he countered, "Yukie snuck out about an hour ago to go to Naruto's party. Nyoko went with her. They both thought it was pretty boring here."

Ino grunted indistinctly, not wanting to let on that she agreed.

"We could still head over to the Golden Shoe," Choji offered.

"And listen to Sakura gloat?" Ino snorted, "No, thank you."

"Then you better come back inside, before you catch a cold," he told her carefully. She finally turned to look at him, and decided again he looked almost debonair in his tux.

"Although," she said sneakily after a moment's thought, "Someone should probably make sure Yukie and Nyoko made it to the Shoe safely. Neither of them are familiar with the village, and it is pretty dark out."

"Uh-huh," Choji grinned knowingly.

"Come on, we better hurry, in case they got lost," she insisted, all but charging for the door.

"You should have just said yes in the first place," he grumbled quietly, before following his girlfriend.

* * *

"I am very sorry, Sakura," Lee said again, "Even with all of my shinobi training, I do not seem to be very nimble on the dance floor."

"It's alright, Lee," she told him, sending chakra into her foot as she rubbed at the newly forming bruise, "We'll just stick to the slow songs for now, OK?"

"That would be fine," he stood up straighter at the suggestion. Then he turned back to the platform, with a look of envy. There were only three couples dancing at the moment, because the fast pace of the song and their grandiose movements had cause the the other pairs to retreat to the safety of the eating area; though most of them still watched with varying emotions.

"No one ever told me Naruto could do that," Nyoko Honokata commented to no-one in particular. She craned her head to look past Shizune and Hana, watching the youngest couple dancing with a hint of jealousy.

"Hinata-neesan and Naruto-niisan regularly come here to dance," Hanabi Hyuga answered, pausing as she was carrying a pair of drinks back to the table she shared with her teammates and Udon,. The Fire princess turned to speak with the younger woman.

"You must be Hanabi," Nyoko noted, the girl's pale eyes confirming the honorifics the kunoichi had used. The tween nodded slightly, and the royal continued, "I'm Nyoko, a friend of your sister."

Hanabi's eyes went wide as she realized whom she was talking to, and she bowed deeply, sloshing soda out of the glasses.

"Forgive my impertinence, Highness," the Genin said, her life-long training meshing with her recent personality shift to leave her thoroughly mortified that she had casually spoken to such an important personage.

"What impertinence?" Nyoko asked kindly, "It's a party and you talked to me."

"Thank you," Hanabi bowed again, and then quickly said, "I'm very sorry, but I must get my teammate his drink. If you will please excuse me."

"Of course," the flame-haired teen agreed sadly, "Don't let me keep you."

Hanabi hurried back to her seat, and Nyoko sighed.

"It's annoying, isn't it?" Koyuki Kazahana noted as she rejoined the younger noble, "but it could be worse; I get to deal with those kinds of reactions both as a star and as a Daimyo."

"I'm used to it," Nyoko bobbed her shoulders slightly, "Though I don't usually have to worry about it here. There are some people here who treat me like a person, not a tiara."

Her eyes followed a certain blonde man as she said it, and Yukie chuckled.

"Yeah, Naruto is definitely like that," the actress concurred. Then she lowered her voice and whispered conspiratorially, "You have it pretty bad for him, don't you?"

"I... uh..." Nyoko stammered, struggling to keep her voice down, "No, I just think he would be a good candidate for my consort and strengthen the Honokata line..."

She trailed off, noticing the elder princess's look of amused disbelief.

"Is it that obvious?"

"Not _that_ obvious," Koyuki admitted, "But I do have an advantage; I used to carry a torch for Kakashi Hatake."

Nyoko's eyes widened in surprise, and she shifted her attention to where the white-haired ninja danced with his partner. She had to admit, for an older man, he cut a dashing figure. The Fire princess turned her gaze back to her Snow counterpart thoughtfully, considering the other woman's use of the past tense.

"So, how did you get over him?" Nyoko asked.

"I realized he would only ever be happy with a kunoichi," Yukie answered, a touch of sadness in her voice.

"Yeah, Naruto is probably the same..."

"Come on," Yukie put her hands on the teen's shoulders, "It looks like those six are finally letting other people back on the dance floor. Dance with me."

"But... But you're a girl, too," Nyoko protested lightly.

"So, if those two can do it, why can't we," she waved at the table where Hana and Shizune had settled, both breathing heavily, "Beside, who else here is suitable to dance with a princess?"

Koyuki winked at the younger woman, and Nyoko let herself be pushed forward to the stage.

* * *

"Wow," Hana panted, before carefully taking a sip of water. She set the glass down, and Shizune caught it up, drinking from the other side.

"I had heard the rumors about Naruto and Hinata," the vet continued, "But I didn't think Kakashi and Yugao would be able to out do us as well."

"I wouldn't say any of them out did us," Shizune said, placing her hand over Hana's. The gesture was not just an expression of familiarity and affection, the medic also gently sent some of her chakra into the other woman, easing her fatigue. Hana's eyes flashed as she recognized the technique, and she turned her hand over so that they were palm to palm. The younger healer sent her chakra back into Shizune, restoring the black-haired woman's energy in kind.

"Ready to go back out there?" Hana inclined her head.

"Let's wait for the next slow song," the Hokage's assistant suggested, tightening her grip on the vet's hand slightly.

"OK."

* * *

"How is your leg?" Sasame asked carefully, as she and Shino sat down.

"Sasame," his impassive voice held a whisper of irritation as he addressed his date, "I have been back on active duty for three months. I appreciate your concern, but my prosthetic is fully adjusted, the feeling is fine and I have full control."

"I know," she said softly, "It's just this dancing isn't the same as our normal work. My thighs are burning, so I was worried."

"Then perhaps I should be the one worried for you," Shino countered in fond amusement, "For I am not tired at all. Do you want to take a break?"

"No," she shook her head, "I'm fine. I just need to sit out a song. And maybe have a little snack. A piece of cake or something."

"I'll get you something," he said, standing.

"No, I'll..." she surged to her feet, and in her haste bumped into him. Shino caught her, both to keep her from falling and to maintain his own balance. But even after they were steadied, he held on to her for a few extra moments. Then Sasame blushed and they separated.

"Allow me, please," he stated, and she nodded. She watched him without sitting as Shino maneuvered gracefully through the crowd towards the buffet tables.

* * *

"Ten... nine... eight..."

As preparations for the big countdown began, the dancing stopped, and the various couples secured spots in the recently darkened room. The handful of individuals who attended alone, as well as those pairs who were 'just friends' or 'just teammates' conglomerated next to the dance floor. Some looked around for a partner, even those who had dates. And a number of eyes turned to the princess and the actress. Yukie leaned in, and whispered something in Nyoko's ear. The younger noble nodded, and the two women closed ranks and lightly clasped arms.

"Seven... six... five..."

"Where are Naruto and Hinata?" Kakashi whispered in Yugao's ear, holding his fiance loosely in preparation.

"I don't know," she answered, "I haven't seen them since the band went on break."

"Three... two... one..."

Nyoko and Yukie quickly embraced, and each kissed the other on the cheek, just enough to dissuade the hopefuls. Similarly, Keiko and Hanabi gave Udon and Kei a quick peck on the cheek, respectively. Sakura's kiss for Lee was similarly brief, but Haruno applied her lips to her date's mouth. Konohamaru and Moegi shared a proper smooch, but the kunoichi was more forceful than her boyfriend, who hastily pulled away before anyone could see them, though she followed him to extend the lip-lock slightly.

Shino glanced around the room, while Sasame watched him anxiously. After a few seconds, he put his right hand on her left shoulder, and leaned down to kiss her experimentally. Sasame lifted up on to her toes to meet him, but the insect trainer hastily pulled away a moment after their mouths touched. He pursed his lips in uncertainty.

"You didn't have to do that, if you didn't want to," the thread user said carefully, trying not to show her disappointment at his reaction.

"It is tradition," he answered, his voice as flat as usual, "I would not want to risk an unlucky year by flaunting it."

"Oh, of course."

"Nor am I necessarily opposed to kissing you," he said, with a tone of nervousness concealed in his words.

"Oh," Sasame tried to remain neutral, but a slight smile creased her face. Across the room, the recently arrived Choji and Ino broke apart with matching happy sighs.

In the most hidden corner of the Golden Shoe, Shizune pinned the slightly taller Hana to the wall. She gently swept aside a wisp of brown hair framing the younger woman's face, and cupped her tattooed cheek. Then the medic pressed her face to the vet's, bringing their lips together hungrily. Shizune gently pressed her tongue into Hana's mouth, and the dog-trainer responded tentatively. More than a few moments after most of the other couples had concluded the ritual, and just as the lights started to come back up, the two women finally disconnected. They stared into each other's eyes, each surprised but also contented.

"I think it's going to be a good year," Hana whispered, and Shizune nodded silently.

As the countdown ended, and the fireworks started outside, Shikamaru and Temari glared at one another.

"You're really not going to kiss me?" she demanded, her voice soft yet harsh.

"Why would I?" he answered, his tone more controlled, "Because some stupid superstition says I have to? We're modern ninjas Temari, you know there is no magic, and the only way we could be cursed to have a bad year is if someone placed a fuinjutsu on us. And I doubt that, if that were the case, kissing any random stranger would remove the seal."

"Is it really such an imposition to kiss me?" she asked, this time sounding more hurt than mad.

"If I'm being forced to do it for no good reason? Yeah."

"For no good reason?" she stammered in disbelief. But before she could cry or get angry, he hopped forward and planted his lips on hers. She looked shocked, and did her best to resist his ministrations. But after a few heartbeats she closed her eyes and pressed in closer. However, when the kiss ended ended she fixed him with a dangerous expression.

"You think that is going to..." she hissed at him, but he cut her off with a finger to her lips.

"Superstition? Not a good reason to kiss you," he told her, "Because you want me to kiss you? All the reason I need."

Her eyes softened for a moment, before returning to a look of mock anger.

"Don't think you're getting off that easy, buster," she told him firmly.

"Of course not," he sighed.

As befit the environment, Neji and Kakashi dipped their respective fiances. Neji massaged Tenten's lips hungrily, while Kakashi's kissed Yugao lingeringly, parting their lips slightly without using his tongue. Both men carefully lifted their blushing lovers back to their feet.

Anko and Iruka's kiss was the longest, and to the outside observers, looked almost like a sparring match. After a while, some of the onlookers realized that the two Jonin were each trying to dip the other. The struggle lasted for a few minutes, and their hands began roaming. Hanabi, Kei, Sasame, and Konohamaru all blushed at the display, but none of them looked away. Finally Kakashi walked up next to them and loudly cleared his throat.

"If you to plan to keep that up, you better go home, before you get arrested," the ranking shinobi informed them. Anko glared at him, but Iruka turned beet red, and he stealthily smoothed his girlfriend's dress back into place as he put a sliver of distance between them.

"Fine," Mitarashi grumbled, then loudly demanded, "Where's our host? We need to get the music started again!"

* * *

On the roof of the Golden Shoe, Naruto reluctantly took his lips away from Hinata's, even as he pulled her closer under the blanket he had draped over their shoulders. They stood there, watching the decorative explosions blossom overhead, sharing their body heat, their great affection, and their smoldering passion.

"Happy New Year, Hina-chan," Naruto said lovingly.

"Happy New Year, Naruto," she answered joyfully.


	117. Training IV: Hinata's Rasengan

**Chapter 117: Training IV: Naruto's Limit and Hinata's Rasengan**

As winter melted without protest into spring in the Land of Fire, the rumors of odd warriors causing problems blossomed into real, known incidents of mysterious shinobi. The interlopers were acting much like common bandits, except they wore full stealth shozoku, and possessed Chunin level skills. The renegades were also notable in the colors of the uniforms. Unlike the matte black color of a standard stealth shozoku, these rogues costumes were made of dark tan, dark forest green, dark navy blue, dark red, or dark grey material. But besides the coloring, their uniforms were identical, and none of them wore a headband or any other sort of village insignia. Most of the ninja villages had lost agents to the attacks, including a team of Chunin and their Tokujo leader from the Hidden Leaf. And so far, no one had been able to capture any of the attackers alive.

What was not common knowledge, was that a small number of the dead raiders had been identified. The Sand and Mist had both been able to determine who some of the renegades had been. Two had been missing nin, but the others were all simple bandits with no previous ninja training. How they had suddenly acquired the ability to go toe to toe with a fully vetted shinobi was a question the Conclave of Shadows had not been able to answer, and as such, the five Kages where keeping a tight hold on that bit of information.

As a result of the strange happenings the Hidden Villages had stepped up their training efforts, and any off duty ninja not a Tokubetsu or full Jonin had been pressed into extra classes to make sure their skills were up to date, and to encourage them to learn some addition Ninjutsu or Taijutsu. And though they were not forced, many of the higher ranked warriors had also increased their practice regimens, or had called upon their colleagues to share their knowledge.

* * *

"Ninety-eight, ninety-nine, five hundred," Naruto finished calling out, and both he and Hinata slumped slightly at the end of the set. Spring had come early, and despite the fact that it was barely into March, the engaged shinobi were dressed in their summer uniforms for the day's practice.

"I... I think that's enough Taijutsu, Naruto," the young woman told her lover.

"Yeah, you're probably right," he agreed, slightly less winded thanks to the Fox Blood Kekkei Genkai, "I just want to make sure we get all the new techniques down. It changes the Tiger & Heron more than I expected."

"It was nice of the Hokage to give us your father's part of the scrolls," she noted.

"Nice?" he snorted, mildly annoyed, "Gramma Tsunade shoulda given us the scrolls back when we first started studying the Tiger & Heron."

She smiled indulgently, and did not bother to contradict him. Naruto shook his head, knowing he had gone over this before, both with his fiancé and with his surrogate aunt/grandmother. He saw no reason to waste their time dredging it up again.

"Alright, our muscles may be sore, but we've still got our chakra," he stated before asking, "Should we work on some Ninjutsu?"

"Are you sure you don't want to work on Genjutsu?" Hinata suggested, trying not so sound evasive. Naruto frowned, and studied her face. Uzumaki could still be somewhat dense, but he had spent enough time with his girlfriend, that he was able to recognize the tiny catch in her voice.

"No thanks," he grimaced hyperbolically, "We just did Genjutsu yesterday, and even if I can use Genjutsu now, I'm not really into it. Besides, weren't we going to spend more time refining the Rasengan? I know we pretty much gave up on a Doton Rasengan, but we could try a Katon Rasengan. Or we could work on getting you to the point where you can do the Raiton: Rasengan without using a clone."

"Well..." Hinata started, but found she could not finish the statement.

"What is it?" Naruto asked quickly, with a hint of anticipation, "Did you already get it?"

"No, it's not that..."

* * *

Sakura drew her new bow nervously yet deliberately. She sighted along the arrow, careful not to let the fletching touch her cheek. The medic had drawn her own blood more than once, by letting the stiff fibers slice her skin as she loosed a missile, but she no longer made _that_ mistake.

The powerhouse kunoichi held the arrow launcher at extension for a few moments, watching and listening for any strain in its limbs. She did not want to doubt her teammate's craftsmanship, but she had broken no small number of bows in her early practice, and she knew Uzumaki was not well versed in archery or its tools. But the recurve shortbow answered her strength easily, and did not so much as shudder as she tested it. Moderately reassured, the medic loosed the arrow.

The missile shot across the practice field faster than the medic intended. It struck an inch off of the bulls-eye, but despite the blunt head of the practice arrow, sank into the target up to the fletchings. Sakura blinked for a moment in surprise. The target was a one-foot thick layer of tightly woven, replaceable hay, a rough analog for the human body, attached to a two-inch thick wooden plank. For her arrow to have gone so deep, it must have fully penetrated the stronger backing. And she had not even taken a full draw on the weapon. For the first time she began to take seriously Kakashi's suggestion of what she might be able to do with a bow.

The pink-haired young woman sighed as she realized her archery instructor was late. There were no S or even A-Rank masters of the bow in the Hidden Leaf village, not since Yukihana Uzumaki's death. But there were a handful of shinobi with B-Rank skills in archery, and Sakura was taking turns studying with three of them.

Just as she started to pull back a second arrow, she heard unmasked footstep approaching, and as she eased the string back to its default state, another Jonin jogged effortlessly onto the target range.

"Good morning, Sakura. I apologize for my tardiness," Neji Hyuga inclined his head slightly as he greeted her.

"That's alright, Neji," the younger shinobi offered, "Kakashi-sensei would have been much later, and I know you and Tenten have been having trouble getting time alone."

Haruno knew that Neji's fiancé had been spending more time with Hinata, though now the lessons were going both ways, with the younger woman helping the older teen with her Taijutsu. On top of that the weapons mistress had been working with many of the village Chunin, at the Hokage's _request_. That was part of the reason why Sakura had asked Neji to teacher her the bow, instead of Tenten. She had learned that both of the Jonin had inherited all of Might Gai's archery skills, the boisterous Jonin insisting that with his Byakugan, Neji could be an expert marksman. Though she would have preferred Tenten, Neji was an easy second over Gai. And Sakura had to admit, Neji had loosened up over the last few years, and was a better and more patient teacher than she would have expected.

"Yes... well..." Neji grinned in chagrin, but there was a hint satisfaction under his stammer, and Sakura could not prevent a twinge of jealousy.

"Is that the bow that Naruto crafted for you?" Hinata's cousin quickly changed the subject. His eyes fell on the weapon, and he whispered, "Byakugan."

"Yes," the medic nodded, "I was just trying it out."

She did not tell him that she had been in possession of the weapon for almost two weeks, but she had been too nervous to use it. But two days prior she had snapped another practice bow while working with Genma, so she had decided she had to get over it and test the weapon crafted for specifically for her strength.

"He said he based it on a design his mother was working on," she voiced the other source of her worry, though she tried to mask it as a just a random comment.

"May I?" Neji asked, and Sakura handed him the shortbow.

"Purple heart, bronze, silk scrolls with jutsu inscribed in silver ink, oak, elk horn," the Hyuga ninja enumerated the first few layers, staring into the weapon. Then he tried to tugged gently on the string, and could barely budge it. He grimace, planted his feet, and pulled back more firmly, but could only get a few finger lengths of draw out of the bow. He considered using his chakra to bolster his strength, but decided that even then, he would be lucky to get the string back half-way.

"What is the draw weight?" he asked, returning the weapon to her, and taking his own shortbow out of a scroll.

"Three hundred fifty pounds," she answered, trying not to sound like she was boasting, and not entirely succeeding, "And if I send enough chakra into the limbs, the jutsu in here should increase the arrow's speed by another twenty percent."

The Hyuga Jonin paused in amazement as he calculated the speed and power of the missile. He exhaled sharply.

"That is a very dangerous weapon," he conceded, "but it is still only as good as its user. Shall we get to work?"

"Yes, _sensei_," she stated with trace of irony.

* * *

"Shadow Clone Jutsu," Hinata placed her hands together, and spawned a single copy. After a small amount of affectionate cajoling by her lover, the young woman had agreed to show him what she had been working on in private.

The original Hinata held up her hands, forming a small cradle with her fingers. Chakra began to spin rapidly above her palms. The duplicate beauty leaned in, and her fingers began dancing around the ball, changing the structure of the still forming Rasengan. The blue sphere became striated, with bands of darker blue and nearly white chakra forming. The edge of the orb grew indistinct, almost misty, and Naruto thought he felt a thin, cool fog settling onto his exposed skin. The clone stepped back and vanished, her work complete. The spiraling globe stabilized, and Hinata lifted the cloudy, streaked ball with her right hand.

"Suiton: Rasengan," she whispered apologetically. Naruto padded closer, looking closely at the sphere. As he closed the distance, the foggy feeling turned to one of sea spray, though there was no aroma of salt. He lifted his head, his critical expression changing to one of excitement.

"That's awesome, Hinata," he told her. Her shoulders relaxed, and she sighed in relief.

"Where you really that afraid to show it to me?" he asked, surprised but also disappointed.

"You were really upset last week, when Sakura and I were able to learn the Hand of Waves Jutsu," she reminded him, "and you couldn't."

"But that was about me, not you two," he reassured her, then grumbled quietly, "I just can't get the hang of water chakra. Probably something the fox did to me."

"You can still use four elements very well," she complimented him, "That is more than most Jonin, even the S-Rank ones. And I can't use air chakra, so we are both in the same situation."

"Yeah," he agreed gratefully, touching her cheek, "And now you have your water Rasengan, like I have my wind Rasengan, so we're even there, too. So what's it like?"

"It is cool, if not cold enough to make ice," she explained, "and it seems to break apart both fire and lightning techniques, though I haven't tested it too much yet. Other than that, it is just a somewhat stronger version of the Rasengan."

"Want to try it out?" he asked eagerly, "I can work on my some of my newer Katon and Raiton jutsu, and we can see how your Rasengan works on them. Sound good?"

"Alright," she nodded happily, and assumed her fighting stance, the aqueous sphere at the ready. Naruto hopped back, and started signing.

* * *

"Excellent," Neji noted, "I can tell you are still adjusting to that bow, but those groupings are as good as you have ever shot."

"Thanks," Sakura exhaled in release as she lowered her weapon. She had never known shooting to be a workout, but her arms both ached from the shoulder down. She decide it was probably because she had not previously had a bow that matched her power.

"Does that mean we are can start working on archery jutsu?" she asked carefully. Of her three instructors, Neji was the most stringent, and he was requiring her to master the basics before he would teach her any advanced arts.

"Not yet," he shook his head, "But we are ready for the next steps; hitting moving targets, and firing while on the move."

He took out a number of training kunai, soft rubber blades with a dense metal core. They mimicked the size and weight of a real ninja blade, but only inflicted large bruises instead of lethal cuts.

"Will you still be able to hit your target while under attack?" he asked without mockery, and ran halfway up one of the larger trees before tossing one of the knives at her. Sakura ducked even as she fired, and her arrow skipped off the edge of the target.

"Gai-sensei's archery style is oddly lacking in flash, considering the source," the Hyuga Jonin informed his student as he blended into the foliage, "But instead emphasizes mastery of the bow under what Gai-sensei considers more 'realistic' conditions."

Sakura ducked under another kunai, and nocked her next missile. She grimaced when the third blunted blade bounced off her knee, but she also could not help but appreciate the philosophy behind Might Gai's style. She rolled forward, and fired again.

* * *

"Two... Three..." Hinata forced out the count while struggling to keep her breathing steady. The third sphere formed over her middle finger, and she started concentrating her chakra over her ring finger. It began to spin more slowly than the first three, and the pale beauty closed her eyes and started breathing faster from the effort. Finally, another miniature Rasengan appeared over her fourth digit.

"Four..." she groaned, her pale orbs still squeezed tightly shut. Her face started to flush, and her breathing turned to panting, and before she could start to form the last orb, the first four dissipated.

"I just can't get it," she said sadly. He laughed and pulled her in close.

"Hinata, it took me like four months for master the Five Points Rasengan," he chided her lovingly, squeezing her a little tighter.

"I know," she agreed, "But you were just using it to practice your chakra control, and happened to discover it worked as an attack. I'm trying to learn it as a jutsu. Besides, I..."

She trailed off, upset with herself for even thinking it. But part of her could not help but think that she had better chakra control than her lover. Even with the loss of the demon's disruptive influence, and all off his training, Hinata knew she could still shape her ki noticeably faster and much more efficiently than Naruto could.

But at the same time, she could not deny that he also had an unmatched talent for learning new jutsu. Even though she and Sakura could both use ninja arts with greater precision and less energy than their male teammate, Naruto was frequently the one to execute those techniques first. Hinata could not help but wish she had that ability as well.

"I have you teaching me," she concluded, shoving those small sparks of envy and superiority deep into her mind.

"Well," Naruto considered her statement, "I guess if I'm supposed to be teaching you, maybe I should do something to help you."

"No, I didn't mean..." she countered quickly.

"No, you're right, Hinata," he shook his head, "but what can I do for you..."

He pondered that for a moment, and then brightened as he thought of something.

"Hey wait," he suddenly said, "you've never got a close look at the Five Points Rasengan with your Byakugan, right?"

She thought back and shook her head. Though she had studied most of his other Rasengan variations, she had never asked to see the Five Points, thinking it just five small copies of the spiraling sphere. The only time she had ever looked at it with her bloodline had been during the final battle between Naruto and Orochimaru, and then she had been more focused on what was happening with Sasuke and Orochimaru's chakra supplies.

"So, why don't you use the Byakugan and Kariname Jutsu. Then we can compare what you're doing to what I do, and see if there is any difference."

"Alright," she nodded with a hopeful look. Naruto reached out, and grasped her left with his own, linking their fingers.

"Naruto, you don't need to do that. I can use Kariname without contact now."

Despite her protest, Hinata didn't sound unhappy.

"I know," he grinned,"but it does make it easier, right? And _I_ need contact to replenish your chakra supply."

"I'm still okay," she said softly as he gently sent his energy into her, "and I have some food pills, too."

"Well, maybe I just wanted to hold your hand. But if you don't want me too..."

She tightened her grip on him, as he expected, and he squeezed her fingers in turn. She smiled sheepishly, and he smirked back. Despite the advanced state of their relationship, she could still be quite shy when they were outside of a locked room.

"Ready?" he prompted her.

"Yes. Suigin Byakugan."

She did not bother to stagger her activation, but went directly to her second level Kekkei Genkai Dojutsu.

"Kariname Jutsu," Hinata linked herself to Naruto, and he closed his eyes, relying solely on her sight.

"Okay," he mumbled, lifting his right hand, slightly off balance due to his external perspective. A cloud of chakra formed over each of his upturned fingertips, quickly congealing into five turbulent orbs. Hinata frowned in thought immediately noticing something about Uzumaki's complete version of the technique.

"What is that thread?" she asked pointing with her free hand to a thin circle of chakra, connecting the five spheres. Naruto pursed his lips, and leaned forward, even though it did not change his vantage at all.

"Don't know," Naruto shrugged carefully, so not to disrupt his jutsu or their contact, "I didn't know I was doing that."

"It looks like you are both supporting the shape of the individual spheres, and helping to keep their internal speed steady," she noted, already trying to figure out how she could achieve the same effect.

"Now, your turn," Naruto whispered, shifting his focus in Hinata's all around gaze to his fiancé's right hand.

"Yes, my turn," she said hesitantly.

"Just do the first three," he recommended, "that should be enough for now, and we want to get a good look at them, right?"

"Yes," she repeated. She sent energy down her hand, and crafted each of the three orbs in turn. Naruto's face scrunched as he considered her efforts.

"You are putting a lot of chakra into those," he offered.

"But it has to have the same power as a normal Rasengan, right?" she countered.

"Yeah, but that just means you have to keep the speed and force of the threads the same," he explained, "If you don't make the threads shorter, and use fewer of them, if becomes impossible to get them from getting tied up in knots. When I do it each of the little spheres is only like about fifteen percent of the chakra of a full sized Rasengan. "

Her thoughtful look deepened as she considered his words.

"But if you could get the full amount of chakra into such a small ball..." she muttered.

"I can't imagine the level of control that would take," he pondered out loud, " and I'm not sure what that accomplish anyway. After all, the resonating thing is what makes the Five Points Rasengan work, isn't it?"

"Yes, you're right," she agreed, but with a hint of something else in her voice. She dismissed all of her jutsu, but continued holding his hand.

"Thank you, Naruto," she said earnestly, "I think this will help me a lot."

"Any time, Hinata," he answered happily, taking her other hand too.

"Dinner?" he asked.

"Yes," she bobbed her head.

* * *

"It sounds like the test runs have been successful," the woman wearing the face of Tsunade stated in the Hokage's voice. She cut a small slice off her pork chop, and took it into her mouth seductively.

"Yes," Nagato said, not looking up from his plate. The Rinnegan user's face was looking less drawn and pale, but he had double helpings of both the entree and the salad. Across from him, Konan cut into her food vengefully.

"Kohaku, stop teasing Nagato, please," Gouki requested, despite his amusement, "I need him and Konan to focus right now."

"Fine," the Jinchuriki of the Six-Tails Chameleon sighed in disappointment, and changed into her normal guise.

"I just can't believe he used to have a crush on his teacher's teammate," she simpered, "Do you think Jiraiya knew?"

"Enough," the renegade Namikaze said more firmly. She pouted slightly as she settled back, but waved her hand for her husband to continue.

"Nagato?"

"Yes," Pein's base took a breath to focus himself, "In general, the Shozokus have proven a match for the shinobi of the hidden villages. They have taken more losses than we have, but that could be attributed to numbers and surprise."

"Which brings us to you, Konan," their leader shifted his gaze, "How is Madara faring?"

"He is exhausted," the origami user reported, not bothering to mask her pleasure at the immortal's discomfort, "So much that I was forced to give him a few days off."

"Will we have the resources to proceed with the first phase?"

"We are ready, Gouki-sama," she answered, before sipping her tea.

"Good," he smiled pleasantly, "Then as planned, we will begin the initiative on March 14th, White Day."

* * *

**Preview:**

[background scene familiar Grass Ninjas (Ayameko, Jinji, and others) running through a forest]

Tsunade [surprised]: The Land of Grass is falling apart, and they asked for our help?

Shizune [thoughtfully]: That is correct milady.

[background scene of the Grass ninjas surrounded by Shozokus]

Tsunade [sighs unhappily]: Then we better send out someone to help.

Naruto [excited]: I'm ready to go, Gramma Tsunade!

Tsunade [smugly]: Sorry, knucklehead. I've got someone else in mind.

[background scene of the Team Anko]

Naruto [angry]: What? Another chapter with out me?

Naruto [announcer voice]: Next time on Naruto: A Growing Affection; **Chapter 118: Scattered Grasses**.

Naruto [sternly]: In the name of the moon, I'll punish you!

Tsunade [annoyed]: You idiot. that's the wrong genre and the wrong gender!


	118. Scattered Grasses

**Chapter 118: Scattered Grasses**

Seven individuals moved through the forest as quickly as they could, while still maintaining a high level of stealth. Unfortunately, two of the adults were not particularly skilled, and the most talented and experienced of group carefully carried the sole child, hindering her movements as well. The shortest adult of the troop kept his left hand against his ear, as they slipped around the trees, trying to avoid the undergrowth as much as possible. The remaining two members of the troop did their best to wipe out the scents and tracks of their comrades.

"Damn," Jinji cursed softly, resisting the impulse to rip off the Hidden Grass shield and bandanna that covered his bald pate. His arm dropped back to his side, as he stopped listening to the earbud.

"Ayameko. Squad two is... " he called out quietly to their leader, then paused, looking at the semi-conscious girl in the Jonin's arms, "...gone. It's just us, and squad three, now. And three is still fifty klicks from the Land of Air. The good news is that it sounded like the rogues who took down squad two are going after squad three. The bad news is that entering the Land of Rain doesn't appear to be making them pause at all."

"They must think we are taking his majesty to the Land of Air," the beauty said, though there was no relief in her voice, "That means there is only two sets of ten of the traitor's mercenaries coming after us right now. Twenty on four."

The young woman wore a tradition ninja uniform and a Chunin vest, instead of her faux civilian clothing. Her hybrid punching daggers were sheathed openly at her belt. Her head and hands remained uncovered, and her gradient colored hair was pulled into a loose pony-tail and tucked into the back of her collar to keep it out of her way.

She raised her hand to call for a brief rest. The other three shinobi arrayed themselves around their leader and their three charges, as Ayameko stepped closer the thirty-three year old man they were escorting, so they could speak in relative privacy.

"Uncle, what do you want to do?" she asked quietly.

"I would know your thoughts," he answered.

"We are less than twenty kilometers from the border of the Land of Fire," she explained, "But with your family, we have only a small chance of outrunning our pursuers, even if we were to carry you and Aunt Hanako as well. And that assumes they won't follow us into Fire territory. Given that the Rain Country didn't slow them down, we can hardly count on that to give them pause. On the other hand, though their combat prowess has been established, we don't know how skilled these mercenaries are as trackers, so it might be better to continue in stealth. Still, the longer we take, the greater the chance they will run into us by chance."

"We shall split the difference," he decided, "We will increase our speed, but to a comfortable jog, not to a full run. And your team will continue to do your best to conceal our trail."

She nodded, and quickly indicated their new orders to her subordinates. Jinji took point position again, and the refugees started moving forward more quickly. But before they had been jogging another fifteen minutes the four shinobi all noticed a decline in the natural sounds of the forest, too great to be caused by the careful passage of their group.

"Ninja Arts: Usagi no Mimi," Ayameko whispered, shifting her position from behind her aunt and uncle to guard their left side. Her ears began to pull in more sounds, and she frowned as she pinpointed the other disturbance.

"We have five humans incoming," she informed the others.

"Better than twenty," the other kunoichi murmured.

"Stay sharp," Jinji barked lightly, "Five, ten, or twenty, they are still a threat, especially given the circumstances."

Ayameko suppressed an urge to smile happily. Since his encounter with Naruto Uzumaki, the tech ninja had become far more focused in his training and his missions, and much less reliant on gadgets. But even as she thought that, Jinji took out an infrared motion scanner, signed a jutsu to increase the device's range, and pointed it in the direction where his superior was focusing her own detection technique.

"Given their search pattern," he whispered, "I don't think they have our exact position. At least, not yet. But they are getting closer. I can't tell how they are tracking us, their movements are too erratic... I think we can still evade them if we turn south."

"But how far south?" the other male ninja asked dubiously, "We could end up heading for the Rain instead of the Fire, and run into the enemies searching for squad three."

"I calculate if we deviate five degrees to the south," the electronics expert explained, "we should be able to avoid them, without seriously impacting the time we will cross over into Hidden Leaf territory. Does that match with what you are hearing, Ayameko?"

"stop," she hissed even more quietly, skidding silently to a halt. The others paused and closed ranks nervously. The gradient haired Jonin turned in the direction Jinji had indicated, her forehead wrinkling in concentration and concern. Just as she was about to relax, she caught another hint of what had made her hesitate.

"more of them, to the southeast," she stated, "i think they are driving us into a trap."

Jinji swung his scanner around, refocusing his chakra to help the machine draw in more data. He grimaced at the results.

"they got ahead of us," he agreed, "they have set up a loose line between us and the land of fire. if we try to break the net, and they will close in on us like a squid."

"what are our options," their client asked, glad for the genjutsu that was keeping his daughter dozing.

"we can go after the five trying to drive us, and hope we can take them out and run before the reinforcements arrive," Ayameko answered, "or we can charge through their formation, and hope we can escape before they surround us."

"there is another option," the other kunoichi said darkly, "the two of us can draw them away, so you and jinji can get the daimyo and his family to safety."

Ayameko started to protest, but the kunoichi held up her hand.

"we all know how opposed you are to suicide missions, lady ayameko," the slightly younger woman could not repress a proud smile, "especially after the last skirmish. but this is our best chance."

"maybe we won't get caught," her sacrificial partner noted, "after all, we will be able to run much faster on our own."

Ayameko let her breath escape soundlessly, and looked to her uncle. The recently deposed leader of the Land of Grass shrugged helplessly.

"alright," the Jonin conceded sadly. Then her hazel eyes hardened and her speaking volume rose slightly as she instructed, "But don't die. Your job is to lead them away from us. Avoid fighting unless you have no other choice. We can't afford to lose anyone else."

"Yes, ma'am," the teen kunoichi grinned at her leader. She grabbed her male counterpart's arm said, "Let's do this, kid."

"I wish you would stop that," he groused as they started to jog to the northeast, "You're only fourteen months older than me, and we're the same..."

They both started to argue loudly and stopped masking their footsteps, as they disappeared into the brush.

"Don't over sell it," Jinji admonished disparagingly. He continued to swing the scanner steadily back and forth, while the remaining five refugees waited.

"Jinji-san, what is the range on that device?" The Daimyo's wife asked, trying to use her curiosity to mask her fear.

"Normally, five hundred meters, Highness," he answered, not removing his eyes from the display, "But my jutsu boosts it to five klicks... err kilometers. But I don't want to keep it going too long, it is a draining technique."

She nodded and they resumed waiting in silence. After a few minutes, the bald Chunin perked up.

"It looks like they did it," he told his leader and clients, "The brush-beaters are turning towards them, and most of the mercs from the net are moving to the north. Too bad they aren't totally stupid. They left seven of the fifteen blockers behind, but they are more spread out now. We should be able to break through, there."

He tapped the screen and then pointed the scanner in a direction slightly north from their original course. Ayameko leaned over his shoulder and looked at the display. Then she shook her head.

"That's a trap," she announced, watching their movements on the scanner, "They suspect we have split up, and are giving us an opening. Those two are too far apart, and the warriors on the ends are angling towards that spot. It's where they want us to break through. No, our best bet is here."

She indicated a spot where two of their enemies were fairly close together.

"There?" the Daimyo frowned, "we'll never be able to slip through there."

"We won't sneak past," Ayameko explained, "Jinji and I will kill them."

He looked astonished and the she quickly continued.

"These two are out of position, and shuffling about, like they are nervous," she continued, "and they keep telegraphing the location of the trap. Those two are inexperienced, so if we hit them fast enough, we should be able to take them out before they can raise an alarm. With both of them out of the way, it will give us a large gap to escape through."

"Unless that's the trap," Hanako stated anxiously.

"No, I don't think so," Ayameko shook her head, checking Jinji's scanner again, "They don't have enough troops to properly reinforce that position if we hit them there."

"We cannot afford to wait too long," the Grass royal agreed, "Darling, we should trust Ayameko's experience."

The woman nodded, and the Jonin passed the young girl to her father.

"We'll get within the unassisted range of the scanner, and then Jinji and I will split off and clear the path. Then you can follow us. Jinji, take lead again."

The Chunin's bandanna-covered pate bobbed, and he darted forward, just under the jogging speed of the Daimyo's wife. The royals scrambled after the tech specialist unsteadily, but without hesitation. Ayameko waited a moment, her still enhanced ears picking up the sounds of battle to their north. She hid her frown, and followed. After they reached the ordained position, Jinji handed the scanner to the Daimyo, and Ayameko passed the child to her mother, before they raced off towards their respective targets.

* * *

Jinji slunk forward, keeping his already slight form close to the ground. As he drew in range, he cocked the crossbow attached to his right wrist. Even though he no longer used the jutsu circuits, he still felt more comfortable with his forearms covered, and had found the projectile to be a suitable replacement. He selected a bolt tipped with a powerful paralytic, and slipped into place. He sighted carefully and fired. The bolt pierced the warrior's brown uniform, right next to his breastbone, less than an inch from his heart. The wound was not immediately fatal, and the guard tried to call out a warning. But the drug had already reached his lungs, and without the breath to support it, the shout exited his lips as a dull croak. The rogue started to pitch forward, and Jinji caught his foe and lowered the corpse gently to the earth.

"Easy enough," he frowned, wondering briefly why this opponent had been so much weaker than the last groups he had fought.

* * *

The lovely Jonin dropped silently behind her target, using a simple crafting of wind chakra to both slow and mask her descent from the foliage. Her opponent seemed to hear her despite her efforts, and started to turn, but was too late. Her blades boxed his neck, slicing into his voice box, jugular, and carotid. He struggled, trying to break free or raise the alarm, but she pressed harder, and he finally went limp, blood flowing freely over his shoulders and chest.

Ayameko started to lay the body down, when she heard a hissing noise. Her eyes widened, and she cut open the front of his dark green uniform. The rogue's chest was covered in paper bombs, activated by his death. In one move, the Grass kunoichi sheathed her still stained weapons, and started signing.

"Ninja Art: Headhunter Jutsu," she incanted, before turning to run at full speed back to where she had left her uncle's family. The technique sucked the dead warrior into the ground, until only his head was showing.

"Jinji," she triggered her radio raising her voice slightly in her urgency, "These guys are wired with explosive tags..."

Anything more she might have been planning to say was cut off by a booming thump behind her. Ayameko could only guess how loud the uninhibited detonation would have been, even as dirt and splinters rained down around her. But her attempt to mask the final revenge of the mercenary had been for naught, as shrill whistles sounded only a few hundred meters to both her north and south.

When she reached her charges, the shinobi found her young cousin was awake, her distance and the noise having overcome the genjutsu. The girl was squirming, while the Daimyo and his wife kept her gently pressed to the ground, obviously at least as frightened as their daughter.

"Ninja Art: Gentle Rest Jutsu," Ayameko put the girl back to sleep without preamble, and her uncle looked mildly relieved at her reappearance.

"What happened?" he asked quietly.

"He was wired to explode when killed," she explained, taking the child back into her arms, "And I didn't have the time to disarm the bombs."

"What about Jinji?" Hanako asked fearfully.

"My Solid Fog jutsu negated the fire chakra in the bombs," the Chunin announced as he loped up to them, "Thanks for the warning, senpai."

"For all the good that does," the male royal said dubiously.

"Maybe it does," Ayameko pulled them towards Jinji's return path. As they broke into a sprint, she continued.

"Jinji managed to stop his target from self-destructing. If they do not find his body or notice his absence, they won't be looking for us at his position. If we time it right, we can..."

"I found them!" a shout rang out from far to close, and the sounds of feet heedlessly trampling the brush reached them.

"Aunt Hanako, climb on," the Jonin instructed, kneeling down part way, "Jinji, carry my un... his majesty."

With no time for propriety, the two nobles clambered on to the ninjas' backs, and the warriors took off. But weighted down by their charges, neither shinobi could reach full speed. And even without a jutsu, they could hear the hunters gaining on them.

"We aren't going to escape," the technically minded Chunin stated.

"I... am open to suggestions," Ayameko panted slightly as she said it, burdened by two human bundles to her subordinate's one.

"There are only five of them," Jinji opened, "So we find an advantageous location, and take them out. Before we get too tired. Then, we might be able to get away before any more of them show up."

Ayameko took a moment to consider it, and then nodded.

"Over there," she inclined her head towards a break in the woods, bordered by a pair of especially large oaks. The two shinobi altered course slightly, and entered the clearing. The ancient trees had wrapped around one another, leaving a hollow between them at ground level. The Jonin headed over to natural alcove, and deposited her niece.

"You three stay here," she said softly, as her aunt and uncle climbed down. The royals settled in, covering their daughter with their own bodies. Ayameko extracted her chameleon tarp, and used it to conceal them, spreading some leaves and dirt over the camouflaged blanket. Then she took up position next to Jinji in the middle of the clearing. The tech ninja was holding a kunai in his left hand, and rubbing his left forearm with his empty hand. The young woman drew her composite daggers again, and noticed the blood of her last enemy still clinging to them. She flicked them, getting off the worst of the ichor, and promising herself she would give the blades a proper cleaning later.

'If there is a later,' she frowned as the though rose in her mind, unbidden.

"Don't worry, 'Meko-chan," Jinji grinned, ceasing his massage of his wrist, "We got this."

"I don't recall giving you permission to refer to me like that," she snapped.

"Give a her a title, and suddenly she's all about propriety," he groused, but then smiled apologetically. Still she did not relax, and he sobered.

"How long have you known this was coming? The rebellion?" he asked quickly, noticing the unmasked footsteps of their pursuers growing closer.

"Since the Land of Birds," she answered, tensing, "I didn't believe our 'Leader' when he gave us those medals. Since then, I've felt like he was keeping an eye on me. And when I received my 'title', I knew my uncle was seeing it, too."

If she had anything more to say, it was cut off when five figures burst into the clearing. All were covered head to toe by stealth shozoku, identical except for the colors. Even their eyes were covered by tinted lenses. Of five Shozokus, two wore green, and one each wore tan, blue, and red. They quickly slowed to a stop, and started looking around.

"Where are the other two?" the red renegade asked, seemingly unaware of the youngest royal. The Grass ninjas did not answer.

"You were seen carrying two other people on your backs," he insisted, "Where is the Daimyo, Lady Ayameko?"

"My uncle is on his way to the Land of Air," the beauty insisted evenly.

"I doubt that," the blue garbed rogue scoffed.

"Give him to us , and you may go," the red warrior said, after glancing at his talkative comrade. Even though they could not see his face, the ninjas could tell he was annoyed.

"Even if we could, we wouldn't," Jinji shot back, "We have honor."

"As expect," the red Shozoku nodded in agreement, "Kill them, continue the search."

While he said that, he signed for the Weapon Summoning Jutsu, and an iron and bronze gladius materialized in his hand as he jumped at Ayameko. One of the green warriors joined him, and the other three charged the bald ninja. Jinji raised his left arm, wrist out, his knuckles whitening as he tightened his grip on his kunai until it hurt.

"Spark Javelins Jutsu."

The second mark down on the inside row of scars on Jinji's forearm glowed brightly, and for an instant a pattern of tiny lines blazed under the burn. Five spears of lightning shot out, killing the tan and green Shozokus instantly, but the navy clad warrior managed to avoid the attack, while drawing his own gladius. The Grass tech ninja stopped grinding his teeth as the pain passed, and caught the shortsword on his spade-shaped dagger.

Ayameko's two opponents swung matched swords at her, and she blocked one blade with each of her weapons. The Jonin quickly appraised her opponents. They both showed about the same level of speed, and green garbed mercenary was stronger, while the red masked leader was more skilled. He twisted his gladius, trying to force both of her weapons out of the way so that his teammate could get an open shot at her left side. Ayameko dropped down into a full splits, withdrawing her weapons. The clashing gladiuses sailed free, and while the red warrior was able to control his blade, the green attacker's greater strength and lesser skill kept his shortsword moving, to the point where he nearly hit his teammate. Ayameko rolled back, and as she did, swung her heels upwards, clipping the emerald Shozoku's calf lightly, but missing the scarlet one completely. As she regained her stance, she clapped her hands together, managing a septet of quick finger seals around the hilt of her blades.

"Katon: Molten Blades Jutsu," she exhaled, and the edges of her two-part daggers turned red, then yellow, and finally blazing white with heat.

Jinji transferred his kunai to his right hand, holding the blue Shozoku at bay. He pointed his left arm at his opponent again, and the mercenary scrambled back. The Grass Chunin grinned and tossed his kunai after the retreating hunter. While the navy warrior shifted his stance again to avoid the dagger, the tech specialist signed his real attack.

"Doton: Mud Slick Jutsu," he intoned, and the grass around his opponent turned into a pit of viscus muck. As the bandit's foot hit the altered earth, it went in wrong direction. Although he was able to keep his knee and hip from twisting, avoiding injury caused him to stumble. The Grass loyalist pointed his scars at the renegade again, and announced, "Stone Spears Jutsu."

The fifth inside brand on his arm flared, and he grimaced again, but the ground erupted with rocky spikes, impaling the prone Shozoku repeatedly.

"These guys are weaker than the last group," Jinji frowned dubiously. Then the first two corpses exploded, and in the aftermath, the navy masked soldier was instead a smoldering, broken log.

"Substitution?" the computer expert tensed, waiting for the counterattack.

Ayameko's right hand dagger sliced through the green warrior's gladius, leaving the edges softened and dripping. But the red fighter enacted a quick earth jutsu, hardening his blade against the heat. The green Shozoku tilted his head to stare at his damaged weapon, giving Ayameko the chance to bury her heel in his throat while she trapped the scarlet renegade's sword with her blades. The less skilled fighter crumbled, unconscious but still breathing, if harshly. The remaining attacker seemed to grimace under his hood, and struggled to free his gladius. Ayameko prepared to launch another kick at her foe, but he released his weapon, twisting out of her reach and signing instead.

"Suiton: Water Whip Jutsu," he growled, striking at her with the liquid lash. She sliced through it with her daggers, but the water jutsu neutralized the heat, though the aqueous technique was destroyed as well. The crimson Shozoku hooked the crosspiece of his shortsword with his left foot, and lifted it back to his hand. He caught it just in time to block her next stab, and after deflecting Ayameko's first attack, he parried her off hand slash as well.

The anonymous warrior hissed as Ayameko spun arms into another set of parallel attacks, realizing he was over matched in skill and also at a numerical disadvantage. And on top of that, she was at least as strong as he was and slightly quicker. He knew one on one, it was only a matter of time. Only his loyalty to his master kept him from running, and that same devotion made him bring his free hand to his chest, preparing to activate his paper bombs. But the Grass Jonin must have realized his kamikaze intentions, She jumped up, knee extended, and knocked his hand higher. He tried to cut her stomach as she descended, but she twisted his gladius away, and buried her other dagger in his left shoulder. He twitched as his uniform was tinted a darker color from within. He tried to stab her as she extracted her blade, but she blocked him again and slashed downwards across his chest.

"Why stop me just to kill me?" he grunted in confusion.

"Time," she answered, and then shouted, "Jinji, Water Release."

Still casting about carefully for the escaped blue Shozoku, Jinji sent chi into his arm, lighting up another of his scars.

"Suiton: Solid Fog Jutsu," he incanted with a grimace, and a dense mist filled the clearing. The water chakra negated the paper bombs of the dying red warrior, and allowed the two Grass shinobi to spot the form of the concealed merc. Both started to close on him, when a sudden burst of wind swept the fog away into the forest. As the jutsu vanished, Ayameko suddenly tensed. There were eleven more Shozokus bounding the edge of the clearing, most in blue, but with two reds and one grey. The grey shozoku was female, judging by the silhouette of her uniform, and she took a step closer.

"I suppose expecting you to win again that S-Rank Jonin and her enhanced pet was too much," the renegade stated in a high, clear voice, "but at least you managed to hold them until we arrived, sergeant."

The only active member of the first group slumped in relief, and as he started back towards his allies, said, "Thanks, captain."

"Kill them, find the Daimyo," she ordered, ignoring the talkative renegade.

"Jinji, rapid fire!" Ayameko ordered with a hint of desperation. The Chunin raised his arm, and four of the scars started to light up. But the grey Shozoku reacted faster.

"Ninja Art: Jutsu Sealing."

Three strips of paper shot out and wrapped around Jinji's forearm. The tech ninja howled lightly in pain as his chakra was arrested and the glow under the tags vanished.

"Did my words not lead you to the conclusion we had been briefed on your... _irregularity_?" the lead rogue asked, sounding mildly insulted, "Normally Jutsu Sealing need to be used on an area that contains the entire ninja, but those scars are the whole jutsu, so I just need to cover them to negate them."

Jinji glanced at his superior, and noticed she was holding herself weakly. He recognized it as a sign of exhaustion; his friend and ally was fast and strong, but only possessed average endurance. And she had been carrying her young cousin most of the day.

"Now!" the grey clad woman barked, and her troops surged forward.

"Ninja Art: Shadow Seal Web!" a mildly annoyed voice carried over them. The shadows of the mid afternoon sun broke around them, forming an inky seal beneath each of the mercenaries. The hexagonal traps met at the edges, supporting one another, and the twelve Shozokus were frozen in place. The Grass warriors turned to look behind them, and saw six figures in the large oaks, though one of them was being carried.

"Hit 'em, Choj'," Anko Mitarashi ordered, and the large Tokujo jumped out the tree, already forming his tenth hand sign.

"Ninja Art: Human Avalanche Jutsu!" he grunted deeply. As he finished the technique, three things happened in unison. Eight copies of the teen appeared, all of them started to expand, and their hair grew longer, harder, and sharper. Once each Akimichi copy was over ten feet tall, they began to balloon around the waist, and tucked in their limbs and heads. They began to spin rapidly, their lengthened, weaponized locks completely covering them. Nine, enlarged, spiky human boulders crashed into the enemy, killing all but the grey Shozoku instantly. The attack also disrupted Shikamaru's technique, allowing the enemy leader to attempt a retreat.

"Ninja Art: Mind Annihilation Jutsu," Ino Yamanaka snapped. The grey Shozoku unwittingly met the younger woman's eyes, and even through her tinted lenses, the mental attack connected. She let out a pitiable whimper, and collapsed to the grass.

"Suiton: Dowsing Rain Jutsu," Anko announced, and a sudden, swift downpour covered them all, ending the dull hissing under the dead Shozokus' uniforms. Choji stopped spinning, and his clones vanished.

"Lady Ayameko," the other Grass kunoichi leapt out of the trees, still carrying her unconscious partner.

"You two are OK," the tired Jonin sighed happily.

"Yes, thanks to these Leaf ninjas," she answered, as the rest of Team Anko joined them on the ground, "They saved us."

"It's a good thing you guys made enough noise for us to track you down," the Leaf Jonin sounded more sarcastic than thankful, adding, "Where's the Daimyo?"

Ayameko shook her head, "Not to sound ungrateful, but why are you here?"

"You asked Daimyo Haruna if she could send the Flower clan to back you up," Anko did not seem upset by the suspicion, "She couldn't, so instead she asked the Hokage to send someone to make sure you and her cousin, the Grass Daimyo, made it to the Land of Fire. I'm sure you would have been more comfortable if it had been Sakura Haruno who showed up; but she's busy, and the Hokage figured it was more likely the insurgents would try to impersonate her, so you get us, instead. Anything else?"

The Grass Jonin exhaled in release.

"You can come out, Uncle," the gradient-haired beauty announced, and the tarp shifted, revealing the now wet and shivering royals.

"Your Highness," Anko bowed slightly, and kept her voice as respectful as she could, "We are here to escort you to the Hidden Leaf Village."

* * *

**Preview:**

[background scene of Tsuande and Ayameko in the Hokage's office]

Naruto [petulant]: I guess I should be annoyed that I wasn't in this chapter, but I'm more curious about what's going on in the Grass Country.

Naruto [reluctantly]: And I guess it was good Anko-sensei's team got some real screen time.

[background scene of Tsunade and the clan leaders]

Naruto [excited]: Wait, the Land of Grass isn't the only one in trouble? That great, I've been waiting for some action!

[background scene of Tsunade frowning at an envelope]

Naruto [announcer voice]: Next time on Naruto: A Growing Affection; **Chapter 119: The State of Affairs**.

Naruto [violently]: I'll spatter your guts out!

Hinata [nervously]: Do you think anyone will recognize that one?

Sakura [exasperated]: I'm just worried it will force us to switch to an 'M' rating.


	119. The State of Affairs

**Chapter 119: The State of Affairs**

"Thank you for coming, Lady Ayameko," the Hokage greeted the younger woman cordially, "I know you are anxious to get your Daimyo to the capitol so he can meet with our Daimyo, but I was hoping you could tell me more about what has transpired in the Land of Grass."

The Sannin observed the Grass Jonin intently. Ayameko had traded her shozoku and vest for her normal blouse and skirt, and her multi-hued hair was loose instead of her standard braid. Tsunade clinically recognized the beauty of her guest's slim, straight nose, slightly plump cheeks, and full lips, while also reading the worry and sadness in the other kunoichi's wide hazel eyes.

The Konohagakure's file on the Grass Daimyo's shinobi niece painted the picture of a talented young woman, whose skill was only eclipsed by her kindness and loyalty to her family. Her kill count was far below the norm for a Jonin, especially given her extensive list of completed missions. Sakura Haruno had confirmed that, describing how well Ayameko had fought, despite the deep wound she had received defending Daimyo Haruna.

"Of course, Lady Tsunade," the blue and purple haired kunoichi bowed deeply, "It is the least I can do, in return for the Hidden Leaf's gracious intercession on behalf of my team and my family."

The Leaf leader waved her hand towards the chairs on the far side of her desk, and the Grass kunoichi sat gracefully.

"Lady Ayameko..." Tsunade started again, but the other woman held up her hand to interrupt.

"Please, there is no need to be so formal," Ayameko stated, her tone and phrasing at odds with her words, "My title was mainly for show, and arguably no longer applies. Besides, I am merely a Jonin, while you are the one of the five Kages."

"Fine," the elder woman grinned sarcastically, "As long as you cut that crap, too."

Ayameko inclined her head regally, before smiling slightly, and relaxing into the chair.

"So, Ayameko-san, what's happening in the Land of Grass?" Tsunade asked neutrally.

"What do you know?" the gradient-haired hair noble asked.

"Let's pretend I know nothing," the Hokage countered, "I want to get your point of view, uncolored by what you think I know."

"Alright," Ayameko nodded, conceding the point.

"Well, on the surface, it appears to be a simple civil war. My uncle, the Daimyo is the youngest of three siblings. My mother is his elder sister, and they both have an older brother. My older uncle never wanted to rule, he is content being an artist, and my mother was afraid our country would not accept a female Daimyo, so she stepped aside for her younger brother."

Tsunade nodded, remembering Sakura and Naruto's reports about Toki and Haruna's complaints and suspicions.

"The problems is, or rather appears to be, that my elder uncle's first son is not content to be a mere noble, he wants to be Daimyo. He supposedly used the Daimyo's failure to annex the Land of Greens to cast doubt on his fitness to rule. A nine days ago, shinobi working for my cousin tried to assassinate the Daimyo. They failed, but in the process our country was divided and war erupted."

"You keep using qualifiers," the Hokage interrupted, "'appears to be', 'supposedly'... What do you think is really going on?"

"My cousin is a puppet," the younger Jonin answered confidently, "He is not smart enough to have arranged this on his own. You may have heard the story, about how four years ago he attended the Chunin exams here, and ordered his bodyguards to intimidate or stall Gaara of the Sand. He hoped to cause Gaara to lose his fight with Sasuke Uchiha. Instead, he got both of his bodyguards killed. No, I believe the Leader of the Kusagakure is the one who wants to seize control of our country."

"At first, the Village Hidden in the Grass was divided into three camps, those who support my uncle, those who support my cousin, and the majority who felt we should let the nobles fight their own battles without taking sides. The shinobi and samurai on both sides were more or less equal in number and skill. But then those Shozokus started attacking us, and our 'Leader' started to convince our comrades who had not taken sides to support the usurper. He said that with the help of the mercenaries, my uncle's defeat was inevitable. Not surprisingly my former comrades decided that they would rather fight for the stronger side than risk any sort of fall out for their neutrality."

Ayameko sighed in disappointment, and the Hokage silently agreed with the sentiment.

"After that, things grew continually worse," the Grass kunoichi concluded, "Although we have never seen more than one hundred Shozokus at one time, no matter how many we killed, they were always replaced. And as we lost troops and territory, more of the hold outs defected to the renegades' side. Five days ago, it became obvious we could no longer win without outside help. So I contacted Har... Daimyo Haruna, and asked for the assistance of her ninja clan. We waited three days, but when we did not receive any sort of response, I assumed my message had been intercepted. When the rebels began to close in on the Daimyo's palace, we were able to convince my uncle to flee, if only for the sake of his wife and daughter. We sent out five teams of eight shinobi, each escorting two or three loyal nobles. My uncle sent them to counties who were not our enemies, both for safety and to try to gain assistance. But the traitors were able to track us down, though they made the Shozokus do the dirty work. I lost half of my team in an early attack. Only team three made it through unscathed. The other were all wiped out."

"What about your parents?" Tsunade asked, both out of concern for her guest and because she needed to learn the fate of the Grass Daimyo's sister for political reasons.

"They were in the Land of Greens when this all started," the exhausted beauty admitted gratefully, "along with my youngest sister. They will remain there, for the time being."

"You don't think that will put a target on the Land of Greens?" Tsunade prompted cannily, "After all, that was one of the excuses for ousting the Daimyo."

"When we fled," Ayameko grinned slightly, "my uncle ordered most of his remaining samurai and ninjas to sneak into the Land of Greens, and place themselves at the command of my mother and Daimyo Haruna. That's not even twenty percent of our original forces, but added to that the Flower Ninja Clan, and Daimyo Haruna's strategic alliance with the Land of Birds and her close relationship with both the Leaf and Stone villages... My former leader would have to be a total fool to attack the Land of Greens. At least before he has some time to regroup and reequip."

"Speaking of..." Tsunade began carefully, "Why didn't your uncle request help? Especially when it became obvious that the rebels were hiring troops for outside the Land of Grass?"

"Pride, fear, old grudges and rivalries," the younger beauty shrugged apologetically, "Take your pick."

Tsunade considered that. The Grass Country had been a battleground between the Stone and Leaf ninjas during the Third Great Ninja War. Despite the Grass Village being one of the three second tier shinobi outposts, they could not stand against the wrath of two of the great villages at once. The Hokage could understand why the the Grass Daimyo had been hesitant to put himself in another similar situation.

"So..." the Hokage switched topics smoothly, offering the refugee a respite, "I am told your teammate, Jinji has some interesting... marks on him."

"You mean the scars Naruto gave him?" Ayameko raised an eyebrow at the veiled query.

"So they are the same..." the healer considered that, "I suppose you probably don't want to talk about that."

"There isn't much to talk," the Grass Jonin shrugged, "Even though they finally admitted they circuits themselves were not viable, our scientists tried to recreate what Naruto did to Jinji. But they failed again. They couldn't decided if it was something about the specific jutsu he used, or because of the demon Naruto used to carry."

Tsunade nodded. The medic considered the possibility that the neurological nature of the Ranshinsho was responsible for the scars still acting as jutsu circuits.

"But it doesn't matter much," Ayameko continued, "each scar is a single technique that Jinji can use, so they lack the flexibility of the original kote design. And they cause him a great deal of pain to activate. It's a testimony to his pain threshold that he can use them as much as he does."

"What do you intend to do now?" the Sannin asked, after taking a moment to digest the information.

"Your Daimyo has offered us sanctuary, so I will accompany my uncle to your capitol," Ayameko started out strongly, but then trailed off into uncertainty, "From there, I don't know what we will do. We have heard some other rumors of odd goings on, which might limit the assistance we can hire. And unless we can do something about the Shozokus, I don't know if we have the power to take back our country."

"Well, if there is anything the Hidden Leaf can do to help you, don't hesitate to contact us," the Hokage said kindly. Then she smirked, and added, "I'll give you ten percent off our normal fees."

"So that's what saving one of your shinobi and two Daimyos allied with your country is worth?" the noble kunoichi asked with only a hint of sarcasm.

"No, that's worth twenty percent," Tsunade snarked back, "But since I did just save you, three of your teammates and three Grass Country nobles, free of charge, I figured we were even on that count."

"Thank you," Ayameko said sincerely, "For everything you have done. And I will keep your offer in mind."

Tsunade stood up and extended her hand, and Ayameko followed suit. The two women exchanged a firm handshake, and the younger shinobi turned and left.

"Shizune," the Hokage called for her assistant, and the other medic entered the office.

"Yes, milady?"

"Please send for the clan leaders and Might Gai," she instructed, "I need to speak with them immediately. The events unfolding making me think we may need a large scale mobilization soon. I want to explain the situation to them, so I can get their feedback and so they can prepare."

"Right away," Shizune frowned, wondering why her mentor had asked for Gai in addition to the heads of the shinobi families. But she had the impression it was not the time to ask, so she hurried back to her desk, calling for messengers as she jotted down a note for each leader, containing the Fire Shadow's wishes. Each missive was written specifically based on its recipient, most receiving a polite request, while Might Gai and Shikaku Nara were given strict orders as to when they were to arrive. After checking the missives a second time, she handed them to ninjas on messenger duty along with their delivery instructions.

* * *

When the Hokage and Shizune entered the conference room thirty minutes later, the leaders of the nine active shinobi clans of the Konohagakure were all waiting. In addition, Hinata Hyuga was seated next to her father, and in the corner of the room furthest from the door stood Might Gai. The bowl-haired Jonin looked somewhat uncomfortable, and a few of the clan leaders looked at him suspiciously.

"Where are Kakashi and Naruto?" Tsunade whispered harshly to her apprentice.

"They declined," Shizune murmured back, "Naruto says he's not officially a clan leader yet, and he doesn't even have a clan to lead. And Kakashi's response pointed out that he reject the position of acting head of the Uchiha clan, and that he was already going to be late getting to his class."

"Fine," the last Senju growled under her breath. Then she faced the assembled clan leaders sternly, masking her annoyance under a façade of professionalism.

"I have been called to a meeting of the Conclave of Shadows," she announced, burying a spike of worry at the summons. After she had given her instructions to Shizune, the wall in her office had lit up, showing a request by the Raikage for a special meeting of the five leaders. However, unlike the immediate session she had asked for upon Naruto's abduction, the Lightning Shadow had offered the others one hour to prepare. Tsunade could not help but wonder what Goro Yotsuki was up to.

"So we will need to keep this brief," she concluded as she sat down. She glared at Gai briefly, who finally followed suit.

"I'm sure all of you are aware to some degree of the renegade group calling themselves by the uninspired name 'Shozokus'," she began, glancing around for their reactions. None of the clan leaders betrayed any surprise or confusion, and she continued.

"Up until now, they have been acting merely as bandits. And there was some suspicions that they were only testing the strength of the various Hidden Villages. Now those rumors have been proven. Recently the Shozokus have stepped up their activities, and are showing greater numbers than we previously experienced."

This caused a small shuffling around the table, but as Tsunade expected, neither Inoichi Yamanaka nor Shikaku Nara seemed surprised by her statement.

"Two weeks ago, the nephew of the Daimyo of the Land of Grass and the leader of the Hidden Grass Village launched a coup d'état, which in only two days escalated into a full civil war. Eight days ago, the rebels hired the Shozokus, gaining themselves one hundred mercenaries as reinforcements. Three days ago, the rebels broke the loyalist's lines. The Daimyo and the nobles on his side evacuated, splitting into five groups. One group fled to each of the nations around the Grass Country. Only two made it through. Finally, the Daimyo sent his remaining soldiers and ninjas to the Land of Greens."

She paused to catch her breath and to observe them again. This time, she saw she had also rattled Inoichi. She wondered if the mind-reader clan's information network had been compromised. She cleared her throat, and waited for the clan heads to settle down again.

"Unfortunately, that's not all," she indicated Gai, "Earlier this week, the Hidden Waterfall Village was attacked by Kisame Hoshigaki and Bunjiro Egureru, leading an estimated force of two hundred of the Shozokus. At Shibuki's request, I sent Might Gai's team to help evacuate the Waterfall's children. Rock Lee and Neji Hyuga are both still recovering from the injuries they received during the mission. As of our last intelligence, the Waterfall will not survive tomorrow, if they are still fighting now. We are preparing troops to assist them, despite that fool's insistence we take no action beyond the rescue mission."

"If they are working with Kisame, does that mean these Shozokus are connected to the Akatsuki?" Choza Akimichi pondered aloud.

"That's possible, but unlikely," Shikaku disagreed with his former teammate.

"Kisame severed ties with the Akatsuki," Hinata pointed out. The patriarchs and matriarchs turned to look at her, and she flinched.

"True," Tsunade agreed, "and the Akatsuki essentially disbanded. But we know that Pein, Konan, and Madara are still working together, and as Pein's plan to harness the nine Bijuu is no longer possible, that shark would have nothing to fear from working with them."

"It's possible the two Broken Swords merely hired the Shozokus to carve out their own little kingdom," Inoichi mused, "That would explain why they chose a water aligned nation to conquer."

"I was hoping to have more time to discuss this with all of you," the Hokage nodded, the mentalist having discerned one of her own trains of thought, "but I suddenly do not have that choice. Instead I have two requests of you. First, please call on your informants again. Find out everything you can about the current states of the Grass and Waterfall Countries. Also, since they are now moving more openly and in greater numbers, see if you can learn anything more about these Shozokus."

"Second, I want you to decide if you will support me, if I decide to send troops to the Waterfall village, even though Shibuki said no."

The men and women in the room frowned thoughtfully. Tsunade wished she could stay to influence their initial debate, but she did not have time.

"I'll leave you to it," she stood quickly and many of the clan heads followed suit, "Shizune will stay, so she can relay any messages to me as soon as I return."

She stepped hastily out of the room, breaking into a jog as soon as the door closed.

"Does anyone really plan to say we should not help the Waterfall Country?" Saburo Takamichi asked dubiously and formally, "They have not always been our allies in the past, but since Shibuki took over the Takigakure, things have been far more cordial. And more importantly, I do not think we can allow the Mist traitors and these Shozokus to control one of our neighboring lands."

"Could be two countries in their pockets," Shikaku added, "Depending on how deep in the Grass the mercenaries' hooks are."

"So, what do you think we should do, Hinata-san?" the Yamanaka leader asked openly. The others mostly turned to look at their young guest, though a few shot the blonde Jonin confused or annoyed looks.

"Oh? Um..." the young woman quailed under the attention, "Well, the Yamanakas and the Naras have the best spy networks, so I guess we should see what they can found out..."

"Is that all?" Tsume Inuzuka didn't hide her disappointment. Hinata closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she exhaled, her eyes reappeared with new resolve.

"No," Hinata shook her head, "If we intend to follow the Hokage's plan, we will need more direct information. We should pick the four members with the best stealth skills in each of the Inuzuka and Aburame clans, and send them as two man teams into the Waterfall Country. They should not go to far in, but can use their dogs and insects to get a better view of what is happening closer to the Takigakure."

Her father nodded, as did Inoichi, but Hinata was not finished, and her cadence increased as she grew more confident of her suggestions.

"And we should send teams to reinforce the border. Hyugas to scan, and Akimichis for their combat power, probably with a third teammate, probably an equal split between members of the Takamichi and Kuroiken families. They should be obvious, to discourage incursions. But then we should also send a few extra Hyuga and Inuzuka scouts in secret, to keep them honest."

Then she trailed off, blushing furiously as she recognized they were all staring at her intently, and that she had all but given orders to the majority of the heads of the Hidden Leaf shinobi clans.

"Anyone have any objections?" Shikaku Nara asked sardonically, and there was a round of head shaking in the room.

"Good, that makes it less of a hassle," the lazy leader noted, "we can start getting things ready, for when the Hokage gives us the go ahead."

"Gai, what else did you learn in the Waterfall Village?" Shibi Aburame queried softly.

"Well..." Gai started grandly.

"You did well, Hinata," Hiashi Hyuga leaned over to whisper to his daughter. She could not help but notice his movements were still stiff and carefully controlled.

"I am proud of you," the injured leader added, and the pale beauty's smile spread slightly.

* * *

"Lady Hokage."

Tsunade had nearly reached her office, when an ANBU member darted out to meet her.

"What is it?" she snapped, "I'm in a hurry."

"I bring an urgent message from the Daimyo," the young shinobi said apologetically, and only then did she recognize the voice and mask of one of the ninjas set to guard the Land of Fire's ruler.

"Now?" she frowned angrily, and snatched the letter. Then she forced her face into neutrality, and nodded to the animal masked warrior.

"Thank you," she said, dismissing him. He bowed slightly and vanished.

The Sannin raced the rest of the way into her office, and sealed it behind her. She read the short letter from Hisoka Honokata, her brow creasing with surprise and increased worry. She tucked the letter into her shirt, and went through the process of extracting the black candle from her desk. She enacted the ritual, and steeled herself, before entering the meeting room of the Conclave of Shadows.

* * *

**Preview:**

[background scene of the Conclave of Shadow chamber]

Tsunade [nervous]: I don't like this. The world's in chaos, and now I have to meet the other Kages and get this strange letter from the Daimyo.

[background scene of Yasuo Mizuno (the Mizukage) shouting angrily]

Tsunade [frightened]: Wait, what's going on?

[background scene of Gaara looking angry and Tsunade looking defeated]

Tsuande [worried]: No. I can't do that...

Naruto [announcer voice]: Next time on Naruto: A Growing Affection; **Chapter 120: Roaring Thunder**.

Naruto [smugly]: Just one minute! Did you have a nice dream?

Shikamaru [annoyed]: How long is he going to keep this catchphrase gag going? I thought it was supposed to end after the new book started

Temari [also worried]: I heard the fanfic writer gave him a list from some website to pick from. I guess Naruto is going to use them all.

Shikamaru [apathetic]: Man, what a drag.


	120. Roaring Thunder

**Chapter 120: Roaring Thunder**

"Sorry I'm late," Tsunade announced, her voice carefully emotionless. Gaara of the Sand, Yasuo Mizuno, and Mitsuru Jishin all turned to look at her, even as the latecomer noticed that Goro Yotsuki had not arrived yet. The Hokage closed her door, and settled regally into her chair, frowning.

"Goro called this meeting, and has the gall to keep us waiting," the Leaf shinobi growled slightly, her grip on her feelings slipping.

"Do any of you know what this is about?" she asked her comrades. The Mizukage and Tsuchikage shook their heads, but Gaara's brow creased in thought.

"I suspect the Raikage wants to discuss the recent actions of these renegades," the former Jinchuriki suggested.

"You may be correct," the Stone kunoichi rumbled, "but it does not gain us much to speculate. Goro is far from predictable."

"If that's not why he called this meeting, I would still suggest..." Yasuo's statement was cut off when the door leading to the Raikage's office finally opened. Before he could even step foot into the meeting hall, Tsunade lit into him.

"It's about damn time, Goro," she barked at the silhouette in the portal, echoing her earlier protest, "You called us here, and then have the nerve to make us wait?"

"My apologies for the delay, Tsunade-sensei," an unexpected voice attempted to pacify the Hokage. Its owner stepped into the underground room. He was tall and well muscled, though only his shoulders could have been called bulky. His auburn hair was cropped short, and his sharp blue eyes regarded the four Shadows with amused confidence. Like his brother and nephew, his nose was slightly stubbed, but it did not detract from the overall appeal of his face. He wore a matte black stealth shozoku, with a layer of blackened steel chainmail covering his vitals and also his wrist. His head was uncovered, but otherwise he wore the full regalia, including gloves and tabi. And, like the room's other inhabitants, he was unarmed.

"But Goro Yotsuki will not be joining us today," Gouki Namikaze informed them, "As he is no longer the Raikage. Nor, for that matter, is he alive."

"You," Tsunade snarled, leaping from her seat and preparing to charge her former student. The Mizukage also stood, though it was not clear whether he intended to try to stop the Hokage, or simply to get out of her way.

"You would attack the Raikage in the Conclave of Shadows' chambers?" Gouki asked quickly, and the medic froze, a look of horror filling her hazel eyes.

"You claim to be the Lightning Shadow?" the Tsuchikage's powerful voice echoed more than it should have in the small room.

"I did light the candle," Gouki pointed out blandly, as he closed the door behind him, "And I am sure you are all well aware of the Hidden Cloud Village's rules of succession."

Each of the five villages had unique laws as to who could claim the title of Kage, and how to go about it. Both the Mist and Cloud villages allowed the title to be taken in single combat, though the Mizukage had been slowly working on changing that rule. But as the other four leaders considered that, Gaara was the first to notice the apparent flaw in Gouki's assertion.

"The Hidden Cloud does allow any ninja to become Raikage, if he or she defeats the current Raikage in a duel," the red-haired youth reminded, "but a foreign shinobi also requires a Cloud Jonin in good standing to sponsor his or her challenge."

"Who was your advocate, Gouki?" Tsunade demanded, already suspecting the answer.

"Yugito Nii," he said simply, then he smiled as if remembering something sad, "You see, she survived the extraction process, so the Akatsuki kept her prisoner, to study how she managed to live. A few months ago, I happened to rescue her. She told me her story, about how the Raikage was afraid of her power and popularity, so he all but sold her to the Akatsuki. I was outraged, and after I had nursed her back to health, she took me to the Cloud Village, and sponsored me as Goro's replacement."

"What an wonderful lie," the Hokage snarked, "Except that we know Yugito Nii died, and was brought back as part of Pein."

"Even if such a thing were possible," Gouki countered dubiously, "It is awfully convenient that you kept it secret until now. It is much more likely you concocted that story to discredit me."

"We have proof," Tsunade countered.

"Proof?" Gouki sounded amused, "What proof do you have that couldn't be faked with a simple transformation and a few lies?"

"Is what you said about the previous Raikage true?" Mitsuru interrupted softly, "Was Goro working with the Akatsuki?"

"He was," Gouki sobered, his voice carrying the weight of truth, though Tsunade was not thoroughly convinced, "He really did think Yugito would attempt to replace him, so he allowed Hidan and Kakuzu into the Kumogakure, took no action to defend Yugito, and launched only a perfunctory search for her after she was captured. He had a deal with Pein and Madara to assist them, in return for promises of safety and even additional power once all of the Bijuu had been captured."

"Is that why you called us here, missing-nin?" the Mizukage asked darkly, "To announce your new position, and flaunt that there is nothing we can do about it?"

"Informing the Conclave of Shadows that there is new Raikage is only the first reason I asked you here," Gouki graciously ignored the insult, "I also wished to discuss certain events unfolding in the ninja world right now."

"You mean the conflicts in the Grass and Waterfall countries," Gaara deduced. Namikaze inclined his head in agreement.

"At the request of the leaders of those countries, my personal troops have stepped in to help restore the peace," Gouki said, his voice twinged with regret.

"Restore the peace?" Yasuo snapped uncharacteristically, "If the Broken Swords and those 'Shozokus' really are working for you, you invaded the Hidden Waterfall Village!"

"Not at all," the Raikage said, unperturbed, "The Daimyo of the Waterfall Country came to us with proof that his shinobi village was plotting to assassinate him and take power. It is at his request that Kisame and Bunjiro took a portion of my troops to neutralize the threat. Feel free to contact the Waterfall Daimyo..."

"Of course, by now even if he has never seen you before, he would be _convinced_ that you are good friends, and that you saved him," Gaara could not keep a hint of anger from his normally impassive voice.

"It seems you are all determined to think the absolute worst of me," Namikaze sounded hurt, "despite my good intentions."

"What about all the thefts by your 'Shozokus' over the past six months?" the Hokage shot back, "Almost every Hidden village has lost shinobi to those bandits you just admitted were your followers."

"It is impossible to demand total loyalty," Gouki shook his head, "something I'm sure you can all understand. A few thieves joined my cause under false pretenses, and then fell back into their old habits. It is unfortunate, but hardly preventable..."

"ENOUGH!" Yasuo shouted, slamming his fist on the smooth stone table, "I will not allow you to make a mockery, not of us and not of the people we serve! I put this proposal to the Conclave of Shadows, that we call for an immediate removal of all foreign shinobi from the Grass and Waterfall Countries, and demand the Hidden Cloud Village replace Gouki Namikaze with a Raikage who is not a missing-nin."

"I'm not in the Bingo Book," the renegade turned Kage stated softly, bemused by the Mizukage's uncharacteristic outburst, "I've checked. I was surprised, and to be honest, a little disappointed when I saw that."

Tsunade knew Yasuo was opposed to senseless bloodshed, or at least his interpretation of the phrase, so she was surprised by his vehemence. Then she deduced the source of his anger. Kisame and Bunjiro had both left the Hidden Mist because they disagreed with Yasuo's politics. She could tell the Mizukage felt some responsibility for the invasion of the Takigakure. But even more, the way in which the two surviving Broken Swords were openly displaying their power could renew dissension in the Kirigakure. Yasuo had to act quickly and decisively to prevent further defections or even worse, an insurrection.

"Seconded, and approved," Gaara said firmly, and the Mizukage nodded.

"I vote in favor, too," Mizuno asserted for the record.

"I, naturally, vote against this proposal," the Raikage noted blandly. The three men started to glance back and forth between the two kunoichi. Neither woman spoke, and Tsunade looked at Mitsuru hopefully, while the Tsuchikage frowned and squinted in seemingly unpleasant contemplation.

"Removing Gouki's followers would only serve to destabilize the region," the leader of the Hidden Stone village finally said, her gravelly voice sounding as if she were eating something particularly sour, "And Gouki was appointed Raikage legally. In the absence of proof that his people are acting illegally, I must vote against this proposal."

All four sets of eyes turned to Tsunade. Yasuo, Gaara, and Mitsuru looked at her hopefully, while Gouki smiled impassively. Tsunade wanted nothing more than to resume her original impulse and slug her traitorous student. Instead, she closed her eyes so she would not have to look at them, and dug her nails into her palm, drawing blood to punish herself for what she was about to do.

"I..." she took a deep breath, and forced the word out, "… abstain."

"What?" Yasuo stammered, looking like Tsunade had hit him instead.

"Two for, two against, and one abstention," Gouki stated, "the motion fails. Now if you will all excuse me?"

Without waiting for an answer, the Raikage left. Tsunade opened her eyes, and Mitsuru gave her a knowing nod. Then the Tsuchikage exited as well. The Hokage attempted to escape, but her allies cut her off.

"What was that, Tsunade?" Yasuo demanded, livid, "you let him go."

"I had no choice," the medic said guiltily.

"Why not?" Gaara said more evenly, reading her displeasure.

"Orders," she growled, yanking the letter back out of her shirt. She tossed it to Gaara, but recited the simple note from memory, even as he read it.

"'Do not take or support any actions against the Land of Lightning, the Hidden Cloud Village, or the Raikage.' Signed Hisoka Honokota," she barked.

"The Daimyo of the Land of Fire ordered you not to oppose Gouki?" Yasuo's last remnants of anger were washed away in a wave of confusion and doubt.

"And based on the look she gave me, Mitsuru was given similar instructions," the Sannin's fire cooled under the weight of her new assertion. The Kazekage nodded his understanding and agreement with her conclusion.

"Could the letter be a fake?" the Mizukage asked hopefully.

"I know the Daimyo's signature, I checked the stamp, and I recognized the shinobi who delivered it," Tsunade shook her head in denial, "I'm as sure as I can be that it's real, without talking to Hisoka-sama in person."

Yasuo took off his glasses, and started rubbing the marks it left on his nose. The other two leaders recognized it as an act of frustration.

"Do you think Honokata-sama was tricked? Or did Gouki coerce him in some way?" Gaara pondered thoughtfully

"I don't know," Tsunade's temper flared again, "But I sure as hell intend to find out!"

* * *

"How did it go?" Kohaku wrapped herself around her husband's arm, pressing her currently modest bust tightly to his left bicep. Gouki smiled wearily at the Jinchuriki of the Six-Tails Chameleon, and then nodded at Nagato and Konan. The new Raikage wondered briefly where Madara Uchiha was, but decided he did not care. He walked over to the plush couch in Goro's former office, so he could sit with his mate.

"Arguably, better than it should have," Namikaze admitted, "I was not physically attacked, though it was close once or twice. In addition, it appears the Leaf and Stone will _not_ be interfering with us for the time being. And without a clear majority there can be no unilateral action against us."

He sighed happily, and shifted his gaze to the heir of the Rinnegan.

"Nagato, do you have enough Shozokus for your pet project, without totally depleting our forces here?"

"Yes, Gouki-sensei," the thin young man answered eagerly.

"Then, I would like you to wait one more week, while we cement our hold on the Grass and Waterfall countries. After that, the Amegakure is yours."

"Thank you, Lord Raikage," the true Pein bowed deeply, an almost idyllic grin touching his lips. Konan smiled too, her lover's joy temporarily banishing her worries.

"Konan, how is the integration of the Cloud ninjas coming?" Gouki turned his attention to his female apprentice.

"Not so well as you had hoped," she told him honestly, "Even more shinobi have defected to the rebels, and some of those who have not run are trying to avoid taking the oath."

"Send out more of the Grey Shozokus," he ordered with a slight frown, "We will need the additional troops before we can attack the Sound, Snow, and Mines villages..."

* * *

**Preview:**

[background scene of the an impressive palace]

Tsunade [angrily]: I don't know why I'm being ordered to help a traitor, but I sure as hell intend to find out.

Shizune [nervously chiding]: Milady, you can't talk to the Daimyo in that manner.

[background scene of Tsuande facing Hisoka Honokata. Both wear strained smiles.]

Tsunade [simpering]: Of course, your majesty. I'll betray everyone I serve and everything I stand for on your whim.

Shizune [defeated]: That's not really any better.

Naruto [announcer voice]: Next time on Naruto: A Growing Affection; **Chapter 121: The Missing Link**.

Naruto [pompously]: Naruto vi Uzumaki commands you.

Tsunade [resigned]: Well, I at least that one fits the next chapter.


	121. The Missing Piece

**Chapter 121: The Missing Piece**

"Your Majesty," the Hokage bowed deeply as she entered the throne room.

"Tsunade," the Daimyo kept his voice diplomatically neutral, but there was a strain around his eyes, "I have been expecting you, although, to be honest, I had thought you would seek an audience with me far sooner. I believe you wish to discuss my instructions regarding the Land of Lightning and its shinobi. I regret delivering such an important directive in such a short note. You must be confused, and possibly put out?"

"Not at all," Tsunade deflected, "I am sure there is some manner of political purpose behind your orders that we leave the Cloud ninjas alone. I know you must always keep the best interests of our nation in mind."

A hint of red touched Hisoka's ears, and his eyes narrowed slightly. But he smiled and nodded, before indicating that his retainers should bring the shinobi leader a chair.

"In that case, to what do I owe the honor of this visit?" he asked, seemingly openly.

* * *

_Tsunade tapped her foot impatiently. She had broken through the floor under her desk before with her impatient habit, and though she could not stop herself, she found that focusing on keeping her massive strength in check was almost as distracting as the repetitive action itself. Besides, she was in no mood for another lecture from Shizune on the cost of replacing furniture and flooring. Though depending on what the kunoichi she was waiting for had to say, the Hokage expected she might end up beyond caring about a few oak planks._

_The leader of the Konohagakure had returned from her meeting with the Conclave of Shadows in a measured rage. She had marched back to the room where the clan leaders were still meeting, and informed them that they would be taking no further action regarding the Land of Grass or Land of Waterfalls. She had ignored their barrage of questions, and dismissed everyone except Inoichi Yamanaka, Shikaku Nara, and Hiashi Hyuga. After swearing them to secrecy, she had informed them about the new Raikage and the Fire Daimyo's orders. After regaining control of the room, she ordered the three clan leaders to begin investigating the Daimyo, and the capitol in general. She asked them to try to find a link between Hisoka Honokata and Gouki Namikaze, and to determine if either group of the new Raikage's servants had infiltrated the Land of Fire._

_Leaving them, Tsunade met with the second in command of the ANBU, and dispatched the four most invisible members of the black ops to check on another matter._

_The three clan leaders met with her again two days later, but they did not have anything concrete. The leader of the Land of Fire had not been replaced, nor were there any Shozokus or Hidden Cloud ninjas in the capitol. And there was nothing unusual in the Daimyo's finances. But there were other rumors, whispers that alone, meant little, but combined to give Tsunade a sneaking suspicion. Thus she had dispatched the Jonin for whom she now waited anxiously. The Hokage had been phoned as soon as the agent re-entered the Leaf Village, and she ordered her assistant to send the kunoichi straight into the Sannin's office, as soon as the younger woman arrived._

_Tenten entered the Hokage's office only minutes after she passed through the Konoha's main gate. The weapons expert still wore civilian clothing, not having bothered to change before beginning her return to the Hidden Leaf village._

_"And?" the Hokage demanded without greeting, as soon as the younger woman closed the door. Tenten took a shallow breath, both her muscles and chakra exhausted from her run._

_"It's as you suspected," Tenten confirmed, "Nyoko has not been to school in eight days. The official story is that she has a mild yet lingering cold, and that it is highly infectious. Supposedly she is in her suite, recovering, and only select maids and guards are allowed in to see her. Except that she isn't, all of her rooms are empty. And I watched her maid bring in a bowl of soup, sit down in the entryway, eat it, and then take the empty bowl back."_

_"So she is gone, and the Daimyo is trying very hard to conceal the fact," Tsunade muttered angrily. She turned her chair around, and glared out her window in the direction of the capitol of the Land of Fire._

_"Lady Tsunade, there's something more going on here, isn't there?" Tenten asked, and the Hokage turned her wrathful look on the other Jonin. Tenten paused nervously, and then forced herself to continue, "I mean, there has to be some reason the Daimyo doesn't have us scouring the continent, looking for the princess, right?"_

_"I don't know," the Sannin admitted, her voice more mellow than her expression, "But I definitely need to have a talk with Hisoka-sama."_

* * *

"I have heard through the rumor mill that Nyoko-hime has taken ill, and that her recovery has been remarkably slow. So I thought I would offer my services; I'm sure I can find a medical jutsu to get the princess back on her feet."

The Daimyo winced, and Tsunade found herself wishing she could talk him into playing poker. She kept her face neutral, while he sighed to cover his mistake.

"That is very kind of you," Hisoka said expansively, "But it is only a mild cold. I'm sure my daughter just needs some more rest."

"I'm not so sure about that, your Majesty," the Hokage countered as diplomatically as she could, "For the illness to linger for this long, and remain so dangerously communicative... I'm not sure what your civilian doctors have told you, but to me this sounds like the incubation period of a more dangerous disease. And even if it is just a tenacious cold, if it gets out, it could become a minor epidemic. Don't you think it is better for me to find out what it will take to cure this now, either to nip it in the bud, or to be prepared for when it does start to spread?"

Hisoka Honokata closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He knew it was dangerous to look the last of the Sannin in the eye while trying to come up with a lie. But he could tell she was suspicious, and could not think of anything that would convince the canny kunoichi. When he looked at her again, he saw she was regarding him sadly.

"Shall we dispense with these games, your Majesty?" Tsunade asked mildly. He regarded her carefully for a moment, and then nodded.

"Clear and seal the court," he instructed loudly, "I will speak with the Hokage in private."

"But your majesty," his lead bodyguard protested, "We cannot leave you alone."

"Tsunade-san," the Daimyo did not bother to argue with his samurai, "If I asked you, how long would it take you to incapacitate my guards and toss them outside?"

"Assuming you didn't want them seriously injured?" she prompted, and the Land of Fire's ruler waved his hand in agreement. She looked around at the twenty, thickly muscled, well-armed, and heavily armored men. Then she shot the ranking warrior a smug grin.

"Thirty seconds," she answered, "forty, tops."

A few of the men blanched, and the Daimyo sighed angrily.

"If I have to give another order on this matter," the royal informed his protectors sternly, "It will not be to any of you."

The lead soldier nodded tersely, and moments later the Hokage and the Daimyo were alone. The reinforced doors slammed shut. Tsunade's expression softened, and the leader of the Fire Country dropped his mask, transforming from powerful ruler to frightened father before her eyes.

"What is going on, Hisoka-sama?" the Sannin switched to a slightly more familiar form address, her voice showing her concern, "Where is your daughter?"

"I don't know," he shook his head, "I don't know where he took her."

"Gouki Namikaze?" she prompted, and he nodded.

"How do you know it was him?" Tsunade asked carefully.

"He sent me her school bag, and a video of her in a room somewhere," the Daimyo answered hoarsely.

"Alright, let's start from the beginning," the Sannin's tone became more analytical, "When did Nyoko-hime go missing?"

"Eleven days ago, the Friday before last," the royal explained, "On her way home from school, someone disabled Nyoko's shadows and took her. We did not notice right away, because she had arranged to doing some shopping first. But before she was supposed to return home, we received a special delivery. As I said, Nyoko's bag and a video. The video showed her, unharmed, and then shifted to Gouki. He told me my daughter was insurance against the Land of Fire's interference with his new position as the Raikage. He swore a Blood Oath to me, that Nyoko would be treated well, and not harmed or... _molested_... in any way, so long as my soldiers and ninjas remained neutral. And he promised if he ever planned any hostile actions against us, that he would return Nyoko at least three months before the attack."

"When her guards returned," he frowned, "I scolded them for losing sight of her, and told them she had taken ill. I'm not sure they believed me, but it would have meant contradicting me and admitting their mistake to you, so they said nothing."

"Blood Oaths can be faked," Tsunade informed him, "especially on video like that. But unless Gouki has changed more than it seemed from our recent meeting, we can probably trust his word."

Hisako nodded, soothed by her words. His reaction grated on the medic, and she was not able to fully reign in her infamous temper.

"And none of that explains why you didn't tell me!" she barked.

"So you could put her at risk?" the Daimyo shot back, "He was already able to take her out of _my_ city, without anyone noticing. And I did order an investigation, but there were no clues, no witnesses, no indications that the crown princess had been taken in broad daylight, with four ANBU members secretly guarding her. Her guards were disabled without serious injury, and without ever seeing their attacker. If I had gone to you, he would have known. And if you try to rescue her, who knows what he will do to her?"

"Gouki won't do anything," she shook her head, "He'll leave it to one of his flunkies. And I think you have underestimated the Leaf ninjas and overestimated my former student. But I guess we will find out."

"What are you saying?" he demanded, an edge of hysteria in his voice.

"We are going to find and rescue Nyoko-Hime, of course," the kunoichi said firmly.

"No," he said darkly.

"You would rather leave her in the hands of her kidnapper?" Tsunade questioned incredulously, "A traitor to your own country, and the enemy of the whole world?"

"That is something of an exaggeration," the Daimyo objected dubious.

"With all due respect your Majesty, bullshit," Tsunade snorted, "Gouki has his own private army, if a small one. He took control of the Hidden Cloud Village, and has conquered two countries bordering the Land of Fire. The reason he made that promise, and told you to restrict me from interfering, is because he intends to go after more nations, probably including some of our allies. And it is only a matter of time before he comes after us."

"All the more reason to let him keep Nyoko," he asserted uncertainly, "He promised to return her long before he attacks the Land of Fire. We can use that to know when we need to prepare for his attack."

"You would have us break our word, deny aid to our allies, and wait until he has us surrounded and alone?" Tsunade prompted incredulously.

"I..." the Daimyo broke under the strain of her words. She knew him to be a highly moral man, whose personal beliefs sometimes clashed with the demands of ruling.

"She's my daughter, my only child," Hisako croaked, "I can't see any other way to keep both her and my country safe."

Tsunade stood slowly, torn between her desire to reassure the Daimyo and to storm out in anger. She settled for bowing stiffly.

"Then I will take my leave, your Majesty."

Without waiting for him to acknowledge her, she turned and strode evenly towards the large double doors.

"Tsunade," his voice caught up with her before she could escape.

"I order you not to search for Nyoko," he instructed her with all the strength he could muster, when she turned back to look at him, "You or any other ninja."

She stared at him for a moment, and then nodded slightly.

"Promise me," he demanded desperately. Her eyes flashed in rage, and she tore open the left side of her blouse, revealing most of her left breast. She sliced her finger tip open with her nails, and then smeared the kanji for 'honor' over her heart, messy in her angry haste.

"I swear I will not dispatch any Leaf shinobi either by order or by request, myself included, to find or rescue princess Nyoko Honokata, on pain of death!"

The blood vanished into her skin, and she pulled her shirt closed.

"Satisfied?" she prompted darkly. He dipped his head in regretful acceptance.

"In that case, I have other duties to see to."

This time Tsunade did not mask her annoyance as she stomped out, slamming open the heavy doors like they were made of bamboo instead of silver and steel laden oak. But once she was past the guards, a smirked played across her lips, and the Hokage was already plotting as she exited the palace and met up with her assistant.

* * *

"You wanted to see me, Lady Tsunade?" Temari said formally, as the Sannin darted past her into the office. The Konoha's resident Sand Jonin had been surprised by the official request that she be waiting to meet with the Hokage, the moment the leader of the Hidden Leaf returned to the village. Temari had heard from her brother of the events in the Conclave of Shadow's gathering, and was certain this summons was related.

"Inside," Tsunade ordered, adding, "We need absolute privacy."

Though exhausted from her run, the medic pulled her guest quickly inside, rather than simply sitting and letting Temari enter on her own. The Leaf medic activated the chakra seals and other devices that shielded the room. The original fuinjutsu had created in tandem by the first five Kages, as an extension of the guards and wards in the meeting chamber. In addition, each individual Hokage had added their own protections, most recently Tsunade's instillation of bleeding-edge signal jammers and white-noise generators. Inside her office, the last Sannin was reasonably assured that even the gods could not hear or see what was being discussed. Unless they were in the crawl space over the false ceiling a young Naruto had liked to frequent.

"I assume Gaara told you about what happened at the Conclave meeting six days ago," Tsunade started directly.

"That Gouki Namikaze, an X-Class renegade from the Hidden Leaf is now the Raikage, and your Daimyo ordered you not to take any action against him?" Temari noted grimly.

"That's the gist of it," the Hokage agreed as she lowered herself into her chair, moaning softly, "I'm getting to old for all day, cross country marathons."

Temari waited anxiously for the grumpy Leaf leader to get settled in.

"I just returned from the capitol," Tsunade explained, "And the Daimyo and I had an... well, let's just say _interesting_ discussion about the reason for his orders."

The Sannin's brown eyes locked on the younger blonde's blue-green orbs, and the flippancy left her voice.

"Gouki has kidnapped Nyoko Honokata, and is using her to force the Land of Fire's neutrality in current events. Given the events around his daughter's abduction, as well as promises Gouki offered, his Majesty is complying with the traitor's demands."

Temari digested that for a moment, and when Tsunade did not speak, the Sand kunoichi offered a thought of her own.

"The Land of Earth Daimyo has a young son. Do you think that Namikaze could have taken him as well, and that is why the Tsuchikage voted with the Raikage?"

The elder woman pursed her lips in thought, and then nodded appreciatively.

"I hadn't considered that, but you could very well be right."

"So why did you ask me here, Lady Tsunade?" Temari pressed anxiously.

"The Daimyo ordered me not to send any Leaf ninjas to search for the princess, and in a fit of rage, I made a Blood Oath to that effect," the Sannin looked mildly embarrassed as she admitted that, and the Sand ninja could not suppress a slight grin.

"Well, I have ways around that, starting with investigating the Leader of the Kusagakure," Tsunade shrugged away her error and continued, "The Grass is still technically independent from the Cloud, and I started the investigation before I made that oath. Besides, what kind of arrogant ass actually changes his name to 'Leader'."

"But that's not enough, is it?" the sharp young woman intuited, and her host nodded.

"No. That's why I asked you here. Hisoka-sama probably didn't think of this, or thought I was too proud or too stubborn to ask for help."

"But to make it clear, I'm not asking for help," Tsunade insisted gruffly, "I want to hire the Hidden Sand Village to find Nyoko Honokata. But just to find her; if your people try to rescue her, and fail, it could lead to an international incident. Discover where she is first, and then we can decided what to do."

Temari nodded, "I will speak to Gaara immediately."

"I will contact him as well, once I hammer out the specifics of the mission request," the Sannin agreed, "But I was hoping you could get the ball rolling before that."

"Of course," Temari was pleased that her ally trusted her that much, "Is there anything else I can do?"

"Yes," Tsunade frowned melodramatically, "whatever you do, _do not_ tell anyone else about this. _Especially_ not your boyfriend, who would be sure to go right to Ino or Naruto. I don't want anyone else finding out about this."

Tsunade's over emphasis made her true intentions blatantly obvious.

"I'll do my best," Temari said, sounding hypercritically dubious of herself, "But Shikamaru is smart and can be pretty observant. I'm not sure I'll be able to keep it from him."

"Just do your best," the Hokage smirked at their mutual, overacted, understanding. Then she sobered, her smile turning more sincere.

"Thank you, Temari. Having you here, living in our village, has been a real blessing."

"I know my brother feels the same about Kurenai," the younger Jonin said dismissively, but she could not hide a slight coloring of her cheeks, "I'll call him as soon as you let me out of here."

Tsunade dropped the barriers around the room, and Temari did not bother to offer a parting before she darted out the door, already drawing her phone. Tsunade prepared to make some calls of her own.

"Now, to find out more about this 'Leader'..." she muttered distractedly.

* * *

**Preview:**

[background scene of the The Hidden Grass]

Naruto [upset]: Nyoko was kidnapped. We have to do something.

Hinata [reassuring]: That's why the Hokage has people trying to find her.

[background scene of Kayo (the one-eyed Grass kunoichi) glaring at a pair of Shozokus]

Naruto [annoyed]: That's not good enough. _We _should be doing something.

Hinata [more firmly]: I'm sure we will, just as soon as the Hokage learns something.

[background scene of Neji, Tenten, Naruto, Hinata, Ino, and Choji in the Hokage's office]

Naruto [growling]: If my uncle did anything to her...

Naruto [announcer voice]: Next time on Naruto: A Growing Affection; **Chapter 122: Unsanctioned Missions**.

Hinata [brashly]: JUST WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK I AM?

Naruto [surprised and put-out]: Hinata, that was supposed to be my gag.

Hinata [deeply apologetic]: Sorry, Naruto-kun. But I never get to talk like that in the story.

Sakura [smugly]: Don't worry about it, Hinata. I mean, that's the way Team Kakashi rolls.

Naruto [frustrated]: You too, Sakura?

Kakashi [lecturing]: Stop complaining, Naruto. After all, you have the Rasengan that will pierce the heavens.

Naruto [desperately]: Kakashi-sensei!


	122. Unsanctioned Missions

**Chapter 122: Unsanctioned Missions**

The couple pushed their cart through the crowded streets of the Hidden Grass Village, wearing matched expressions of nervousness. The husband was slightly overweight with crew-cut, thinning brown hair, and large eyes whose orange irises looked too small for the rest of his orbs. His wife was about an inch taller, rail thin, with her pale lavender hair pulled into a ponytail, bound at three points down its length. Her face was severely pinched, giving the impression her cheeks might have shattered if she smiled to widely. They were not unfamiliar with the Kusagakure, but had never seen so many people in its streets, especially not ninjas wearing full stealth gear.

"Hey, dango-seller, what do you think you're doing?" a shrill voice challenged them, and the vendor turned to look at whoever had stopped them, his anxious expression struggling not to break into a full panic. But when he saw the one-eyed face of the Grass Jonin Kayo, he breathed a sigh of relief.

"You're a week late," she growled affectionately, "If I had to go much longer without your treats, I was going to hurt someone. Or at least send my squad out to look for you."

"My apologies, Mistress Kayo," the merchant bowed his head, "With everything that has been happening, it was harder to acquire ingredients, as well as to get here unmolested."

"Yeah, I guess," she agreed, her voice hinting at annoyance. Then her eye narrowed as she studied him, "You worried about something?"

"It's just..." he lowered his voice conspiratorially, "there are so many people here. And these mercenaries have a... shall we say, less than positive, reputation. I have never felt unsafe in the Hidden Grass Village before, but they keep staring at us, and I can't see their faces, so I don't know if they are hungry, or they are planning to rob and kill us."

"I don't think you have to worry about that," she said, but the kunoichi could not quite make her voice as reassuring as she intended, "But just in case, you should keep to Market Street, and make sure you're in back at the Inn before dark."

"Thank you, Mistress," the salesman nodded.

"Now then, on to business," the Jonin licked her lips in anticipation.

"The usual then?" He brightened, and his wife began preparing the spherical pastries.

"No, I don't think two trays is going to be enough," Kayo countered hungrily, "Better make it three."

The seller nodded, and his partner served up the small plates in rapid succession, each bearing three skewers of three dango in assorted flavors, some savory but most sweet. The kunoichi had already finished the first set before the second was done, but she savored the second tray, and still had one skewer left by the time she was passed her third helping.

"Delicious as always," the Grass shinobi complimented the silent chef, and then paid the woman's husband for her 'snack'.

"I'll be looking for you again tomorrow," Kayo warned them, "How long will you be in town this time?"

"Probably a week," the merchant answered, and his wife frowned at him and indicated the cart with a tilt of her head, so he added, "Maybe less if everyone buys as much as you do."

"Maybe I better scare your other customers away," Kayo stated possessively, and the couple both shared looks of dismay, so she laughed at them, noting, "I'm kidding. Well, mostly. See you later."

She vanished into the crowd, and the merchant surreptitiously removed the note tucked into the bills. He handed it to his wife with a frown.

"Are you sure about this?" he asked, mixing whispers and Hidden Leaf sign language, "We have just sacrificed this cover, and if Kayo is not really an agent of the loyalists, we will be walking into a trap."

"Lady Ayameko trusts her, and the Hokage trusted Ayameko in this matter," the female ANBU agent answered in kind, "and frankly, I was getting sick of making dango."

She memorized the codes and seals on the note, and then subtly slid it into the cart's burner. The fake food-sellers continued their route through the Kusagakure, servicing customers and observing the distribution of the Shozokus and the Grass ninjas.

* * *

After the sun had vanished behind the treeline, but before the blush of twilight had faded, the merchant couple checked in to the only boarding house in the Kusagakue, and locked themselves securely in their rooms. They allowed their disguise jutsus to lapse, revealing a pair slightly younger, much more physically fit, and moderately more attractive than their aliases. She touched her husband's face gently, and then they got to work, abandoning the civilian garb and dressing in the high-quality stealth suits that were hidden in their luggage. Finally they retrieved their masks from the last, most thoroughly concealed pockets in their bags. She slipped the reinforced, stylized, porcelain hawk's face over her own, while her mate hid his visage behind that of a wolf.

Garbed for their mission, the Leaf ninjas quickly double checked their equipment. Each carried no weapon, but for a single stealth kunai. Like the ninja blades, most of their gear was made from wood or ceramics, but reinforced with chakra as much as possible without potentially attracting the attention of the various ki sensing Kekkei Genkai. And unlike the multi-purpose daggers, the rest of their tools were strictly for infiltration. Each carried standard equipment; fifty meters of high-test cable, a grappling hook, a few small mirrors, a plastic misting bottle filled with distilled water, a few wooden shims, a small hammer, assorted screwdrivers, and similar accouterments. But Hawk also carried a dozen blank chakra tags with extra ink and pens, while her Wolf had a more elaborate set of lock picks and a USB flash drive in a special case designed to shield it from metal detectors and other magnetic fields.

As certain as they could be of their preparations, the two shinobi slipped silently out the window. The last glimmers of natural light were gone, and had been replaced by the glaring aura of the street lamps. The growth of the Hidden Grass Village was such that while most of the lights were electric, some of the gas torches had yet to be replaced. Also with the nightfall, all sense of welcome had vanished the Kusagakure. Any upstanding citizens and ninjas had retreated to their homes, leaving the street in the hands of the mercenaries and the village's seedier residents. As the Konoha agents darted from shadow to shadow, they could not help but reflect that the excuse they had offered eavesdroppers was indeed true, the city felt darker, more dangerous, than it had in any of their previous biyearly visits.

Their eyes met, even through the shaded glass of their masks. Hawk and Wolf had been together long enough, both personally and professionally, that each generally knew the other's thoughts without the need to speak. Sensing their shared reminiscence, and the worry that accompanied it, both spies nodded in unison, as if to banish the other's musings. Their focus returned to the task at hand, they increased their speed, heading for the command center for the Hidden Grass ninjas, which also served as the home of the man who called himself 'Leader'.

The building was mostly dark when they arrived. As the primary operations post for the Grass ninjas, there were naturally parts of the manor that were always active. But their intelligence stated that, just over one year ago, 'Leader' had started retiring early in the evening. Using information gleaned from selling dango near the base, as well as the data Kayo had slipped them, they were able to enter the structure undetected. Avoiding the motion sensors and cameras was child's play for the two Tokujo, and thanks to their informant, Hawk was able to fool the fuinjutsu designed to detect authentic Grass headbands on any person who crossed its threshold. Inside, they moved in hurried silence to the office of the traitor. But as they reached the hallway that led to their goal, they slowed greatly. The office and bed chamber of their target were both part of the same suite, and according to their sources, he had inordinately sharp hearing, such that it bordered on being a bloodline trait. Wolf picked the lock on the door, wordlessly cursing each inaudible tap of ceramic on metal. However the barrier opened without alarm, and the couple slipped inside.

The first room was the office, and was unsurprisingly empty. Both shinobi darted over to the desk, and Wolf disconnected the computer's speakers, while Hawk placed a jutsu tag on it to neutralize the noise of the drives and fans. Then the male ANBU agent booted up the system, while his wife moved to the cabinet. Officially they were there to find out what, if anything, 'Leader' had planned once he cemented his control over the Land of Grass. But neither ninja was new to the game, and they had both had heard rumors, so they knew their other, unspoken, objective was to try to find the location of the missing Fire princess.

Wolf was mildly surprised by how long it took him to hack the Kusa leader's password, and by the time he started cloning the hard disc to his portable drive, Hawk had already finished rifling through the paper files, taking pictures of everything she thought was relevant. She noticed a small closet, not truly hidden but subtly blended into the wall. The kunoichi's instincts told her that there was something important stored in the seemingly unimportant recess, and after doing all she could to verify there were no traps or alarms, she slid her fingers under the latch and opened it.

Wolf nearly fell out of his chair in shock, when his wife gasped audibly and jumped violently backwards. He scrambled up, drawing his kunai as she did the same. Hawk paused, tilting her head in confusion even as he rounded the desk. As he did, he saw what had startled her enough to break stealth. 'Leader' was standing in the closet, facing them, his eyes wide open. But after a second, he came to the same realizations as his partner. Their target was surrounded by a bizarre and unfamiliar machine, and more importantly, he was not reacting to their presence. And as he looked at the shinobi's glassy eyed stare, he recognized something else.

"His eyes," he whispered, keeping his voice quiet just in case.

"I know," she raised her camera and snapped a shot. The device used standard film, but was powered by a ninjutsu and her chakra, so did not require a flash regardless of the lighting, a functionality for which she was now especially thankful.

"Check the other room, see if he is in there," she requested. He padded hastily over to the bedroom, and slid open the door. After a few moments he placed his hands together and focused his chakra, murmuring, "Release."

"Genjutsu, triggered by the door," he noted softly, and as he returned to her side.

"Other than the open eyes, and upright posture, all indications are that he is asleep," she informed him, "but I'm not sure what this device is."

She studied the contraption for a moment longer, and then carefully resealed the closet. Hawk inclined her head to the side, towards the entrance, and Wolf nodded.

* * *

'We should head back,' Hawk signed as they returned to the rooftops of the city proper.

'I agree,' Wolf's fingers indicated, 'That was more than enough for tonight.'

'I meant back to the Leaf Village,' she shook her her head as her digits explained, 'This information is too important to wait two weeks.'

'But we haven't found what we were sent here for,' he countered.

'And we might not,' she argued, 'but this is real, actionable intel. Also given our other orders, it changes the mission parameters.'

'But our cover?' he frowned under his mask, 'If the dango sellers leave in the middle of the night, after just one day...'

'If Kayo or Ayameko have not already revealed our role as Leaf spies,' she reminded him of his earlier complaint, 'we can simply claim the the mercenaries' harassment was too much for us to take and we fled.'

'Alright,' he agreed, somewhat thankful that he was unable to refute her.

* * *

"You are sure about this?" Tsunade asked flatly.

"We both saw it," Hawk shrugged, "I verified that he was alive and not a genjutsu. But no, we did not attempt to wake him and ask 'Are you one of the Paths of Pein?', if that is what you are suggesting."

The Hokage smirked at the ANBU kunoichi. But the smile quickly faded as she looked back down at the photograph of the the Hidden Grass village's Leader, staring outwards blindly with the Rinnegan.

"Well, that definitely answers some questions," the Sannin muttered. Then she continued more firmly, "Good job, you two. I'll have the rest of the pictures and data you brought back analyzed. You can take the rest of the week off, but I'll probably have a new assignment for you after that."

"Thank you, Lady Hokage," the couple stated in unison, and then bowed before exiting. Tsunade picked up the picture showing 'Leader' with Pein's unique, multi-ringed, blue eyes instead of his original green orbs. She started to wonder how long the former Akatsuki front-man had been in charge of the Grass village. Lost in thought, she was not sure how much time had passed when Shizune knocked loudly on her door for the third time.

"What is it?" Tsunade sighed as she asked the question.

"Milady, Temari is here to see you," Shizune said, a hint of excitement in the younger medic's voice. The Hokage sat up straight in her seat and turned the face the door.

"Well what are you waiting for?" her tone indicated both annoyance and expectation, "Send her in immediately."

Shizune nodded, and a heartbeat later, the Sand Jonin walked into the room. As she sat, the Hokage sealed the room, though she was in too much of a hurry to activate all of the protections. The Sannin practically dove back into her chair, and stared at the younger blonde intently.

"I wasn't expecting to be seeing you again so soon," Tsunade began without offering an kind of greeting.

"Gaara already had teams in the field, investigating Gouki's actions," Temari offered, "When I informed him of your request, he shifted their purpose."

"And?" the healer prompted.

"And we found information on three different places were a teenage girl with orange hair and a preteen boy with brown and grey hair are being held by the Shozokus," the Kazekage's sister answered, "One group is in a Hidden Grass safe-house near both the Stone and Waterfall countries. One is in the former Akatsuki base in the Land of Forests. And the last group is in the Land of Lightning, in a farming town that is also a Cloud ninja training camp."

"Decoys..." Tsunade pondered that, "But which group is the real hostages?"

"The first one," Temari stated, but her voice was less than adamant, "or so we believe. The girl at the Grass safe-house was described by the Shozoku we interrogated as having grey eyes. The other two have blue eyes. Also, the mercenary said that the first group is being controlled by one of Gouki's elite agents, though he was able to partially break free and commit suicide before we could find out who. The other two bases don't have that sort of leader, at least from what we can tell."

"It would be convenient to keep the captives close to their home countries, if he really does intend to release them before he attacks," the Hokage frowned in thought, "but it is also more risky. But if Pein really is close at hand, that would minimize the risk. In fact, with the whole Grass village at his disposal, it would be safer than the Land of Forests, and almost as safe as the Land of Lightning, while also being more unexpected..."

The blue-eyed woman pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes, not sure what her ally and client was talking about. Tsunade recognized Temari's confusion.

"We also have some new intel on the Hidden Grass leader," the Sannin told the go-between, "I'll fill you in later, once my people have vetted it."

The Sand kunoichi nodded.

"So, what do you intend to do?" Temari probed carefully.

"Nothing," Tsunade smirked ironically, "I swore I wouldn't. And I have to make sure that none of Nyoko's friends in the village do anything, either. In fact, I intend to talk to them about that right away, to warn them against making any foolish moves."

The nineteen-year old nodded sagely, but did not move despite the implied dismissal. Tsunade paused as she reached for her phone, and raised an eyebrow in interest.

"Was there something else?" the Hokage asked. Temari smiled bitterly, and produced a short stack of papers.

"There is the matter of our fee," Shikamaru's lover managed to sound smug and embarrassed in the same sentence, "As you said, you hired the Sand for an official mission. You wanted it on the books for the confidentiality clause, right?"

"So I did," Tsunade grimaced, and snatched the invoice from Temari's hand. She blinked when she saw the total, and so quickly went through the individual line items. She discovered that the frighteningly large number was correct, even generous, given the effort the Sand village had put forth. She withdrew her checkbook from her center desk drawer, and opened it to the first incomplete page. She tore out the middle check, and when she filled it out, rounded up to the next full ten thousand Ryo, both as a bonus for her allies, and to make her bookkeeping easier. She handed the monetary stand-in to Temari, who studied it for a second, before deciding it was unlikely the Hokage would stiff them, especially after adding a gratuity. Both kunoichi signed the bill, and each took a copy.

"If there is nothing else, then?" the younger woman stood, sketching a slight bow, before darting out of the room. Before the door had closed, Tsunade was already dialing.

* * *

Naruto looked around the room hopefully. For reasons he did not know, the Leaf village had had a very light caseload over the last three weeks. And even though he loved spending time alone with his fiancé, both training and in _other_ forms of exercise, the Tokujo was itching for a mission.

Hinata kept a tight grip on her lover's hand. She had also been looking forward to a mission when the Hokage called them, but when she arrived and saw Neji, Tenten, Ino, and Choji, she started to have an inkling about why they were summoned. And she was concerned about what her lover's reaction would be.

Tsunade regarded the teens cautiously, as she activated the privacy mechanisms in her office. She steepled her fingers, considering them.

"Before we proceed, I'm going to have to request a Blood Oath from each of you; I need you to swear you won't discuss what you are about to hear with anyone outside of this room, at least until the sensitivity of the topic has passed. If you can't or won't do that, you are free to leave."

Neji stood, but before he could step away from the chair, Tenten caught his arm. He looked down at her darkly, but she shook her head. He did not move for a moment, and then turned his attention to the Hokage.

"What penalty condition?" he asked dangerously.

"Memory loss should be sufficient," the Sannin matched his seriousness. Neji met Tenten's eyes again, and finally returned to his seat. The six younger shinobi all swore the fuinjutsu promise leader laid out for them.

"OK," Tsunade exhaled in slight release, "I'm sure by now you have all heard that Princess Nyoko is sick. And you have also probably heard rumors that she is not sick, but missing. Unfortunately, that is not just a rumor."

Tenten smirked darkly, and Ino's eyes narrowed in rage. Neji turned to his fiancé with an expression of apologetic understanding. Hinata closed her eyes in sad contemplation. And Naruto leaped to his feet, his girlfriend still clutching his palm desperately.

"Nyoko _is_ missing?" Uzumaki demanded angrily, "I told Shikamaru that wasn't possible. That there's no way we would just be sittin' around if that was true."

"Nyoko-hime was kidnapped just over two weeks ago," the Hokage informed them, a hint of threat in her tone.

"TWO WEEKS?" Naruto shouted, "What the heck, Gramma Tsunade! Why haven't you done anything?"

"Sit down, Naruto," the Sannin ordered. She did not raise her voice, but her controlled fury reached them nevertheless, and the blonde Tokujo dropped back into his seat with a stunned, almost frightened look.

"I have done everything I can, short of actively circumventing the Daimyo's orders," she informed them. Naruto started to speak again, and she held up her hand to silence him.

"Nyoko-hime is being held hostage by the new Raikage, Gouki Namikaze," she started. Though all of the teens recognized the surname, only Naruto and Hinata were fully aware of what that name truly meant.

"He is using her to ensure that we do not interfere with his plans in the Grass, the Waterfall, and probably elsewhere. Gouki has guaranteed her safety, so long as the Land of Fire remains neutral, and has sworn to return her first when he decides to attack us. The Daimyo has chosen to take Gouki at his word, and has ordered me not to oppose him, and not to send any Leaf ninjas try to find or rescue Nyoko."

"But we're going to ignore that order, right?" Naruto asked hopefully.

"No," Tsunade shook her head, but despite her denial, a smug expression crept onto her lips and into her eyes, "Even if I were inclined to do such a thing, I swore a Blood Oath that I would not."

Hinata gasped in surprise, and Neji's eyes widened.

"In that case, why are we here?" Choji asked perceptively.

"I asked the _Sand_ ninjas to find your friend," Tsunade answered, "and they came through. But now the question is what to do about it. I can't order anyone to rescue her, and even asking them would be breaking my vow..."

"But we can volunteer, right?" Ino deduced, "After all, we are just having a conversation here, so if we asked to go..."

"Sorry, no can do," Tsunade cut Yamanaka off, but her tone and expression did not match her words, "Even if you asked to go rescue her of your own free will, there is no way I can authorize an official mission. So, I guess it's a good thing none of you have a history of disobeying orders or going AWOL..."

She pushed a manilla folder across her desk subtly, and turned away. As she heard the rustling of the pages, the Hokage had one other thing to say.

"I'll remind you again," she reaffirmed sadly, "This won't be like when you went to rescue Naruto, or to duel Orochimaru. If you decide to do something foolish, there will be no reinforcements. And if you were to get caught, I will have to declare you missing-nins."

She listened, proudly, as they all got up to leave without protest or denial. Before the last couple could exit, she called out to them.

"Neji, how is your recovery?" the medic prompted before the Hyuga Jonin could leave, "You were nearly killed by those two Shozokus."

"I am fine now," he said, grateful for her concern, "though the healers want me to rest for a few more days."

"Good," she nodded, still looking out the window, "when you are ready for duty, there might be a mission I want you to lead. If you understand me..."

"I understand, Lady Tsunade," he said sardonically, "But in that case, I really should get back to resting."

Tenten closed the door, and Tsunade felt a fluttering of pain in her chest.

"What?" she asked herself, "I didn't break my word. No orders, not even a request. And nothing official."

But the ache did not fade, and the Hokage realized it was not the Blood Oath; fear and anxiety gripped her heart.

"If they do try this," she forced herself to qualify the statement for her oath, "and fail..."

* * *

**Preview:**

[background scene of Naruto, Hinata, and company gathered in the village commons]

Naruto [happy]: Now we're finally doing something. And I'm gonna get some screen time again.

Hinata [also happy]: Isn't it great, Naruto.

[background scene of Naruto, Hinata, and company on a bus]

Naruto [annoyed]: Wait, what do you mean we're not going straight after Nyoko?

Neji [also annoyed]: Imbecile.

[background scene of Naruto, Hinata, and company in a hot spring pool]

Naruto [angry]: We shouldn't be wasting time. Who cares if someone might be watching us?

Naruto [sighing in comfort]: Though I guess it could be worse.

Naruto [announcer voice]: Next time on Naruto: A Growing Affection; **Chapter 123: Establishing Cover**.

Naruto [dead-pan]: Once again I have cut a worthless object.

Kakashi [surprised]: I'm surprised you know that one. It's more from my era.


	123. Establishing Cover

**Chapter 123: Establishing Cover**

"Why the heck are we wasting our time like this?" Naruto demanded quietly, glancing around at the other passengers on the bus.

"We are establishing our cover story," Neji explained again, using simpler terms, "There is a strong likelihood that our absence from the Village will be noticed. So rather than attempting to hide our exit, we are just six friends using the hot springs resort tickets Ino won for some long overdue rest and relaxation."

"_I_ won for her," Naruto pointed out. Neji nodded tersely to concede the point. One of the stores Yamanaka frequented had been having a raffle, with the grand prize being a weekend for four couples at a romantic spa. But the hotel was in the Land of Earth, which meant either passing through the Land of Grass or taking a substantial detour. And with the recent turmoil in the Land of Fire's northwestern neighbors, the raffle had proven less popular then the shop had hoped. Ino had dragged Naruto to the boutique, and had spent enough money to get three spins. Though she had taken the first turn herself, and won only a consolation prize, she gave her last two spins to her notoriously lucky friend. And as she hoped, on Naruto's first attempt, the golden ball fell into the tray.

Ino had pretended to ask Temari if she and Shikamaru wanted the last two tickets, but the Sand Jonin claimed she could not get away. So the six vacationing friends had boarded the bus that would take them to the resort. The driver had proven grateful to have a half-dozen shinobi aboard, even if they were off duty. He had been worried about driving through the Land of Grass, even if it was a region of the country that had not been touched by the war.

"Naruto, Gouki-san must be expecting someone to try something," Hinata tried to placate him, "But a small group, on vacation, taking their time, without weapons? Even if they suspect us at first, if we follow Neji's plan, no-one will believe we are up to anything after our second or third stop."

Expanding on Ino's idea, Neji had extended their trip, planning for them to visit a famous amusement park after the onsen. And in the days following that, they would go to a museum, hike up a mountain to take in a popular view, try out a new water park, and finally stay one night at a second hot spring, before returning home. Uzumaki had grumbled about wasting seven days pretending to have fun, just to hide their purpose.

"And for that matter, who put Neji in charge?" Naruto groused.

"Lady Tsunade," the elder Hyuga cousin answered simply.

"But it's not an official mission," the former Jinchuriki countered.

"Neji and I are the only ones here with the rank of Jonin," Tenten reminded Uzumaki, "And Neji has had the least social contact with Nyoko, so he can remain the most objective. Even if he wasn't the Hokage's choice, he _is_ the right one to be in charge."

"Will you quit complaining, knucklehead?" Ino snapped quietly, "This what we need to do to sell the con, and your constant whining in front of civilians isn't going to help matters!"

"Naruto," Hinata whispered as she squeezed his hand, "We're all worried about Nyoko. But if they figure out we are coming, and move her, it will cost us far more than a week's time. And if what the Hokage said is correct, they might hurt her, too."

"So you might as well relax and try to have some fun, if only to convince our enemies," Choji added. Naruto sighed, and dropped his head in defeat. Then a moment later he looked back up with a goofy grin.

"In that case, bring on the onsen," he stated.

'Was he just waiting for someone to force him to relax?' Tenten pondered, and Ino had similar, if less polite, musings.

* * *

Naruto's face was bright red, and not just from the heat. He kept his eyes firmly locked on Hinata's orbs, as did she in kind. Hinata was crouched as tightly as she could, her nose only millimeters from the water, and one arm wrapped around her magnificent bust. She had scooted as close to Naruto as she could. He knew only propriety kept her from wearing a swimsuit or wrapping herself with a towel. On the far side of the of the spring, Neji and Tenten were similarly positioned, focused upon one another while trying to hide from everyone else. Choji sat, unperturbed on the outside wall of the natural pool, halfway between the two uncomfortable couples.

Only Ino prowled the tub openly, unabashedly, trying to get a good look at her four friends, and not caring what they saw of her.

"Come on," she complained, "would you guys be acting like this if it wasn't a mixed gender bath? I know we girls have all seen each other naked before, and you guys probably have seen each other too. So it's only like two people who haven't seen you nude. And it's mixed bathing, you're insulting tradition, huddling and hiding like that!"

No one responded, other than to turn away when she approached, so she tried another tactic instead.

"The Byakugan can see through stuff, right?" Yamanaka queried lecherously, "Like other people's clothes. You two have probably seen everyone here already anyway. So it's only fair you let everyone else get a peek, too."

"I would never abuse my dojutsu or my friend's trust like that," Neji said, offended. But Hinata's eyes ran down Naruto's partially concealed body, before meeting his gaze again with a grin she couldn't quite hide.

"Ha, I knew it," Ino barked a laugh, catching the youngest kunoichi's action and expression. Hinata blushed brighter.

"I've only done that to Naruto," the youngest kunoichi admitted.

"Was that _before_ or _after_ you two started dating?" the female contender for Jiraiya's title needled her more conservative friend. Hinata did not answer, but tried to sink lower into the water.

"Ino," Choji's jutsu enlarged hand stretched across the spring, and yanked her back with moderate force. She thumped gently into his chest, and landed sitting beside him, leaning against him, with his arm tightly around her waist.

"Not everyone has the same idea of fun as you do, Honey," the big man admonished his lover loudly. Then in her ear he whispered, "Maybe if you let them relax, they'll let you get your 'peeks'."

"Don't worry, you guys, I'll keep her over here," he told the others at normal volume, "So just enjoy the water."

"We should have gone to the individual baths," Ino complained.

"So we boys could get nosebleeds and try to peek, while you girls compare measurements and how soft your skin is?" Akimichi elaborated, shaking his head, "This isn't some cliché manga, Ino."

"Some clichés have their place," she shot back.

"Like drinking flavored milks in a hot spring?" Choji suggested, offering her a bottle. Ino sighed, and settled in closer to him, while taking a draw off the chilled beverage.

As Choji predicted, after a few minutes, the others unwound somewhat, and the reluctant young women drifted around to sit next to their mates, though Hinata still covered her breasts with one arm. But they still kept their eyes to themselves, while Ino ogled them from her position as her boyfriend's side.

Finally Tenten stood with a sigh that was equal parts contentment and resignation. She did not bother two cover herself until she stepped out of the pool.

"That's enough for me," she announced, her eyes locking on Neji, "I need to get out before I pass out. I'll see you back in our room?"

The Jonin kunoichi's lips turned up indecently as she said that, and she slipped lithely into the dressing room. Neji tried to play it smooth, but the instant the door closed, he stood, giving Ino the view she had been seeking, but he quickly wrapped his towel around his waist. He strode across the stone floor surrounding the pool, not quite concealing the haste in his motions. He left the outdoor bath without a word to his comrades.

"What do you think, Choj'? Should we head back before we become total prunes?" Ino had been hoping to outlast Naruto and Hinata, but the heat was started to get to her, and Tenten's amorous exit and Neji's reaction had sent the lone Chunin's mind spinning even further down that path. The big man nodded, and he finally released his ecchi girlfriend. They hurriedly left the spring, Choji concealing himself as he stood, while Ino just strutted back to the dressing room, totally nude.

"Hey, Choji," Naruto called out without looking, "We still up for ping-pong later?"

"Sorry, but that's probably gonna have to wait 'til tomorrow," Akimichi answered, not sounding apologetic at all.

"OK," Uzumaki conceded. When the door closed, Hinata exhaled gratefully, and moved her arms away from her body so she could wrap her right limb around her fiancé and rest her other hand on his chest.

"Alone at last?" Naruto asked and she nodded happily.

"So you have been peeking through my clothes?" he prompted curiously. She smiled shyly and didn't answer.

"Since when, Hinata?" he asked, poking one finger into her side, "I know you're not that ticklish, but you know I know where your weak spots are."

She giggled in spite of herself, and then sighed in mock defeat.

"The first time was during the first part of the Chunin exams," she admitted, "But that was an accident. Your were sitting right next to me, and I was using my Byakugan to get the answers. Then you shifted, and your hip moved out of the area I was trying not to see, and it distracted me and drew my attention. And before I knew it, I could see all of you..."

"The second time was when we were looking for the Bikochu," she continued, on a roll, "You saw me practicing in the waterfall, and I told myself it was only fair. So on our second night, while you were sleeping, I turned on my Byakugan, and looked at you."

He frowned at her in surprise, and asked, "Was that all?"

"No," she looked chagrined, "When we started to train together, I looked a few times. I just couldn't help myself, being so close to you, and not knowing when or if you might return my feelings..."

"And people call me a pervert..." he shook his head.

"I'm sorry, Naruto. I shouldn't..."

He cut her off with a firm kiss.

"Did I say I minded?" he countered happily. Then his mouth turned down again, and he added, "So long as it's only me."

"It's only you," she told him, "It has always been you. Eh..."

She panted slightly at the end of the statement.

"Are you gonna be OK?" he asked, noticing a difference in the flush of her cheeks, as well as the elegant beads of sweat on her brow and ears.

"I'm fine," she murmured, nuzzling his neck. Then she shifted her legs so instead of sitting beside him in the basin, she was nearly straddling him.

"Hinata, you know it's bad manners to do _that_ in the hot spring," he admonished her weakly.

"Even if we don't do _that_," she mimicked him, "it doesn't mean we can't make out a little."

"What if someone else comes in?" he asked pointedly. She paused, and the rest of the face turned as red as her cheeks. She pulled away slightly, disappointment replacing the bashfulness in her expressive white eyes.

"Maybe we should continue this debate in our room?" he suggested roguishly. The next instant, water splashed on his face, as it flooded into the Hinata-shaped hole around him. He turned, and only briefly saw her shapely behind, before she disappeared into the dressing room. Grinning broadly, he hopped out of the spring and hurried after her.

* * *

Naruto intertwined his fingers with Hinata's and gently dragged her arm over her head. She resisted at first, but he smiled at her reassuringly. Finally, she let him maneuver her left limb out of her comfort zone. Instead, she gripped his hand tightly, the rest of her body shaking in anticipation.

"Here we go," he told her, "three, two, one..."

"Yeeeeeeeeee!" Hinata screamed as they passed the point of no return.

"Wooooo!" Naruto joined his lover as they plummeted towards the earth with ever increasing speed. Then the track suddenly shifted direction, and it felt like their stomachs plunged into their knees as the cars raced upwards. Behind them, Ino whooped ecstatically, and after she caught her breath, the Hyuga heiress joined in. As they crested the first hill, they were briefly lifted off their seats, and Uzumaki shouted in joy again.

* * *

"That was incredible," Naruto panted, "The hills and that corkscrew thing..."

"It's called a barrel roll," Choji noted. Naruto frowned briefly in confusion, but the new term could not keep the smile from his face.

"OK, whatever," the blonde man agreed, "But it was amazing. I never got what was so special about these things, but man..."

Beside him, Hinata just nodded, still catching her breath. Ino started to ask if he had really never been on a roller coaster before, but then she remembered a certain uncomfortable conversation at a beach-side resort, and also that there was only one of these sorts of amusement parks in the Land of Fire.

'I guess it goes without saying that he never came to a place like this when he was a kid,' the mentalist kunoichi thought to herself, 'And since he became a ninja, he probably never really had the time or the inclination.'

"You didn't like it, Neji?" Naruto demanded of his taciturn friend. The elder Hyuga cousin was normally pale, but now his complexion looked decidedly green.

"I don't see the thrill in spending four minutes pretending to fall to my death over and over," the Jonin stated carefully, as if trying to retain his hold on his breakfast.

"Then why didn't you wait out here?" Ino asked dubiously.

"Because Tenten loves roller coasters," Neji responded simply, "and if I had stayed behind, there would have been an odd number in our group."

"I'll tell you what," Choji offered, "Next time, you and I can both sit out, and Ino and Tenten can ride together."

"You didn't like it either, Choji?" Uzumaki was incredulous.

"Oh, I like coasters well enough," the big Tokujo rumbled, "Though not as much as you guys seem to. But some of these rides have pretty small cars, so it can be a tight fit for me. So I can keep Neji company, while you four ride."

"Why not just use a jutsu to shrink yourself down temporarily?" Naruto suggested, and everyone else glared at him.

"No jutsu," Neji hissed.

"We are just a group of normal friends, having fun," Tenten reminded him.

"Besides, then I'd miss out on all the food," Choji smiled blissfully in anticipation, and Ino grimaced slightly.

"You know, there are other rides Neji likes," Tenten changed the subject for Yamanaka, "Maybe we can hit some of them next?"

"Sure," Naruto grinned, "I'm up for anything. So just what kind of other rides are..."

As the other started discussing various attractions of the park, Ino caught Hinata's arm. The youngest woman looked at her friend curiously, and Ino offered her a sad smile, and inclined her head forward.

"Maybe when all this is done," the meddlesome blonde noted vaguely, "you should take him on a real vacation, to do all the other things that he missed out on growing up. Things that both of you might have missed out on?"

Hinata nodded thoughtfully, and after a minute she chuckled sadly.

"Maybe, if we have any vacation time left, after all we've spent on personal missions," the pale beauty countered ironically. Ino snorted in agreement, and then appeared to think of something.

"You could always blackmail the Hokage."

"Ino," Hinata gasped, scandalized by the suggestion.

"Hey, hurry up you two," Naruto called back to them, "We're going to ride the river rapids boat thing next."

"River rapids boat thing?" Ino mouthed to her friend, and Hinata grinned. The blonde caught her younger friend's hand, and pulled her forward.

"You guys just want to see us in wet t-shirts," she pretended to scold them.

"After the last two days, you are hardly in a position to make accusations, Ino," Neji said flatly, and both Hinata and Tenten turned bright red.

* * *

"I don't get it..." Naruto leaned back to get a wider view, his eyes narrowing, "Why would someone have a hammer that big in one hand and a long bow in the other? Both take two hands, he couldn't use either one!"

"He could be using the hammer as an arrow?" Choji suggested dubiously.

"It's just a statue, Naruto," Hinata offered uncertainly.

"The Earth Daimyo who commissioned it probably never held a weapon in his life, and just thought it looked powerful or something," Ino remarked turning away from the ancient bronze monument in disdain.

"I guess I just don't understand art," Uzumaki shrugged.

"That is hardly a surprise," Neji agreed sarcastically. Naruto stuck his tongue out at the older man, and Hinata and Tenten shared grins.

* * *

Naruto slid into the spring, his swim trunks briefly catching on the stone lip. Hinata sat down next to him, wearing her two-tone blue one piece. Uzumaki missed his fiance's purple and grey bikini, but she had not purchased another suit after the last one had been damaged and she had discarded it in a fit of rage.

"Ahh," the former Jinchuriki sighed, "That was fun and all, but after four days of running around, it's nice to have a good soak."

"Oh yeah," Choji agreed.

"But why does this place make us wear swimsuits, while the other onsen made us go in naked like normal?" Naruto asked, his eyes suddenly coming back into focus.

"I'd rather know why I couldn't untie my top on the Lazy River ride," Ino said, referencing the water park they had visited the previous day. She shifted her suit's strings to check her tan lines, "We were just floating around in circles."

"The first resort was trying to be an 'authentic Land of Fire' hot spring," Tenten answer Naruto, ignoring Ino, "that's why we had to sign those wavers. Onsen etiquette might seem like common sense to us, but people in the Land of Earth aren't as familiar with it. That's why this place makes us wear swimsuits. It is easier for the hotel, and attracts a more casual clientele. That's why it's cheaper, too. It's all about business."

"Like why someone might hire ninjas from a closer, but weaker village, instead of going to one of the major villages," Naruto grinned proudly as he spouted the analogy.

"Yes," Neji confirmed with a hint of amazement, "that is a good comparison."

"Don't be that shocked," Uzumaki said smugly, "Shizune-neesan has had me studying some of the business stuff the Hokage has to deal with. Some of it is strange, but the basics make sense."

"You might make a decent Hokage after all," Tenten teased him. Choji nodded sagely.

"Yeah, keep it up," Naruto pretended to be annoyed, "When I'm in charge, you're all getting D-Rank missions and the most loud-mouth Genin squads I can find."

"A squad of Narutos?" Ino gasped in mock horror.

"You just lost my vote," Neji said simply. After a few moments playful glowering, they all lapsed into warm, gentle laughter.

"See, Naruto," Hinata whispered to him, "This trip wasn't so bad."

"Not bad at all," he agreed, squeezing her lightly, "but the best is still to come."

* * *

"Well?" Ino asked impatiently. They had all gathered in Neji and Tenten's room, and the two Byakugan users were scanning the area for observers, both human and technological. Hinata shook her head, and both cousins released their Dojutsu.

"From what we can tell, no-one has been following us since yesterday," Neji announced softly, "It seems like they were finally convinced when we went to the water park."

"So it looks like the plan worked," Tenten smiled grimly, aiming that statement primarily at Naruto. The blonde youth shrugged in defeat.

"I take it this means our vacation is over?" Choji noted, thinking of Neji's contingency strategies. The other teens all grew more serious.

"I guess that means we're heading home," Naruto contemplated, "With just one more stop to make on the way..."

* * *

**Preview:**

[background scene of Naruto, Hinata, and company all wearing dark colored civilian clothing]

Naruto [excited]: Now that they won't see us coming, let's hit these jerks hard.

Tenten [cautious]: It still won't be that easy, Naruto, there are sure to be guards.

[background scene of Hinata fighting a blue Shozoku]

Ino [annoyed]: No he's right for once, we should just charge in there and rescue Nyoko.

Choji [pointedly]: And the Earth prince, too.

Ino [back-pedaling]: Yeah, of course.

Neji [authoritatively]: I do have a plan for this as well

[background scene of Ino with red hair and Choji with unmarked cheeks walking through wheat]

Hinata [supportively]: We should listen to my brother, he hasn't steered us wrong so far.

Naruto [still upbeat]: OK, what've you got for us, Neji.

Naruto [announcer voice]: Next time on Naruto: A Growing Affection; **Chapter 124: Leaves in the Grass**.

Naruto [falsetto]: I think dirty thoughts are bad!

Neji [dead-pan]: You should have use that one last week, before Ino dragged us to the onsen.


	124. Leaves in the Grass

**Chapter 124: Leaves in the Grass**

Neji raised his hand to deliver the first signal to his comrades. Choji collected the cards from Hinata and Ino, grimacing when he saw his girlfriend's hand; and then he slipped them back into the box. Naruto folded over the corner of the page in his book, and returned the paperback to his backpack. The bus was nearly empty; aside from the six shinobi the only other passenger was a single drunken tourist. And the driver was an ancient woman with thick glasses, who had not even seemed to notice when they had entered the transport. Neji gave the second sign, and an instant later the bus rumbled down the compacted earth road, its operator blissfully unaware that her vehicle had just lost a half-dozen riders.

The six teens landed in the lush wheat field without disturbing a single plant. Though war had ravaged the major cities of the Land of Grass, the farmlands that contributed to the nation's name had been carefully avoided by both sides. Even without a binding accord, all parties to the conflict agreed that controlling the country was meaningless if they destroyed the nation's income and food supply.

The Leaf shinobi quickly changed clothing. None of them had brought their normal uniforms or any weapons, in case their bags were searched. Instead, each ninja had brought a pair of black or dark navy jeans, and a black or dark grey Lycra t-shirt. The clothing was inconspicuous enough pass inspection, but their choices were high quality, heavy-weight fabrics that would provide modest protection and stealth. Each also tied on a pair of black, high-performance athletic sneakers; in place of the more casual footwear they had worn on the trip. In the end none of the pieces of their outfits individually suggested the wearer was a shinobi, but taken together the intent was fairly clear, if just murky enough that they might have been able to talk their way out of trouble. Though their next actions would remove even that doubt.

"Kitsune."

"Ginmaki."

Naruto and Hinata call forth their weapons. Uzumaki tucked his head and left arm through the bandolier strap on the staff-blade's scabbard, and his fiancé strapped her kote into position over her uncovered forearms.

"Weapon Summoning Jutsu," despite using the standard name, Tenten did not summon a distinct weapon. Instead, her two scrolls appear before her. The Jonin caught them both, and clipped one onto her belt, resting against her left leg. That freed up her hand to unfurl the second parchment. She drew forth ten pouches of shurikens and tossed two to each of her allies. Then she provided Neji, Ino, and Choji with three kunai, each. After she completed her friends' equipment, Tenten wound her storage scroll back up, and secured it over her right hip.

"The Hidden Grass hideout the Kazekage identified is approximately forty kilometers south west of here," Neji reminded them, "Our priority is stealth, we do not want them to be alerted to our presence and have the chance to prepare their defenses, or to attempt to move the hostage... Hostages."

He restated the final word, reinforcing the fact that Nyoko Honokata was not the only person they would be rescuing. Aren Ishigami, the nine-year old son of the Earth Daimyo was also being held by Namikaze's men, and the teens did not intend to leave him behind, even if it meant additional layers of complication for their already illegal mission.

"Let's get going," Ino said darkly, "I don't want my friend spending another night in that hellhole."

* * *

The blue Shozoku never even flinched, as Hinata placed her left palm on his back over his heart, and stabbed the first two fingers of her right hand into his throat. His heart and voice were both shut down before he was ever aware of the kunoichi's presence. He died without a sound, and Hinata lowered him just as silently into the grain stalks. If someone found him, and was not an expert medical shinobi, it would just look like a heart attack.

"Aren't you gonna dowse him?" Naruto whispered anxiously.

"He is not wired with paper bombs," she shook her head.

"I wonder why not?" Choji pondered.

"Probably so they don't put the hostages at risk," Tenten decided.

"That works out better for us," Choji noted. But when he notice the uncertain looks on his friends' faces, he added, "Doesn't it?"

"Not if it means they are expecting us," Hinata said dubiously

"It could also simply be that not all of the Shozokus are forced to obliterate themselves on death," Neji countered thoughtfully, "After all, there were no reports of this before the battles in the Grass and Waterfall countries started. None of the bandit Shozokus, who were killed before the war, exploded."

"Maybe it's something they only do at war," Naruto suggested, "I mean, if you're in the middle of a huge battle, the chance to take out your killer and his allies makes sense. But if you are guarding someone, or on some kind of stealth mission, suddenly blowing up would be a pretty stupid."

Everyone except Hinata froze and stared at Naruto incredulously. But Neji's astonishment faded rapidly, and Hinata smiled proudly.

"That's..." Tenten paused as she reviewed Uzumaki's suggestion, "that's entirely plausible."

"You don't have to say it like that," the fox-faced young man frowned.

"We just didn't expect to hear something like that from you," Ino state unapologetically.

Hinata started to glare her friend, but her cousin spoke up first.

"Despite his normal demeanor, Naruto has always had a keen instinct for combat and tactics," the white-eyed Jonin asserted.

"Uh, thanks?" Naruto said weakly in response to the backhand compliment. Then his face hardened, and he insisted, "Whatever's up with these guys, we don't have time to stand around here talking about it."

"True enough," their leader agreed, "The longer we take, the better the chance someone will notice we did not return to the village on schedule. Let's keep moving."

* * *

They paused when they were close enough for all six Leaf warriors to see their geographical target. Along the way, the Hyuga cousins and Ino had silently dispatched another five of Gouki's anonymous soldiers. Though none died in a way more obvious or suspicious than Hinata's first kill, the simple number of scouts they had to eliminate would raise suspicions when they were found, or did not return. So the rescuers had carefully increased their pace until they reached the kidnappers' hideout.

The 'hellhole' was a modestly lavish two-story house, seemingly the home of a successful farmer or a country get-away for a lower ranked noble. It appeared sturdy enough to withstand a heavy storm, but not enough to weather a concentrated assault. The fence was more for show or animal control, than for any sort of defense. The windows were wide, uncovered, and sported happy little flower boxes. Around the back side of the building, inside the fence there was a small variety of fruit trees; apples, pears, and even one cherry. The teens would have thought they had the wrong place, if not for the six Shozokus around the fence, two at the main gate and one more at each corner. And none of them wore green or tan; five were in blue and one of the pair at the entrance was in red.

Neji indicated they should stop, and he and Hinata turned their activate Byakugan eyes on the building.

"There are eleven more inside," their leader noted, "All but two are wearing stealth uniforms, so I cannot tell much about them aside from the obvious differences like height and gender. But the last two are in a room on the second floor. They appear to be our targets, but again, I cannot be sure."

"That is Nyoko," Hinata said firmly, "It is not someone using a transformation or Genjutsu. Also her chakra network is the same, and I have never seen a jutsu that can imitate tenketsu, so I don't think it is a stand-in. But I've never seen the Earth prince in person before, so I can't guarantee it is him. But the boy with Nyoko is also not having his appearance altered by any ninja technique I can detect, either."

"So fifteen Shozokus and two hostages," Naruto muttered, "That's two and a half each. We can do that. I say we just charge in there and take 'em out."

"Do not forget, according to the information the Sand provided, one of them is some sort of elite soldier," Neji reminded his hasty junior, "And all of them are blue or higher rank, so it will not be that easy."

"If we just go charging in there, what's to prevent the ones inside from using Nyoko and Ishigami-ouji as human shields," Ino added more scathingly.

"OK, so what are we going to do then?" Uzumaki countered softly. Neji considered that for a moment, and then reached into his backpack and withdrew a pamphlet from the first resort they had visited. The Jonin glanced over the brochure, and nodded in satisfaction. He knelt down, and spread the laminated page over the ground

"Hinata, I need to borrow you eyes," he requested, as he began to slowly sign.

"Of course, my brother," she answered, her hands flying through the seals before she announced, "Kariname Jutsu."

Neji deactivated his Byakugan and closed his eyes, as he began to use his cousin's wider, sharper field of vision. He completed his signs, and held his hands, palm down over the promotional paper.

"Ninja Art: Sumi Funsha Jutsu," he proclaimed, sending his chakra down to the pamphlet. The colors on the advertisement began to blur and drift across the page, settling into new images and words. The others all crowded around loosely, and presently they all recognized the farmhouse as it emerged from the ink cloud into a picture that looked like a photograph. Another section of the brochure became an overhead map of the area, indicating the directions from the closest town, down the roads, through the fields, pastures, and one small stand of trees, before finally leading up the road to the building they were targeting. One part cleared into black text on a white background, extolling the virtues of 'Wheat Winds Inn'. Neji even crafted some photographs of interior decor of the Grass safehouse. Finally, the elder Hyuga exhaled in release as he ended the jutsu. He examined both sides of the altered pamphlet, and appeared pleased by the results.

"That's great, Neji," Ino noted, "I've never seen such realistic interpretations. If I hadn't seen you do it, I would think those really were professional photos of this place."

"That _is_ the idea," their leader nodded, before handing the advertisement to the blonde woman, "You and Choji will provide a distraction. Circle around to the path, and approach openly. Play the role of tourists; be loud, demanding, and moderately aggressive; do not show any fear. Try to draw the others out of the building. Instill confusion in them, so much as you can."

"And what happens if they don't buy it?" Naruto asked.

"In that case, or simply if they do not react sufficiently to Ino and Choji's intrusion, you and Hinata will be on hand to back them up in combat," the Jonin smirked, "Either way, Tenten and I will use that advantage to sneak in..."

He lowered his voice, and the teens all moved in closer while he explained his full plan; including where he and Tenten would strike, so the others could help them draw attention away from that point; and also where Hinata and Naruto should position themselves.

"Okay," Ino sighed when Neji finished, "I guess that means we need to change again. So if you could all turn around..."

Neji, Hinata, and Naruto all complied immediately, but Tenten shook her head at inconsistent Chunin before looking away, as well.

Yamanaka swapped her faux uniform for a simple sundress; dark blue, and just long enough to cover the shuriken pouches after she strapped them to her upper thighs. Choji did not disrobe, he simply took out a bright, loud, floral-print shirt and put it on over his t-shirt, buttoning it but not tucking it in.

"OK, two more things before we can go," Ino decided. She took a bottle of juice and poured it over her head, before using a pair of jutsu to bond the color to her hair and eliminate any lingering odor. The false coloring would not last past her next shower, but it gave her locks a temporary and convincing red hue. She then extracted a compact, and turned to her lover.

"Come here, Choji, and hold still," she instructed. Akimichi frowned and complied, and the others all looked confused. Ino patted down his face with her concealer, covering up the swirls on his cheeks.

"Is this really necessary?" the big Tokujo asked despondently, looking to Naruto and Neji for help. But neither interceded.

"These aren't civilians," Ino explained, "They are wannabe ninjas. So there is a good chance they could recognize your clan markings."

The others nodded their agreement, and the hefty shinobi sighed in defeat.

* * *

"Nagato," Gouki called out gently, not wanting to take his subordinate's attention away from the Paths of Pein at an inopportune moment. But the younger man's unique blue orbs snapped open, and regarded his sensei wearily.

"I apologize if I am interrupting," Namikaze stated clearly, "but I need an update on the status of the attack on the Hidden Rain Village."

"We are doing well," the Rinnegan user answered, slurring the words slightly, "As you expected, the appearance of my Deva self has caused panic among the Rain shinobi. Many have fled, or even defected. But so far, they have managed to plug the gaps in their defenses. Still, I do not expect they will be able to hold out for more than a week or two."

"Good," the Raikage smiled, "Thanks to Konan and Madara's efforts, we will be able to send troops to take the Mines, Rice Patties, and Snow countries tomorrow."

"Are you sure we are not overextending ourselves, Master Gouki?" Konan asked as she slipped into the room she shared with Nagato.

"The Sound village poses no threat," the Leaf renegade insisted, "Even before their little civil war, their main power was Orochimaru-sensei and his lieutenants, and they are all gone now. The Mines village is key to the defensive of the Land of Lightning, but if they were to learn we are using Madara, they might just come out of their shell and attack us. And since I am not concerned about the Land of Silver's precious metals, we can attack the mines themselves, taking their legs out from under them."

He paused with a slight frown, "Only the Snow village is a real threat. Their star has been on the rise since Daimyo Koyuki returned, and that village has had a large number of Genin graduates the last three years. But they are isolated, and their strongest ally has been taken out of the game. We might have to take some of our troops out of the Grass and Waterfall, but our grip over those countries has stabilized, and most of their surviving shinobi are now under our command. So we should have sufficient forces."

The origami kunoichi nodded in acceptance, and he grinned broadly at them.

* * *

"Good. Then tomorrow, phase three will begin."

* * *

"See, we found it," a brash, bossy voice carried past the bend in the compacted dirt road through the wheat field.

"That's what you said three hours ago," her long suffering boyfriend countered. As they rounded the corner the red-head and her hefty paramour were confronted by two mildly surprised individuals in full stealth gear.

"Look, there, I told you," the young woman woman gestured towards the house triumphantly, "There it is!"

* * *

**Preview:**

[background scene of Ino yelling at a red Shozoku, and Choji trying to calm her]

Ino [annoyed]: Will you get out of our way? We have a reservation.

Red Shozoku [off-balance]: Are you sure you have the right place?

Naruto [whispering]: Don't over sell it, Ino.

[background scene of Tenten and Neji sneaking closer]

Ino [more angry]: What do you mean we can't go inside? I demand to speak with the manager!

Choji [weakly]: Honey, they're just doing their job.

Tenten [softly, satisfied]: She's a natural.

[background scene of the Shozokus tensing, and Ino back-pedaling.]

Ino [flustered]: No wait, let's not be hasty.

Naruto [growling]: That sounds like it could be our cue.

Hinata [stern]: Yes.

Naruto [announcer voice]: Next time on Naruto: A Growing Affection; **Chapter 125: Putting on a Show**.

Naruto [smug]: If you've got any last words, say them now.

Hinata [uncertain]: That could be a bunch of different shows.

Choji [thoughtfully]: I think he meant the one with the bounty hunter and the cloned witch.


	125. Putting on a Show

**Chapter 125: Putting on a Show**

"Finally," Ino groused at the Shozokus as she marched up, Choji trailing wearily behind her. She folded up the pamphlet, and slipped it back into her bag.

"The stupid bus let us out in the middle of nowhere," she complained to the guards, "the driver said it was just a short walk..."

"Short walk, my ass," Choji panted slightly, pretending to be out of breath.

"There are no signs on these dirt paths, and the map on the brochure didn't have any landmarks," she told the confused warriors, "So it took us forever to find this place. But even if the directions had been clear, we still had to walk way too far."

She wagged her finger at the blue clad warrior, and added, "And don't think I won't be talking to the manager about that."

The Shozokus glanced back and forth between the two tourists, completely out of their depth. Ino started to tap her foot in annoyance, and glared at them.

"Well, if you aren't going to take our bags, at least get out of the way," she demanded.

"Sorry about my girl," Choji placed a hand on her shoulder to try to calm her, "But we would just like to check in, so we can get cleaned up and sit for a while before dinner. My feet are killing me."

"I'm sorry, but you must have the wrong place?" the red garbed soldier told them, but his voice was highly uncertain of his statement.

"WHAT!" Ino shrieked in protest. Then she yanked out the doctored paper again, tore it slightly opening it, and stared darkly at the advertisement.

"No way," she shot back, brandishing the advertisement like a weapon, "This is definitely the place. We never saw any other buildings like that, either on the bus or when we were wandering around looking for this place."

The crimson guard took the brochure from her gingerly, and looked it over. Even though his face was covered, his body language told the Leaf ninjas he was frowning in bewilderment.

"Why don't we just kill them?" the blue Shozoku finally spoke, not trying to prevent them from hearing him.

"They are civilians," the red guard asserted, as if that explained everything. The other warrior groaned in annoyance, and took a step back.

"Is this how you treat _all_ your guests?" the disguised Kunoichi snapped at them.

"Ino, maybe we should calm down a little," Choji insisted, and her blue eyes flashed in genuine anger.

"Ino... why should I..." the red Shozoku started to say something, but stopped when the young woman whirled around and punched her paramour in the arm.

"I've told you not to call me that," she snapped, and then grumbled, "Seriously, what kind of boyfriend gives you a nickname based on your family name instead of your given name?"

She took a breath, and turned her attention back to the guards.

"Listen, could you just call the manager and let him know Kikoku Inoue and Masami Kikuchi are here?" she asked more politely of the Shozoku, her anger have been diverted to her boyfriend, "We reserved a room for the long weekend."

"Kikoku Inoue?" the blue Shozoku spoke again, sounding surprised, "like the famous voice actress from a few years?"

"I wish," Ino laughed dismissively, channeling her real annoyance that he had recognized the name into her words, "But I couldn't be her; she's been in the business for more than two decades, and I'm only seventeen years old."

"You can't believe how much she hates that," Choji added in mock dismay, "now I'm probably going to hear about it all night. 'Why did my parents have to name me that?', 'Don't they know how embarrassing it is?'..."

Ino glowered at him again, but this time it was just an act. Meanwhile the higher ranked guard had given in; he took out a small walky-talky, and depressed the button.

"Captain, you had better come out here," he announced, his voice wavering, "We have... umm... guests?"

"What was that, lieutenant?" an equally shocked voice emerged from the device.

"Two guests, Kikoku Inoue and Masami... Kikuchi, right? They just arrived and want to check in," the red Shozoku confirmed.

"We have reservations," Ino shouted at the radio.

"I'll be right out," the other solider confirmed.

* * *

Neji saw the renegades inside the house shift, and a number of them moved closer to the door. The warrior who was supposed to be guarding the southwest corner of the fence had drifted north, to try to see what the commotion was in front of the house. As the Jonin had calculated, the soldiers were bored and easily distracted after spending three weeks in the middle of nowhere.

The pair froze as a tree limb hanging over the fence above them creaked, and the leaves rustled. Tenten glanced up, but there was no-one there. As the guard did not react either, she decided it had just been the wind. Another gust swept through the tall grains, as if to confirm her deduction.

'Now,' Neji signed, and he and Tenten cleared the fence in one leap. The mislead guard briefly looked back, but by then the ninja couple had crouched between the lower, brick portion of the fence and a flowering pear tree. After the blue Shozoku returned to craning his neck to get a better view of the main gate, the Leaf ninjas darted towards the house.

* * *

A moment later, not one, but four additional Shozokus exited the building. The grey clad soldier approached the gate, while the three blue mercenaries took up additional positions along the fence. As their commander approached, the red guard stood up straighter, and passed the ranking warrior Neji's falsified pamphlet.

"Inoue-san and Kikuchi-san claim that they have reservations for this weekend," the red Shozoku told his superior, trying to sound in control.

"That is entirely possible," the captain admitted smoothly. Then he addressed Ino and Choji directly.

"We don't actually work here you see," he explained naturally, "We are the bodyguards for... let's just say some VIPs. They chose this inn last minute to hold some secret negotiations. It's remote location makes it ideal, as you can imagine. To ensure their privacy, they rented the entire building."

"What kind of _negotiations_?" Ino smirked as she asked, and the captain tilted his head as if smiling suggestively under the mask.

"Negotiations of a confidential and personal nature," the grey warrior noted glibly, sensing he was making headway, "I'm sure you understand that I cannot say more."

"Stupid rich people," she shot back, but without any real venom, "Always throwing around money and making trouble for us normal people."

The captain nodded, and Ino sighed in defeat. Choji had to struggle not to tense up at his lover's apparent acceptance of the lie. He was not sure they had bought Neji and Tenten anywhere near the amount of time they needed. But his worry was unfounded.

"Fine," Ino shrugged, "I guess there is nothing we can do about it. Just get us a refund, and we'll leave."

The grey Shozoku kept bobbing his head to try to keep her appeased, right up to the instant she uttered the word 'refund'. His head suddenly froze, and his two subordinates shuddered.

"What was that?" the captain asked carefully, but with a vibe of danger.

"We put down a one-thousand Ryo deposit," Ino's voice carried a similar edge," And it goes without saying that we want our money back."

"Deposits are non-refundable," the leader said harshly, and the red clad lieutenant dropped his head, having expected his commander's reaction once money became an issue.

"Maybe not under normal circumstances," the fake red-headed countered firmly, "But we didn't cancel here, we were bumped. And without adequate notification, I might add."

"I'm sure the innkeeper will be happy to reschedule your stay for another weekend, and apply your balance to that reservation," after snapping at her, the grey Shozoku suddenly seemed to remember the angle he had been playing, so he added weakly, "He is quite accommodating."

"He sure was, for your fat-cat clients," the undercover kunoichi was not deterred, "but we came all the way out here, and now we have no place to stay and return tickets that aren't good for another three days. It's not like _we_ are made of money. We are gonna need that thousand to either find another place to stay, or to pay for alternate transportation. And in that case, we would be out the price of our original bus tickets."

She exhaled angrily, "Look, I don't even know why I'm talking about this with you. Can't you just get the owner out here?"

"The owner is... indisposed at the moment," the Shozoku leader backpedaled quickly, "There was an... incident, and the innkeeper is... cleaning up. One of our clients is extremely fastidious. Almost germophobic."

"We'll wait," Ino said brightly yet sarcastically, crossing her arms in front of her ample chest, "It's not like we have anywhere else to go."

"Even if we can't _kill_ them," the aggressive guard in blue decided to offer his opinion again, "we could knock them out and drag them to the near by town."

Choji pretended to prepare to run, but Ino just glared at the would-be murderer.

"That will be quite enough, sergeant," the red Shozoku sounded like he shared Ino's opinion. The grey clad captain regarded them carefully. He had been starting to wonder if they were con artists, but dismissed the idea. One-thousand Ryo was hardly pocket change, but it wasn't worth coming out to such a remote location. Also, any real con would have negotiated at the threat of violence. And based on the layout, he fully expected the Grass safe-house could have operated as an Inn in the past, or even simply when it was not otherwise needed. The brochure looked real enough.

"Alright," he bristled as he spoke, "I will give you your money, if you will just leave. Our employers plan on an evening stroll soon, and if they see you..."

"And what about you?" Choji sounded concerned.

"Well, I will need you two to sign a voucher, so I can have the innkeeper reimburse me," the grey Shozoku's lie came out more sincerely then he expected. He reached into one of his uniform's many pockets, and drew out a small number of bills. Part of him screamed silently in protest, as he started counting off one hundred and fifty Ryo notes.

"I'm really sorry to make you do this," Akimichi reached up a scratched his cheek in not entirely false dismay.

"That's..." whatever platitude the Shozoku was going to offer died in his throat as he looked at the large youth again. Ino's eyes widened as she realized her lover's errant gesture had scraped some of the makeup off his cheek, revealing the distinctive swirl at which their target was now staring.

"Honey, your scars..." she tried to cover, but it was too late.

"Suiton: Scrubbing Jutsu," the grey Shozoku snarled, signing once, and then jammed his money back into his pocket, while he pointed his other hand at them. The cleaning bubbles hit them softly, getting them only slightly wet, but removing the concealer from Choji's cheeks and the improvised tint from Ino's hair.

"He's an Akimichi," the red warrior proclaimed even as he reached for his weapons.

"I told you this wouldn't get us inside," Choji moaned as he discarded his outer shirt to gain clear access to the blades stored underneath.

"It was worth a try," she shot back, faking her anger again as they switched to the secondary plan.

"They're ninjas!" the blue guard exclaimed in delight, already starting to sign.

"Choji Akimichi and Ino Yamanaka," the captain confirmed, "we've been expecting you."

"Well, were you expecting this?" Naruto roared as he leapt out of the cover of the wheat, swinging Kitsune overhand at the grey Shozoku's head. The captain easily dodged the attack, and kicked Naruto in the ribs as the younger man landed. The blue Shozoku launched a small lightning bolt at Ino, trying to capitalize on the dampness left by his superior, but Hinata intercepted it with her own gout of water.

"Yes, we were," the lead mercenary confirmed, as the Leaf ninjas regrouped, "Even after our master decided you were truly on vacation, we maintained our readiness for your attack. Where are Neji Hyuga and Tenten?"

"They stayed on the bus with some transformed Shadow Clones, to keep up the show," Hinata answered sincerely, and Naruto hoped Neji's estimate that they would not be missed for a few more hours was accurate. The other Shozokus standing guard started to close in, but the grey garbed leader waved them back.

"Original guards, hold your positions, and keep watch in case Hinata-san is lying," he ordered, triggering his radio so they could all hear him, "the reinforcements who came out with me report to the front gate. And I want two more of the reserves out here, while the remaining two secure the hostages."

"Eight on four?" Naruto smirked, "You must be pretty confident."

The former Jinchuriki launched his left fist at the grey mask, while more subtly swinging his staff-blade at the renegade's knee. The Shozoku stepped back, causing the low attack to miss, and brushed aside the punch. As he did, two more blue Shozokus exited the house, and the three he had brought with to reinforce the gaps in the watch surged forward as well.

"Lieutenant, hold off Akimichi-san, while I keep Uzumaki-san busy," the captain instructed, "That way the sergeants can go after Ino-san and Hinata-san three on one. Take them out first, and remember their powers."

* * *

**Preview:**

[background scene of Naruto, Hinata, Choji, and Ino fighting.]

Naruto [happy]: Finally, some action. Let's kick these guys butts.

[background scene of Tenten and Neji inside the house]

Naruto [surprised]: What? What is _she _doing here? Well Neji and Tenten can handle her.

[background scenes of all six Leaf ninjas, all panting.]

Naruto [dismayed]: Come on, we're better than this.

Naruto [announcer voice]: Next time on Naruto: A Growing Affection; **Chapter 126: The Guard**.

Naruto [loudly]: This hand of mine glows with an awesome power. Its burning grip tells me to defeat you!

Choji [worried]: I sure hope your hand is right...


	126. The Guard

**Chapter 126: The Guard**

"Partial Expansion Jutsu," Choji intoned. His right arm swung out, now as large as the rest of his body. His target was the red Shozoku, and if his aim proved true, he would knock his opponent into the one of the four blue Shozokus attacking Hinata.

"Iron Guard Jutsu," the scarlet kidnapper countered, crossing his forearms in front of his body. To Akimichi, it felt like he had punched the main gates of the Leaf Village, and the lieutenant only slid back a few inches. The moment Choji ceased applying force, Gouki's agent drew his iron and bronze gladius, and stabbed at the Leaf Tokujo's shrinking fist. Choji pulled his hand back faster, but was unable to avoid a light cut to his middle and ring fingers. The heavy warrior investigated his injury, but decided it was not serious, and started plotting his next move.

Metal clanged on metal as the grey Shozoku absorbed Kitsune's attacks on his own short blade. Naruto lashed out again, watching the strain in his opponent's arm as he absorbed the attack.

'He's not as strong as me,' Uzumaki decided, 'but he's just as flexible and maybe a little bit quicker. And mostly, he's a lot better with the gladius than I would have expected.'

As if the illustrated the younger man's thoughts, the grey garbed renegade twisted their linked blades around, knocking Kitsune wide while giving himself a shot at Naruto's gut. The blonde Tokujo twisted out of the way of the jab and transferred the momentum to his staff-blade, aiming at the Shozoku's neck. But the masked kidnapper knocked the blow away with his left hand, revealing the climbing claw in his palm.

"Ninja Art: Quick Change Jutsu," Ino chanted, regretting the loss of her sundress as it shredded to make way for her stand-in uniform. She drew two of the kunai Tenten had provided her, and blocked the first Shozoku's strike, before kicking away the second blue clad attacker. Yamanaka noticed, to her annoyance, that the sergeants were not obeying orders; only two were attacking her, while the other four surrounded Hinata.

'I might be the only Chunin here,' she growled internally, 'But I'll make them pay for underestimating me.'

She stuck the daggers back on her belt, and unleashed half the throwing stars in the pouch on her left leg. Only one of the two blue Shozokus took a hit from the half-dozen shurikens, and that was a light scratch on his left thigh. But her female opponent dodged completely. And the projectiles served their true purpose, buying Ino time and space to start signing.

"Rotation," Hinata pushed her four attackers away, but none were struck as firmly as she had been hoping. Instead Gouki's troops remembered their leader's warning, and were expecting her Byakugan techniques. And as the chakra dome faded, two of the navy masked renegades were signing, and Hinata recognized the beginnings of Fire Release ninjutsu. Retreating was not an option, with the other two Shozokus waiting, their shortswords at the ready. So, instead, Hinata stepped closer to the fire users, her own hands crafting a ninjutsu with far greater speed.

"Katon: Fire Streamers Jutsu," the sergeants incanted, not quite in unison.

"Doton: Stone Barricade Jutsu," Hinata pulled up a thick plane of rock and dirt between her and the flames; stopping the red, orange, and yellow comets, and scattering no small amount of the crops into the air. She briefly wondered how many loaves of bread could have been made from the wasted grain. The Hyuga scion dismissed her regret, and turned back to face the two armed warriors, still carefully watch for the other Shozokus to move around or bring down her defensive wall.

* * *

Neji and Tenten slipped past the blue Shozoku in the main room, deciding not to risk alerting the remaining two guards by killing her. The female renegade growled lightly, as she stared out the front window at the battle evolving outside. She was so caught up in the fights, and in her annoyance at being excluded, that she hadn't even noticed the shifting air when the Leaf Jonin pair had entered the room through the back window.

The elder teens snuck up the stairs noiselessly. Having left the two blue-clad warriors on the first floor, they had only the last guard to deal with. As with the others, Neji's Byakugan could not make out the color of the uniform without 'normal' visual contact, but from the way she held herself, he expected the last guard was at least a red ranked Shozoku, if not another full grey. But unlike the others, her uniform appeared almost frayed around the edges, and the Hyuga Jonin wondered if that was indicative of the guard having more battle experience.

As they advanced, he also took a closer look at the prisoners. Both Nyoko and the Earth prince looked worried, but there was also a smug look of expectation on the Fire princess's lips. Neither was secured, beyond being locked in the reinforced, windowless room.

The Leaf shinobi stopped on the last step, tensing. Unlike the others, the final guard was not distracted by Choji's team. She was crouching on her chair rather than sitting in it, her eyes facing the stairs. Her finger tips were touching, and her left arm rested against the door, daring them to try to open it without her noticing.

'You go first, hit her with kunai,' Neji's hands told Tenten, 'I will be right behind you and neutralize her with Gentle Fist if that fails.'

The weapons expert nodded, taking four of the multipurpose knives in each hand. Her lover focused his chakra into his fingertips, and nodded. The slender young woman darted around the corner into the wide hallway, unleashing her blades before she even got a good look at her opponent. As she did, she gasped in both surprise and fear. As Neji followed Tenten, and got a real look at their opponent, he understood his teammate's reaction.

What Neji had thought was a fraying of their enemy's uniform, was instead the ends of cloth hanging off the knotted together ninja headbands covering her body. In front of the guard's linked hands was a sphere of superheated air had deflected Tenten's kunai while melting them into slag. The guard stepped forward, thrusting her hands at them.

"Dual Arts: Sweltering Wind," the Reaper of Ninjas hissed, transforming the sphere into a blustery column of heat.

"Eight Trigrams: Enfolding Dome," Neji reacted, and the Byakugan art enclosed both of the lovers. Though the Hyuga's quick thinking saved them, much of the inferno still bled through the protective hemisphere, and both teens could feel their faces redden and blister.

"Not the Hyuga I was hoping for," the murderess summoned her trident, "but I suppose you will do for an appetizer."

* * *

The grey Shozoku slashed Naruto's uncovered forearm with his climbing spikes, while keeping Kitsune trapped against his shortsword. The Leaf soldier forced his opponent back with a grunt, and glanced down at the shallow furrows in his flesh, even as they closed. Uzumaki blocked the next strike, and this time grabbed his opponent's wrist as he tried another claw swipe. The renegade tried to slip free, but Naruto held him fast and forced one edge of the double-bladed gladius perilously close to its user's neck. The Shozoku focused some chakra into his arm, and the buckle on his glove loosened. The captain slipped his hand out of his glove, surrendering his claw to free his limb.

"Ninja Art: Shadow Sword Jutsu," the grey-clad warrior intoned, signing around the hilt of his weapon. As he lashed out again, a phantom blade appeared parallel to the physical gladius. Naruto parried again, cautiously angling his staff-blade so it would catch both the real and the chakra sword. Any suspicions Uzumaki might have had that the second weapon was an illusion or distraction was dispelled when he felt the increased and spread apart pressure on Kitsune.

'Man, that's a cool jutsu,' Naruto thought, imagining having two Kitsunes side by side. But his admiration quickly faded. Any advantage Uzumaki had possessed in physical power vanished, the twinned blades effectively doubling the Shozoku's muscle output. But at the same time, it did not slow the captain either. Naruto also had to be more careful blocking, making sure he caught both blades with every parry. The Leaf Tokujo was not certain if one blade would continue if he stopped the other, but he wasn't about to chance it either.

"Crap," Naruto vocalized his dismay when he realized that in between the attacks, the grey Shozoku was signing, slowly building a ninjutsu. The blonde youth started to act in kind, but he knew that the renegade had a head start. So he picked a simpler jutsu he had fully mastered years ago.

"Cyclone Spikes," Naruto said quickly, and the Shozoku gasped slightly in amazement.

"Suiton: Water Burst Jutsu," the grey warrior unleashed his art before it was complete. The liquid explosion hit Uzumaki's darts, destroying them. But the tiny tornadoes tore apart the surface of the water and slowed it, so while Naruto was soaked, he was neither injured nor staggered by the jutsu.

"Katon Shuriken Jutsu," Ino announced when her seven hand signs completed, launched four fiery shurikens at each of her enemies. She continued signing, and the next seven more seals were the same, but for one. She finished with, "Raiton Shuriken Jutsu."

The first Shozoku dealt with the eight energy throwing stars by cutting them from the air with his sword. But the other blue-garbed warrior dodged the flame projectiles, but was too off balance to fully avoid the second set, and took deep lightning hits to her right bicep and thigh. She whirled around, facing Ino as she signed.

"Ninja Arts: Ikioi Graft Jutsu."

Ino grimaced as she heard that. The Ikioi Graft was a dangerous jutsu she had learned about in her lessons with Tsunade. The technique was an attempt to imitate Madara Uchiha's Suseri, but instead of banishing injuries into the future, it created a patch of false flesh to cover the injury. It prevented bleeding and pain, and allowed the user to function normally. But the wound was not truly healed, so any moderate or heavy activity would worsen the injury. And due to the technique, the ninja would not know.

Yamanaka pushed down her pity and drew a kunai again to block a swipe the healthier Shozoku took at her with his gladius. The blonde Chunin also noted that she had been the most successful against her opponents so far, though her pride quickly melted into worry.

'Maybe I should try to destroy his mind,' the mentalist kunoichi considered, 'But we also need to try to keep them distracted from what's going on inside; so I can't kill them too quickly. Is that what the others are doing too? But Neji didn't order us to stall after the initial infiltration, and Naruto isn't the type to do that on his own.'

Ino shrugged internally. When she started to lace her fingers to activate her clan's psychic jutsu, the Shozokus both drew back and prepared to dodge.

Choji extended his enlarged hands on either side of the red Shozoku, as if planning it crush him. The masked warrior crouched and held his sword parallel to his chest, preparing to dodge and strike back. But instead, Akimichi curled his fingers into giant fists, and slammed them into the turf, also channeling some earth chakra down his arms. The ground beneath the Shozoku bucked wildly, and he grabbed the grains around him with his empty hand to avoid being thrown into the air. The stalks were ripped free, but the lieutenant maintained his balance. The crimson-garbed renegade rolled to the side, throwing his weight behind his blade as he jabbed at the Leaf ninja's wrist. Choji spun his whole body, swinging his endangered limb away from his opponent, while his other hand flew toward the rogue's back. As he watched his target fly away, the Shozoku appeared to anticipate the large shinobi's action, and he flipped backwards over Choji's arm. He lowered his blade weakly, and scored a light cut on the back of Choji's attacking hand.

"Ow," Choji grunted, shrinking his forelimbs back to their regular size, "Okay, need to either play more defensive, or fight him at long range. And range isn't really my thing. Doton: Dust'em Up Jutsu."

A layer of dirt, clay, and pebbles surrounded Akimichi's hands, enslaved to his will. He slammed his fists together experimentally, and then grinned at the Shozoku.

"Partial Expansion Jutsu," he announced again, launching a left cross at the his opponent. The red Shozoku's gladius flashed up, but the earthen gauntlet expanded along with Choji's fist, and the blade only gouged the jutsu bound material. Instead the scarlet soldier was knocked back heavily by the weighty strike, and he partially disappeared into the wheat field. Undeterred, he darted back out a second later, placing his left hand over his sword's crosspiece.

"Suiton: Cleansing Jutsu," the lieutenant channeled the earth jutsu negating technique into his sword, and the gladius took on a noticeable blue hue.

Hinata gracefully ducked under a beam of fire, and slid around a lance of electricity. Her four enemies were playing it safe; keeping outside the range of her Byakugan arts, and pelting her with fire and lightning jutsu. She could have stopped some of the weaker or denser fire attacks with her Eight Trigrams Heavenly Spin or one its variants, but that would have locked her in place for one of their other shots to hit. So she kept dodging, her superior speed and flexibility keeping her safe while she crafted the hand seals for her counterattack. She dove over a Fire Trace Jutsu, recognizing that they were trying to herd her. But the Shozokus did not realize Hinata was the one moving herself into position.

"Doton: Stone Surge Jutsu," she incanted, pulling down almost half of the wall she had created earlier, and throwing the material at the four sergeants. Two of the blue garbed warriors managed to enact hasty jutsus to protect themselves. And the one closest to boundary of her attack manged to roll desperately out of the way. But the last was unable to complete his counter jutsu in time, and took two large stones to the head and one to the chest. Before Hinata could capitalize further on her success, her head suddenly snapped up, and she turned her head towards what her Byakugan had already seen.

* * *

Tenten interposed her xiphos and wakizashi between the tines of the trident, holding the Reaper back. The hall was wide for the style and size of the building, but was still too narrow for a proper duel of arms. So the weapon mistress had chosen the two, curved short blades instead of a single larger weapon. She was surprised the Reaper had elected to use the three-pronged spear Hinata had described from their last confrontation, but the older woman wielded her pole weapon with undeniable skill, relying mainly on thrusts but occasionally mixing in broader swings, if not at full extension.

The Leaf Jonin couple had adapted one of the preferred Leaf fighting styles for close quarters combat, Tenten held the forward position with melee attacks, while Neji stayed back and fought their opponent with jutsu. So far, they had been moderately successful; Tenten had kept the trident from hitting either of them, while Neji had stopped most of the Reaper's jutsu, though one lightning technique had grazed the Leaf kunoichi's left foot, numbing it. Unfortunately, neither of the Jonin had been able to score a hit on the guard.

"So, you are working for Gouki Namikaze now?" Neji asked sardonically, "For someone with the stated intent of killing all shinobi, you certainly seem to like to throw your lot in with the more unsavory members of my profession."

"That did not work for Hinata when I was more mentally unbalanced," the Reaper shrugged as she tried to twist the wakizashi out of Tenten's right hand, "Why would you think it would work now?"

"I do have a greater talent for sarcastic mockery than my sister-cousin does," Neji also bobbed his shoulders neutrally.

"Wait, you're saying you're sane now?" Tenten prompted dubiously. The Reaper succeeded in knocking her primary weapon loose, so the borderline amibdexterous kunoichi juggled her xiphos to her right hand and as it fell caught the wakizashi in her left.

"Only a fool or madman thinks he is sane," the unnamed woman drew her hands together on the haft of her weapon, to start signing, "But I no longer believe the lies I concocted to distract my enemies and tools are true, nor do I let my rage rule my actions. Gouki-san was quite helpful in that respect. And when he succeeds, my goal will have been met as well. The current classification of 'ninja' will be no more."

Tenten could not help but notice that the Reaper, who had been well matched one on one with Naruto and Hinata during their previous encounters, was now fighting the Neji and herself of them on even terms. The single-named teen knew it was in part due to the limitations of the fight; she and Neji had to be wary of each other in the comparatively narrow space, and also had to consider the hostages in their actions.

"She is much stronger than our reports indicated," Neji's words reflected his fiance's thoughts. He deflected a set of wind blades with another Enfolding Dome. The Reaper followed quickly with a trio of quick stabs, angling them past the slender young woman to try to strike the Hyuga Jonin. Tenten was on the ball, and deflected all of the attacks.

"The other advantage of working alongside Gouki-san," the Reaper responded, "You could call me the prototype for the Shozokus. I was the first to undergo the 'treatment', and as one of Namikaze-san's generals I was given a more comprehensive enhancement than the rank and file soldiers."

The rogue shuddered slight noting, "_That_ method might be painful and risky for the weak, but it is undeniably effective."

"I should have more than enough to deal with a pair of low rank Jonin," she added, pushing Tenten into Neji when their weapons clashed again.

"In that case, we can simply wait for our friends to finish your troops and come to help us," Neji argued, regaining his balance and starting to sign an offensive technique.

"That is a poor assumption," the Reaper said mockingly. The male Jonin paused in his chakra shaping with a concerned frown.

"Why's that?" Tenten shot back, expecting a trick.

"Because of your unfortunate timing," the murderess's smile touched her voice, "You see, it is just about time for our scouts and outliers to change shifts."

* * *

"Reinforcements!" Hinata cried out in warning, as six additional blue Shozokus charged in from the west.

* * *

**Preview:**

[background scene of Naruto, Hinata, Choji, and Ino fighting, seriously outnumbered.]

Naruto [annoyed]: Darn it. These guys are tougher than I thought.

[background scene of Tenten and Neji fighting the Reaper]

Naruto [exhausted]: We just have to hold off long enough for Neji and Tenten to defeat the Reaper.

[background scenes of all six Leaf ninjas, all scraped up.]

Naruto [distressed]: We have to rescue Nyoko, so the Leaf village can help its allies...

Naruto [announcer voice]: Next time on Naruto: A Growing Affection; **Chapter 127: Losing Battles**.

Naruto [softly]: With great power comes great responsibility.

Hinata [worried]: Naruto...


	127. Losing Battles

**Chapter 127: Losing Battles**

"Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu."

In response to Hinata's warning, Naruto instinctively split off twenty copies of himself. But before the clones could even move to intercept the returning Shozokus, the grey-clothed captain cut down one duplicate, and began barking new orders.

"Sergeants, you have Akimichi-san, Hinata-san, and Ino-san," their field commander instructed, "Lieutenant, you and I will take Uzumaki-san and his clones."

Four of the new arrivals darted towards Choji, and one each joined the opponents already arrayed against Ino and Hinata.

Hinata cursed herself silently for not paying closer attention to the outer reaches of her enhanced vision.

'I should have noticed them just after this fight began,' she thought darkly, placing her own hands in the same gesture Naruto had just used.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu," the youngest Leaf shinobi present split off a single facsimile. The clone stepped forward, countering two fire jutsu with a quick Suiton technique. And behind her, the original Hinata began gathering her chakra in both of her legs, and in her right wrist. Her lower limbs creaked in anticipation, and the ki in her arm began to glow visibly. As her other self took a hit from a kunai and exploded, Hinata released both the physical and metaphysical energy in her legs, and rocketed forward, jumping far over the heads of the Shozokus. They all tracked her, and three started signing.

"Eight Trigrams, Empty Palm," the pale beauty shouted as she flipped over them. The Hyuga heiress released the wave of force, aiming it so it would hit the two Shozokus on her left.

But they were ready for her Byakugan technique. The left-most sergeant countered with a Negative Chakra jutsu, sacrificing his energy to weaken her strike. The two blue-masked renegades in the middle enclosed Hinata's targets in a pair of stone domes. The diminished Empty Palm shattered the first barrier, but only cracked the second one before its power was spent.

"Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu," the last Shozoku incanted, throwing six stars are the Leaf Tokujo. The whirling blades multiplied ten-fold, and Hinata frowned at the sixty shuriken flashing towards her. Though still inverted and in mid air, a seal spread out from the young woman's feet as she moved her arms into position.

"Byakugan Art: Protection of the Eight Trigrams, Sixty-Four Palms."

Even as she rotated into an upright stance for landing, Hinata's arms darted around with casual speed and accuracy, cutting both the real and chakra stars from the air. At the same time, she focused some of the energy threads on the rocky dome, cutting out large chunks and letting them fall in on the Shozokus, switching their situation from protected to trapped. Her base level Byakugan showed her the two sergeants dodging to the edges of the vault, avoiding her reversal.

As Hinata touched down on the wheat field, a concentrated sphere of electricity blasted through the stone, aimed at her head. But this time she was neither wounded nor exhausted, and she avoided the Lightning Cannon with only a slight shudder of fear, while her four attackers continued regrouping.

Ino aborted her Mind Destruction Jutsu as a third blue Shozoku moved in behind her. The new renegade had a gladius drawn, and was close enough that Ino worried the two seconds her psychic jutsu would leave her open would let allow opponent land a lethal blow. Instead, Yamanaka hopped forward two steps, signing a quick quartet of hand seals before bringing her fingers to her mouth.

"Raiton: Grand Lightning Ball Jutsu," the Chunin blew on her fingertips, sending out a stream of electricity that curled in on itself, forming a twelve-foot diameter sphere of power. The wheat stalks burst into flames and were consumed by the reckless attack. The Shozoku whom she had been targeting for insanity was caught by Ino, and collapsed to the ground, his uniform smoldering. But the sergeant still using Ikioi Graft avoided the attack, and the Shozoku behind her slunk closer. Ino dismissed the lightning ball, and spun, palming shurikens as she did. The Leaf kunoichi's eyes clenched in focus, and she released the throwing stars.

The blue-garbed renegade raised his blade and sent chakra to his arms to increase his speed and control. The masked soldier cut the five projectiles out of the air easily and started to continue forward. It was only then did he realize why Ino had looked so intent when she threw the shurikens.

'Shadow Shuriken Jutsu,' Ino used the name of the technique as a silent mantra. The second set of stars, hidden by the first, were too close and too unexpected for the Shozoku, but Gouki's follower still managed to deflect the two throwing knives that would have respectively hit his face and heart. In turn, he took one in the stomach and one in each half of his left arm. The armor in his uniform prevented the gut hit from being lethal or disabling, but his left arm hung limply beside him, nerves pinched and blood flowing.

Ino and Hinata both turned their heads in worry as the farmhouse shook, but neither of their lovers seemed to notice, and the building did not collapse, so they quickly returned their focus to their opponents.

The red and grey Shozokus regrouped to face the Uzumaki battalion. The captain made a grasping and releasing motion with his left hand, and the lieutenant tossed his his gladius to the grey-clad leader before taking a few steps back. The Naruto duplicates eyed them in suspicion, but three near the front of the pack grew impatient. They each drew a kunai, the simple implements having been duplicated even though Kitsune was not. Armed and reckless, they charged the kidnappers. The grey Shozoku sliced deep into the first copy's chest, and caught the daggers of the other two duplicates on his now paired short blades. And behind him, the red-garbed rogue started signing.

"Fuuton: Cyclone Spikes Jutsu," the lieutenant fired the eleven darts past the Narutos engaged in melee, tearing into the front line, destroying six of them. The original grimaced, eight of his one score copies had been killed without injuring either of his opponents or gaining him any significant insights. The teen had been hoping to preserve his chakra for their escape, but instead reluctantly clapped his hands together again.

"Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu," he hissed darkly, splitting off another ten duplicates. This time they did not pause, the new clones darted forward, even as a second of their engaged comrades exploded. The twenty-one blondes hit the grey Shozoku like a wave, and though he flailed about with blades and feet, trying to hold them back, all but six slipped past him. Three of those turned back, so nine Narutos were surrounding him. And the rest went after the ninjutsu user.

"Hyoton: Avalanche Barricade," the red warrior combined his wind and water chakra, and crafted a five-meter high wall between himself and the Narutos. But the defense was unstable by design, and began to fall towards the facsimiles. Two of the clones pushed their comrades out of the way, and two more were able to dodge on their own. But the rest were crushed by the collapsing ice. The remaining four approached the red Shozoku more carefully, and threes of the duplicates hemming in the captain broke off to help, while the original Naruto stepped forward to challenge the grey-masked leader. The red renegade exhaled from the effort of creating such a large ice jutsu, but he started signing again, and prepared to retreat if necessary.

Seven versions of Naruto frowned in unison as they fenced with grey Shozoku. The gladius had been one of the fox-faced teen's four A-Rank weapons during the previous Jonin Trials, its length, weight, and straight edge blade making it a good approximation of a staff-blade. So the Uzumaki variants were all more than slightly surprised to catch the captain using tricks with the short blade that were specific to the Hidden Leaf Village. With that realization, two of the Narutos suddenly recognized that the red and grey kidnappers had been trying to use the Wood Scorpion formation, where one ninja used two weapons to fend off opponents while his or her partner struck at them with ninjutsu.

'These guys fight like Leaf ninjas,' he pondered, 'are they Konoha missing-nin as well, or did my uncle teach them this stuff?'

"Those are Leaf moves," another clone angrily vocalized their shared thoughts, "Did Gouki teach you that?"

Before either of them could answer, all of the Shozokus' communicators suddenly squawked.

"Captain," a voice familiar to Naruto and Hinata emerged from the radios, "I have engaged Neji Hyuga and Tenten. They are currently neutralized. I want all of the sergeants, even those on perimeter duty or on break to assist you in eliminating the shinobi out there."

"Yes, ma'am," the grey Shozoku barked nervously, then added, "You heard the general."

The four Shozokus still at the corners of the fence moved forward, and a heartbeat later, two more exited the house. The outside guards converged on Choji, and the other two split up between Hinata and Ino.

* * *

Tenten caught the Reaper's trident with her wakizashi, and brought her xiphos down on the wooden haft of the polearm. But despite the enhanced edge of the leaf shaped blade and the extra chakra she sent to her arms, Neji's lover failed to even chip the chakra hardened oak. The Reaper swept the lighter woman into the wall, and Tenten had to disengage to avoid being pinned. Her spear freed, the mummified fighter twisted and jabbed in a single motion, slicing Tenten's t-shirt and lightly cutting the Jonin's skin.

"Ninja Arts: Shuriken Swarm Jutsu," Neji unleashed the entirety of the first pouch of ninja stars Tenten had given him. However, instead of flying straight for the Reaper, they darted and weaved towards her, like hungry mosquitoes. The Reaper loosened the grip of her right hand on the staff of her weapon, and rotated it in a cone, knocking five of blades into the wall. But the others hovered around her, waiting for an opportunity.

The killer tsked, annoyed that she allowed herself to be surrounded. She considered her options, but like the Leaf ninjas, her actions were limited by both the hostages in the room beside her and the space in the hallway. The first shuriken darted in, and she deflected it. But a second use the opening, burying itself in a Hidden Stone headband, and a few centimeters into the skin and muscle underneath. She glanced around at the remaining five stars, and came to a decision.

"Raiton: Magnetic Charge Jutsu," she announced without signing. Neji's blades wobbled, and then smacked weakly into her, clinging to the ninja shields covering her, without piercing the metal. The Hyuga Jonin frowned, and his lover stepped forward, hoping to get a strike in while the Reaper recovered from her jutsu. But the guarding rogue brought up her trident, the metal blades only slightly slowed by her fading technique. Even as Neji's weapons dropped to the floor, the Reaper intercepted Tenten's xiphos and redirected it into the hidden path of the wakizashi. As Tenten tried to untangle her arms, the Reaper rotated, and smacked the younger woman's right temple with the butt end of her trident. The blow was relatively weak, but was enough to make the Leaf Kunoichi's eyes cross momentarily. Gouki's general released her trident with her left hand, and pointed it past the stunned Tenten at Neji.

"Raiton: Thunder Pressure Jutsu," the ninja hunter announced. The white beam exploded towards the Hyuga Jonin, denying him time to adequately defend himself.

"Suiton," Neji shouted, barely keeping the desperation from his voice as he expelled a mass of unformed water chakra. He then slammed his back against the wall as his ki drew in what water there was in air. But the Thunder Pressure technique was based upon the sonic shock wave, not the electricity itself, so while the mist Neji generated weakened the attack somewhat, it did not slow or deflect the column as it would have most other Lightning Release arts.

The beam clipped Neji's left shoulder, scraped along his chest, barely missed his raised chin, and finally struck the outside wall of the house with a dull thump that lightly rattled the structure.

"Neji, are you okay?" Tenten asked as she righted herself, barely blocking a one-handed thrust to her heart. The Reaper regained her two-handed stance, as the pale-eyed young man lurched away from the wall.

"I believe in a matter of moments, my entire torso will be bruised," he wheezed, focusing his Byakugan inside his body, "And I have three cracked bones. But no breaks and no major organ damage. I am lucky she was not able to craft that jutsu properly."

"Perhaps I was not trying to kill you outright?" the Reaper countered smugly, "Or _maybe_ I just didn't want to risk damaging this house?"

"What do we do?" the Leaf kunoichi asked, fending off a slash at her neck, "I'm fighting with one A-Rank weapon and one S-Rank weapon, and she's matching me with still trading ninjutsu with you. And most of your ninjutsu are too destructive to risk in here."

"Hmm," Neji considered that. Other than the Enfolding Dome, the other Rotation techniques would have hit Tenten as well, and the Dome was more defensive than offensive. He did not think the Reaper would let him easily get into range for the Eight Trigrams, One-Hundred Twenty-Eight Palms. And as Tenten had said, most of his other ninjutsu tended to be wide range and destructive. Which again, would put his teammate and also the hostages at risk.

As the Leaf ninjas considered her, the Reaper paused, a smirk invisibly lighting her headband covered face. She touched two fingers to her neck, and her radio beeped in response.

"Captain," she spoke smugly, "I have engaged Neji Hyuga and Tenten. They are currently neutralized. I want all of the sergeants, even those on perimeter duty or on break to assist you in eliminating the shinobi out there."

"Yes ma'am," the answer returned quickly and crisply, "You heard the general!"

"Have you come up with a new plan?" she asked her opponents sardonically, and the Leaf ninjas grimaced angrily at her.

"No?" the kidnapper prompted, "In that case... Gryphon's Claw: Spinning Talons."

The sword like tines of the Reaper's trident began to rotate, each along its central axis. As the blades picked up speed, even to Neji's Byakugan, they looked like cylinders instead of blades. The Reaper hopped forward, driving her triplicate drill at Tenten's stomach

* * *

Choji had been mildly relieved when the red Shozoku had been re-tasked with fighting Naruto, leaving him four of the returning scouts instead. Three of them seemed winded, they were all of the less skilled blue caste, and none of them had an active jutsu that would destroy the earth technique that was protecting his hands from their blades.

The new battle had been going well. Akimichi's first attack had knocked down the largest renegade, and he had been slow to stand. Two of the others had tried to move in closer, but they had quickly learned the Partial Expansion Jutsu was adaptable in its range. Still, they had escaped without any major damage. The last returning scout tried to hit Choji with a Fireball Jutsu, but his earth jacketed hands enlarged enough to stop it with only a minor warming of his palms.

Then the order came from inside the house, and six more Shozokus joined the battle. Choji grimaced as the grey warrior instructed four of those to assault him. He knew the former perimeter guards had been watching the fight. The large Tokujo considered his Human Boulder technique, and rejected it because if he aimed at them, he might continue through the fence and into the house.

Instead he closed his fists, and swung the expanded Dust'em Up jutsu at them like a hammer. But under the dirt and stone, his fingers were secretly signing.

"Ninja Art: Pitfall Jutsu," Choji said, having maneuvered six of his opponents close enough together with his strikes. The ground dropped out from under them, and the six blue soldiers plummeted into the sudden hole. He split his hands, and attempted to smash the remaining Shozokus. The first dodged, but the second held her ground.

"Ninja Art: Giant's Muscles Jutsu."

Her body appeared to strain against her uniform suddenly, and she caught Choji's huge fist with a grunt of effort. He held fast, and she lifted him into the air, swinging him towards the pit. Akimichi ended the enlarging jutsu, and instead of his fists pulling back towards him, he was reeled in to the muscle woman. An instant later, his free arm enlarge again, and collided with the kidnapper's jaw.

"Is that it?" Choji asked the Shozoku as he landed. The last of his opponents did not answer, and the big youth suddenly dove to the side, his instincts screaming. A kunai passed by where his head had been. He glanced back, and saw Gouki's warriors emerging from his trap.

"I thought that would buy me a few more minutes," he lamented softly yet angrily. So he lashed out wildly and rapidly, hoping to push them back and buy himself some more room to think. But when he spun his large, protected limbs in a giant double lariat, one of the blue Shozokus, the first one he had knocked down, burying a shuriken in Akimichi's left shoulder, narrowing missing his neck.

Naruto caught the red Shozoku's gladius with Kitsune, while a Shadow clone caught the grey Shozoku's original sword between scissored kunai. A third Uzumaki launched a kick at the captain's knee, but the grey soldier lifted his leg to avoid the attack, and stomped down hard enough on the clone's ankle that it disintegrated.

The fox-faced man took stock. Out of all the clones he had spawned, only five... four now remained, two with him sparring with the captain, and two trading ninjutsu with the lieutenant. He was finally starting to get a feel for the grey-garbed warrior's fighting style, it was based firmly on the Hidden Leaf style as he estimated, but had enough differences to give the former Jinchuriki a few surprises. Naruto had also noticed that the red Shozoku had been running short on chakra, but he had failed to prevent the renegade from consuming a food pill. Uzumaki vaguely wish he had one of the restoratives as well, having spent more chakra than he had planned.

"Lieutenant!" the captain barked.

"Katon Blade Jutsu," the red Shozoku intoned, after narrowly avoiding one Naruto's Cyclone Spikes. His fire chakra flowed into his sword, and the blade burst with an extension of white flames. The heat pushed the original Naruto back, and Uzumaki summoned Kitsune's wind blade. At the same time, one of the clones attempted to block the burning sword, but it seared through his kunai and destroyed the copy in a puff of smoke.

Ino tried desperately to escape her currently lone attacker. The newest Shozoku facing her was instead repairing the renegade's injured arm. And from what Ino could tell, was doing a fairly good job of it. Yamanka knew that the opponent she was fighting, the one who had patched herself up temporarily would be next, and if she could not prevent that, she would be facing three more or less healthy enemies.

"Rotation," Hinata attempted to push her four attackers away, but each of them manged to activate the Iron Guard Jutsu, and their hardened bodies were not noticeably moved or injured by her attack. She wondered if using a Shadow Clone had been a good idea, as her reserves were beginning to fade.

"You can't beat me," Naruto said confidently, Kitsune's wind projection cutting into the fire chakra around the second gladius, and nicking the blade of the first. He had sent the last melee clone to help the other two keep the red Shozoku busy.

"Alone, no," the captain admitted openly, "But all I have to do is hold out until one of your friends fails. Then my men will be able to make short work of the other two. And then you will be alone. Even you do not have the skills and energy to fight twenty warriors, all at least as skilled as a Chunin."

"There are only seventeen of you left," Uzumaki shot back, "And even if there were fifty of you, it wouldn't be enough."

'If I didn't have to converse my chakra to get Nyoko home,' he added silently.

"We will see," the captain said smugly, sweeping aside the staff-blade with his borrowed gladius, and slashing the other at Naruto's unguarded stomach...

* * *

**Preview:**

[black background]

Naruto [annoyed]: Okay, Neji, how much longer is this going to take?

Neji [resigned]: No longer. We are done here.

Naruto [happy]: Great.

Naruto [dubious]: Wait, where's Nyoko and the Earth kid? Neji?

Naruto [announcer voice]: Next time on Naruto: A Growing Affection; **Chapter 128: Failed Mission**.

Naruto [darkly]: Sin, Swift, Slay

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**: I didn't want to do this, both because of my personal opinion author's notes disrupt the flow, and it amounts to an unasked for spoiler, but it seems I must.

I know many (most?) of you are not happy with the fact Naruto and company are not fairing well. But the arc is not over yet, and there is more going on here than you know about. There are reasons for what is happening, and things you don't know about the participants on both sides. Or I could just come out an say exactly what is going on, and ruin the suspense and the journey by skipping to the end. But I'd rather not do that, so I can only ask that you bear with me a few more chapters, and I hope you will all be satisfied when it plays out.


	128. Failed Mission?

**Chapter 128: Failed Mission?**

"What are we going to do?" Tenten caught the spinning blades of the Gyphon's Claw with her paired sai, and the clashing metals threw a cloud of sparks into the weapons mistress's face. An earlier strike had snapped off the blade of her xiphos, and the younger woman had stored her wakizashi and switched to the sturdier, more defensive weapons. The irony that each sai was like a miniature, blunt trident was not lost on the Leaf kunoichi. Tenten pushed their locked weapons upwards, attempting to kick out at the Reaper's knee. The killer borrowed the momentum, forcing their armaments higher still, so she could bring the opposite end of the polearm to intercept the Jonin's leg.

"We withdraw to the lower level," Neji decided, "If she follows, we will have more space to fight her in the main room. If not, we go outside and help our comrades. Then, once we have defeated her minions, the six of us can deal with the Reaper as a group."

"Okay," Tenten agreed reluctantly, and both Leaf ninjas darted for the stairs. After a moment's contemplation, the kidnapper followed. As the Reaper was halfway down the stairs, the Hyuga Jonin fired the Eight Trigrams Empty Palm, shooting a heavy recliner at her alongside the force of the jutsu itself. The ninja hunter swept down her triplicate spear, carving through the chair and also splitting Neji's jutsu. She skipped over the caltrops Tenten had deposited on the last two steps, and landed on the floor facing them.

"This is much better," the Reaper agreed with Neji's assessment, swinging her staff weapon more broadly, before pointing it at Tenten again.

* * *

Hinata and Choji had been pushed back to back by the respective five and eight Shozokus they were fighting. The result was mixed for both sides, neither Leaf ninja could be attacked from behind, but their movements were also limited. In addition, Hinata could protect Choji with the Eight Trigrams Enfolding Dome, but her chakra reserves were flagging. She had already reduced the amount of energy she was sending to her Byakugan, reducing its active range to just over one hundred meters. The kunoichi blocked a set of Raiton Shurikens with Ginmaki, the bracers neutralizing the electrical attack. Behind her, Choji's latest punch was blocked by the gladii of three of the renegades, and one of the blades manged to cut through his earthen gloves and slice shallowly into his skin. As he withdrew his arms, he sent more ki into the jutsu protecting his hands and wrists.

"We aren't doing well, are we?" he said to her softly.

"Neji and Tenten should be able to handle the Reaper," Hinata whispered back, "We just have to hold out for them."

"The Reaper of Ninjas?" Choji prompted more loudly, "The woman who nearly killed Naruto and used to work for the Akatsuki?"

"That was her voice; she ordered the remaining Shozokus to attack us," the pale beauty confirmed, catching a kunai aimed for her hip. She turned the spade shaped dagger over and fired it at its owner. The sergeant dodged, and two of his comrades unleashed Fire Release Techniques at the Hyuga heiress. Hinata could not dodge without leaving Choji open, so she expended more of her dwindling energy in a double purpose art.

"Doton: Stone Spears Jutsu," she intoned, and the rocky eruptions blocked the bolts of flame even as they force the Shozokus to dodge or be impaled.

"What if Neji and Tenten _can't_ handle her?" Akimichi asked carefully. Two trios of throwing stars flashed towards him, and he brought up his arms, letting the steel dig into the dirt and rock. The blue Shozokus finally came to the same conclusion that the red lieutenant had as soon as Choji had used the Dust'em Up Jutsu, the earthen gauntlets had to go. Three of the sergeants began to craft seals for water or air techniques to negate Choji's protective art.

"I mean, she's supposedly taken out the gods only know how many Jonin in the past, right?" the huge Tokujo added, taking a sharp blast of wind to the chest rather than let it dispel his Doton art. The disrupting attack barely cut through his heavy t-shirt, but did draw a few drops of blood.

"I don't know," Hinata's voice was touched with worry as she considered his statement.

Naruto rolled backwards to avoid the converging swords. He then jumped forward, catching both blades with Kitsune, and scissoring them back towards the grey Shozoku's chest. But the captain was able to redirect the force of all three weapons past him, to his right. He attempted to kick Naruto in the ribs, and Uzumaki spun narrowly out of the way of the attack.

Naruto's last clone faced the red Shozoku warily. The copy had received only a pittance of chakra when his final comrade had been destroyed, and he was not sure he could shape more than one or two mid rank ninjutsu before he ran out of power and dissipated. But the crimson-clad warrior only stared back speculatively, and the duplicate speculated his opponent was nearly out of ki as well.

'Except he won't go 'poof' when he runs out of chakra,' the clone reminded himself, 'and that would leave the other me alone.'

He wondered briefly about the face of the man who had pushed him this far, even if the Leaf ninja facsimile and his brothers had been fighting in less than ideal circumstances.

'That doesn't matter now,' he banished the speculation, 'I have to take this guy out, so the other me won't end up fighting two on one.'

Naruto cataloged the ruby renegade's moves briefly. The lieutenant had used mostly wind and water jutsu, occasionally mixing the two into Ice Release arts. But he had also used two Katon techniques, once each. As the red Shozoku drew a kunai, the clone decided on his last move.

"Fuuton: Cyclone Spikes Jutsu," the copy fully signed the technique, judging that the increased chakra efficiency was worth the cost in time and in his opponent's recognition of the attack. The Shozoku quickly crafted his counter.

"Suiton: Blocking Wave Jutsu," the lieutenant summoned a small wall of water to absorb the darts, panting slightly from the effort.

'Gotcha,' the copy of Naruto thought triumphantly, while out loud he incanted, "Doton: Stone Claws Jutsu."

Though he did not use the hand seals, Uzumaki's mastery of the technique was nearing the point where he did not need them. And the clone poured every scrap of chakra he had into the jutsu, even though it resulted in his destruction. Seven limbs of stone tore out of the ground around the wheat stalks and grabbed onto the red Shozoku. Their granite talons, drawn from the bedrock under the topsoil, sliced through the renegade's uniform and into his flesh. They wrapped tightly around him, pinning his arms to his sides. The exploding clone grinned happily, as Gouki's follower grunted in surprise.

"What were you saying about not being alone?" the original Tokujo asked smugly.

"Don't get ahead of yourself, Naruto-san," the grey Shozoku chided, then called out, "Sergeants, kindly free the lieutenant when you have a chance, and provide him with a food pill if he is out."

"I still have my supplies," the red clad warrior gasped weakly, the rocky arms compressing him, making it difficult for him to breathe.

"The clone just surprised me with that suicide maneuver," he added roughly, as if trying not to sound totally incompetent. Two of the blue Shozokus surrounding Hinata and Choji stepped back, believing their comrades had the two Leaf specialists contained, and raced over to their trapped senior.

Ino stepped to the side, and launched an elbow at the injured Shozoku's solar plexus, again succeeding in driving her away from the healer. So far Yamanaka had managed to keep herself between the self-patched solider, and the healer and the restored rogue. If she could force her opponent to keep the Ikioi Graft in place, it would continue to drain her chakra, and her actions would cause her wounds to slowly worsen. Unfortunately, Ino was so intent on her strategy, that she failed to notice the Shozokus' pattern until she bumped into the stone wall Hinata had risen earlier.

"Damn," she immediately placed one foot against the barrier, and dove forward. She barely escaped the healer sergeant's attack, an outstretched hand wrapped in an ominous purple aura. But her flight took Ino out from in between the injured warrior and the medic. The repaired blue Shozoku turned and struck at the Leaf Chunin again, while the healer began to work on his ally's masked wounds.

Hinata and Choji finished their subtle orbiting of one another, so that now the larger Tokujo was facing away from the farmhouse turned prison.

"Are you sure about this?" he moved his lips but no sound emerged. Instead, she read his words with her Byakugan.

"If these guys know that Iron Guard technique too, I'll have left you alone for nothing," he added silently, his expression anxious, "If they hit you..."

"I'll be fine," she reassured him softly. He nodded resolutely, and then glared at the Shozokus before him smugly. Choji hopped, and his body expanded almost instantly, as he pulled in his limbs.

"Human Boulder Jutsu," he shouted before tucking his head in. The Akimichi was already spinning when he hit the ground, and tore through the crops as he rocketed towards the three sergeants.

"Doton: Stone Jacket Jutsu," one of the blue-clad soldiers incanted fearfully, but Choji shattered the rocky shackles even as they formed around him. Another of the Shozokus managed to leap away, but Akimichi's two remaining targets were both hit directly, and bounced away.

Though his actions punched a hole through the Shozoku's formation, the two rogues who had freed their red comrade returned to plug the gap, and they all started to close in on Hinata, cautious of her rotation techniques. Naruto also found himself surrounded, with the humiliated lieutenant moving in behind him, looking for payback.

* * *

"Shock Wave Jutsu," the Reaper announced, swinging her trident in front of her. An arc of energy emerged in the wake of her blades, flashing towards the Leaf teens.

"Eight Trigrams: Enfolding Dome," Neji attempted to stop the attack, but the defensive sphere only delayed the wave. The moment the Hyuga Jonin ended his art, the Reaper's strike continued, moderately weakened.

"Power Trap Jutsu," Tenten sent her chakra into her paired sai, and caught the force attack with them. The Leaf kunoichi was pushed back, but the Reaper's jutsu could not overcome the younger woman's technique, and after a few seconds it dissipated. Tenten was left panting from the combined physical and spiritual effort.

"Tenten, are you alright?" a hint a deep concern touched the male Jonin's normally flat voice. He turned his head towards her briefly, though his Byakugan continued to watch the Reaper prepare another jutsu.

"I'm fine," her tone did not match her statement, "I'm just getting... huh... just getting my second wind."

"I fear it is too late for that," Neji told her, and the Reaper's seals slowed, as the hunter tilted her head in interest.

"We must withdraw," the Leaf field commander informed his teammate.

"But where?" Tenten said curiously, "we don't have a safe house in the area, and they will probably try to track us anyway."

"I do not mean a temporary retreat," he elaborated, "I think we should scrub the mission and return to the village."

"What?" Tenten stammered in shock.

"If we flee before we waste any more energy, we may have a chance to escape. And if we provide her with the intel that the Reaper is working for Gouki, and that the hostages were unharmed, the Hokage may forgive our transgression."

"I thought we were going to wait for Hinata and the others," his lover prompted nervously.

"Hinata, Naruto, and Ino are all in precarious positions," Neji's eyes flickered towards the closed front door, and both women realized he was watching the other battle as well, "And while Choji has broken free, at Hinata's expense, I am unsure he will be able to turn the tide alone. If we act now, we should be able to help them to break free, so that we can all get away from here."

"What about Nyoko?" Tenten demanded, "And the Earth prince?"

"If I believed our deaths would help them, or that there was some other course of action available to us, I wouldn't be suggesting this."

"And you think I will just let you escape?" the Reaper sounded amused as she interjected. In response, Neji turned away from her, and chose a spot in the far wall, between two of the support beams.

"Eight Trigrams Mountain Crusher," he barked, thrusting out his right hand. The column of force broke through the wall, leaving a nearly perfect hole, just over a meter in diameter.

* * *

Both the Leaf ninjas and the Shozokus paused in surprise, as a portion of the east wall of the farmhouse exploded noisily outwards. Hinata tensed, having seen what Neji had said, and she found she was unable to disagree. A moment later, her cousin and his fiancé exited the building, and everyone turned to look.

"Tenten, Hinata," Neji barked without hesitation, "Choji, help Ino. I will assist Naruto. We are leaving."

"Where are Nyoko and the Earth kid?" Naruto demanded, as he caught one of the grey Shozoku's blades, and dodged the other gladius. Choji spun himself into a ball again and rolled towards the renegade healer.

"Still trapped," the Jonin leader answered, "we were not able to get past the Reaper."

He drove his chakra laced finger towards the red Shozoku, who danced away.

"Regroup," Neji ordered tersely. Naruto frowned and complied. Ino slipped past the Shozokus when they scattered to avoid Choji, and she joined Neji and Naruto.

"How are we going to save them?" the blonde kunoichi questioned tersely.

"We are not," Neji explained regretfully, "Our chances of winning this fight are very low, and even if we were to be victorious we would not be in any shape to escort the hostages to safety. So we are evacuating."

The Reaper burst through the front door, as if to prove his point.

"Solo Rising Dragon," Tenten jumped forward, unwinding the scroll from her left hip, and pelting the Shozokus on Hinata's left with her weapons. Most of the renegades suffered only minor hits, but lithe beauty was able to maneuver through the gap her friend created.

"No way," Naruto growled, "We came all this way to rescue them."

"I don't like this either," Tenten agreed as the Leaf ninjas finished regrouping, and the Shozokus shifted their attacks towards the unified teens, "But Neji is right. There's nothing else we can do right now."

"Not to be a downer, but it doesn't look like they're planning to let us get away," Choji pointed out. The Shozokus were moving to cut them off, as directed silently by their leader. The Reaper indicated positions for her men with Gryphon's Claw while observing the injuries of the rescue party.

"Tenten, cover."

At her lover's instruction, the Jonin kunoichi unwrapped a specific section of her right hand scroll, and instead of deadly weapons, hundreds of smoke bombs scattered forth from the parchment. The air between the Leaf warriors and the Shozokus became a solid mass of grey, and when it cleared the teens were gone.

"Captain, lieutenant," the Reaper hissed angrily, before pointing specifically at the healer sergeant and then at three other random blue-garbed soldiers, "and you four; take the royals to the Hidden Grass Village. Gouki is there, checking on Pein, so deliver them to your boss. The rest of you are with me."

Without waiting to see if they complied, the shinobi hunter raced forward, following the teens' nearly invisible trail.

* * *

**Preview:**

[background scene of Naruto and company running through a cornfield towards a forest]

Naruto [mysteriously]: Well, I guess it's time to head home.

Naruto [annoyed]: Except, that crazy witch is following us.

Neji [firmly]: Hinata and Naruto, take care of the Reaper. We will keep her troops off your back.

Naruto [dubious]: Since Nyoko and the Earth prince aren't a factor, does that mean we can cut loose?

Neji [sardonically]: Just so long as you don't hurt the rest of us.

Naruto [happy yet dark]: All right!

Naruto [announcer voice]: Next time on Naruto: A Growing Affection; **Chapter 129: Buying Time**.

Naruto [flatly]: You are already dead.


	129. Buying Time

**Chapter 129: Buying Time**

Naruto's nose twitched, and he inhaled deeply. The breeze at their backs had carried a scent to him, and he frowned as he picked apart the odors.

"They're following us," he growled. The moment he said it, Hinata's eyes flashed briefly silver, and she shook her head.

"They're _gaining_ on us," the pale beauty qualified.

"How?" Ino snapped in annoyance, "All of our intel says that the Shozokus are narrowly focused combat monsters, but that they suck at stealth, tracking, and anything else a ninja is supposed to do."

"The Reaper," Hinata said tersely.

"She did claim to have undergone a special, advanced version of the Shozoku training," Tenten informed her younger comrades.

"I doubt she needed it," Naruto interjected, "Given the number of ninjas she's hunted down and killed, she must have had at least some tracking skills before we ever met her."

Neji recognized that they were neither making the best time, nor doing a good job of concealing their path.

"But if we eliminate the Reaper, we may be able to escape from her men," the male Jonin pondered aloud. Then his expression became resolute, and he started to give orders.

"We will stop to ambush them when we reach those trees," he announced, "Naruto and Hinata will disable or kill the Reaper, while the rest of us keep her troops from interfering."

"Can we assume our _extra_ mission is over, too?" Naruto asked his voice sharp with anticipation. The other ninjas' eyes all focused on their leader as well.

"Yes, I think so," Neji said officiously, but with an undercurrent of smugness.

"I guess it's a good thing I snagged this, then," Choji grinned, holding out a scrap of cloth. It only took them moments to realize it was a pouch off a blue Shozoku's uniform. And when he showed them what was inside, they all joined in his grim mirth.

* * *

The Reaper darted forward, her pace such that the slowest of her men could just barely keep up. She expected they would catch sight of the Leaf ninjas in a matter minutes. Then she noticed an increase in the space between their tracks, indicating they had accelerated again. She expected it was because one of the Hyugas had seen them. She signaled for the Shozokus to hurry up, and sent another burst of chakra into her leg muscles.

"Odama Raiton Rasengan," Naruto and Hinata exclaimed in unison, forming the sphere of turbulent lightning chakra in the eight-foot space between the oaks they had hidden behind, their dark civilian clothing concealing them in the gloom of the overlapping foliage.

The Reaper's eyes widened behind her mask of headbands. She plunged the Gryphon's Claw into the ground and vaulted over the deadly orb. She banished the trident as the apex of her assisted leap, so it would not fall into the Rasengan. She called forth her weapon again as she landed, and turned to face the young couple. Naruto and Hinata had dismissed the energy ball and readied their own weapons to meet her.

"And here I was afraid I wouldn't get to see you two this time," she managed to purr and hiss in the same sentence, "Sergeants, give us a perimeter, but don't interfere unless I give the order."

"What, did you forget about the rest of us?" Ino complained, before intoning, "Shadow Snap Jutsu."

The blonde kunoichi drilled one kunai each into the silhouettes of two of the Shozokus. They looked up at her, the angle of their faces and shoulders suggesting incredulity. They reached into their pockets for flash bombs, but Yamanaka had only wanted to hold them for a few seconds anyway.

"Ninja Art: Mind Destruction Jutsu!" she yelled. Her psychic energy struck the trapped renegades, burrowing into their brains. All memories, all rational thoughts were burned away. Their skills were left mostly intact, and in place of their psyches was branded an almost animalistic notion that Ino was their pack leader.

By the time the blonde Chunin severed the flow of chakra to the blades holding them, her new pets were already straining at their jutsu tethers. As they were freed, each let out a savage growl, drew his blade, and leaped at the nearest threat to his new alpha.

The first attacked Shozoku tried to craft a jutsu to trap her former ally, but she underestimated him. With no self-control or worry for the future, the brain-damaged warrior poured chakra into his legs with reckless abandon, damaging his muscles but tripling his speed for the moment. His sword bit deeply into the faux kunoichi's gut, and he angled his head for her throat, trying to bite her neck, but failing thanks to his mask.

The second betrayed renegade had more distance and less loyalty, he caught the feral rogue's gladius on his own, and then backhanded his opponent in the face. Ino's victim snarled as he scrambled back to his feet, incidentally dropping his weapon. The mentally sound Shozoku swept his blade out, and took off the head of his mindless comrade. A second later, Ino's other target was felled in a crossfire of lightning and water jutsu.

Naruto caught the trident's tines with his staff-blade, and then spun closer, trapping the haft of the polearm between his bicep and his right side. The Reaper started to unleash a jutsu at his exposed back, but was instead forced to surrender her weapon and somersault away, as Hinata interceded, Ginmaki's electric extensions stabbing towards the Reaper's neck and back. As she landed from her retreat, the murderess extended her hand, and Gryphon's Claw reappeared in his palm. She unleashed her half-formed fire art at Naruto, more to keep him off balance than out of any expectation it would work. Uzumaki smashed the gout of flame with Kitsune.

"She really did get better," the blonde Tokujo noted with bland surprise.

"There's no need to be cruel, Naruto," Hinata admonished him.

"What's going on here?" Gouki's general demanded angrily, "Ten minutes ago you were running for your lives!"

Naruto just flashed a smug grin.

"We have Choji and one of your men to thank for that," Hinata offered, but she also had a sly little smirk on her face.

"What does that mean?" the Reaper demanded.

"We noticed some of your men taking food pills, always from the same pouch," Naruto boasted, "And then when Choji used his Human Boulder to break their circle, he also tore that pocket off the uniform of one of the guys he hit. And those ten tablets helped us out quite a bit."

The killer snarled and stabbed out at Uzumaki's face.

"Human Boulder Jutsu!" the object of their discussion practically sang the name of the technique as he rolled forward. His rotation was faster this time, and his structure sturdier, and the first two Shozokus he hit did not bounce off, but were spun under him and crushed.

"Iron Guard," a third sergeant tried to stop Choji as he had seen his comrades do, however this time Akimichi's forward motion was only briefly slowed. Instead, the Shozoku's arms shattered and a moment later he too was flattened by the large Tokujo. The last blue-clad renegade in Choji's path was able to take advantage of the delay his fallen comrade had created and adjusted his tactics. He flung himself out of the path of the Human Boulder, and at the same time threw a kunai sidearm at Ino. The young woman took her eyes off her Mind Destruction victims just long enough to deflect the dagger, and then turned back her attention in time to see the first of the converted Shozokus be beheaded.

"Wind Blade," Naruto focused his energy into Kitsune with the verbal cue, and slashed at the Reaper's weapon, attempting to sever one of the tines. The trident was tougher than he expected and caught the staff-blade instead. Naruto changed tactics and leaned forward, throwing his weight against the locked weapons, trying to push her back. The Reaper forced their weapons down, and when Kitsune's tip hit the ground, she rotated the Gryphon's Claw like a staff, sending the head of the polearm away from Naruto to attempt to smash the back end into his skull or shoulder. Hinata stepped in, and interposed her right arm kote. Naruto placed his free hand to her wrist, and the trident clanged harmlessly off Ginmaki, its momentum unable to overcome the couple's combine strength. The Hyuga heiress slid partially away from her lover, placing her back against the Reaper's and then drove her elbow into the older woman's side. But the layers of pilfered ninja headbands both reduced the physical impact of the blow, and prevented Hinata's Gentle Fist from reaching the intended tenketsu. The murderess jumped away from the couple, leaving her weapon behind, and starting to sign.

"Ninja Art: Negative Chakra Wave," the Reaper hissed, pointing her spread fingers at both Naruto and Hinata.

"Push," they countered in unison. The couple had been expecting the Reaper's preferred attack, though they were moderately surprised by the upgraded version. Their counters each carved a furrow in the arc of inverted energy, protecting them. But the edge of the wave hit Choji, and Ino moved in to guard her paramour as he stumbled from the sudden loss of strength and ki. The five remaining blue Shozokus attempted to take advantage. Unfortunately for them, another of the Leaf warriors had been waiting for them to group themselves.

"Ninja Art: Twin Rising Dragons!" Tenten shouted as she jumped out of her hiding place and rebounded off a tree to gain height. Weapons rained down on the renegades, and only the one Shozoku closest to Tenten's original position was able to escape.

The warrior closest to Ino and Choji was impaled by four kunai and seven shurikens. The blue-clad soldier behind him was only struck by one of each sort of throwing blade, but was also hit in the neck by a sledge hammer, and took a jian to the gut. As he fell, a kukri clipped the side of his head, and the curved blade ripped the cowl off of his face. The next sergeant caught one kama, but the second went into his left eye and he also took her gladius through the heart and a mace to the right knee. The last Shozoku in Tenten's range was hit by two kunai, a longsword, and a quarterstaff, before being nearly bisected by a demon windmill shuriken. The Jonin kunoichi reeled back in her armaments as she landed on a tree branch.

Naruto swung Kitsune horizontally at the Reaper, adding to the reach of the wind projection to counter the length of her trident. The mummified killer responded with a opposing attack, and the spinning blades of her weapon arced towards Uzumaki's back. For a moment, it looked like it would be a mutual homicide. But Hinata appeared next to her beloved, catching the Gryphon's Claw on Ginmaki. The Reaper tried to bowl the pale beauty over with her greater leverage and mass. But the Hyuga scion leaned back into her fiancé, who instantly adjusted his stance to support her. This reduced the force of his attack slightly, but he still cut through her armor, taking advantage of the damage previously inflicted on the trophy headbands. The green ki cut into her flesh, but the Reaper spun away before the wound became vital.

"Die," she hissed, reverting to bad habits in rage and pain. Lightning erupted from each of the three tines of her polearm. Naruto and Hinata pushed off one another, so that the middle strike passed between them, and each blocked one of the outer bolts with their bonded weapons. Each had been crafted to stop weak lightning jutsu from being transmitted to the user. That only infuriated the Reaper further.

"Mire," she incanted again without signing, and the forest floor around Naruto and Hinata started to suck them in. The Reaper fell back, and remembered to sign her next jutsu. But the two warriors had been prepared for her move, and they sent modulated streams of chakra out of their feet, countering the pull of the muck. Naruto began to step forward, but Hinata took the moment to glance around, and she caught his arm.

"Naruto, look," her eyes locked on what her all-around vision had seen, the face of the Shozoku Tenten had accidentally unmasked. His gaze followed hers, and he frowned. He could tell the young man looked familiar but the precise memory escaped him.

"Isn't that the Cloud Genin we fought on the movie set?" she prompted, understanding his expression, "The one who was riding the giant porcupine."

"Yeah, you're right!" he exclaimed in remembrance. Then his brow creased again, and he pondered, "Why is a Cloud ninja dressed like a Shozoku? Did he become a missing-nin and throw in with Gouki-o... kage-sama?"

He nearly referred to Gouki by the familial honorific, but remembered in time to change into a expression of extreme respect for one of the Five Shadows. It was hardly convincing given his normal manners, but no-one besides Hinata seemed to notice.

The last surviving sergeant stumbled away after narrowly avoiding Tenten's onslaught. Thought his face was still hidden, his body language spoke of extreme terror.

"How?" he stammered, "You were all so weak before..."

He took another step, half-turned and froze.

"You? What are you doing here?" his voice reflected dawning understanding. But before he could act on the epiphany, Neji stepped out from behind the tree the sergeant was staring at, and placed his hand against the stunned Shozoku's chest.

"Eight Trigrams, Assassin's Palm," the Jonin intoned sending chakra out the tenketsu in his palm, stabbing repeatedly the Shozoku's heart and the chakra network around it. The Reaper's last soldier gasped once before he collapsed.

"Katon: Cauterizing Restoration Jutsu," the Reaper completed her technique, partially healing the gash Naruto had given her, and burning closed the rest of the injury. As she returned her attention to the teens, she caught up the fallen Shozoku's thought thread.

"What _is_ going on here?" the Reaper demanded, pointed her spear at Naruto again, "You were fleeing in fear a half hour ago, but now..."

"You did give us a chance to recover," Naruto pointed out again.

"You also left your two strongest subordinates and your only medic behind," Hinata added.

"No, there is more to it," she stabbed out in anger, and Uzumaki blocked it easily.

"Hinata, Naruto," Neji called out, "We will go on ahead."

"Don't worry," Uzumaki grinned, "We'll catch up in a few minutes."

The Reaper glared at Naruto, but switched her attention to the other Leaf warriors. She watched in a fury as the six shadows faded amidst the widely spaced trees. Then her rage was replaced briefly by surprise.

"Six of them?" she hissed, before stabbing at Naruto and Hinata randomly, "You two are just Shadow Clones left to delay me."

"Wrong again," the blonde Tokujo growled back, slicing his thumb to release his blood and then incanting, "Summoning Jutsu."

A light orange toad, approximately the same height and twice the width of a warhorse appeared behind Uzumaki. He wore a blue vest and had oddly smooth skin for a member of his clan. The amphibian glanced around warily, before addressing his ally.

"Hey there, Naruto," the toad offered in a high-pitched voice, as Hinata cut through a water jutsu with one half of her kote, and deflected the trident into the ground with her other protected wrist.

"Hay, 'Tatsu," the human male returned the greeting.

"What's goin' on?" Gamatatsu asked, "Isn't that the Reaper lady who tried to kill you and big brother 'Kichi a few years ago?"

"Yup," Naruto agreed easily, blocking a kunai attack to Hinata's left side while his lover pressed Ginmaki down on the older woman's spear, attempting to disarm the trident.

"You need me to help fight her?" the gentle toad asked fearfully.

"No, we can handle it," Naruto answered, "We'll just need someone to carry her."

"Oh, okay then," the younger toad nodded sagely. Then he hopped back to observe from a safer distance.

"Not Shadow Clones?" the Reaper babbled wildly, stabbing and swinging heedlessly. Hinata took a solely defensive position, keeping her at bay while Naruto spoke to 'Tatsu.

"Then what?" the crazed killer spun her trident at the Hyuga heiress's head, but was blocked again by Ginmaki. She continue to push down on Hinata, and then randomly kicked out, score a light hit to the younger woman's ribs despite their awkward positioning. Hinata grimaced slightly, and the Reaper prepared to do it again. Naruto jumped in under the Gryphon's Claw, catching the general's foot, and then slamming his elbow into the seared skin under the gap in her armor. The Reaper coughed harshly, blood wetting her lips and the headband covering them, as something inside her ruptured. She released her polearm and stumbled back.

"Sent Shadow Clones away? But why?" she rambled, starting to sign almost unconsciously, "Wait. Six? He didn't see Neji? What did he see? Could it? Couldn't it? No, no, no, NO, NO!"

She surged to her feet and roared, "KATON: SCORCHED EART..."

"Two palms," Hinata darted past Naruto, and hit one chakra point each in the Reaper's chest and right arm, destroying her jutsu before it could be unleashed.

"Four palms, eight palms, sixteen palms, thirty-two palms," Hinata mercifully ended with the weakened version of the Hyuga's primary art, and the Reaper slumped to her knees.

"How? When? Why?" she demanded weakly. Naruto stepped closer, and she appeared to grasp a few shreds of lucidity. She turned her head up at him, and struggled to find an open path to form a jutsu.

"You want to make this a game, demon-spawn?" she snarled more or less coherently, "Well, I'm not done playing yet."

"Yes," Naruto said almost kindly, "You are."

Kitsune lashed out, its wind extension banished, and clanged loudly against the headbands covering the Reaper's temple. Gouki's general collapsed.

* * *

**Preview:**

[background scene of Naruto and company in the Hokage's office.]

Naruto [relieved]: Vacations are fun, but it is great to be home.

[background scene of Gouki and 'Leader' entering a room with Nyoko and Aren.]

Tsunade [angrily]: What are you so happy about knucklehead? Gouki has the princess.

Naruto [smugly]: But Gramma Tsunade, you haven't seen the souvenirs we brought back yet.

[background scene of an unfamiliar blonde woman, tied upon on Gamatatsu's back.]

Naruto [announcer voice]: Next time on Naruto: A Growing Affection; **Chapter 130: Face to Face**.

Naruto [subtly smug]: I love it when a plan comes together.


	130. Face to Face

**Chapter 130: Face to Face**

Neji's team shuffled into the room in tight formation. As soon as they had been spotted on their way into the village, they had been met by an ANBU squad, who escorted them straight to Ops, and into the Hokage's office. Tsunade was looking out the window, her back to them, and Shizune shut the door tightly behind them.

"I received a report yesterday," she started, and despite her attempts to keep her voice even, hints of rage and disappointment crept in, "Nyoko Honokata-hime and Aren Ishigami-oji have been delivered to the Kusagakure by two high-ranking Shozokus. And less than an hour ago, the Raikage arrived in the Grass Village for a meeting with 'Leader'. Given the circumstances, I'm afraid you six are going to face some stiff penalties, for the sake of the royals and our Village. You'll be lucky if this only costs you your careers..."

"But Gramma Tsunade, you haven't even seen the souvenirs we brought you," Naruto interrupted happily.

The last Sannin turned around to glare at him, and as she did, her eyes widened in surprise.

* * *

Gouki Namikaze and 'Leader' walked into the interior meeting room. Inside, the two kidnapped nobles were seated anxiously. The same red Shozoku and grey Shozoku, who had escorted them to the Kusagakure from the Grass safe-house, each stood in a corner, watching their hostages carefully. The captain and lieutenant also held themselves nervously, and they straightened as the Raikage and Pein joined them.

"Good morning, Nyoko-sama, Aren-sama," despite the honorifics he used, there was something casual in Gouki's voice, as if he were addressing peers or even juniors, "It is good to see you again, though I understand if you do not feel the same."

He observed them carefully, curious what as to how they would react. Each was thoroughly aware of the threats he had offered to their respective fathers. The young man looked down at his feet, obviously frightened, while the Fire princess glared at him defiantly. Gouki frowned, and stared at the Earth Daimyo's heir more closely. Then the Raikage surged forward and grabbed the boy's neck, lifting him out of the chair. He stared into the prince's eyes, and then exhaled angrily. Even as the breath left his nose, he casually tossed the boy into the wall with bone shattering force.

* * *

"What is Gamatatsu doing here?" the Hokage demanded, "Who is that woman? Is she one of the Shozokus?"

The woman in question was bound and gagged, and strapped onto the toad's vest. Even her hands were tied down, so she could not mover her fingers. Lacking rope, the Leaf ninjas had used the steel cable from Tenten's Shuriken String jutsu and strips of cloth from shirts the teens had sacrificed to complete her bindings. She was dressed in one of Hinata's dirty t-shirts and pairs of shorts; Ino and Tenten's apparel had been too tight across the captive's hips and bust, so Naruto's lover was forced to make a sacrifice, though their height difference left the older woman's toned and scarred stomach visible.

Their prisoner had dingy, poorly conditioned, and slightly ragged blonde hair. She possessed a thin, hawkish face. Her bright purple eyes stared at them lividly, promising that if she could have moved, she would have slaughtered them or died in the attempt.

"Kinda," Naruto smirked as he answered noncommittally, "It would probably be easy to just show you, Gramma Tsunade."

The blonde Tokujo reached into his backpack, and with a cacophony of clanking metal, extracted what appeared to be a shirt made out of ninja headbands.

"That's..." the Hokage's eyes widened further, and Neji concluded her thought.

"Our first prisoner of war, and Gouki Namikaze's newest private general," the mission leader explained, "The so-called Reaper of Ninja."

"That's..." Tsunade slumped slightly and shook her head, "That's commendable, but it's not enough to get you off the hook."

"What about us?" a sharp voice prompted from the midst of the closely packed ninja teens, "Are we going to be enough?"

Nyoko Honokata, though initially amused by the over-protection and the deception it engendered, had grown tired of waiting, and she elbowed her way out from amidst her friends, dragging her younger peer with her.

"Alright," the Hokage growled angrily, "Start talking."

* * *

The moment he hit the reinforced wall, the 'Earth prince' exploded into a cloud of chakra smoke. Gouki turned his attention back to 'Nyoko', chuckling slightly.

"As I might have expected, your impersonation of Nyoko-sama is flawless," the former Leaf ninja nodded and smiled, "Naruto Uzumaki-kun."

"What gave me away?" in another puff, the princess vanished and was replaced by the number one knucklehead.

"Initially? You weren't frightened enough," Gouki answered cordially, "That poor child was so afraid of me, he would literally start shaking at the sound of my voice. And on closer examination, the granite pattern in his hair wasn't quite right, and that other clone was about a centimeter too tall. You are a Shadow Clone as well, are you not?"

"Yup."

"That is quite impressive, maintaining a clone for... what is it now? Thirty-four hours?"

"Just about," the copy Uzumaki confirmed, "But the real Naruto has been taking food pills and splitting off other clones, so when they cancel themselves, the two of us got a recharge."

"Still, that is a clever usage of the Shadow Clone technique," Namikaze congratulated the younger shinobi, "But I wonder why you went to all the trouble?"

"Neji thought if your people thought they still had Nyoko and the Earth prince, they wouldn't follow us," Naruto answered, and the grinned as he continued, "I guess he wasn't counting on the Reaper."

Then Uzumaki's expression hardened, "And I agreed because I wanted to meet the man who was brother to one Hokage and student to another, but still chose to betray the Leaf Village."

"And, what do you think?" the Raikage smiled in genuine amusement.

"Well, you aren't creepy or sinister like Orochimaru," Naruto mused, sounding almost confused, "And you're not like Madara either. But I think you might be more dangerous, because you seem like a nice, reasonable guy."

"That sounds like what Sarutobi-sensei told me," Gouki chuckled, "when he offered me the position of Hokage."

"Then why are you doing this?"

Gouki Namikaze regarded Naruto for a moment, pursing his lips and tilting his brow in thoughtful confusion. Then he shook his head 'no'.

"I could try to explain it to you," the renegade said, "But I think you are too much like Yukihana to ever understand my point of view."

He spread his hands apologetically, and asked the younger man, "Is there anything else you wanted to know? About me, personally, that is."

"I guess not," Naruto grunted, "I suppose it would be too much to expect you to tell me anything too useful."

"I may be a reasonable man," Gouki agreed, "But I am no fool. Your presence here means I will be clashing with the Hidden Leaf Village soon enough, and I see no reason to offer Tsunade-sensei any more ammunition. May I ask you a question instead?"

"I suppose," Naruto said nervously.

"What do you think of my brother?" Gouki asked openly, "What is your opinion of the man who made you into a Jinchuriki?"

"I used to be really confused," Naruto answered honestly, while tucking away that one important fact, "I idolized the guy, but I also kinda hated him for what he did to me."

"'Used to'?" the elder Namikaze prompted, "But not anymore?"

"No," Naruto confirmed, "I've had it beaten into me that sometimes a leader has to make impossible choices. And I also learned my life isn't that bad at all. In fact, it could have been a lot worse."

The renegade leader nodded.

"You might also be more dangerous than I initially suspected, Naruto Uzumaki," Gouki stated, but without Naruto's worry at the admission. The two men observed each other for a moment, and then Uzumaki clapped his hands together. Pein and the Shozokus tensed for an attack, but Naruto just grinned.

"Release."

The duplicate vanished, and Gouki chuckled at his subordinates.

"You knew he wouldn't attack?" 'Leader' asked dubiously.

"His manners and speech might be rough, but he has a strong sense of right and wrong," Namikaze confirmed, "Ending a polite conversation with an assassination attempt would have been bad form, especially when he knew he did not stand a chance four on one."

The Raikage's brow creased in thought, "But now that I see him up close, I wonder who his mysterious father is. His coloring could be from the Yamanaka clan, but somehow he reminds me of Minato. Could my brother and Yukihana have kept something like this secret from me?"

Pein recognized a rhetorical question, and Gouki shook his head to clear away the musings, "I'm not sure that that matters at this moment. But rather, I think we need to figure out what to do with you two..."

His eyes seemed to darken as he turned to face the red and grey Shozokus.

* * *

"Okay, let's go over this one more time, to make sure I understand it all," the Hokage glared at them in wonder after the younger ninjas finished explaining.

"First, you sent in Ino and Choji," the Sannin medic indicated the first couple, "to pretend to try to sneak in, so they could draw some of the guards outside and try to see if there was anything your Byakugans missed. They were supposed to stall for fifteen to twenty minutes, and then 'accidentally' blow their cover."

"Expect this lunkhead almost gave us away too early," Ino affectionately punched her lover in the arm.

"After that, Naruto's Blood Clone and Hinata's Shadow Clone joined them to engage the Shozokus," Tsunade continued, "They were intentionally drawing out the fight, both as a distraction, and to get more information on the Shozokus' combat abilities."

"That was the most dangerous part of my plan," Neji conceded, "If Hinata's clone had been hit, or if either of the duplicates had run out of chakra, the guards could have figured out what we were planning."

"But my clone did let them tag him a couple of times, to help sell it," Naruto boasted.

"And they lied about you and Tenten, while the two of you snuck in to deal with the remaining guards," the Hokage continued, "Your job was to get them away from Nyoko-hime and Aren-oji, so the real Naruto and Hinata could rescue them and Naruto could replace them with his transformed Shadow Clones."

"Well, we were going to just take out the guards to clear a path for Naruto," Tenten explained somewhat defensively, "but when we realized it wasn't going to be that simple with the Reaper there... She even broke my xiphos. So we went with plan B instead."

"And you believed that if they thought you had failed to rescue the hostages, they would not pursue you," Tsunade concluded.

"We expected some pursuit," Neji countered, "but I thought it would be more a perfunctory action, not a full mobilization. In the end, that did work, if not so well as I hoped. The Reaper did follow us, but she did not call for reinforcements."

"Still, it seems unnecessarily complex," the Sannin pointed out, "Pretending to try to talk your way in, only to pretend to fight your way in, only to have two different groups sneak in, one of them another distraction."

"It was a complicated plan," the team leader agreed, "But I also thought it offered the greatest chance to rescue the prisoners without putting them at risk. I calculated that by the time they encountered Tenten and myself, the last two they had not seen, they would believe we had run out of gambits. The six of us would have been hard pressed to defend both Nyoko-hime and Aren-oji if every Shozoku in the Grass had been hunting us. Better to trick them than to fight them."

"There you go, gramma Tsunade," Naruto grinned triumphantly, "We not only rescued Nyoko and Aren... sama, but we found out all about how the mid-level Shozokus fight, what kind of ninjutsu and taijutsu they use, and how good they are with their gladii. And on top of all that, we caught one of Gouki's generals."

Tsunade's frown forced Uzumaki to add an honorific to the name of the Earth Daimyo's son, and after that she settled down, nodding. She signed briefly, and pressed the call button on her intercom.

"Shizune," the Hokage summoned her assistant, and the younger medic hurried into the unsealed office.

"Get Ibiki Morino," the last Sannin instructed, "We have a new prisoner for him to talk to. And prepare a dispatch to the Village Hidden in the Stones."

Shizune nodded, and vanished from the room.

"You all have done very well," the Hokage congratulated them, "I want you to stay here until Ibiki arrives to collect the Reaper. After that, escort our guests to the Octagon Shuriken. I will arrange for the eight of you to stay in one of their suites. I want you to continue to guard Nyoko-hime and Aren-oji until preparations are made to return them to their parents."

All of the shinobi nodded, and both of the royals looked happy, Aren for the continued protection, and Nyoko for the chance to send more time with her friends.

* * *

"You have failed me," Gouki informed the Shozokus sadly. The red-clad soldier tensed visibly, while the grey-clothed captain exhaled in defeat and nodded.

"Do you wish us to commit seppuku," the ranking Shozoku asked evenly, "or will you claim the honor of our deaths yourself, Gouki-sama?"

Namikaze's eyes widened in surprise, and then narrowed in annoyance. He studied them carefully for any hint of mockery, but all he could read from their stances was fear and resignation. His glare softened.

"What do you think I am, some sort of B-movie villain?" he asked, disappointed.

"You did say 'you failed me'," Pein offered, with a hint of amusement. Gouki could not suppress a chuckle, and inclined his head in acceptance. Then he sobered again, and faced his anonymous underlings.

"That can't be the only reason you expect lethal punishment," the Raikage prompted them. The two warriors remained stock still, and said nothing.

"Explain," Gouki ordered forcefully, and both started talking at once.

"Stop," Namikaze raised his voice over theirs, and after they shut up, he instructed, "Captain, tell me what would make you think I would demand your deaths."

"Madara Uchiha," the grey Shozoku answered. Though she was not present, both Gouki and Pein could all but hear Konan interject, 'A B-movie villain if there ever was one.'

"I understand that was how Madara treated the lower echelon members of the Akatsuki," Namikaze frowned, "But that is no reason to expect that foolish behavior from me."

Again, the Raikage watched as they fidgeted without refuting or affirming his statement, and he asked darkly, "Am I to infer from your silence that Madara's murderous leadership has not ended?"

"It has not," the red Shozoku said bravely, "Uchiha-sama has been known to execute our comrades who have failed their duties."

The grey Shozoku could not repress a derisive snort, and Gouki's wrathful glare turned on the captain.

"What does that mean?" Namikaze asked in clipped tones.

"It means Madara-sama has occasionally killed Shozokus who technically succeeded, but did not live up to his expectations."

Gouki snarled under his breath, and both Shozokus took a step back. The Raikage forced his anger back down, and addressed them regretfully.

"Pein and I will be having a discussion with Madara," he informed them firmly, "but you have my word that none of my followers will be killed for failing a mission, unless it is the result of a willful betray. Follow the strictures, try your best, and you will not be subjected to capitol punishment. Alright?"

Both nodded thankfully.

"Good. Please spread the word to your comrades," he requested, "If Madara, or any of my generals or even a higher ranking Shozoku attempts to execute them improperly, they have orders from me to fight back or escape."

"Thank you, Gouki-sama," the red Shozoku sighed in relief.

"Now, for your punishment," Gouki continued, "I am thinking you will each be docked two weeks' pay, and spend two weeks working with the tan Shozokus."

They bobbed their heads, happy to receive the minor censure in place of what they had been expecting.

* * *

Over the next three days, all missions in the Village Hidden in the Leaves were suspended. And every Konoha shinobi who returned from a job was instructed to remain in town and on high alert. But whatever reprisal the Hokage was suspecting never materialized, and at the midpoint of the fourth day, a different sort of invasion reached the ninja stronghold.

Thirty-six foreign ninjas entered the Konohagakure; five four-man teams from the Village Hidden in the Stone, and four identically configured teams from the Village Hidden in the Sand. The Leaf ninjas carefully confirmed the identities of the three dozen shinobi, before allowing them inside the walls. They were met by the Hokage and six squads of Chunin or higher ranked Leaf soldiers. Tsunade stepped forward to greet the leader of the escort battalion.

"Welcome to the Hidden Leaf Village, Mitsuru," the Sannin offered her hand to the Tsuchikage, who shook it gravely.

"Thank you, Tsunade," the weathered woman said. Then she shook her head, "I have plotted many ways I might enter this village, but never anything like this."

"I see Gaara provided you with an escort," Tsunade commented, leading her fellow leader towards the Leaf Operations Center.

"Yes. He knew I wanted to provide a suitable protection detail, without stripping my resources along the Grass and Rain borders bare. Of course, he also wanted to make sure I was not tempted to stray while in the Land of Air. And, I suspect, he also hoped the presence of the Sand Ninjas would prevent you and I from brawling as soon as I arrived."

Tsunade nodded with a slight grin, knowing the last was thin joke. Despite any lingering enmity between the Stone and the Leaf, both the current state of affairs and the presence of the Earth prince would prevent the erstwhile alliance from breaking down. But even with that, as the three sets of ninjas walked through the streets, they naturally fell into formation, with the Sand ninjas standing between their Stone and Leaf counterparts.

"How is Aren-sama?" the Tsuchikage asked carefully as they moved through the deliberately emptied boulevard.

"We have given both royals every test we can think of," the Hokage answered, "They were not poisoned or drugged. They do not have any sort of implants. They have not had any fuinjutsu placed on them. Nyoko-hime's free will and psychological profile are unchanged, so she was not subject to any brainwashing. We do not have the information to confirm that with your prince, but from what we can tell, he has not been tampered with either. Other than some natural mental trauma, both appear fine. I suspect Gouki was true to his word."

Mitsuru nodded, but said, "No disrespect to your people, but we have our own tests we would like to run."

"I would expect nothing less," Tsunade agreed, "In fact, I would request that your people check out Nyoko-hime as well. That is, if you don't mind myself or my assistant observing. You understand, only to assuage my Daimyo's fears."

"I believe something can be arranged," the Stone leader's face creased with a slight grin. Then she added more seriously, "We owe you and your people a great debt, Tsunade. Both for rescuing Aren-oji, and for freeing us to act."

"What do you intend to do next?" the Hokage prompted.

"Once we have returned home, I will call for another meeting of the Conclave of Shadows," the Tsuchikage stated firmly, "I intend to call for another vote on Yasuo's proposal that Gouki be removed as Raikage."

"It sounds like the Fourth Great Ninja Wars is about to begin."

* * *

"The Earth and Fire countries are no longer restrained, Gouki-sensei," Pein's 'Leader' body reminded his master, "Should we withdraw our troops attacking the Sound Village and the Snow countries, and strengthen out own defenses instead?"

"No," the Raikage said confidently, "We need to accelerate our plans. If we can complete of conquest of the Rain, Mines, and Sound villages before the others get organized, we can begin converting the survivors of those villages and arrange a strong defensive line right into the heart of our opponents..."

"Then we should at least retreat from the Snow," Nagato's proxy reiterated, "We can send those to brigades to the Land of Rice Patties..."

"Daimyo Koyuki has strong ties with the Mist and especially the Leaf," Gouki countered, "If we do not at least keep the Snow Village tied up on defense, we might end up with a fifth powerful opponent."

"Don't worry, Nagato," the surviving Namikaze grinned expansively, "We can maintain our advantage, so long as we don't lose momentum."

* * *

**Preview:**

[background scene of the four allied Kages in Gaara's office]

Naruto [upbeat]: Finally! Time to make my uncle pay for kidnapping Nyoko.

[background scene of Team Kakashi and Team Yugao preparing to ambush Shozokus]

Tsunade [somewhat embarrassed]: Oh, and all that world conquest stuff, too.

[background scene of of Shozoku attacking a city that still has some unmelted snow]

Naruto [surprised]: What do you mean it won't be that easy?

[background scene of Stone ninjas getting attacked by unseen opponents.]

Naruto [announcer voice]: Next time on Naruto: A Growing Affection; **Chapter 131: Echos of Approaching War**.

Naruto [deep voice]: Leaf Ninjas, transform and roll out!


	131. The Approaching Echos of War

**Chapter 131: Echoes of Approaching War**

"I am _not_ happy about this," Tsunade glared out the window at the stark landscape of the Hidden Sand village.

"There is nothing we can do about it," Yasuo tried to mediate, "We could have expected the Claws and Star villages to opt out for now."

"That's not what I meant," the Sannin denied, though she still sounded disappointed, "Given Gouki's actions so far, it's hardly surprising the smaller villages are laying low if it keeps them out of his line of sight."

She slammed her hand down on the map, and explained, "I'm talking about this! The Leaf village should also be sending aid to the Land of Snow, not focusing all our troops on the Land of Rice Patties. Especially if the Sand Village is also going to assist the Sound Village. The Leaf Village should split our troops for both of our besieged allies."

"That would leave you short on defensive teams," Gaara pointed out.

"The Rice Patties country is critical," Mitsuru explained more thoroughly, "Because the Hidden Sound Village is small, and even now is still recovering from the civil war, Gouki has been able to sneak supplies and troops to the Waterfall and Grass under their noses. If he takes control of that country, it will be that much harder to stop him. And on the other hand, if we reinforce them, we can cut off his support of the nations he has already taken, and his efforts to conquer the Rain country. Which will help my people in our efforts to reinforce the Hidden Rain Village."

Tsunade nodded unhappily. It galled her to leave the fate of the second strongest ally of the Land of Fire in the hands of another village, she also knew they had to consider the broader picture if they were going to win the war.

"Have you learned anything from the Reaper yet?" the Mizukage shifted the topic.

"No," the Hokage shook her head in disgust. The others frowned at her reaction, and the Kazekage asked what the others were thinking.

"Why do you say it like that?"

"Because someone did some pretty crude tampering with her mind to _try_ to make her sane," the medic explained angrily, "Some sort of drugs to alter her brain chemistry and some powerful, probably illegal, genjutsu to reshape certain aspects of her personality."

"Losing to Naruto and Hinata seems to have partially undone whatever they did to her," Tsunade continued regretfully, "to the point where she almost seems to have dissociative identity disorder. She keeps flipping back and forth between Gouki's rational and lucid general, and the raving ninja hater. Unfortunately, that has made it much harder for our interrogators to make any headway with her. Of course, we don't even know if she knows anything useful."

"Is there anything we can do to help?" Yasuo offered.

"Not really," the young-seeming woman shrugged, "not unless you have any new breakthroughs on treating paranoid schizophrenia or dissociative identity disorder."

"I believe the proscribed treatment for both of those conditions is a battle to the death with Naruto Uzumaki," Gaara stated with only a hint of ironic sarcasm. The other three leaders all chuckled appreciatively.

"Yeah, well, she's had that treatment a few times now," Tsunade shrugged, "and she seems to have a natural resistance. We'll just have to keep working on her with traditional methods."

"If there is nothing else, I believe we should adjourn to our respective homes to prepare our assault forces," Mitsuru rumbled after their brief moment of mirth faded. The others nodded and gathered their materials off the table.

* * *

Konan padded silently into their shared room, hoping Nagato was already asleep. Not because she did not want to see him, but because she knew he needed the rest. But he was not in their bed. Instead he sat at the table in the center of the room, his eyes closed and his elbows were on the table, both hands propping up his chin. That position seemed to accentuate the three bars of black metal piercing each of his forearms, the six pieces of galvanized chakra each represented one of the Paths of Pein.

As the sliver of light cut through the darkness, his eyes flashed open, their Rinnegan glowing in the shaded room. Chagrined, she quickly shut the door.

"I'm sorry, Nagato," she whispered, "I did not intend to bother you."

"You could never bother me, love," he smiled tiredly at her, and extended his left hand towards her. Konan tiptoed over and sat opposite him, carefully lacing her fingers with his. Her heart ached looking at him. In the dim illumination he looked almost like a skeleton. There was no meat, no weight to him. He looked like his pale skin and the oddly accentuated sinew underneath were all that held him together. Every time she touched him, she was afraid she would break him. It had been months since they had had a proper hug, more or less...

"Konan?" his more insistent prompting broke through her thoughts.

"Sorry," she smiled at him at him, and despite her best efforts, there was something wistful to the tilt of her lips, "What were you saying?"

"I was telling you what has occurred in the Hidden Grass and Hidden Rain villages," he said, frowning at her in concern, "Is everything alright?"

She almost laughed at the irony of his question, but she kept her composure, and just sighed instead.

"I just have a lot on my mind," she offered vaguely, "Sorry."

"I'm sure," he nodded understandingly, "trying to reign in Madara, controlling the Cloud ninjas in Gouki-sensei's absence, testing the new Shozokus, and directing the attack on the Land of Snow... It is unfortunate that all of the grey Shozokus are in the field. Hopefully we can find a few more captains, so you can offload some of those responsibilities."

"What about you?" she countered, a sliver of concern leaking out, "Your Animal path does just as much in the Cloud Village as I do, plus you have to run the Grass village, and you are commanding the attacks on the Rain, Sound, and Mines villages. You have more to worry about than I do."

"But I have my six paths, so I don't have the same level of mental strain as a normal person," he told her kindly. She sighed sadly, but she nodded. Then she half stood, leaned over the table, and kissed him tenderly.

"That may be," she forced herself to agree diplomatically, "But even you have limits. So if you need a rest, or if there is any other way I can help you, tell me. I am your partner."

"I will," he said sincerely.

* * *

The primary outpost of the Village Hidden in the Sound was a valley surrounded by the treacherous mountains that rose amidst the fertile fields that give the Land of Rice Patties its name. There were three ways to reach the ninja town without battling the snow-covered and wind-battered peaks, but only one was commonly used.

On the western side of the mountains there was a series of caves, and two sets of unconnected tunnels lead into the caldera. The larger of the two was the primary entrance into the Hidden Sound Village, and could fit three people at its smallest point. But it was also a maze, filled with natural yang chakra. It suppressed all light and vision; torches, lights, and illuminating jutsu cast a much smaller glow, and consumed their respective fuels much faster. The only safe way to navigate it was with a series of special tuning forks all Sound ninjas carried.

The other cavern was further north, and more difficult to find on both ends. In the past it had served as Orochimaru's private entrance. A few months after Kabuto's flight, scraps of information lead the True Sound warriors to the hidden tunnel. Like the primary caves, the second path was a labyrinth, but it was also far narrower, with many sections of tunnel only a person with an average or slender build could slip through.

The final entrance was a pass through the eastern side of the mountains, though calling it a pass was generous at best. Most of the year it was partially blocked by snow. The snow made the already unstable cliffs more slippery, and covered many random drop offs. Even in late August and early September, when the blanket of white finally melted, the path was only wide enough for two people in many places, and the treacherous terrain remained it difficult to bypass.

The Shozokus invading the Hidden Sound used all three of the entrances. They had multiple tan warriors camped out in the caves, using high-powered portable searchlights to overcome the gloom and guide their comrades. And the higher ranked Shozokus who used the tunnels dropped off extra batteries with the guides, to keep the route through the cavern lit. And above ground, the mountain pass had been cleared and stabilized by red and blue Shozokus using repeated and reinforced Earth and Fire release arts. So while they could not move in en masse, Gouki's forces trapped the ninja university in between two slowly growing attack fronts. So far the Sound Village had held on, but the Shozokus were appearing faster than the real ninjas could remove them.

Along the southern side of the mountain, the invaders established a set of seven camps. They held reinforcements and medical units for the invaders, and also acted as way-points for the troops and supplies moving through the Land of Rice Patties to the other countries Gouki had attacked.

As the allies of the Sound moved into the besieged nation, they targeted those camps first. Counting from the east, the Leaf ninjas prepared to attack the second and fourth camps while the Sand shinobi targeted the sixth camp. They chose this tactic to isolate the four remaining temporary bases, so they could not easily consolidate their forces and mount a strong counterattack.

The central Shozoku station was the mission of the smaller of the Leaf strike forces, currently less than one fifth the size of the other team. Though that was certain to change once the signal to attack was given.

Naruto Uzumaki crouched, his legs aching to spring forward. His fingers were already crossed in front of his chest, chakra flowing into them. Next to him on the front line was Akamaru, with Kiba Inuzuka on the far side of the giant dog. And both the ninja hound and his human were similarly tense. Approximately one dozen paces behind them and more widely spread apart, Hinata Hyuga, Sasame Fuma, and Shino Aburame formed the second line. And slightly further back waited Sakura Haruno and Yugao Uzuki. The elder Jonin was their mission leader, and she waited for the signal. And the master medic had her bow drawn and was using a genjutsu to lengthen her field of vision.

The enemy camp was held over thirty of Gouki's troops, mostly green Shozokus, but with a few of the weaker tans and stronger blues were mixed in the group. And a single red-clad lieutenant ran the camp, directing his subordinates without knowing what awaited him. Their tents were pitched against the base of a high, sharp, and concave cliff face, giving them a one hundred twenty degree arc of protection.

Yugao's cellular, currently in comm mode, beeped a certain complex pattern, and the former ANBU agent signaled Sakura even as she pocketed her phone and began to sign.

The first arrow struck the renegade leader in the throat and passed through so quickly and cleanly that it made almost no noise, and the lieutenant did not notice his own death. The projectile continued through the taller brown-clad solider behind its main target, perforating the private's right lung. Finally, the shaft buried itself in the rock up to its fletching, the clang of steel on granite attracting the attention of those nearby. Before the red Shozoku even started to slump, a second missile hit his heart and again pierced both him and the tan Shozoku behind him, this time striking the junior warrior's stomach and spine. As the second arrow hit the wall, Yugao's genjutsu took hold of them. The Shozokus heard and saw the cliff splinter, and start to collapse towards them. They broke ranks as they attempted to avoid the illusionary falling rocks. Sakura's attack acted as a signal to her friends, and Naruto and Kiba each released the jutsu he had been holding ready.

"Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

"Paired Transformation, Canine Sapiens Jutsu!"

* * *

"How long do they intend to keep this up?" one of the assembled Shozoku lieutenants complained, staring out of the tent at the snowstorm. Gouki's troops were protected from the blizzard by a series of linked domes of wind and fire chakra. The overlapping hemispheres were being maintained by the blue and green-clad warriors. They not only kept out the cold, but washed away the melted water crystals, forming a small stream behind their encampment. Normally at this time of year the weather in the northern country was more mild, especially now that the reflectors the previous Daimyo had helped design and build moderated the frigid winds rushing down from the uninhabitable regions closer to the pole. But the Snow ninjas were using a massive co-operative ninjutsu to trap the Shozokus, forcing the invaders to use their own techniques to stay alive.

"It doesn't matter," one of the two grey masked captains countered, "Once Konan-dono returns with the third brigade, we will be able to blast through this annoyance and capture the capitol of this gods forsaken country."

The other captain just rolled her eyes, though her allies could not see it. This was the same conversation they had had the previous day. Even though the Shozokus had the numerical advantage, the Snow ninjas were stronger on average, this was their territory, and they were fighting fiercely to defend it. The junior grey Shozoku doubted it would be as easy as her fellow officers expected, even with the general and additional warriors.

'This isn't just a stall,' she thought to herself, and not for the first time, 'The Snow ninjas must be planning something.'

But her comrades did not agree with her, and the other captain had seniority, so unlike the previous day, she kept her opinions to herself. And even though the others had dismissed her fears, she had sent five greens in to the storm. Three had not returned, and the two who did had been severely frostbitten and had been unable to find the boundaries of the weather altering jutsu.

"For now just have your teams continue to keep the domes up," the male captain ordered, "Switch out every hour to avoid exhaustion, and keep an eye out for anything fishy."

He inclined his head towards her slightly, as if he had heard her thoughts, and she nodded in thanks. But as the reds started to disperse, two blue Shozokus ran into the tent.

"Captains," the lead sergeant shouted without prologue, "the storm is thinning!"

"They must have realized they can't hold out like this," one of the lieutenants smirked.

"Maybe they ran out of chakra," another suggested.

"Or they have finished whatever they were preparing," the female leader could not hold her opinion, "Or this is a trap to lure us out before they start up the blizzard again."

"Let's go find out," the ranking captain stated neutrally. As they exited the tent, the difference was immediate. The sun was shimmering overhead, and the wall of the city was fading into view through the thinning snow.

"Do we attack?" one of the more conservative red Shozokus asked.

"No," the female brigade leader's eyes widened under her cowl. At first she had thought the Snow Village's barricade was closer than she had remembered. Then she noticed it was white rather than grey. A second later she realized she was looking at a fifteen foot wide mass of ice and snow built up between the village and the invaders.

"Are they trying to invite us in?" the arrogant red Shozoku chuckled, "we can just melt stairs into the snow and walk over their defenses.

"Idiot," the female captain snarled as she turned around. Her eyes tracked the rivulet of runoff they had created, to the point where a wall of ice had been crafted from the liquid, twice as high as the wall of the fortress they were attacking and at least as thick. And on top of the improvised barrier there were people. Her eyes narrowed as the lieutenants gasped and swore around her. She could barely make out Hidden Mist headbands on the newcomers, and estimated there were at least eighty of them, more then enough to shift the advantage of numbers away from Gouki's men. She was already signing as she heard the rumbling from the direction of the city.

"Ninja Art: Frog Legs Jutsu," she intoned, shooting almost seventy feet straight up. She sailed above the oncoming the avalanche and noticed both red and blue Shozokus signing desperately. She flattened her body to slow her fall, as the rolling snow hit the ice stop and began to settle. She rolled as she hit the new 'ground', her uniform covered by the flakes, but her chakra keeping her from sinking. Around her, a few dozen other Shozokus dropped out of the sky, mostly from her unit. And moments later, another thirty or so warrior burrowed their way free. In the end, just over a quarter of the original besieging army escaped the avalanche, though the captain suspected there might still be some others alive but without the jutsu to free themselves. Before she could act to test her theory, the Mist and Snow ninjas converged on the survivors with matching roars.

* * *

"Well?" Kiba demanded.

"I had two kills," Hinata answered, recalling her former teammate's predilection.

"As did I," Sasame noted, also having learned of Inuzuka's desire to keep score.

"Only one reached me," Shino said flatly, not caring for the ritual, but also not considering it worth the hassle to deny the dog trainer.

"I had the first two kills," Sakura shrugged, "but none of the others got past the second line."

"I took out thirteen of them," Naruto tabulated from his clones' memories.

"Ha," Kiba barked smugly, "Akamaru and I had seventeen."

Naruto dropped his head in defeat, but as turned away, he grinned slightly. Hinata sidled up next to him, and laced her arm with his.

"That was kind of you to do," she whispered to him proudly.

"What?" Uzumaki countered with false humility.

"I know you let Kiba win," she said softly, "And that you let those other four slip past you so he wouldn't be upset about letting the first one get past him."

"Well, I didn't just do that for him," Naruto scratched him cheek in chagrin, "I also didn't want you, Sasame, and Shino to feel left out."

"And that is part of why I love you so much," she informed him, before kissing him quickly on the cheek.

"I love you, too..." the rest of his reply was cut off, when Yugao's portable crackled to life.

"This is Team Shuriken," Shikamaru's voice emerged, and his tone was unnaturally urgent, "We hit position two, but we have a problem. They had about twenty extra men, including one with orange hair and the Rinnegan. Pein already took down Aoba and Raido. Raido is stable, but Shizune isn't sure she can save Aoba. Choji, Choza, and Hana are holding him off, and Anko-sensei and the others are dealing with the Shozokus. But if they can't beat him, we might be..."

Naruto's eyes locked intently on Yugao's face as the transmission cut off.

"Go," she nodded. Uzumaki darted away in a flash of golden fur, and before he was out of her range, Hinata saw him palming a pair of food pills.

* * *

The small army of Stone shinobi slowly approached the Rain village. There were no signs of any invaders, Shozoku or otherwise, although the moderate drizzle that was assaulting them could have cleared away some slight level of evidence, like the footprints they would have expected another ninja to leave.

The water aligned city looked peaceful, though the river beside it did not. The Rain Village had two natural barriers protecting it; the high plateau to the south was the lesser of the two. The modern village was bounded on the east by the most dangerous waterway on the continent. It was wide, yet also deep, and the near constant rain and the elevated ground from which it originated generated a high speed currently rife with turbulent rapids. Even the most skilled of shinobi could barely stand on its surface, walking more than a few steps was effectively impossible. The river flowed briefly past the village, and the curved back to west, providing only a small strip of land between it and the north side of the town.

In addition to the defenses provided by the terrain, the Amegakure was surrounded by a huge iron wall, taller and thicker than any other man-made barrier on the continent. The Land of Earth ninjas could see the tips of many smokestacks of the industrialized town over the reinforced metal.

As they moved closer, the Tsuchikage's men were gripped by a feeling that something was off. Not only were the enemies they had been sent to fight missing, there were absolutely no signs of battle, nor was there any sort of reaction from the village. Even those who had not attended a Chunin Exam at the Rain Village had heard stories of the almost paranoid manner with which the mid-tier shinobi outpost treated its guests. That they had not been acknowledged spoke louder than the absence of Shozokus.

The field commander of the Stone ninjas ordered his men to fall back, and asked his second to contact the Tsuchikage and keep her informed. After that, the middle-aged Jonin approached the city cautiously. He padded forward gingerly, his hands and fingers spread apart in a universal gesture of non-aggression.

Suddenly there was a loud humming sound, as if someone had plucked the string on a giant guitar. The sound echoed over them again as it was joined by a loud whistling. A giant boulder, almost four times his volume and ten times his mass, landed just two feet to the right of the Stone Jonin. The second projectile landed an equal distance off his left.

"You are not welcome here, Stone ninjas," a voice announced, "Turn back now, and we will let you leave in peace."

"We are here to provide assistance in your battle with the followers of the renegade Raikage, Gouki Namikaze," the Rock country shinobi did not flinch, but his eyes searched the wall for the speaker.

"Then you have come here under false pretenses," the Rain spokesman countered, "Gouki Namikaze is the rightful Raikage, and the Land of Rain has recently, willingly, joined him in his pursuit of a better world."

Finally the Stone ninja's verbal opponent stepped forward. He was tall, slender, with bright orange hair and blue ringed eyes. On his brow was a Hidden Rain headband with a furrow carved messily through the insignia.

"Pein," the elder Jonin rumbled, "What right do you have to speak for the Hidden Rain?"

"As the one who killed Hanzo, the right to lead the Rain has been mine for some time now," the Deva path answered, "Though I have just recently claimed it. The Rain ninjas follow me, and as I'm sure you know, I follow Gouki-sama. Now I ask you again, please leave before the situation escalates."

The Land of Earth warrior backed away cautiously with a frown, and once he reached a safe distance, he turned around and strode hastily towards his comrades, drawing out his phone as he went.

"Put me through to the Tsuchikage," he instructed before the operator could even offer him a greeting.

* * *

"Shikamaru, what's going on," Naruto growled slightly as he ended his flash step next to his genius friend. If the Nara Chunin was surprised by Uzumaki's sudden appearance or his Ascendant Fox form, he did not let on.

"We finished mopping up the Shozokus," the shadow user reported, "But there were more reds and greys then we expected, so it took a little while and we have some casualties. Ino and Shizune are patching up the survivors now..."

"That's not why I'm here," the blonde youth interrupted impatiently.

"I figured," the other man shrugged, "Pein managed to break Choji's arm and Hana brought him back. Ino's dad and Anko-sensei took their places. He seems to be like the one the Takamichi twins killed, except this time he's more wary of poisons, and he hasn't been letting Anko-sensei get close. They've drifted into the forest to the north. Choza-san ordered everyone else to stay back, until they can figure out a way to deal with the guy."

Naruto nodded, and grinned darkly, stating, "I guess it's a good thing I'm under Yugao's command instead of Choza's."

Shikamaru chuckled briefly and nodded his understanding.

The vulpine Tokujo sampled the air, and then disappeared again. He landed in a tree and continued forward on foot, taking another pill to restore his rapidly depleting chakra. It took him only seconds to reach them, just in time to see Pein stop Choza's massive fist like it was nothing and backhand Anko towards a tree.

Naruto appeared in between his staff-blade teacher and a broken spine, catching her gently, and supporting her as they both dropped to the grass.

"You okay, Anko-sensei?" Naruto asked, managing to sound concerned despite the natural growl his altered form instilled in his voice.

"I'll be fine," the Jonin snapped slightly, then amended with a blush, "now. He just knocked the breath out of me, no major damage. Choza's been pulling his punches, so Pein's not as strong as he could be. But thanks for the save."

"What are you doing here?" Choza frowned, "I ordered everyone to stay back."

"Yeah, but _Yugao_ is my mission leader, and she told me to take this guy out," Naruto said spritely, and Anko snorted in amusement.

Pein turned to face Naruto, and the Tokujo was relieved that it was was not anyone he recognized. The orange hair, Rinnegan, and control rods in the nose and ears were the same, but this incarnation was short with a modest build. His face and the exposed sections of his arms were a road-map of scar tissue, and this Pein only had one eye, the right socket was empty and half of the lid was chopped away, giving a clear view of the fact it cleared out to the bone.

"That your new 'unbreakable' Path?" Uzumaki turned his attention to their opponent. Though the body was different, not only were the powers the same, but so was the smell. The youngest warrior drew his staff-blade, deliberately scraping the steel post of the weapon on the metal trim of the scabbard in an intimidating manner.

Pein shuddered in spite of himself, as both the Nagato and Naraka path portions of his merged psyche recalled the damage Naruto had done to his prior incarnation, as well as the destruction of his previous Human Path. He snarled with anticipation, and tensed to attack. Then his face creased as if remembering something else unpleasant, and he relaxed.

"Well?" Naruto prompted, confused by Pein's reactions. Then the Shozoku's general clenched his fists again, and reached for the weapons on his belt. But instead of the warhammer or a kunai, he pulled out a pair of smoke bombs and dashed them on the ground. Naruto charged recklessly into the smoke, but Kitsune met with nothing. Though the screen of ash interfered with his nose, he still was able to track Pein's path downwards.

"He went underground with a Doton Jutsu," Naruto estimated based on the motion of the odor and the slight rumble he felt, "Do you have a Hyuga on your team?"

Choza shook his head, and Uzumaki glared at the ground again.

"Damn it," Naruto sighed, allowing his transformation to lapse.

* * *

"Damn it," Nagato growled.

"What is it?" Konan asked in surprise at his sudden outburst.

"Naruto Uzumaki," he said more calmly. Konan nodded. She had been present when Gouki had ordered Nagato not to fight Naruto alone, unless it was with his Deva Path. The Raikage rightly believe none of the other Paths had a significant chance of defeating the former Jinchuriki one on one. Gouki decided the impact a Path's destruction had on Nagato, the difficulty with replacing a Path, and the loss of the instantaneous communication between the Peins outweighed any potential to remove the young man. Nagato believed Gouki was letting his belief that Naruto might have been Minato's son influence the order, by agreed to avoid Uzumaki nevertheless.

"If he had not been there, I could have taken out a large chunk of the Leaf command structure," the true Pein told his lover, "Instead I was only able to kill two of them and injured three or four others, before I was forced to retreat."

"But you _were_ able to escape?" she prompted hopefully.

"Yes," he nodded slowly.

"And the Land of Rice Patties?"

"Naruto did not appear out of nowhere," he pondered, "Which means that there were at least two teams of Leaf Ninjas. We will need to confirm, of course, but I believe we will find that the siege of the Sound Village is under a counter-assault, of not totally broken."

"Then maybe you should put your Nakara path to sleep until Gouki-sensei returns," she suggested carefully, trying not to sound to eager.

"I can't," he sighed, "Stone ninjas have approached the Rain village. So I intend to take the initiative and send my Naraka Path to the Land of Silver. Once we have the Mines Village, we can reinforce our other conquests and if needed, divert more troops to the Land of Snow."

"Speaking of the Land of Snow," she started regretfully, "I don't have much more time. I need to return to the Snow Village with the third brigade. Their last report said that the Snow Ninjas had us pinned down with deadly weather..."

"At least with Madara and the Akatsuki, we weren't separated as frequently," she whispered sadly. He took her hand, and her anguish only deepened, feeling the weakness of his grip.

"I should not have kept you," Nagato said.

"Take care of yourself," she instructed, "Try to eat more, even if it doesn't agree with you. I'll be back as soon as I can."

He nodded, and she ran out of the room, before she decided to delay again.

* * *

**Preview:**

[background scene of the outside of the Snow capitol.]

Konan [softly]: Our forces in the Snow have been wiped out.

[background scene of Koyuki Kazahana and Kaede Mizuno together]

Konan [unhappily]: The Mist and Snow have joined forces, and they appear to have been waiting for us.

Konan [more firmly]: Gouki-sensei, you may have underestimated our opponents.

Gouki [confident]: A small setback, while in other arenas we have taken similar steps forward.

Naruto [announcer voice]: Next time on Naruto: A Growing Affection; **Chapter 132: The Raising Aggressions**.

Naruto [openly]: I'll let you have a mysterious experience.


	132. The Raising Aggressions

**Chapter 132: The Raising Aggressions**

The scouts returned with bizarre and worrisome news. A massive wall of ice, now slowly melting, had been erected near the Snow County's capitol, and judging by its position, it had been behind where the two Shozoku brigades had camped. But on the other side of the wall, the field was empty. There was no sign of nearly two hundred soldiers she had left behind. Konan knew that could have meant that Gouki's men had been victorious, and were now occupying the city. But she also had had no contact from them, which meant that unless the captains had decided to surprise her, the frigid barricade and empty field boded ill for the origami kunoichi and the warriors marching with her. She silently signaled for the Shozokus to pick up the pace.

The wall was just as the forerunners had described it; not quite twenty meters tall, five meters thick, more than one hundred meters long, and softened around the edges by the warm weather. Water trickled down the barricade, forming into a small stream that flowed on the side of the cobblestone road in a trough designed specifically to channel the run-off.

Konan ordered the Shozokus to stay back, and cautiously approached the barrier. She was already holding a dozen sheets of paper in each hand and was ready to channel chakra into one of the stronger Katon scrolls under her shirt. As she drew closer, she felt a tingling between her shoulder blades. She wrapped the pages in her hands around her wrists, and then began to sign slowly and deliberately.

"Ninja Art: Illusion Sever Jutsu," Konan violently dispelled all foreign chakra from her body, and grimaced at the result. The wall remained unchanged, but the other side of it was not clear. Instead a mass of snow was piled against the huge barricade, and here and there she could see the body of a tan or green Shozoku crushed against the ice. But that was not the main source of her frown.

"Ice makes an excellent medium to focus a genjutsu," Kaede Mizuno said, stepping away from the frozen barrier, "But not a comfortable resting place."

"The Face of the Hidden Mist," Konan noted neutrally, "Does that mean your people are responsible for this?"

"The Snow ninjas did most of the work," the platinum blonde explained, "Channeling the storm, getting the snow ready for the avalanche. All my people did is take the melt water your men provided, and build it into the backstop."

"But without the wall," Konan noted "the snow would have spread further; the impact would have been less, and more of my men would have been able to flee from the avalanche."

Kaede shrugged in false modesty, refusing to take the bait. Konan felt another impulse in her spine, but his time it was like a cold finger running up her back.

"This is still a trap," Gouki's student realized, and she unleashed two paper kunai at the Mist Jonin. The origami blades hit her chest and neck, and the Mizukage's daughter collapsed, the water that had formed her clone joining the stream. Konan began looking around, calling up a handful of sensory enhancement techniques. She expected one of two things from their opponents; either they had prepared to bring the wall down and send it crashing into her forces, or the Snow and Mist ninjas were in the process of surrounding them, using the wall to keep them contained. Her mind raced as she tried to determine which plan the allied ninjas would use. If they were going to crush her forces under the ice slab, she needed to order her men to scatter and run. But if the trap was to box in her brigade, then she should call her people to the wall, to create a defensive line and start looking for a place to break through.

Seconds ticked by and she did not find evidence of either plan. The wall was sturdy enough to withstand multiple tons of snow and would take a focused effort to bring down in the manner she was anticipating. But there were no signs of paper bombs or Snow shinobi preparing to launch such an attack. Nor could she see any enemy ninjas taking up position around her men.

'Unless they just expect us to run, and don't want to put themselves at risk,' she considered. The thought of retreating was tempting. With only one brigade, she no longer had a numerical advantage over the Hidden Snow, and that was not counting however many Mist ninjas were present. And the mass of ice and snow before her represented a tactical advantage for the local shinobi, who were skilled in both navigating and using the material. That was part of the reason Gouki and his students had decided to wait until the end of spring to attack the northern country, they wanted the thaw to be in full effect.

Konan looked back, and noticed some of the Shozokus were getting restless. She doubted they would make a move without her orders, but she also knew that if they were unfocused, it would make things easier for the other side, especially if there was a trap. The kunoichi jogged back to her unit, and signaled for the captain and lieutenants to join her. The grey and red masked warriors hurried over, obviously unsettled by her indecision and the nervousness of their underlings.

"We are alone here," she informed them, "The Snow ninjas received reinforcements from the Mist, and they destroyed our comrades."

"It was a total rout?" the captain seemed slightly incredulous.

"I can't say that there were no survivors," the general answered, "But if there are, I doubt they are in any position or have the numbers to help us."

"What are we going to do?" the youngest red Shozoku asked, a tremor in her voice. Konan recalled the girl had been a young but promising Cloud Chunin, before she had been converted. The paper user reflected that talent and physical ability could not prepare one for the reality of war.

"We will withdraw carefully to the ship, and sail out a few kilometers," Konan ordered, "Once we are comparatively secure, I will contacted Gouki-sama and discuss what options are open to us."

The high-ranked Shozokus nodded, many obviously relieved. But their commander felt just the opposite. She wondered why the Snow and Mist shinobi had not made a move yet. Though she had considered the possibility that they would be allowed to leave, she did not feel it was actually likely. It would be foolish of her opponents to let such a substantial force leave, when the other side held all the cards.

She continued to ruminate as they proceeded slowly to the shore. The Shozoku brigade was not hindered, nor could they detect anyone watching them. Their transport was waiting for them, and despite her choice of words, the vessel was a modern iron ship with a pair of coal powered engines instead of sails. The boat was built for speed, and was a tight fit for the one-hundred warriors, but they packed on without complaint. A trio of former Waterfall shinobi quickly engaged the motors and steered the ship back out to sea. Konan joined them on the bridge, and once they out of the line of site of the Land of Snow, she used the radio to call home.

"Konan, it seems too early in the day for this to be good news," Gouki's voice stated amiably, "Have you made landfall, or was there a delay?"

"No, we made it to the Snow capitol," she answered sadly, "But our other forces were wiped out. It seems the Village Hidden in the Mist has come to the aid of the Snow Country in my absence. We retreated to the ship and are in open waters, waiting for new orders."

"Good..." Gouki seemed to agree, but then his voice crackled and faded.

"Konan?" One more word emerged from the static, and then the connection was gone. Another chill went down her spine, and a moment later, an impact rocked the boat. Konan ran out onto the deck in time to see the first dozen Mist ninjas peel away as the second wave moved in. Each oceanic shinobi was standing on the back of an oversized dolphin, and they were signing in concert. As they completed the concurrent jutsu, a seven foot tall scimitar of water flashed across the intervening space, and shook the entire ship as it sliced halfway through the vessel. The water was tinted red around the two cuts from the Shozokus killed by the attack. The ship was starting to list badly, and the red Shozoku who served as the ship's captain despite not holding that rank began to give orders.

"Seal those compartments, weld them shut if you have to," he barked, "I want any one not keeping us afloat on deck, countering those Tsunami Blades or taking out the Mist ninjas."

Konan found herself next to the grey Shozoku and red teen she had recognized earlier, as a third set of Mist warriors surfed closer. Gouki's warriors attempted the follow the mariner's orders, but most of them would have been unstable with the rocking of an intact ship, and could barely aim on the damaged transport. And the Mist ninjas were in their element. The third Tsunami Blade hit the ship unimpeded.

As the first squad of Mist raiders began their second run, the remaining lieutenants plus a handful of sergeants finally made it to the rails and began to rain fire and lightning on the ninjas and their summoned mounts. But before they could release their jutsu, a small explosion hit the other side of the ship. Most of the attacks went high or low, and only one Mist warrior was hit. More impacts kept them off balance.

"Who's watching the left side?" the grey-clad leader roared, and a number of middle ranked warriors staggered over to look.

"Snow ninjas," a blue Shozoku reported.

"Organize another team to counter," the real captain ordered.

"It's too late," Konan murmured, as the fourth, if slightly smaller, liquid sword carved another furrow in the damaged ship.

"They're out of range," the sergeant countered, "They're floating paper bomb covered ice-balls into us."

"I'm sorry," the origami kunoichi whispered. She grabbed the young lieutenant and pulled her close, and reached for the captain. But the grey-garbed warrior pulled away.

"Ma'am, what are you doing?" he hissed softly, having caught her words.

"I'm leaving, and I'm taking you two with me," she stated firmly.

"With all due respect, I'm staying here," he stepped back.

"Captain, everyone on this ship will be killed or captured," she said angrily, "I'm not even sure I have enough paper to take both of you, but we can't afford to lose high ranking officers, either. And I cannot risk being taken prisoner. Nor can I die, I still have someone I must protect."

He did not respond, but ran over to the far side of the deck and began picking off ice mines with a fire jutsu. Konan admired his loyalty, and considered ordering him to accompany her. But she suspected he would rather take the consequence for disobedience, and she was not going to deny her men an able hand. She consoled herself by rationalizing that there was a better chance to escape with just the two of them.

"Hold on tight," she ordered the young woman, and the Shozoku complied nervously. Konan dove over the side of the ship, and as she did, her paper flowed out from her pockets and from under her uniform, taking the form of a large shark around them. The wax and chakra treated pages repelled the water, and the parchment predator rocketed away from the doomed vessel.

* * *

Koyuki Kazahana handed the spyglass back back to Kaede Mizuno. The two women stood on the beach, observing the destruction of the second invasion force. And a handful of Snow ninjas stood close by, apparently not trusting the allied kunoichi quite enough to leave her alone with their Daimyo. The Mist Jonin glanced surreptitiously at the other woman, judging her reaction to the second slaughter in less then a week.

"It is an unpleasant way to handle this," the actress noted, controlling her tone, "But it saved lives on our side. I thank the Hidden Mist Village for their rescue."

"In this case, you don't need to," Kaede shrugged, snapping shut the collapsible telescope as the port side deck of the ship reached the level of the ocean, "The Conclave of Shadows has decided to do whatever it takes to remove Gouki Namikaze, and to protect those he has chosen to attack."

"In that case, I will make a deal with you," Koyuki said officiously, "For every Mist ninja who remains here to help defend my country, I will send two Snow ninjas to assist in putting an end to this struggle. Up to half my available forces, that is."

The Face of the Mist nodded. Though she might weaken her overall defenses, the Snow Daimyo was decreasing the likelihood Gouki would attack her again by putting more pressure on other fronts and also by making it so any attack on the Snow would also be an attack on the Mist. And at the same time, Kazahana was also not entrusting her country wholly to her allies.

"I'll need to confirm with my father," the Mizukage's daughter qualified, "But I have little doubt that he and the other Kages will find your proposal acceptable."

* * *

After leaving the red Shozoku with the medical corps, Konan marched quickly to the Raikage's palace. She all but ran through the halls, ignoring the servants and Shozokus who hailed her, until she reached Gouki's war room. Then she paused, settling herself, and smoothing the water wrinkled edges of her uniform. She took a deep breath, and carefully opened the door.

"Welcome back, Konan," Namikaze greeted her immediately, as if he was expecting her. The kunoichi had thought she detected someone else in the room, but her teacher was all alone. She stepped into the chamber and closed the door.

"I was saddened to hear about the loss of the three units sent to secure the Land of Snow," he told her, "But I was pleased you were able to escape and save at least Lieutenant Tashigi. It is unfortunate you could not bring Captain Mokuto as well."

"I tried," she admitted, still shocked by his ability to remember the names of every one of the supposedly anonymous Shozokus, "But when I asked him the join us, he decided to die with the others instead. I could have ordered him, but if he refused..."

"I understand," Gouki nodded.

"I am sorry, Gouki-sensei," she bowed deeply, "I lost three brigades, and have allowed the Snow and Mist to join forces."

"None of that is your fault," he reassured her magnanimously, "We never had a hold on the Mist to begin with, so even without the Conclave's edict, the Snow still could have asked them for help. Even if you had left on schedule, there is no guarantee the third brigade would not have been caught in their avalanche trap, or been able to break the Snow's defenses before they launched their trap."

She caught the minor barb, but straightened nevertheless. She faced him with a slight frown of confusion.

"You are taking this better than I expected," she admitted frankly, "Between this defeat, and what Nagato told me about the Land of Rice Patties before I left..."

"Well, the invasion of the Sound ended better than we knew before you left," he explained, "We were able to inflict some losses on the Leaf and Sand invaders, and thanks to Naruto's presence forcing Pein to retreat, the captain and lieutenants there also ordered a withdrawal, and almost two-thirds of expeditionary force survived."

"But more importantly we have had two other major successes," the Raikage said contentedly, "The Rain surrendered sooner than we expected, and we were able to take control of the village before the Stone ninjas arrived. The unexpected need to deal with the Rain's defenses caused them to delay, giving us a chance to secure our hold and improve our position. That further encouraged them to hold off their attack. The Stone shinobi are preparing their assault, but we will be ready for them."

"In addition, the Land of Silver collapsed with almost no resistance. We caved in one of their mines, and the two dukes convinced the king to surrender without resistance. They were not ready to fight us, an opponent who was not after their mineral resources."

Her eyes flicked over to the map on the table. The dispersal of their forces had changed, and those victories and the additional conversions had almost made up for the lost Shozokus in the Land of Snow.

"With these four battlefronts concluded, there is something I would like to ask you, Gouki-sensei," Konan switched topics carefully.

"Nagato, right?" Gouki said, with a hints of sadness and exasperation.

"With things the way they are now, surely you can spare a few of the Paths of Pein for a day or two," she pleaded desperately.

"We have been over this before, Konan," he said kindly, "I rely on Pein. His instantaneous and untraceable communications are a tactical advantage. If two or three of my generals were to disappear for days at a time, it would have a negative impact on moral. And Pein is what is keeping Madara in line. The first Uchiha has been growing restless and confident again, and without the Paths of Pein, I think he might actually be foolhardy enough to attack me."

Gouki smirked and shook his head, "Not that the possibility worries me, it would just be easier to avoid the battle and the troubles it would cause."

"But he is so weak," she argued, "Even at the height of the Akatsuki's hunt for the Tailed Beast two years ago, he never had all six of Pein's Paths active for so long. He barely eats, there is nothing to him. And he sleeps so often..."

"Nagato is tougher than you think," the Raikage said firmly, "And I know well the cost Pein takes on him. Don't forget, I am the one who helped him transform that random power into a formal jutsu. You are just over protective. It is understandable, given what the two of you went through before I found you."

"Besides, you don't have to worry," he tried to reassure her, "So long as at least one of Pein's Paths lives, Nagato will remain; at least after a fashion."

"Now if there isn't anything else, I need to work my new plan for the Sound Village," he dismissed her, and then turned back to the map, muttering, "Now that I have full control over the Mines and Rain, they will be expecting a pincer attack over land from the east and west. But an attack from the sea?"

Konan's eyes narrowed, and she glared at her second teacher from a moment. Then she swallowed most of her anger, and spun around and left.

"I don't think she was convinced," Kohaku detached from the wall, partially unclothed.

"Konan believes in our dream, as much as Nagato does," Gouki looked at his wife dubiously, "She knows Nagato does this willingly."

The Jinchuriki shook her head, wondering if her otherwise brilliant husband was letting himself be blinded by trust. But she did not want to argue further, so she went back to draping herself over her husband, trying to distract him while he planned the coming battles. She claimed the dichotomy helped his creativity, but Gouki suspected she was just feeling ignored, and promised himself he would indulge her once he finished revising their strategy to resume the broken Sound siege.

* * *

"Do you really think your people can reach the Waterfall Country by sea, and still be in time?" Tsunade asked Yusao Mizuno.

"You will have to travel around the Lightning Country," she continued, tracing the course on the map, "and Gouki has increased the patrols of the northern waters."

"You honestly think the Cloud ninjas can match my people on open water?" the Mizukage was more amused then insulted by her doubts.

"Of course not," the Sannin confirmed, "But whether your men avoid them or fight them, it will increase your travel time."

"I can't deny that," he agreed amiably, "But I can send new troops to the Snow, and my daughter and her new allies go to the Waterfall. Then they can bring with the Snow reinforcements, once we decide where..."

"Lady Tsunade," Genma burst in, using the jutsu bonded key that would let him bypass the seals on the Hokage's office once. The Sannin started to glower at her temporary aide, until she saw the expression on his face.

"Lady Tsunade, you need to come to the front gate immediately," Genma panted.

The Hokage shared a look with her peer, and then the Water and Fire Shadows both followed the Tokubetsu Jonin.

* * *

The slender, lime-haired kunoichi breathed carefully, trying to keep her skin away from the wakizashi at her neck. Next to her, her teammate, a short Chunin with legs slightly to large for his body watched the blade ready to stab into his heart.

Konan stared passively at the other seven Leaf ninjas who had arrived after her intrusion. She kept the captured gate guards between her and their comrades, with each of her paper swrods positioned for a one-hit kill. A few moments later, Genma and the two Kages reached the entrance to the ninja village.

"Tsunade-dono," Konan inclined her head, "Though we only met once, I'm sure you know who I am."

"That's right, Jiraiya introduced Orochimaru and I to you and your two friends, when we tracked him down to bring him back," the last Sannin recalled with a casual tone, "What can I do for you, Konan-_chan_?"

"I am here to discuss the terms of my surrender to the Hidden Leaf Village."

* * *

**Preview:**

[background scene of the Konan in a room with Naruto, Hinata, Tsunade, Kakashi, and Shikamaru.]

Naruto [suspiciously]: What is she doing here? We can't trust her.

[background scene of younger Konan, Yahiko, and Nagato]

Naruto [crying]: Okay... maybe...

Naruto [announcer voice]: Next time on Naruto: A Growing Affection; **Chapter 133: The Defector**.

Naruto [sadly]: Bring salvation to this poor Akuma's soul.


	133. The Defector

[background scene of Konan with Tsunade, Naruto, Hinata, Kakashi, and Shikamaru, in muted color.]

**Chapter 133: The Defector**

Tsunade chuckled twice, and then began openly laughing.

"You came here to surrender?" the Hokage guffawed. Then she suddenly stopped, and her eyes turned hard, "What kind of fool do you take me for?"

"I did not say I would give myself up freely," Konan maintained her cool, "But if you are willing to meet my conditions, I will remit myself to your custody, and tell you everything I know. About Gouki Namikaze, his generals, his plans, the Shozokus. Information that could win you this war."

"You hardly look ready to negotiate," Tsunade's eyes narrowed thoughtfully as she reigned in her anger. She gestured to indicate the paper daggers the other woman was holding.

"I had to make sure I would not be killed or captured before we could talk," the origami shinobi argued evenly.

"Then lets talk."

"Not in public," the renegade shook her head.

"You don't expect me to be alone with you, do you?" the Sannin countered.

"No. So my first deal is this: give me a twenty-four hour amnesty. So long as I do not spy or harm your people, I am free to come and go for the next day, unhindered by your people. Then we can go and talk, somewhere secure. For your safety you may have any three of your people present. And for mine, I want Naruto Uzumaki there."

Tsunade frowned. She felt a general honesty in the younger woman's words, right up to the end. She could tell that there was some other reason Konan wanted Naruto there.

"Really?" the Hokage probed, "Why do you want the knucklehead there?"

"We all know how stupidly honorable and uncommonly strong he is," Konan shrugged without altering the placement of her blades, "If you promise my safety, I know at least he will uphold that promise."

The last Sannin again sensed the truth in Konan's words, though she still felt Jiraiya's student was holding back.

'Unless, of course, she is a much better liar than I think she is,' Tsunade thought to herself, wishing a Hyuga or an interrogator was present to confirm her impressions.

"Fine," Tsunade waved her hand, "You have a forty-eight hour amnesty, starting now, unless you violate our hospitality."

"That is generous of you," Konan frowned as she released her hostages. The two Chunin scrambled away, leaving the two women facing each other openly.

"Why?" the paper user prompted.

"Because Naruto's team isn't due back from the Sound Village until tomorrow, and I didn't want you worrying that we would run out of time in the middle of our talks."

Konan nodded her understanding, and relaxed, if only a little.

* * *

After escorting their guest to the Octagon Shuriken, Tsunade flipped opened her phone and called Operations.

"Change the guard rotations," she ordered, "I want every Hyuga, Inuzuka, and Aburame out. Put sixty percent of them on the walls, and have the rest patrol the village. Tell them to keep an eye on our guest, if she chooses to venture out. But more importantly they should look for any other incursions, in case this is a distraction. Like last time."

* * *

Konan sat on one side of the table, and behind her sat Naruto and Hinata. Across from her sat the Hokage, with Kakashi Hatake on her right and Shikamaru Nara on her left. Unlike Naruto and Hinata, the two shinobi with the Hokage were at her side, at the table, not placed a few feet back. Tsunade would have rather had Shikaku than his son, but the elder tactician was still directing the clean-up of the Shozokus in the Land of Rice Patties. Similarly, Hinata was not the best lie detector among the Hyugas, but she was available and she would help keep Naruto in line. Beyond that, her fiancé would have told the pale beauty about the negotiations anyway, so including her instead of another member of her clan kept the loop smaller. Though he had been annoyed to be excluded, Tsunade had kept Yasuo Mizuno out of the meeting at Konan's firm request. Instead the Hokage promised to fill in the Mizukage and her other peers as soon as possible.

"There must be something you want very badly from to come here and offer to betray Gouki," Tsunade said smugly, "So, lets start with you telling me what it is."

"I want you to rescue Nagato," the paper user said, unable to keep a hint of desperation from her voice, "and bring him here. And use your skills to help him recover. Then, decommission both of us, and let us live here freely as civilians, under your protection. Those are my demands. Do that and I will tell you everything I know."

The five Leaf shinobi all gawked at her openly, too thoroughly shock by Konan's statement to maintain their composure.

"Just to clarify, because we've had hints and suspicions, but no definite proof," the Sannin said after she recovered, "But your friend Nagato is also the one we know as Pein, right?"

"Yes," Konan nodded shallowly, "The six Paths of Pein are extensions of Nagato, one of the powers afforded him by his Rinnegan. They are also what is killing him."

"Let me get this straight," Shikamaru interjected incredulously, "you want us to 'rescue' Gouki's most loyal, most powerful, and most vital follower? Presumably from the Kumogakure or the Amegakure, or some other nigh-impregnable fortress?"

"Is Gouki holding this Nagato guy hostage, and forcing him to use the Peins to help him?" Naruto asked, his eye squinted in confusion.

"No, as Nara-kun said, Nagato is loyal to Gouki-sensei," Konan answered, "And in addition, he believes helping Gouki-sensei achieve his goals is penance for killing Yahiko. That is why he is willing to push himself to the verge of death."

"Surely Gouki wouldn't give up his most valuable general?" Tsunade mirrored Shikamaru's disposition.

"I used to think that," Konan agreed, "But Gouki-sensei relies heavily on Pein. And he arrogantly believes he can keep Nagato alive, at least long enough to complete his plans. But worst of all, Gouki-sensei knows that the Paths of Pein will survive Nagato's death. Without Nagato, they would be unable to replace any Paths that might die, but the existing proxies would continue to operate as they have been."

"I don't buy it," Tsunade shook her head, "If Nagato really did kill Yahiko, and if he wants to die because of that, why would you stop him and betray Gouki all in one stroke?"

"Who is, or I guess was, 'Yahiko' anyway?" Naruto interrupted.

"I guess I will have to start from the beginning," Konan sighed.

"There were many orphans after the Second Great Ninja War, and Yahiko, Nagato, and I were among them. Yahiko had been born into a wealthy merchant family in the Land of Rain, and after his parents died, his relatives stole all his money, and left him in an orphanage. But the other children resented his previous life, and tormented him, so Yahiko ran away. Nagato was also born in the Rain country, but in a small village near the Leaf border. One day his village became a battleground between groups of Rain, Leaf, and Stone shinobi. Nagato had been playing at a friend's house when the fighting started, and when he got home, he saw three ninjas run out of his house. The last, a Leaf Ninja, stopped and asked if Nagato lived there. After Nagato said 'yes', the Leaf ninja apologized and ran after the first two ninjas. Nagato went inside, and found his parents and older sister, all dead. He went berserk, activating his Rinnegan instinctively. Then... Then he killed every single ninja fighting in his village."

She took a deep breath, which came out as a sad sigh, "Even though he had saved them, the rest of the townsfolk were frightened of him, and they drove him out."

Konan paused as if trying to decide, and Hinata prompted gently, "And what about you, Konan-san?"

"I was born in the Grass County, right next to the border with the Rain Country. My father was on a business trip when he was killed by a shinobi; I never found out from which village. And then my mother took ill, and died. I was sent to live with an uncle; but the way he treated me was... inhumane, so I also ran away."

"You mean he..." Hinata interjected sadly.

"No," Konan chuckled ironically, "If he had done something like you are thinking, I might have been able to understand it. But when I said inhumane, I meant it literally. He collected porcelain dolls, and I became part of his collection. He gave me beautiful, fancy dresses to wear, and I was made to sit or stand for hours without moving. If I blinked, or fidgeted, he would ground me from reading for a few days, or give me bread and broth for dinner while he ate normal meals. He never hurt me physically, or starved me or anything like that, but it was strange and creepy, and I when I couldn't take it anymore, I fled."

"I met Yahiko a few months later. There was a temple that was providing meals for people hurt by the war, and he approached me because I was alone and about the same age. He started talking to me and after a few days I opened up and started talking to him as well. We became friends, and started to stick together. We discovered it was easier together than it was alone. People would be more generous giving alms to a 'poor brother and sister', and we could also watch each other's backs."

"A few more months after that, I took some money that I had saved up, and went to buy a new book. But the shopkeeper refused to serve 'a grubby little orphan', and accused me of being a thief. When I complained, he tried to punch me. But Nagato was there, and he protected me. He stepped in between me and the salesperson, and took the hit on the back. He did it with out flinching, and when he turned to look at the book seller, the older man looked afraid. He even took a step away from us. But then the salesman got his nerve back, and demanded we both leave or he would call the police. Nagato just bowed, and gently pulled me outside. He started to leave, but I grabbed his arm, and asked him to come with me. I took him to Yahiko, and told him what happened, and asked if Nagato could join us. Yahiko resisted at first, but he ultimately agreed. That was how the three of us became a team."

"The next few years were hard. Even after the end of the war, there was not a lot of food, nor did people have a lot of more to give away, even to three children. But we stayed together, and sometimes resorted to theft, and ultimately we managed to survive. And then we met _him_."

"Jiraiya," Tsunade noted with a tone to match Konan's sadness.

"Yes," the younger woman nodded, "The three of us were leaving the latest village we had been haunting, and Jiraiya-sensei was on his way in for the night. And when Nagato saw sensei's Hidden Leaf headband, he went crazy and attacked him. I'm not sure if it was because Jiraiya-sensei was just that much more skilled than the ninjas who attacked Nagato's village, or if Nagato was just too weak from two years of barely surviving, but Jiraiya-sensei subdued Nagato with little trouble. I remember him staring very intently at Nagato's eyes, and I was afraid, so I gave him a piece offering."

Konan suddenly produced a sheet of paper, and the Leaf Ninjas tensed. But she sent a sliver of chakra into it, and it folded itself into a flower, similar to, yet simpler than, the one in her hair.

* * *

_"Interesting," Jiraiya noted as he took the flower, "Who taught you how to do this?"_

_"No... No one, sir," she quailed slightly under his gaze, "I just sort of... do it."_

_"Is this another Kekkei Genkai?" the Leaf Jonin pondered under his breath, "Or just a natural talent?"_

_He looked over them again cannily, and then released the bearer of the Rinnegan. Jiraiya took a step back and assumed a non-threatening stance._

_"It looks like you three have had it pretty rough," he said, openly and jovially, "How would you like me to teach you a few things to make your lives easier?"_

* * *

"Yahiko agreed immediately," Konan continued, "and Nagato didn't say anything, but it was obvious from his expression he wanted to refuse. They both looked to me to decide, and I decided to trust Jiraiya-sensei."

"The next year and a half went by very quickly. At first, he just taught us how to survive, how to hunt, trap, and fish. About which fruits and berries tasted good, which ones tasted bad but were still nutritious, and which one would kill us. But then he slowly began to teach us other things. How to harness and control our chakra. How to fight and how to sneak. We didn't realize it at first, but he was teaching us to be ninjas."

"Then we showed up," Tsunade interjected when the younger woman paused to collect her thoughts. The defector nodded.

"Yes, you and Orochimaru tracked down Jiraiya-sensei, to bring him back here," Konan recalled, "You said he was needed for a mission. He offered to take us back with him, to let us become Leaf ninjas. I wanted to jump at the chance, and was ready to drag Nagato with us. Even though he had grown to trust of even respect Jiraiya-sensei, back then Nagato still bore a grudge against the Leaf Village, he thought sensei's conduct was the exception, not the the rule."

"Are you saying Nagato doesn't hate the Konohagakure anymore?" Naruto interrupted.

"Yes," the origami user confirmed, "But I will get to that shortly."

"Anyway, once again, Yahiko was the first to speak for us," she resumed, "But this time he surprised us by turning down Jiraiya-sensei's offer. I thought he did it for Nagato, so I followed his example. Jiraiya-sensei seemed upset by our choice, but accepted it. You three left, and once again we were on our own. But that wasn't going to last long."

"The next day, Yahiko told us why he had decided not to follow sensei. There were many other orphans in the villages we frequented, and Yahiko wanted to start taking care of them and training them like Jiraiya had done for us. Nagato and I were shocked at first, but as he laid out his plan, we got caught up in his excitement. We decided to do it, and found our first new wards only a few days later."

"Over the next few years we amassed a group of almost forty other kids, and trained them. At the same time, we honed our own skills, and to learn more, we acquired books and scrolls on chakra and combat, sometimes legally and other times not. As our abilities and numbers grew we began to take on odd jobs in local villages, basically doing D-Rank missions. Yahiko started calling us the Akatsuki, saying we could be the dawn of a new era for the people of the Rain Country."

"Wasn't that dangerous?" Kakashi interrupted in his normal, bland manner, "You were kind of stepping on the Hidden Rain's toes."

"Yes, but back then, Hanzo was rejecting most of those kinds of jobs," she answered, "If there wasn't a chance for combat, the possibility his Genin would get some kind of battle experience, he was not interested. At first, we only took the jobs from people after the Rain turned them away, but in time people figured out Hanzo was just going to throw them out, and that we charged less, so they started coming to us first. Nagato and I worried that it would be like you said, but we heard through the grapevine that Hanzo was actually happy that we were saving him the time and paperwork of having to deal with requests he considered inconsequential."

"In time, we saved up enough money to buy our own plot of land, and began to build more permanent residences. And also during that time, as we approached physical adulthood, both Nagato and Yahiko started to court me."

"Then the Third Great war started. And as the Rain began to send out shinobi to do battle, they had less manpower to devote to bodyguard jobs and hunting bandits. But at the same time, the number of bandits increased as people were displaced by the fighting. And the people started coming more and more to our little fake ninja village."

"I said we should turn them away, but Yahiko said it was our job to help them," Konan sighed in regret, "And to be honest I... we didn't really fight him on it. We had improved a great deal since Jiraiya-sensei left us, and we had dozens of less experienced comrades. We were overconfident, and self-important. And we might have gotten away with it."

"The war came to an end, the Rain ninjas returned, and Hanzo had new crops of Genin to train. But in our arrogance, we kept taking jobs hunting thieves and protecting merchants. We decided since the Rain couldn't keep up during the war, they forfeited their right to those missions. Hanzo felt differently."

"It happened three months after the treaties were signed, three months to the day," her expression clouded in painful memory, "Nagato and Yahiko were out guarding a caravan, but everyone else was at home. Hanzo and six of his elite Jonin assassins appeared out of nowhere; our 'sentries' died before they even noticed the invasion. They slaughtered everyone. It was barely a fight. I managed to kill one, but was hurt in the process and the other Rain ninjas surrounded me almost immediately. I thought I was dead, but Hanzo ordered them to stop. He realized the Nagato and Yahiko were not there, and he had somehow heard that they were in love with me. So he took me hostage, and made camp to wait."

"Yahiko was their target. Hanzo had learned that Yahiko had come up with the idea to train other orphans, and that he was our leader. As we waited, some of his men asked if they could 'play' with me," she shuddered at the thought, "but Hanzo stopped them. He said if they broke me, I wouldn't be as useful as bait."

"Just after noon on the fourth day, Nagato and Yahiko returned. They found our friends, our students, massacred, left to rot where they fell. Nagato told me later he almost snapped. You see, he recognized the wounds on our comrades; they were just like the ones on his family. When Hanzo and his men revealed themselves, Nagato almost attacked them, but when Hanzo showed me to them, both Nagato and Yahiko froze.

* * *

_"So you are the boy who has been stealing from me," the Rain leader's voice sounded mechanical through his complex breathing apparatus. He pushed the young woman into the arms of his second, and took a step closer. After staring at the orange-haired teen for a moment, Hanzo turned to crimson-haired Rinnegan bearer._

_"I understand both of you have a more than passing interest in this fair lass," he taunted Nagato, "But I also am lead to believe she is more interested in your friend than in you. But I don't care about you or the girl..."_

_Hanzo tossed a kunai to Nagato, before stepping back. The teen unwittingly caught the blade, and noticed the edges possessed an odd, purple hue._

_"So I will make you a bargain," Hanzo continued, "kill your friend, the one who organized this insult to me, and I will allow you and the lass to live. Provided you leave the Land of Rain, of course."_

_Nagato glanced back and forth from Yahiko to Konan, his remarkable eyes betraying uncertainty._

_"The blade is poisoned," Hanzo added, "In case you were thinking about trying to trick me with an attack that looks worse than it is. Even the slightest cut should do the job..."_

* * *

"He wanted to save me," Konan wiped away a tear, "But he didn't want to kill his best friend, and he was afraid if he did it, I would think he was doing it so I couldn't be with Yahiko. And he told me part of him wanted to do it for that very reason."

"So you were in love with Yahiko," Tsunade mused. The Hokage took that as further reason to suspect the supposed defector, but kept her doubts out of her voice.

"No," Konan's expression suddenly shifted from sad to wistfully happy, "Yahiko was a lady's man, the sort of guy who could make any girl giggle and blush. Even me, which is why some people might have thought I was interested in him. But I could never really trust Yahiko's intentions. No, Nagato was the one I fell for, his gentleness, his determination, his loyalty. And he needed me in a way Yahiko never did."

Hinata found herself nodded in agreement. Naruto glanced at his beloved, and she smiled at him and took his hand.

"When he thought Nagato wouldn't make a decision, Hanzo took another step," Konan's expression darkened, "He told Nagato that if he didn't kill Yahiko, then he would make both of them watch while he let his men do whatever they wanted to me. I started to try to fight back again, until Nagato began to turn towards Yahiko with an apologetic look. For a moment, it looked like he would do what that bastard Hanzo wanted, and the Rain ninjas looked almost gleeful. But then Nagato hesitated, and Yahiko did not. He grabbed Nagato's hand, to keep him from dropping the kunai. And then he sliced open his own belly. Yahiko forced Nagato to help him commit seppuku, to save us both."

* * *

_"Hahahahaha," Hanzo's laughter rang out over the ruined village._

_"Wonderful," the Rain leader guffawed, "what spirit, what loyalty."_

_After a few more moments of grotesque joy, Hanzo calmed down and addressed this men._

_"Release her," he ordered._

_"Hanzo-sama?" the Jonin hold Konan hesitated._

_"His hand held the knife that killed his friend," Hanzo explained, "making him ultimately responsible. And so I must honor my bargain."_

* * *

"Nagato couldn't take it any more. Before we knew what was happening, two of Hanzo's men were dead, crushed where they stood. He charged forward, enraged, and Hanzo was able to avoid him, but Nagato quickly killed the last three Jonin who had slaughtered our friends. I think their surprise cost them as much as his rage, but in the end it didn't matter. Nagato turned and went after Hanzo. But even berserk and intuitively using his Rinnegan, Nagato was not able to overcome Hanzo. The fight lasted a few minutes, and Nagato pulled out every jutsu he knew, but in the end, Hanzo was too powerful, too experienced."

"He was able to fight the three of us to a draw," Tsunade noted.

"And that was what saved us. Hanzo recognized Jiraiya-sensei's fighting style from Nagato, and after he had Nagato at his mercy, he decided it was amusing we were the students of Jiraiya-sensei. He said as much, and then reiterated his decision to let us live. And then he was gone, leaving the two of us alone."

"Nagato crawled over to Yahiko's body, his spent rage replaced by despair. Then he was instinctively drew on his Rinnegan again. He broke off a portion of hid mind, soul, and life force, and poured them into Yahiko's body, bringing him back after a fashion."

"Pein," Naruto snarled in spite of himself.

"Yes," Konan was not upset, understanding his anger and distaste, "Yahiko became Nagato's Deva Path. At the time we didn't understand what was happening. We were relieved, confused, and mostly frightened, both of Nagato's power and of Hanzo. So, after we buried our friends, we left our village and marched west. We skirted the borders between countries until we reached our new goal. The Land of Forests was neutral, and didn't have a Hidden Village, so we hoped we would be safe there. Despite our desire to avoid any more shinobi entanglements, that was where we met Gouki-sensei."

"Gouki-sensei had heard of us from Orochimaru, who in turn had heard from Jiraiya-sensei. We tried to avoid him, but he was intrigued; he wanted to know what had drawn Jiraiya-sensei to us, and continued to follow us. We came to realize that, like Hanzo, Gouki-sensei had skills and experience far outstripping our own, and that if he wanted to hurt or control us, he could have. So we started to trust him, and told him how we had come to flee to the Forest country. He commiserated, and offered to bring our skills up to Jonin level, and help Nagato understand his Paths of Pein. Nagato saw his chance for revenge against Hanzo, and we agreed."

"Gouki-sensei helped Nagato change what he had done to Yahiko into a formal ninjutsu, albeit one that required the Rinnegan. To test his new power, Nagato and Gouki-sensei tracked down a renegade Hidden Mines Jonin, and remade him as the second Path of Pein. That was Pein's original Naraka Path, the one the Takamichis killed last year."

"Four years after we met Gouki-sensei, Pein's Deva and Naraka Paths snuck into the Hidden Rain Village. They made it to Hanzo's manor uninterrupted, and engaged him in battle. Nagato has never really told me what happened, but I know his two Paths were able to kill Hanzo. Afterwords, Deva Pein took Hanzo's Rain shield, carved a line through it, and began to wear it as his own."

"That is what brought us to Madara's attention. He offered us a position in the group he was forming. Gouki-sensei asked us to accept Madara's offer, to keep an eye on the first Uchiha and discover what he had planned. Madara asked Pein to be the official leader of the group, and suggested we call the group the Akatsuki, as Yahiko had. Neither of us was ever fond of the name, but we didn't want Madara to pervert it either. In the end, we agreed, if only to prevent Madara from being suspicious. That is how the Akatsuki came to be formed."

"That is our story, or at least the abridged version. And why I want to save Nagato, no matter what it costs me."

"So, the long and short of it is, Nagato is the most important thing to you," Kakashi concluded when Konan paused for breath, and looked uncertain as to how to continue.

"Yes, I would do anything for him. Anything, except leave him or let him die."

Tsunade met Hinata's eyes, and the younger woman's nod was almost imperceptible. The last Sannin took a deep breath, and thought about it. She trusted the Hyuga heiress, but also feared the teen might have identified with Konan during the story. But her own instincts and training also told the Hokage that the origami kunoichi was sincere in her goals and her justifications. Finally she nodded.

"Alright. We have a deal," Tsunade told the defector, "how do you want to seal it? Blood Oaths?"

"No," Konan answered, "I think a Witnessed Contract Jutsu would be better."

Tsunade's eyes widened. Unlike the Blood Oath, the Witnessed Contract did not personally hold its signatories to their promise. Instead it linked the oath to one or more witnesses, who in turn would know instantly if anyone who took part in the contract broke their word. Given the only witnesses around were the Leaf ninjas, the defector was essentially placing her trust fully in them. Even if Tsunade betrayed Konan, it was unlikely any of the witnesses would hold her accountable.

"If that is okay with you," the Sannin shrugged, trying to look nonchalant. But inside she was debating if Konan was up to something, or if the other woman was truly so afraid she was willing to continual put herself at a disadvantage to secure the Leaf's aid.

"Will these four be acceptable as witnesses?" Tsunade asked.

"Yes, the only witness I would have asked for is already here," Konan turned her head slightly, and her eyes drifted towards Naruto.

"Kakashi, can you set up the seal?" the Hokage requested, before turning her attention to the three teenage ninjas, "And are the three of you familiar with the technique for witnessing the contract?"

The Copy Ninja nodded, as did the pale beauty. Naruto frowned in thought, wracking his brain before finally shaking his head 'no'. Shikamaru's expression turned dark, and he addressed their leader directly.

"If it's all the same to you, I'd rather not," the lazy genius told the Sannin.

"Oh, really?" Tsunade was annoyed but not surprised.

"Yeah, having an extra alarm clock in my head, one that I never know when it's gonna go off? Not my idea of a good time."

"Too bad," the last Sannin grinned threateningly at the Chunin. He knew the expression well, and shrugged in defeat.

"Good," Tsunade smirked in triumph.

Kakashi set out the fuinjutsu while Hinata quietly explained to Naruto about the process and effects of witnessing the jutsu. After some discussion about the wording of the contract, Tsunade swore to rescue Nagato, turn her medical expertise towards restoring his health, and to allow he and Konan to live in the Leaf under her protection, after they were decommissioned. And Konan promised to reveal everything she knew about Gouki, his followers, and his plans, without let or reservation.

"Great," Tsunade nodded once the jutsu circle faded, "I'm sure we'll have lots of questions over the next few weeks, but for starters, tell me all about the Shozokus..."

* * *

**Preview:**

[background scene of the the four 'good' Kages.]

Naruto [determined]: Okay, now that we got all this new info...

[background scene of Konan with Tsunade, Naruto, Hinata, Kakashi, and Shikamaru, in muted color.]

Naruto [grimly]: ...especially with what Konan told us about the Shozokus...

[background scene switching between Team Kakashi, Team Anko, and Team Gai, all ready to pounce.]

Naruto [brashly]: ...it's time to show my uncle what happens when you mess with us!

Naruto [announcer voice]: Next time on Naruto: A Growing Affection; **Chapter 134: Escalation**.

Naruto [falsetto, lecturing]: Embarrassing remarks are not allowed!


	134. Escalation

**Chapter 134: Escalation**

Gaara of the Sand, Mitsuru Jishin, and Yasuo Mizuno all stared at Tsunade, dumbfounded.

"Say that again?" the Tsuchikage demanded incredulously. The Leaf medic decided she had never seen the other female Kage display that much open emotion.

"Which part?" the Fire Shadow countered, "That Konan defected to the Konohagakure, or that we need to step up our timetable before it is too late?"

"Was that what she wanted, when she demanded to speak to you alone?" the Water Shadow asked evenly. Tsunade nodded once, her annoyance at their confusion growing.

"Why would she do that?" Gaara's expression returned to his normal mask, but there was a catch in his voice, "Why would she abandon Gouki and Pein? Everything in our intelligence reports indicates she would never betray them."

"This must be some sort of trap," the Earth Shadow decided.

"No," the last Sannin said certainly, "She is a woman desperate to save the man she loves, and we are the means for her to do it. Besides, the Contract we entered into guarantees if she tries to lie to us or betray us, we will know instantly."

The other Shadows watch her, but finally Yasuo nodded his acceptance. At roughly the same time, Gaara relaxed. But Mitsuru remained uncertain.

"We will need to discuss this more later," the elder kunoichi stated, "But in the mean time, perhaps you should tell us what has you so agitated."

Tsunade nodded, and began to relay Konan's knowledge.

* * *

_"Shozokus are Gouki-sensei's replacement for ninjas," Konan started answering answering Tsunade's question in the broadest possible strokes. But her statement set off Naruto._

_"Replacement for ninjas?" Uzumaki demanded, "What does that mean?"_

_"Shinobi wield incredible power, both individually and as a social-political class," she explained, "Many people believe that the civilian Daimyos are only allowed to rule at our discretion, and there is some truth to that. Most common people either worship us as demi-gods or fear us as demons. Shozokus are designed to change all that, without losing the necessary roles shinobi play in modern life."_

_"How so?" Kakashi prompted curiously._

_"Shozokus are anonymous," Konan answered, "Only their color-ranking gives an indication of their individual skill level. They have no personal honor or glory and cannot be requested individually for missions. But more importantly, each Shozoku swears a Blood Oath to follow a set a strictures. They deal with what a Shozoku is and is not allowed to do. The first says that a Shozoku is not allowed to kill a civilian, or allow a civilian to die when the Shozoku can reasonably save that person. The second deals with a Shozoku's anonymity, who is allowed to know, and when, and why. Most of the rest deal with other crimes a Shozoku is not allowed to commit; theft, rape, arson, kidnapping, vandalism, etc."_

_"That sounds to good to be true," Tsunade caught the shadowing in the younger woman's eyes, and subtly directed the path of the revelation._

_"There are... caveats," Konan admitted, "The strictures do not apply to the goal of a mission. A Shozoku can still be ordered to kidnap or kill a civilian. And none of those rules, except for concealment of identity, apply to anyone legitimately identified as a ninja. Shozokus are free to steal from us, kill us, or anything else we could do to them."_

_"But the last two loopholes are the most worrying," the defector took a breath, "A Shozoku can break the strictures if it is absolutely necessary to complete his or her mission. But at least that exception has an exception, if the Shozoku's superior judges he or she could have completed the mission without breaking the rules, or by breaking a less important rule, the Shozoku's Blood Oath will kick in and he or she will die."_

_"And finally, any order from Gouki-sensei counts as a mission and overrides the strictures for as long as it applies," Konan told them, "and while I trust Gouki-sensei more than anyone except Nagato, I can't help but be worried by that..."_

_"Okay," Tsunade plowed ahead after the Leaf ninjas to a moment to assimilate the information, "That covers the 'why'. Let's talk about the 'how'. As in, how do these known, third-rate bandits jump to Genin, Chunin, or in some cases even Jonin level of skill in a matter of months?"_

_"Madara Uchiha, and his Susano-o," Konan stated bitterly, "I'm guessing you all know at least the basics of Susano-o; that it is an upgraded version of Tsukuyomi, and that instead of lasting a few seconds, Susano-o is permanent, trapping the target in whatever hell, or in a few rare cases heaven, Madara designates, for the rest of their life. Which tends to be a matter of days, as the victim cannot eat or drink on their own..."_

_The others nodded their understanding, and she continued, "Gouki-sensei hypothesized that Madara had the power to remove the effect of Susano-o from his victims, and the Madara could program the genjutsu to show any sort of illusion. And Madara confirmed that both theories were correct. So Gouki-sensei instructed Madara to design an illusion of ninja training, and place the various unskilled mercenaries in that version of Susano-o."_

_"In that illusion, each second in the real world is one day in the mind," Kakashi's visible eye widened as he considered the implications._

_"Each Shozoku remains in Susano-o for three hours," Konan nodded, "which equates to just under thirty years of intensive training. Not everyone's mind reacts the same way to the training, which is part of the reason for the different ranks of the Shozokus. And Madara only has enough chakra to train ten to twelve Shozokus like that each day."_

_"But being a ninja isn't just about knowing jutsu and stuff," Naruto protested, "you have to be in good shape, and work out your chakra supply. No illusion is gonna do that!"_

_"Most of the Shozokus are in fairly good physical shape to begin with," Konan noted, "And after leaving Susano-o, they are put through an intensive two-week training and testing period. They are giving various drugs and herbs, and worked rigorously to bring their physical and spiritual abilities into line with their mental skills. That is also when they are evaluated for their new rank."_

_"Still, the strain that must have put on their brains..." Shikamaru shook his head dubiously._

_"Initially, the training was too intense, and many of the subjects' minds simply collapsed when Susano-o was removed. But Gouki-sensei helped Madara fine tune the genjutsu, and there is now a ninety-two percent survival rate. And Gouki-sensei had almost two thousand bandits and renegades lined up for the conversion. So far, almost eight hundred have had the training, and seven-hundred forty have survived." _

_"That explains the bandits," Tsunade nodded darkly, "but we've also found an increasing number of shinobi in good standing of the villages Gouki conquered amongst the Shozokus. Are you..."_

_"As I said, Shozokus are to replace ninjas in Gouki-sensei's new world," Konan interrupted, "Ninjas in the villages he takes over are given a choice, to become a Shozoku, to be decommissioned, or to be executed. At first we were not pressing the issue, giving them time to consider. But as the war has ramped up, we have been putting more pressure on them to convert. And most have been taking the offer..."_

* * *

"So, between shinobi swearing Blood Oaths to follow Gouki and his rules," Tsunade concluded, "and Madara turning the cannon-fodder into pseudo-ninjas, Namikaze's forces are getting larger by the day. We can't afford to delay. We need to retake the Grass, Rain, and Waterfall villages, while there is still something to liberate."

"In that case, I have a suggestion," Mitsuru rumbled, "I feel the Snow ninjas should join our siege of the Amegakure. The Rain village may well be the toughest nut to crack, and I believe we may be able to use the Snow ninjas' practical experience with Hyoton techniques to cross the river."

The other Shadows all nodded, understanding that if they could overcome the natural defense, that section of the wall would probably be the least defended. Or, if nothing else, they could force Pein to split the Rain's defenses onto three quadrants, instead of two.

"The Sand will provide the primary hammer to strike the Grass village," Yasuo noted their previous discussion on the map, "And with Leaf contingent acting as the anvil. My people will attack the Waterfall country from the north, and the Leaf will hit them from the south. All four great villages will each provide a small force to reinforce the Sound village. And finally, the units from the Star village will move into the Land of Forests to observe and harass any troops leaving the Land of Lightning through the Land of Silver, now that the Mines village has surrendered."

"I still cannot believe the Mines Village eroded so easily," the Tsuchikage shook her head, "It gives earth aligned nations a bad name."

"Gouki cares nothing for their riches," Gaara stated, "He only wants the Land of Silver so he does not have to send troops across the seas. The Mines village was not ready to fight an opponent willing to collapse their mountains on top of them, and set the mining back years, if not decades."

"Based on what I saw last year, I wonder if they've grown too comfortable and lost some of their past strength," Tsunade suggested.

"Does anyone have any objections or suggestions to the plan?" the Mizukage turned the conversation back to business.

"No," the Hokage shook her head, "I'm good with what we have."

"As am I," the Wind Shadow agreed.

"Then, if speed is really as much of an issue as Tsunade's new intelligence suggests, we should not delay any longer," the Avalanche of the Hidden Stone stood even as she made the recommendation. The others nodded and left their chairs as well. As she prepared to leave the Conclave's chamber, Tsunade spared a quick glance for the Lightning Shadow's door, now sealed from both sides.

* * *

"Temari-sama," Matsuri bowed deeply to the older kunoichi. The fan wielder shook her head in mock dismay.

"Matsuri-chan, how do you expect to date my brother if you cannot address me less formally?" the blonde woman demanded in affectionate mock anger. The younger woman turned red, partly from the admonishment but mostly from the acknowledgment of her still unfulfilled goal.

"My apologies, Temari... san..."

"It's a start," the 'hostage' to the Leaf interjected.

"Where are the others?" the Sand Chunin plowed ahead, "I thought you were accompanying the Leaf Village strike force."

"They're right here," Temari grinned, and the other shinobi ceased to blend in with the tall grasses, becoming visible to the younger woman.

"But there are only eight of them?" Gaara's student turned stalker announced in surprise.

"Quality over quantity," Ino sniffed imperiously. Choji and Hinata both nodded.

"Though in this case, we didn't really sacrifice either," Iruka noted, inclining his head towards Naruto. Anko and Shikamaru both smirked in their respective fashions.

"What do you mean?" Matsuri looked at her beloved Kazekage's savior suspiciously.

"The knucklehead has a new idea to increase his battlefield presence," Sakura noted in disgust, "Which is why Lady Tsunade made sure both Ino and I were here to keep him patched up."

"You'd think she didn't trust Hinata," Naruto sounded annoyed.

"I'm not happy about this either, Naruto," Hinata insisted softly.

"You're the only one I can count on to help me with this," the fox-faced youth told his lover sincerely, taking her hand. She sighed and lowered her head in defeat, knowing he would still try it without her, and believing she could make it easier on him.

"What are they talking about?" the Sand girl looked bewildered, but also blushed slightly at Naruto and Hinata's open affection.

"You'll see soon enough," Temari shook her head, barely believing what she had been told.

* * *

"Are you ready for this, Neji?" Tenten could not keep the worry from her voice, remembering what had happened the last time they were here. The giant waterfall loomed before the nearly four score Leaf shinobi, and they were only waiting for the signal that the Mist ninjas were in place. The four members of Team Gai were positioned at the end of the front line, holding position just beyond the edge of the forest at the bottom of the cliff that produced the natural water feature.

"Yes," the Hyuga Jonin nodded, remembering the grey masked warriors who had ambushed him, "I am looking forward to it."

* * *

"And finally," the grey Shozoku glanced at the last page of his report, "We have news of seventy additional shinobi leaving the Land of Water, heading for the Land of Snow. Though the analysts believe there is a slight chance they mean to invade, the general consensus is that they intend to reinforce the Land of Snow while also using it as a staging point. But there is no agreement on where they might attack."

Pein's Naraka Path nodded in acknowledgment, while Madara sighed in boredom. Kohaku pursed her lips in thought and began to study the map again. The two other captains listened carefully, but remained silently, knowing better than to speak unless addressed, particularly with their 'teacher' present. Their leader's wife was like to mock them mercilessly if they offered unasked for opinions, but the first Uchiha would simply drop them with Tsukuyomi. And Gouki started to ask a question, when his cellular rang. He frowned at the interruption, and his expression further darkened when he saw who was calling him. He raised his hand to excuse himself and stepped away from the table.

"Are you sure?" he hissed almost a minute later, and his generals went from surreptitiously watching him, to openly staring. But the captains continued to play ignorant.

"Of course," Gouki said more evenly after a few more moments, "Please keep me informed as soon as you find out more."

He snapped his phone shut, and turned back to his warriors.

"Leave," he told the captains. Despite his face and voice suggesting at most mild annoyance, he radiated a killer intent that sent the grey Shozokus scrambling. As soon as they were alone, he spoke to his generals.

"That was my man in the Konohagakure," the Raikage said flatly, "He informs me that Konan has surrendered to the Hokage. He is not privy to their discussion, but immediately afterwards, Tsunade-sensei informed the Leaf Jonin council that Konan had claimed asylum and was under her personal protection. And then she dragged the Mizukage into a meeting with other two Shadows."

Madara barked a triumphant laugh and smirked knowingly at the single-eyed Pein. The Naraka Path jumped up, glared at the Sharingan user for a moment, and the swung his face back to Namikaze with an almost desperate expression.

"Gouki-sama, I don't know anything about this," he insisted. Gouki frowned again, recalling that Konan had been the one to insist that, when Madara was present, she and Nagato refer to their second teacher as 'sama' instead of 'sensei'. She wanted to keep reinforcing for Uchiha who was in charge. After his moment of reflection, Gouki shook his head and sighed.

"I know you did not, Pein," the Raikage agreed, "But this..."

"Gentlemen, would you please leave me alone with my husband?" Kohaku asked forcefully. Madara shrugged, and strode out, and Pein nodded gratefully before leaving.

"How could she do this?" Gouki wilted slightly the moment they were alone, "This puts everything we have worked for at risk."

"There is something Konan wants more than our peaceful world," she told him, wrapping an arm around him.

"What? If there's something she wanted, why did she not just ask me?" he demanded.

"She did," Kohaku explained, "You told her you needed him more, and you could handle keeping him alive. It appears she didn't believe you."

"Nagato?" Gouki looked stunned.

"Gouki, if you were put in a position, where the only way you could achieve our dream was to sacrifice me, would you? And before you say it, I mean the _only_ way. You had tried everything else, and the very last option was something only I could do, due to my... special nature."

He knew that she referred to the Six-Tails Chameleon she carried. He looked deep into her currently amber eyes. Then his blue orbs fell, and he turned away from her.

"It's alright," she consoled him, "I know you well enough to know your answer, and I do love you. That you even took a moment to consider it was more than I hoped for. But Konan is not wired the same way, and neither am I. I might sacrifice anything else for your ideal world, any of our friends and allies, and even myself. But I could never give up you. That is how Konan feels about Nagato."

Then she tilted her head curiously, and pondered, "Although, I'm not sure what Nagato would say, if we asked him that..."

"But Nagato can survive his original body's death via the Paths of Pein," he protested angrily, "And Konan knows that."

"Have I been that bad of an influence on you?" the shapeshifter asked sadly, "The Paths are not just Nagato with a different face. Certainly not to Konan."

"I..." Gouki started to argue again, and then hung his head in defeat, "I let myself get too caught up in the war, and forgot about my apprentices' feelings. I need to contact her, and apologize. Before she does anything to jeopardize our goals."

"Apologizing won't be enough," she explained again, "Can you give up Pein? If that is what it will take to get Konan back?"

"We can make a deal," Namikaze suggested, "If she can wait another month or two, we can have Madara focus on converting the most skilled of the former bandits and the Genin from the Cloud village. That should give us enough captains and lieutenants to implement some traditional training, and we won't need to rely solely on Madara. Then, if we can cement our hold on the small nations, I can probably let Nagato put the Paths into a standby rotation, one or two at a time. I was planning to give Pein a reprieve within a similar time frame, and Nagato can definitely survive that long."

"You helped create Pein," she reminded him of the point he had used against Konan, "and you apprenticed with the greatest living medical ninja. How long before the strain on Nagato begins to result in permanent damage?"

"Two weeks," Gouki admitted mechanically, "Perhaps three, with intravenous feeding and more frequent medical jutsu. But after that, nerve degradation will start to set in..."

His voice became stern again, "But he can survive that. Within the time frame I propose, the damage should be limited to a mild to moderate degradation of Nagato's main body's senses of touch, taste, and smell."

"There is surviving, and there is living," she insisted, "I would not be pleased if you could no longer take pleasure at my touch."

"I know," he agreed softly, "but it is what we need to do to wins this war. Especially with our enemies becoming more organized, and with the remaining neutral villages starting to reconsider. I need Pein."

"And you are willing to risk his life to win this?"

"Yes," the Raikage said without hesitation.

"Then you must give up on Konan," she placed her forehead against his, and noted, "But then, you already knew that. You knew this might happen after she came to you about Nagato's health for the third time."

"It still helps to talk it out with you, my love," he smiled sadly at her, "And I want you to know, I would never choose to sacrifice you, or Nagato or Konan, unless I could see no other way."

"I know," she hugged him tighter, happy for the mostly true platitude.

* * *

"So Konan betrayed us," Madara could not resist the jab.

"She must have a good reason," the Naraka path countered.

"What could be more important than this secret dream the four of you share?" Uchiha twisted the dagger, "After all, the rest of use serve for power, money, knowledge, revenge, or whatever else Gouki has swore to give us. But I thought you and the paper bi...binder were genuinely loyal to 'Gouki-sama'..."

Nagato's fragment turned an walked away. But as he retreated from the verbal battle, his seven parts all considered Madara's words.

'What could make Konan betray our dream?' he asked himself.

* * *

**Preview:**

[background scene of the the Leaf ninjas, Temari, and Matsuri in a field of tall grass.]

Naruto [confidently]: Alright, time to take back the Grass Village.

[background scene of Naruto and Konan.]

Naruto [confused]: But why didn't Konan want to see me before I left?

[background scene switching between Anko and Baki, watching the Grass Village.]

Naruto [recovering]: Okay, here we go.

Naruto [announcer voice]: Next time on Naruto: A Growing Affection; **Chapter 135: The Grass-cutting Blade**.

Naruto [growling]: I'm the best there is at what I do, and what I do isn't very nice.


	135. The Grasscutting Blades

**Chapter 135: The Grass-cutting Blades**

"Shadow Possession Jutsu," Shikamaru's art grabbed the Hidden Grass Genin and held him fast. The young teen's eyes widened when Sakura walked up to him. The lazy genius released his victim an instant before the powerful medic flicked their enemy's forehead with a single, lightning chakra wrapped finger. The Grass ninja's eyes rolled back into head as he bounced away from the powerhouse kunoichi. And even if he had remained conscious, he would have been rendered immobile by the Ranshinsho. The Leaf warriors quickly tied him up, and then looked around.

Ino and Naruto had taken down the second scout in a similar manner. Ino kept their target just as immobile with her Mind Transfer, though Naruto's Ranshinsho knife hand had been less clean and was already showing a large bruise on the Grass Chunin's neck.

Hinata stopped the last opponent solo, using her Eight Trigrams Thirty-Two Volts to disable the younger woman without knocking her out.

"Nice," Anko complimented them simply as she and the remaining Sand and Leaf ninjas rejoined their comrades. Naruto and Sakura placed their respective marks back to back, and Hinata leaned the conscious yet immobile Grass shinobi against her comatose friends, facing the invaders.

"Now, let's talk," Anko smirked darkly, leaning down so she was face to face with the unfortunate lookout.

* * *

_"You're sure about this, Lady Tsunade?" Anko prompted, eying her staff-blade apprentice dubiously. Naruto just grinned back._

_"More or less," the Hokage shrugged, "I've seen the three of them try it, and it works fairly well. With Ino helping Sakura on the medical side, it should be safer. And it does free up a big chunk of our forces for the Waterfall, the Sound, and to stay here on defense."_

_"But it's Anko's call, knucklehead," the Sannin instructed Naruto sharply, "If she tells you to pull the plug, you do it. And this doesn't mean you have free reign to run around using this jutsu, either. If I hear about you using it without my express permission, I'll have it sealed in your mind and I'll bust you, your teammates, and anyone else who helped you back to Genin. Do I make myself clear?"_

_"Fine, I get it, Gramma Tsunade," he agreed sourly, to Hinata's relief._

_"Good," the Hokage seemed mollified as well, "Now, a few points about this mission. We are trying to liberate the Hidden Grass Village, so as much as you can, avoid killing any Grass shinobi you encounter. Shozokus are fair game, since we can't reliably confirm their origins, they are sworn to Gouki, and the Oath kill them if anyone finds their identities anyway. But we want to leave Ayameko with as many people as we can, so they have enough ninjas to at least start to defend themselves, in case Gouki attacks them again before this war is done."_

_"And speaking of Ayameko," Tsunade remembered, "There is a good chance she will be leading the remains of the Grass loyals from the Land of Greens to make it a three pronged attack. I can't guarantee it, she was still trying to convince her uncle. But if she does, her people will cut a diagonal line through their shields, not unlike what the Akatsuki did, so our people and the Sand ninjas can tell which Grass ninjas are on our side."_

_"Finally," the Hokage frowned at them sternly, "Our primary target is the man called 'Leader', who also happens to be Pein's Preta Path. Killing him will help us in a number of ways, it will cut off their direct and immediate contact with Gouki, it might allow the Grass loyals still hiding in the village to take command, and it will be a step towards fulfilling our contract with Konan. Speaking of which, our guest has asked to speak with you before you go, Naruto."_

_"Huh?" he grunted in surprise, "Okay, I'll stop by her place."_

* * *

The partial legion Shozokus skirted the edge of the Land of Waterfalls, carefully avoiding the Leaf sentries. They were not as stealthy as Kohaku would have liked; more then half of them were the retrained bandits instead of converted shinobi. And Gouki had designed their Susano-o training around combat rather than stealth. Though the Six-Tails Jinchuriki knew that her husband had multiple, practical reasons for the choice, it made it harder to rush reinforcements to where they were needed, without being detected. The shapeshifter was forced to deploy some of the former Cloud ninjas in a loose border formation around the main body of her forces, to make sure they were not discovered.

* * *

'And on top of that, now I'm going back to _that_ place,' Kohaku sighed as she thought that, and her action that didn't escape the lieutenant behind her.

"Is something amiss, general?" the red-masked warrior asked formally.

"Nothing important," she explained, not wanting to worry him, "I just could have gone the rest of my life without seeing the Village Hidden in the Grass again."

* * *

_The defector had been set up in the suddenly vacant condo directly above Naruto's home. Uzumaki knocked on her door hurriedly, only having an hour before the two teams and the Sand ambassador were scheduled to leave. Konan answered the door in a t-shirt and loose pants, having agreed it was better that she forgo any ninja equipment. _

_"Naruto-kun, thank you for coming," she bowed her head slightly._

_"No problem, Konan-san," he forced himself to remember to add the honorific to her name, even though he did not normally use the polite postscripts. His statement came out more smoothly than he felt. The defector stirred conflicting emotions in the teen, pity for what she and Nagato had been through, camaraderie for a fellow student of Jiraiya, and suspicion for an informant who seemed too good to be true._

_"Would you like to come in?" she offered, apprehensively._

_"Sorry, but I don't have a lot of time," he said candidly._

_"Of course not," she nodded, "You are going to the Grass Village. The 'Leader' there was suggested by Kohaku as being suitable to be Pein's Preta path, and also useful to our overall goals. Madara learned who Pein's Preta Path was, and tried to make use of the Grass for the Akatsuki's plans. The Preta Path, as fitting the Hungry Ghost Realm, can steal chakra from Pein's enemies, not unlike Gouki-sensei's Syphon..."_

_"Konan," he interrupted her, and the kunoichi realized she was babbling, "Why did you want me to come here?"_

_"I am sorry, Naruto-kun," she bowed again, "I know you have to kill 'Leader' if you fight him, and I want you to. The more of Pein's Paths that your people kill, the better it will be for Nagato, and it will make things easier for everyone in the long run. But I was hoping before you kill him, you could deliver a message to Nagato for me."_

_"You want me to deliver a message to him?" he prompted in surprise, and she nodded, "Why me?"_

_"Because you seem to have a talent for getting through to people," she told him, "So if anyone can convince Nagato, make him listen, it is you."_

_"Alright," he nodded his understanding, "What do you want me to tell him?"_

* * *

"I understand," the Grass scout whispered in relief, after Anko was finished with her. The Leaf ninjas untied her still unconscious teammates, and left them behind. The ten ninjas continued forward at Shikamaru's best speed, though Matsuri seemed to tire out more quickly than the slower Chunin. After just over an hour later, and with no other encounters, they reached their staging area.

"Alright, now we wait for the signal," Iruka instructed them.

"You four, get ready for your show," Anko instructed Naruto, Hinata, Sakura, and Ino. Naruto nodded, and unzipped his jacket. He handed it to her fiancé, and than gave her his armored undershirt as well. Matsuri blushed as she looked at his lean, strong chest, even more so than Hinata.

"Why is Naruto-san disrobing?" she whispered fiercely to Temari. The older woman only smirked at her junior. Sakura and Ino both palmed some sort of pills, though the Sand Chunin could not see what they were.

"So Hinata doesn't ruin his uniform too early," Temari noted evasively, with a sly grin.

* * *

Baki lifted the binoculars to his face, and surveyed the disposition of the troops under his command. The one eyed Sand Jonin reflected, not for the first time, that a spy-glass would have been easier, but he still carried the double lenses because it was more useful for when he lent them to other people. All of the Land of Air ninjas were in place, two lines of thirty-six shinobi each, secreted among the fields on the south-west side of the Kusagakure.

The Grass Village was not the most heavily fortified, but based on the intelligence the Leaf Village had provided, its defenders outnumbered the Sand attackers by more than four to one. Even if the Hokage had sent the same number of men as the Kazekage, the allies would still be at a massive disadvantage. But Kayo and her few loyalists agents were planning to sow some chaos in the ranks of the Shozokus and the traitors to the Grass Daimyo.

Baki knew the Kages were hedging their bets on two long shots. They expected Ayameko to convince the exiled ruler to send his remaining shinobi and samurais to strike the northern flank; helping to even out the numbers, and giving the allies strategic advantage through their native knowledge of the village, its unconverted warriors, and its defenses. Gaara had also informed his teacher that the Conclave was hoping some of the Grass ninjas submitting the 'Leader' out of fear would switch sides. But if neither of those gambles paid off, the allied forces were looking at a long, difficult fight.

"The attack will commence in thirty minutes," he told his lieutenants. The two younger Jonin and one Tokujo left to spread the word, and he noticed the anxiety on their faces. He wished the Kazekage could have been there to reassure them. But the leaders of the great villages were remaining at home, both for defense, and to use the Conclave's meeting place to relay messages.

* * *

A flare went off to the south.

"There's the signal," Anko said grimly, and then nodded at the quartet. Naruto placed the food pill in his mouth, and Ino and Sakura stepped up on either side of him, additional pills at the ready. Then a second blazing light shot into the sky to the north of the Grass Village.

"They did make it," Iruka said with relief, and Temari and Shikamaru both nodded. Matsuri and Choji continued to watch Naruto and company.

Hinata took position opposite her three friends, and Ino shudder in fear.

"Don't worry, Ino-pig," Sakura smirked, "Hinata isn't going to skewer you."

The blonde medic glared at her rival silently, but stopped shaking, calmed by her comrade's confidence. A seal formed around Hinata's feet, and spread slowly towards her fiancé and the healers.

"Byakugan Art: Protection of the Eight Trigrams Thirty-Two Palms," she announced once the circle was complete, and her arms snapped forward, aimed for Naruto's chest. As he bit down on the chakra supplement, she weaved her palms in a careful pattern, carving into Uzumaki's arms and torso. None of the wounds were deep or vital, but they all bled profusely. As predicted, though the threads of sharpened chakra came perilously close to Tsunade's apprentices, neither Sakura nor Ino was cut.

Finally, Hinata ceased her attack, and while Naruto continued to pull his chakra away from his skin, slowing his regeneration, Ino and Sakura both stepped forward. Each stuffed a plasma pill in his mouth, and then placed a hand on one of his shoulders. The healers each sent a jutsu into Naruto's body to increase the reaction rate of the blood restoratives. As a result, Naruto's blood began to flow even more heavily. It was then that the Sand Chunin notice the red liquid was not seeping down onto Naruto's pants, but was instead clinging to his upper body. The former Jinchuriki started to pant, and Sakura fed him another food tablet while Ino gave him another plasma pill. The other shinobi could now see his silver chakra around his body, and Matsuri frowned in doubt.

"What are they doing?" she demanded softly of her senior, "Taking food pills like that is dangerous, and it looks like they are trying to make him bleed to death. Shouldn't he be healing those cuts, anyway?"

"Watch," Temari told her with anticipation, as Naruto placed his hands together.

His chakra began to glow brighter as he sped its motion through his body, and bonded it to his blood.

"Ninja Art: Multi Blood Clone Jutsu!" he roared. The mass of blood around him, almost as much as his body normally held, shot away from the fox-faced youth in small spheres. Silver chakra exploded out from each red ball, taking on his shape. An instant later, fifty additional versions of Naruto stood in the field. The original Uzumaki collapsed to one knee, and Hinata rushed over with his clothing, and Sakura forced him to take another plasma pill. As the pale beauty helped him into his undershirt, the medics applied their healing arts, supplementing his now unleashed regeneration.

While the three kunoichi worked to get the real Naruto back on his feet, Temari, Iruka, and the remainder of team Anko distributed food pills to the Blood Clones, three each. Each duplicate took one supplement immediately.

"What do you think?" Temari returned to the flabbergasted Matsuri, "This is the hammer that will strike the Grass Village."

"Wait..." the younger woman found her voice, "I thought our people were going to be attacking, and the Leaf ninjas would hem them in."

"Last minute change of plans, just in case" Shikamaru told the brunette girl, with a hint of genuine anger under his blasé mask, "Besides, this way is safer all around. If a Blood Clone dies, it's no big loss. And Naruto's Blood Clones can make Shadow Clones, if they need to. So we have a huge, expendable army to throw at them. We'll stay here to back him up."

"Okay," the girl agreed in awe. But then she frowned as another though occurred to her, "But why give them food pills. They don't work for clones."

"That's not exactly true," Iruka joined them, "Food pills are much less effective for clones than they are for a real person. For example, each Blood Clone will only get a quarter of the chakra the real Naruto would have. So it is a waste. But the real reason Genin are told that they don't work, is because of the risk to your chakra network."

She considered that for a moment, and then nodded her understanding. Overloading tenketsu was always a danger with artificially restoring chakra. And this would magnify that potential. If the excess chakra from a dozen clones suddenly poured into him, it could injure Uzumaki, permanently reducing his chakra levels, or even rendering him unable to use some or all jutsu. Matsuri finally understood just what a huge risk Naruto was taking to protect his allies.

"Hey, Anko-sensei," seven duplicates called out, almost in unison, "When are we going to get moving?"

She smirked appreciatively, and raised her hand.

"Alright, mag... err Narutos," she shouted, "Team Hammer, ATTACK!"

Fifty identical roars filled the air, and the Blood Clone battalion charged forward, leaving the others behind.

"So, are we just going to stay and watch?" the Kazekage's student asked carefully, no longer presuming anything about the Leaf plans.

"For now," Temari answered.

"We have to give Naruto a little more time to recover," Hinata said firmly.

"Once the kid is back to what passes for normal," the snake summoner informed their guest, "And the battle is in full swing, we have our own part to play..."

* * *

**Preview:**

[background scene of Team Gai outside the Waterfall Village's namesake.]

Gai [loudly]: Alright, everybody ready?

[background scene of Kaede Mizuno and other Mist ninjas on a cliff.]

Gai [imperiously]: Our allies are in place. Time to rescue the Waterfall Village.

[background scene of Gai facing a familiar silhouette with a wide bladed sword.]

Gai [thoughtfully]: Wait, you look familiar...

Naruto [announcer voice]: Next time on Naruto: A Growing Affection; **Chapter 136: Swimming Upstream**.

Gai [emphatically]: Prepare to swoon before the Handsome Devil of the Leaf Village!

Naruto [annoyed]: Geez, Gai-sensei. I let you do the preview, and you don't even end it with a famous quote!

Gai [confidently]: But some day it will be famous, and then you _will _be thanking me!

Naruto [dismissively]: Yeah, right...


	136. Swimming Upstream

**Chapter 136: Swimming Upstream**

Kaede Mizuno edged up to the cliff. The rock face curved away under her, having been carved out by the lake that surrounded the legendary tree. She shivered as she looked down at the giant, chakra gathering oak, her goose bumps mostly but not entirely from the cold of the mountain top. The Face of the Mist was generally not afraid of heights, however her discomfort in the frigid air was slightly impairing her mental defenses. But then, the Land of Water did not have much in the way of mountains either, and they were very high up.

"I should have kept my winter gear," she commented to no one in particular.

"What was that, Kaede-sama?" a Mist shinobi with short cyan hair, thick black glasses and a two-handled sword prompted her.

"Just complaining," she shrugged, "I switched back to my regular uniform, since we were coming back to the continent."

She gestured at her clothing, which was thin, form fitting, and while more heavily armored than it appeared, also left decent expanses of her legs, arms, and chest exposed.

"I didn't expect to end up on a frozen bluff," she continued, "waiting to climb down into a huge tree. For that matter why are _we_ going into the tree, while the Leaf ninjas are swimming in through the flooded cave..."

"It was your f... the Mizukage's plan that we sail in and attack from the north," he tried to placate her.

"Don't handle me," she grimaced, "I know I'm whining. But I'm _cold_."

"Of course," he agreed carefully.

She sighed, and shook out her limbs, "Is everyone ready?"

"Attack teams are in place. Support teams are set up," he answered, "And there is no indication that we have been spotted. We can go at your command, Kaede-sama."

"No one has ever attacked the Waterfall village this way," she commented, "Before those renegades infiltrated five years ago, no one had ever been able to invade this village at all. And according the the people the Leaf ninjas rescued during the invasion, Bunjiro used Souhi to freeze the waterfall, so the Shozokus could climb it like stairs..."

The swordsman's eyes narrowed briefly at that, but he quickly returned to a neutral expression, hoping the Face of the Mist had not seen his lapse. She did not react, so he picked up the conversation thread.

"You are field commander of our forces," he prodded gently, "If you wish to call off the attack, you should do so before the Leaf ninjas launch their assault. It would not do to leave our allies in the lurch."

"No," she shook her head, "we can't let them have the Waterfall Village."

Kaede had been informed that the Waterfall ninjas were being forced to take the Shozoku oaths, to swear on their lives to follow Gouki and his rules, in that order. But there was another problem with this particular village.

* * *

_"One of the reasons Gouki-sensei captured the Waterfall Village first," Konan told her captors turned protectors, "is because of the Hero's Water."_

_"Why?" Naruto piped up incredulously, "That stuff's gone for the next hundred years or so, right? And it's really dangerous anyway."_

_"Sensei has chakra experts ready to examine the great tree," she answered, "He believes that if they study the properties of the tree, its soil, and area around the village, they might be able to speed up the process, or even create an artificial version of the water."_

_"And as for the danger," she grinned darkly, "Your friend Shibuki survived using the water with minimal side-effects. And Gouki-sensei believes they can find a way to make it safer. And if not, if the water can make a green Shozoku the equivalent of a Jonin, even briefly, then he feels it would be worth the potential sacrifice if it saves more lives in the long run." _

* * *

Kaede did not tell her second in command and self-appointed bodyguard the other intel her father had passed on to her.

"I'm just not equipped for this," she confided, "I'm a hunter, a dueler. This is... war."

"From everything I have heard, you did an excellent job in the Land of Snow," he reassured her, "and everyone here trusts you."

"Well that's a horrible thing to say," she joked, partially mollified, "I'm a Hunter-nin. They're supposed to be afraid of my job, but at the same time think that I'm just the Mizukage's pretty, narcissistic, unqualified daughter. If people start thinking I actually _earned_ the rank of Jonin, it could ruin my entire reputation."

"Would it help if I told everyone you were up here complaining you were cold, and asking me to run things?"

"No," she shook her head with a slight grin, "Maybe it is time to stop being seventeen."

He raised an eyebrow in surprise. Like most Mist shinobi, and more than a few ninjas from other countries, he knew that Kaede was older than her apparent seventeen years, and used a jutsu to arrest the aging process, at the cost of her overall lifespan. Most people assumed it was just vanity, but he knew it was more than that.

"Don't give me that," she said sharply, "I'm not talking about surrendering to nature. But if I let myself have a few more years, I'll be just as hot, if not hotter, and I'll get more respect. Kaede Mizuno, age twenty-one... That has a good ring to it."

"This is hardly the time to be making such decisions, " he advised, apparently unimpressed.

"We're going to war with the two strongest renegades our village has ever produced, and their horde of unflinchingly loyal fake ninjas," she snorted in amusement, "When better to make sweeping life choices?"

She took a breath and stood up straighter, flexing her chakra to throw off the cold, if only for a few moments.

"Send the messenger to Might Gai," she instructed her third and fourth in command, who had been hanging back just out of earshot.

"Tell him we are ready to attack."

Her third, a willowy kunoichi with a face too angular to be called beautiful, nodded. She signed quickly, and then a dragonfly the size of large robin appeared. She whispered to the insect, and it flew off.

* * *

"How much longer do we have to wait, Gai-sensei?" Lee cracked his knuckles.

"I know you are anxious, Lee," the bowl-cut Jonin managed to make even his soft whisper sound grandiose, "But the invasion is not scheduled to begin for another twenty-six minutes, forty-one seconds. And we need to give our friends from the Mist time to prepare their descent from the peak."

"But we are going to attack before they do," Lee argued.

"And if we attack to soon," Neji shook his head at his teammate's lack of composure, even if deep down he shared the impatience, "the Mist ninjas will not be able to move in during the initial chaos. Or worse, if they are too far behind, instead of a pincer attack, each of our forces will face separate one-sided battles."

"Just relax, Lee," Tenten advised, "we will go as soon as they are in place."

Gai glanced back at the next team in the line. Ebisu was fidgeting, but his three students looked defiantly calm. The mission commander could not remember any of the teens' names, though for some reason he thought he should. But Gai did recall that two of them had been promoted at the last Chunin exam, however he was unsure which ones.

His attempt to drag their names out of his brain was interrupted when a large dragonfly buzzed past his head and landed on his shoulder.

"Might Gai," the summoned animal whispered into his ear, "I have been instructed to tell you that our forces our in place, and ready to attack at the agreed upon event."

"My thanks, good bug," the Jonin answered confidently, "Please let your master or mistress know that the message has been received."

The arthropod nodded, and then vanished in a puff of chakra.

"Let's go," he instructed loudly, and before he had finished the statement, Lee was out into open ground, with Neji close behind. Tenten rolled her eyes, but was smiling as she did it. She darted after the boys, leaving their teacher to make sure the message was passed down the line. Ebisu nodded broadly, and his student were also already moving. Gai saluted and moved to catch up to his charges.

* * *

The alarm blared and lights flashed as Rock Lee heedlessly broke the plane of chakra warding the cave entrance. The four Shozokus guarding the cavern leaped up immediately, but the sole Waterfall ninja in their midst was slower to move. The thirty-something Chunin was not there by choice, but as none of his converted former comrades were available, he was given the task to escort Gouki's men through the underwater passage. While he had no desire to turn traitor or become one of the anonymous warriors, he also did not want to give up his abilities, so he was stalling. Though what he was hoping to gain by delaying, he could not have said. Until the instant the the alarm went off. Then he half stood, before rolling back and kicking out the closest Shozoku's knee.

Lee entered the cave with a kunai in each hand, and he launched both at the blue Shozoku closest to the mouth of the tunnel. He continued forward into the modest space. The masked soldier deflected the first throwing knife, but the second buried itself deep in the right side of his chest, between his bottom two ribs. He coughed, and a haze of red exited his lips, however he ignored the potentially lethal wound and reached for his gladius. Before he could draw the blade, Lee was on him, grabbing his wrist to keep the sword in its sheath.

"Leaf Drill," Lee hopped and brought his left foot down on the sergeant's neck in a diagonal axe kick. Then he used the momentum, releasing the Shozoku's wrist and rotating his whole body so he could slam his right foot on the the blue-garbed renegade's temple. Gouki's follower bounced away, hitting the cave wall and driving the kunai even deeper into his chest. He slid down the rocks and did not move. Lee twisted his torso the rest of way, so he could land on his feet.

"Eight Trigrams, Assassin's Palm," Neji intoned as he slid past the next guard. His opponent dove forward, escaping Neji's range before the Hyuga shinobi could touch his back. Unfortunately, this was as the Leaf Jonin had planned, and put the green Shozoku in range of Tenten, who entered the cave with her katana drawn left handed, and a razor-edged shield on her right arm. Both weapons flashed out, and the emerald uniform turned dark red as its owner pitched down onto the rock floor.

The second green Shozoku stumbled towards Neji, as the Waterfall ninja's heel nearly pushed his knee out of joint. Neji caught him as he flailed to recover, and flipped the private over his shoulder into the weathered granite. He stepped in, and placed his hand over his opponent's heart. The Shozoku just had time to gasp in fear, before Neji destroyed his cardiac muscle and the tenketsu around it.

The last Shozoku, a second blue, started to panic. He stepped back, skipped over the Waterfall ninja's extended leg, and dove for the pool. But a chain wrapped around his leg, and Might Gai yanked the rogue back. Gai caught the rogue and almost casually snapped the sergeant's neck, before wrapping his manriki-gusari around his right arm.

The Waterfall shinobi stood back up and straightened his uniform, struggling to keep the relief off his face.

"Gai-san, it is good to see you again," the Chunin stated simply.

"Have we met?" Gai asked. Then his body shook, but he did not stumble, as Konohamaru collided with his back.

"No, but I saw you during the invasion. Your team rescued my daughter, but not my wife or son," there was no accusation in his tone, and Neji had the impression the shinobi was attempting to justify his collusion.

"Well, we are are back, with additional forces," Gai stepped forward, allowing team Ebisu into the cave and letting the next team queue up behind them.

"My team and I know our way through the tunnel from last time," the bowl-cut Jonin noted, "but some of our comrades do not. Could you help them find their way?"

The Waterfall Chunin nodded, but denied his agreement by stating, "The alarm went off. They know you are coming, and they'll be waiting for you."

"I expect that will be the case," Gai said with a lop sided grin.

* * *

'Neji?' Gai signed when they reached the edge of the tunnel. The Hyuga Jonin activated his Byakugan, and began signing.

"Byakugan Art: Kariname Jutsu," he burbled, and then his three teammates all saw what he saw, eleven Shozokus surrounding the exit in two rows, and dozens of others spread out more loosely behind them.

Gai hesitated, disliking this part of the plan immensely. But Lee caught his teacher's eye, and nodded expansively, and Gai gave him a thumbs up. He floated forward, as Neji dropped down to the floor of the submerged tunnel.

'Tatsu, Tori, Uma, Tora, Tatsu...' Gai focused on the words in his head as he formed each seal, 'Hitsuji, Tora, Mi, Ne, Tatsu.'

"Katon: Crimson Passion Jutsu!" Gai roared into the water. Three twisting streams of intense flame shot out of the cave, burning through the closest Shozoku. But more importantly, their heat converted all of the water in the cavern into steam.

"Eight Trigrams: Enfolding Dome," the seal spread out from Neji's feet, and he surrounded his team in the protective barrier, guarding them from the scalding water. The steam erupted from the cave, blinding the nearby Shozoku, two of the closest ones permanently. The next instant, team Gai exploded from the cave, even as the water flowed back in to replace the liquid that the Jonin had removed.

* * *

A triple helix of deep red flames shot up from the ground, followed by a thick cloud of steam and shrieks of "my eyes". The Face of the Mist shook her head in mock dismay at the overdone entrance.

"Alright, we have our signal," Kaede announced assertively. She watched as the Shozokus around the pool charged forward, and a second group of Leaf ninjas appeared in the space Gai cleared. Then she clipped her binoculars back to her belt and stepped forward.

The Mist ninjas drove spikes into the cliff, and a handful activated Doton jutsus to reinforce the stone. The noise would have been noticed before, but now blended into the dull roar of the battle below. Kaede fully expected they would be spotted, now that they were moving openly, so she clipped the climbing rope onto her harness, and dove over the ledge. She plummeted towards the legendary tree, and when she was twenty yards above it, she pulled the brake, slowing her descent. She stopped just above the topmost layer of leaves, and glanced into the oak to find a path down. As a dozen of her comrades slid down along the curve of the water carved impression, she sliced through the cord with her tanto, and dropped into the branches, clearing the way for the next ninja who would use the rope. She ran down the tree's limbs, quickly shedding her climbing rig. She noted thankfully that the air was noticeably warmer, even though they were only a quarter of a mile lower.

She reached their second marshaling point, on one of the wider branches. The tree was larger than she had imagined, and her whole attack force could fit on the limb she occupied and the one behind her. She waited until the first seven strike teams were fully gathered, watching carefully for any Shozokus to turn towards them. She also kept her eyes out for Waterfall ninjas. The hunter-nin only saw a handful of men and women wearing the crest with the mirrored jagged lines. Most appeared to be slowly backing away from the battle, but a few rushed forward recklessly. She wondered if they had chosen to side with Gouki but had not been sworn in yet, or if they were just foolish or bloodthirsty.

The second line settled in to place, and she whispered, "Ready?"

After a few murmurs of ascent, she raised her right arm and then dropped it. And the twelve Tokujo behind her started signing.

"Suiton," they all announced in unison, "Hidden Mist Jutsu."

A thick fog arose from the lake, sweeping over the back lines of the defenders. And after the jutsu was in place, Kaede and the rest of the front line jumped out of the tree, and darted across the water into the battle.

* * *

Kisame Hoshigaki paused, as a familiar sensation struck him. He looked down and saw a thick cloud curling around his feet. He turned back, and saw a familiar wall of mist obscuring half of the Waterfall village. Inside the fog, he saw flashes of ice forming, and heard screams.

"Don't get ahead of me, Bunjiro," the gilled renegade snarled appreciatively.

"Well, well, well," a familiar voice said grandly, as its owner broke through the Shozoku's back line, "If it isn't Itachi's partner. We meet again, at last."

The Jinuchriki of the Seven-Fins raised Samehada with a deadly, yet happy grin. He pointed the shark-skin sword at Might Gai, and charged.

* * *

**Preview:**

[background scene of a horde of Narutos charging the Grass Village]

Naruto [multiple voices echoing]: (roars wordlessly)

[background scene of 'Leader' and a Shozoku.]

Naruto [angrily]: Where are you Pein?

[background scene of Sand ninjas fighting Shozokus.]

[background scene of Grass ninjas fighting Shozokus.]

Hinata [worried]: Reinforcements are surrounding Ayameko's people.

Anko [in charge]: We'll back them up, Naruto, you just keep looking for Pein.

Naruto [panting slightly]: You got it, sensei.

Naruto [announcer voice]: Next time on Naruto: A Growing Affection; **Chapter 137: Working Through the Pain**.


	137. Working Through the Pain

**Chapter 137: Working Through the Pain**

"Futon: Cyclone Spikes Jutsu," seven identical voices shouted. Dozens of cones of hardened air flashed across the battlefield at the first line of Shozokus.

"Doton: Mountain Wall Jutsu."

"Suiton: Water Burst Jutsu."

Some of the masked warriors were able to defend themselves with rock or water, but the Narutos' attacks still killed or disabled eleven of them. The Shozokus started to counterattack, but the clones were already charging in, and they finished the slow and the injured before ganging up on the more highly ranked soldiers.

Sixty yards to the north, a slightly larger group of clones was surrounding a tougher knot of Shozokus. The anonymous renegades had started by using quick, weak, and accurate attacks, trying to destroy what they thought were mere Shadow Clones. But the tougher duplicates shrugged off those attacks, and what damage the Shozokus did, regenerated before their eyes. In the mean time, the Narutos showed them no mercy, and the knot began to unravel. Mixed in with the Shozokus was a single Grass kunoichi, who stumbled in terror as the copies closed in on her, after the last of Gouki's men fell. She struggled through her fear, and started to form a jutsu. But one Naruto offered her a hand. She blinked in surprise, and then carefully took it and let him pull her up.

"We're not here for you," he told her, "We're here for the Raikage's followers, including your 'Leader'. If you are with them, you can run back and warn them. Otherwise, you can run back and tell the remaining Grass shinobi what I'm telling you, or you can head north and join Ayameko and her group in their part of the attack."

She studied his face for a moment, and then nodded, and ran north. The clone bobbed his head triumphantly, and he turned west to join his brothers.

* * *

"Leader, we are under attack," the red Shozoku stated without preamble, as he entered the office currently occupied by Pein's Preta Path.

"Obviously," the reincarnated body stated, its former mind adding more sarcasm to the statement than Nagato normally would have, "Unless I miss my guess, Sand shinobi are attacking from the southwest, and Leaf ninjas have formed lines to the north and east, to keep us from flanking the Sand."

"Um, no sir," the lieutenant shook his head, surprised, "The attack is coming from the east, and you could say it is the Leaf, but in a way it is just one person. Naruto Uzumaki is attacking us."

"Alone?" Leader frowned in amazement, both at the audacity and because Gouki's information had proven wrong.

"Yes and no," the red warrior stated, "We don't have an exact count, but it appears there are four to five dozen primary attackers. But it is hard to count them in the chaos, and they are infrequently using Shadow Clones as well ."

"But the 'primary attackers' aren't Shadow Clones?" Pein prompted.

"Apparently not," his junior affirmed, "Initial reports indicate more than one Naruto taking bleeding injuries and then regenerating."

"Transformed Leaf ninjas would not regenerate as he does. Could he have made that many Blood Clones?" the general pondered aloud. Then he took a breath to focus, "What else? Those initial flares came from the north and south."

"We don't have any reports yet," the Shozoku explained, "So far, the none of the scouts we sent to investigate have returned."

"Probably secondary forces to keep us from surrounding Naruto," Pein decided, "And waiting to attack until the initial push is done. They can't believe that fifty some clones of Naruto could take out the three legions of Shozokus and the ninety three remaining Grass ninjas we have here. Naruto is meant to soften us up."

"Initial reports indicate twenty Shozokus dead and fifteen injured," the messenger stated, "But none of the Naruto clones have been taken down, but this could be due to our people treating the copies like they are Shadow Clones. Also the Narutos have not killed or seriously injured any of the Grass shinobi."

"In that case, send the Grass ninjas out to fight Naruto," Leader ordered, "with a few of our people mixed in, one Shozoku for every two Grass ninjas. And impress upon them how important this is. Then, send the second legion south, to deal with whatever opponents are holding that line."

"What about the northern flank?" the lieutenant asked.

"I will take men to reinforce the north wall, but I won't sending anyone out, yet," Pein explained, "Kohaku-dono is scheduled to arrive with another half legion by nightfall, and I will contact her and request she increase her pace. They should be able to make it here in just over an hour, and then we can catch the Mist, or Leaf, or whoever is blocking our northern edge in a pincer attack."

"Yes, sir," the red-masked renegade grinned under his hood. He bowed slightly, and then rushed out to deliver the orders.

* * *

"Ranshinsho," Naruto's fist hit the Grass warrior's forehead, disrupting the Genin's nerves and blurring his vision. The disabled shinobi collapsed, his limbs flailing wildly as he tried to move. The red, female Shozoku behind him stepped over her supposed ally, swinging her gladius at the Uzumaki clone's neck. The facsimile brought up his left arm to block, but the short blade carved through the simulated bone and flesh, and bit into his throat.

"Rasengan," the dying clone forced the last of his chakra into his remaining hand, and jammed it into the Shozoku's wrist. He was too far gone to fully form the spiraling sphere, but it was enough to shred the skin and carve furrows into the muscle and sinew underneath. As the blood that had formed the duplicate splashed onto the turf, the Shozoku's blade fell from her useless, if still attached, hand.

* * *

"Hmm," Naruto grimaced as the clones' memories returned to him.

"What is it?" Hinata asked, her voice touched by concern.

"They are switching tactics," the real Uzumaki explained, "They must have figured out that I'm not supposed to kill the Grass ninjas, because they are sending a lot more of them to fight me. And they're not treating us like Shadow Clones anymore. They've taken down three... four of my Blood Clones so far."

"Still, considering how many of them you said your clones have taken out, we're doing pretty good," Anko noted.

"Naruto, switch tactics," Iruka ordered, "If they are using strong killing techniques, have your Blood Clones start using more Shadow Clones, so your opponents either waste their chakra or switch back to weaker attacks."

The blonde Tokujo nodded. He took two more food pills, and after waiting a few seconds for the restoratives to take effect, split off three Shadow Clones. The duplicates immediately canceled themselves, spreading their knowledge and ki their more robust counterparts.

"What about the Grass Ninjas?" Shikamaru asked cannily.

"So far fourteen have headed up north to join Ayameko's people," Naruto answered, "And I've knocked out another nine who wouldn't listen."

His eyes clouded again, and when they cleared, he looked at Temari.

"My guys are seeing a bunch of Shozokus heading south out of the village," Uzumaki informed the Sand kunoichi hastily, "Maybe a hundred of them."

"We'll let Baki-sensei know," she nodded, turning to Matsuri.

"Anything else?" Sakura prompted.

"Nothing yet. I still haven't found 'Leader', or that Kayo woman."

"What about the northern flank?" Choji asked, "Have they noticed Ayameko-san yet?"

"Not that we can tell..." Naruto shuddered, both from his body fighting against the strain of overusing the food pills, and from the information that kept flooding into him from the destroyed duplicates. Anko watched him carefully, remembering the Hokage's instructions, though he was actually doing better than she had expected, even considering his unique nature.

"Kid, have one or two of your clones try to sneak in," Anko told him, "We need to make contact with the loyalists still left in the village, and find Pein."

Naruto nodded, and created another soft duplicate to relay the message.

* * *

"Doton: Stone Jacket Jutsu," a Naruto trapped a younger, male Grass shinobi, while another copy of the knucklehead snapped the shoulder of a green Shozoku, and then knocked her out with a sharp rap to the temple. Then new memories flowed into them, and the Blood Clone who had employed the earth chakra technique recognized his assigned number in the smaller of the two groups of new assignments their progenitor sent out.

"Cover me?" he requested of the Shadow Clone, and the weaker facsimile nodded.

"Doton: Stone Spears Jutsu," he intoned, seemingly using the art to divert or destroy the group of Shozokus and shinobi moving towards them. But in reality, the purpose of the jutsu was to hide number twenty-six while he signed quickly.

As the defenders jumped over the jagged rocks, they saw a red Shozoku plunge his gladius into Naruto's heart, and the duplicate exploded in a mist of red liquid.

"There's a group of the punks that are about to break through our lines over that bluff," the lieutenant informed them gruffly, "Back them up. I have to get back and report to the captain."

The lower ranked Shozokus nodded, and took off in the direction indicated. The free ninjas hesitated, and then followed. Under the chakra-generated mask, Naruto twenty-six grinned. The Shadow Clone had gathered up the blood of a fallen renegade, giving him the illusion of being a Blood Clone at the moment of death. And his dispersal had let the other Narutos know that twenty-six was sending them more opponents.

The copy sheathed his pilfered blade, and then ran into the village unimpeded.

* * *

"Baki-san, we have incoming," a Tokujo reported to the Sand army's field commander, "It appears to be one of those groups of one hundred. 'Legions', I believe the Kazekage said they were called."

The Jonin nodded, running calculations in his head. If the legion's complement was within the standard parameters provided by Konan, his crew had a slight edge in skill, even if they were outnumbered by almost fifty percent. And that was not even considering his doubts about Gouki's former ally's information. Not that he thought she was lying, but based on what he had heard, the Kazekage's teacher believed her opinions might have been colored, one way or the other, by her feeling about the renegade turned Kazekage.

He noticed his third watching him closely, and Baki dispelled his contemplation, especially any doubts he was harboring. He started to say something, but was interrupted.

"Sir, more movement."

"More Shozokus?" Baki asked carefully, "Or Grass ninjas?"

"Neither," the junior Jonin stated, "It _was_ three copies of Naruto Uzumaki. Only now, there are fifteen... no eighteen of them."

Baki grinned.

"You hear that?" he told his squad leaders, "It's supposed to be our job to guard the Leaf ninjas' left flank, not to have them send people to help us. That kid may be our ally, and the Kazekage's good friend, but that doesn't mean we can let him show us up!"

Confident murmurs of assent flowed through the ranks.

"You have your orders," he barked at them, "Hit them hard, and focus on the blues to take out their middle command structure. Then sweep back on the greens and tans, they are cannon-fodder, but the Shozokus rely on numbers. Then, once the majority are down, we can take out their leaders. FOR THE SAND VILLAGE! FOR THE KAZEKAGE!"

"FOR THE KAZEKAGE!" they echoed him as they charged forward.

* * *

"Hey, I found you," a vaguely familiar voice called out, and the one-eyed, Jonin, Grass kunoichi paused, and looked back as the red-garbed Shozoku jogged up to her.

"Why were you looking for me in the first place? Does 'Leader' want me for some reason?" Kayo shot back darkly, reaching for her whip. Then she thought of something, and did not grasp the weapon.

"Forget that. More importantly, where are the rest of my people?" she demanded.

"I think most of them were sent out to fight," she heard the frown in his tone.

"Why would he do that?" she shot back, "He doesn't fully trust us."

"I guess to slow down the attack," he shrugged, "since we don't want to kill the Grass ninjas, it's making things tougher."

"'We don't want to kill the Grass ninjas'?" she prompted in confusion, her hand moving towards her lash again. "Of course not, you're here to conquer and enslave us."

"No," he sounded annoyed, "We're here to save you."

Then his head snapped up.

"Duh, you think I'm one of them," he explained, reaching for his cowl. He dispelled the mask part of his transformation, revealing his familiar blonde hair, blue eyes, whisker marks, and Leaf shield.

"You," the rough-looking woman purred, suddenly snapping her weapon across the ground beside him, "I missed my chance in the Land of Birds, when your teammate killed my brother, so I'll have to savor you now."

'Ayameko said she was a bit of a psycho,' twenty-six thought to himself, 'but I think she might have downplayed it.'

"We kinda don't have time for that," he reminded her pointedly. Kayo closed her eye and exhaled sadly. Then she nodded, as she looked at him more seriously.

"Of course," she agreed, "I need to go pull my people off the front lines, and have them help you guys."

"Ayameko and the other Grass ninjas who escaped with your Daimyo are attacking the north wall," he informed her, and the loyal killer nodded.

"I'll get everyone who isn't a traitor or too chicken-shit to help her," Kayo told him.

"Great," Naruto said. Then he split off a Shadow Clone, who instantly dismissed himself.

"We've been trying to do that," he told her, "but we haven't had the best luck. Not all of your guys seem to trust me. I just let everyone know what is happening."

"I better get moving then," she smiled slightly.

"Wait," he reached out, but stopped short of touching her, "Before you go, do you have any clue where this 'Leader' guy is?"

* * *

His disguise restored, Naruto number twenty-six made his way through the Grass Village, heading towards the building his unhinged ally had indicated. Along the way, he killed or disabled a few Shozokus who were carrying messages or running other errands. He felt mildly guilty, ambushing them while wearing their uniform. But he swallowed the recriminations, telling himself is was necessary to win the battle, and part of being a ninja.

Kayo had pointed him towards a secondary weapons depot in the northern quarter of the village. She claimed not to know specifically why Leader was there instead of in the main Grass headquarters. The rumors she had picked up was that he was waiting for something, but she also did not know what. Naruto had told her the truth about 'Leader' being a Path of Pein replacement for the real Grass ninja, and she had thanked him suspiciously, before setting off again.

He wasn't sure he trusted her fully either; even though Ayameko said Kayo's only redeeming trait was her loyalty, that did not mean she had not been turned.

'Or,' he continued his line of thought, 'if Pein found out Kayo has been loyal to the Grass Daimyo since he betrayed her and her brother that time, he could be giving her false info. Still, it's the only lead I have, so I guess I'll check it out.'

As he approached the armored structure, he noticed an increased number of Shozokus, both coming and going, and standing guard. It confirmed Kayo's intel, but also meant he had to be more careful.

'I might look like one of them on the outside,' he reminded himself, 'but I don't know their secret handshakes or passwords or whatever. And I have one of their swords, but if they have any other special equipment, it could be a problem.'

He kept his head up, and ran straight for the building. He had chosen red because they were the second highest rank, but much more numerous than the greys. He hoped it would give him a better chance to blend it, with enough perceived authority to avoid getting questioned. But despite the real Naruto's general good luck, the Blood Clone's hopes were destined to be dashed.

"You," another red Shozoku stepped in front of him, "What is your designation, and why are you here?"

"Get out of my way," Naruto snapped gruffly, lowering his voice both to disguise it and to hide his worry, "I have critical information for the general."

"And that allows you to ignore protocol, why?" the real lieutenant asked.

"Because it is about the Grass Jonin Kayo," the Blood Clone lowered his voice and glanced sideways at the handful of Grass ninja scattered amongst Gouki's men. The guard took a thoughtful breath and studied him.

"Look, if we have to do this, at least take it inside," the fake suggested angrily, "I can't have _them_ knowing which unit I came from."

"Fine," the sentry nodded, "come with me. Sergeants, I will need your assistance as well."

He tilted his head towards the imposter in a way that indicated a smug, self-important grin, and stated, "You understand, just to be safe."

"Just hurry it up," Naruto grumbled in genuine impatience.

* * *

Twenty-six shut the door behind him. Having eliminated the guard and his backup, the Blood Clone had quickly searched the building, until he found the room he was looking for. A conference room on the third floor of the secondary base, with a large, north facing window. He waited, painfully counting the thirteen minutes, until the Shozokus had all left the room, and no new messengers were immediately visible.

'Leader' turned to face the new interruption, and then frowned, his eyes narrowing.

"You are not a Shozoku," he told the young man, his eyes shifting from Leader's green to Pein's blue circles.

'Darn it,' Naruto thought silently, 'I hoped I could get him to tell me what he's doing here, before he figured it out.'

"What do you mean, sir?" the duplicate tried to bluff.

"Don't get me wrong," Pein said smugly, and Nagato's mind forced down the arrogant mental remnant that allowed him to masquerade as the Grass commander for more than two years, "You could probably fool any other Shozoku, and maybe even someone like the Reaper. But there are a number of small elements to that uniform, designed specifically to complicate transformations. You captured most of them, but not all of them..."

'Leader' raised his hand, and made a grasping motion, and the transformation jutsu reversed as all of the chakra was drained from it. Then he continued to drain the copy's energy, and twenty-six felt his extremities begin to soften. He hadn't realized he had expended so much of his ki getting here.

"As expected, Naruto Uzumaki," Nagato forced neutrality into his fragment's voice, but it was difficult, due to both his own desire to question the Leaf ninja about Konan, and 'Leader's soul fragments wish to deride the boy's foolishness.

"But just a copy," the Rinnegan fell on Naruto's melting fingers, "You won't last much longer at this rate."

"Doesn't matter," twenty-six growled proudly, "I was hoping to figure out what you are waiting for, but I still fulfilled my primary mission. Release!"

* * *

"Got 'im!" Naruto suddenly shouted, jumping to his feet. The other shinobi all turned to look at him.

"Pein's in a backup bunker, near the north wall," he informed them.

"Hinata?" Iruka asked, and the pale beauty extended her vision, and linked it to everyone else. Matsuri almost fainted from the sudden influx of sensory input, but the others had all practiced for this moment.

"There," Naruto pointed, though that did little to help them.

"Fifty meters south of the wall, just off the main road," he explained, and Hinata focused on the area for them, "That squat, green oval."

"Great, now if we can just get there before he moves again..." Anko began, but then Temari cut her off.

"What's that?" the Sand Jonin asked, having let her sight roam in Hinata's shared Byakugan. First she looked to the south, observing the fight between her own people, and the Shozokus. Then she shifted to the north, and that was when she cried out.

"Hinata, north, near the edge of your range," the fan user exclaimed.

"That's not the edge of my range," Hinata said with the barest hint of pride, and then sent more chakra to her eyes, expanding the diameter of her sensory sphere.

"Reinforcements," Shikamaru stated darkly.

"They're gonna catch the Grass loyalists, and slam them into the wall," Choji said anxiously. Hinata dismissed her jutsu, and the ten ninjas huddled.

"That's what he was waiting for," Naruto said, mostly to himself.

"Do we have any way to contact them?" Ino asked quickly.

"Not reall..." Anko started to shake her head, then locked her eyes on her lover, "Iruka, your hawks."

"Summoning Jutsu," apparently thinking the same thing, Umino had already bloodied his fingers and slapped the ground.

"Harrier, Lancaster, Zero," the former teacher addressed the three avians as they appeared, "Our allies from the Hidden Grass are about to suffer a surprise attack from the north. We need you to get word to them. They will be wearing headbands like this."

He sketched the variant insignia in the dirt. The raptors all studied it briefly, and then saluted with their right wings. They hopped awkwardly, and then flapped their wings hard,

taking to the sky and turning north.

"That won't be enough," Matsuri insisted hoarsely, trying to hold on to the memories of what Hinata had shown her, "They have only a few dozen ninjas, and just over twice as many samurais. They'll be effectively outnumbered on both sides."

"It looks like the Daimyo didn't let Ayameko take all of his forces," Sakura noted.

"We've got to help them," the younger Sand kunoichi insisted. The others shared looks at her insistence, and then grinned.

"Hinata, you go with Naruto," Anko ordered, "the rest of us will help back up the Grass shinobi. If we hurry, we might spring the trap before these new Shozo..."

"Wait a minute, Anko-sensei," Naruto interrupted, and the snake summoner started to get annoyed that everyone was cutting her off.

"Hinata should go with you," he insisted, "You'll need all the help you can get, and it will be easier for me to blend in with my clones and sneak in if I am alone."

Both of his teacher looked dubious.

"Are you sure Naruto?" Iruka asked diplomatically, "You're still recovering from your Multi-Blood Clone Jutsu."

"What he's trying to say is, that 'blend in' and 'sneak in' are not the first, or even the tenth, strategies that come to mind when talking about you," Shikamaru added bluntly.

"Maybe not," Naruto shrugged, "But my clone made it there, and this isn't exactly normal stealth."

"Alright," Anko agreed, knowing he was right about their team needing Hinata more, "But if anything goes wrong, call us."

"Be carefully, Naruto," Hinata said softly, taking his hands.

"I'll try, for you," he agreed gently, before kissing the back of her left hand.

"Fine," Anko rolled her eyes, but fondly, "Let's get going."

The others took off, and Naruto zipped up his jacket.

"It's time we meet again, Pein," he told the city skyline, before breaking into a jog.

* * *

**Preview:**

[background scene of a Hinata sneaking up on a gorgeous woman in business attire.]

Hinata [worried]: Who is she? Why is she so close to the Shozokus?

[background scene of very plain teen girl talking to a younger version of Leader.]

Hianta: Is she a spy? Or is she working for them?

[background scene of the plain girl, a few years older, facing the Six-Tails Chameleon.]

Hinata [firmly]: Her chakra supply... That must be...

[background scene of a younger version of the woman Hinata was tracking, arguing with Leader.]

Naruto [announcer voice]: Next time on Naruto: A Growing Affection; **Chapter 138: The One Who Blends**.

Hinata [curious]: Naruto, what happened to the borrowed quotes?

Naruto [chagrined]: That gag was getting a little old. Besides, I used up all the good lines.

Naruto [excited]: Maybe I can try something else. Like calling out attacks from other series. You know, like...

Naruto [deep voice, serious]: Form Blazing...

Sakura, Kakashi, Shikamaru, Tsunade [quickly, in unison]: NO!

Naruto [dejected]: I guess not.


	138. The One Who Blends In

**Chapter 138: The One Who Blends In**

The nine allies raced forward. Hinatawas at the lead, her Byakugan showing her the precise location of the Grass warriors and the Shozokus. The returning locals were shifting position to meet Pein's reinforcements, indicating they had either received Iruka's message, or had noticed the Shozokus themselves. Hinata could see some uncomfortable shifting, especially among the Grass Daimyo's samurais.

She focused on the Shozokus again, wishing her Byakugan could pierce the stealth jutsu woven into their uniforms. At this distance, they looked like black, humanoid blobs. She could not even be certain that they were Shozokus, but she did not think any other village or country would be sending a force of fifty warriors with advanced concealment clothing to the Hidden Grass Village. Then, she noticed something else. A single woman, hanging back behind the Shozokus, not in a stealth uniform. She appeared to be in her early twenties, with back-length, shining, jet black hair. Her face was rounded without being plump, and very attractive. She was about four inches taller than Hinata, and had a slightly larger bust than the Leaf kunoichi and slightly smaller hips. The woman wore a blue, fitted blouse, and black slacks, both tailored to display her figure and heavily armored despite their mundane appearance. Her intense amber eyes were facing the Hidden Grass Village with a deep melancholy.

* * *

_"Kohaku Zoishin," a voice announced as a young man darted out of the room, grinning. The thirteen-year old girl stood, and entered the office. She let the tarp fall shut behind her and bowed, before sitting down at the table. Opposite her sat Leader and two other Hidden Grass Jonin. All three looked down at the reports in front of them without acknowledging the girl. Finally Leader glanced at the entry in annoyance, and called out again, "Kohaku Zoihshin!"_

_"I am right here, sir," the Genin said simply, betraying no anger or surprise, only a slight resignation. After all, she was used to it._

_To call Kohaku Zoishin unassuming would have been an understatement. She was not tall, nor was she short. Her build was average, soft without being plump or voluptuous, slender with being skinny or wiry. At the age where most of her other female comrades were either beginning to develop breasts and hips, or could still pass for boys, a slight flaring below her waist marked Kohaku's gender without attracting attention to it. Her hair was black, but a dull and uninteresting shade that hung limp just past her shoulders in defiance of any attempt to style it into something more appealing. The Grass Genin's eyes were brown, not a deep chocolate that pulled you in, nor a shining hazel that spoke of the keen intellect she did indeed possess, just brown. Her mouth was the normal size, her lips neither thin nor full. Her nose was just there, it didn't even have the decency to be crooked or bumpy after the three times it had been broken in her training or missions. The young teen was not ugly, but neither was she pretty or cute. She was plain, bland, _forgettable_. _

_The last truly fit her best, for her ability to be missed seemed to go beyond her almost strangely average appearance. The sixth of eight children, Kohaku had three brothers and four sisters. In such a large family, it was not surprising that a child might be overlooked from time to time. But this honor fell on Kohaku twice as often as all seven of her other siblings, combined. Her parents never forget she existed, but if they were to start a meal or leave for a trip, assuming incorrectly that everyone was present, Kohaku would be the one they missed. When she had still attended a regular school, before beginning her shinobi apprenticeship, she was never called on, even when she was the only one to raise her hand. And even her Jonin squad leader had started missions without her, or left her behind, at least in the beginning. Kohaku had noticed he had quickly gotten into the habit of counting how many of his students were present before doing anything._

_"So you are," Leader blinked in amazement, and then tried to hide his annoyed embarrassment at missing her entrance, "You were so quiet, we did not notice you. Well done, if unnecessary. But, leaving that aside, we are here to discuss the Chunin exam."_

_"Yes, sir," she agreed, allowing a slight hope to creep into her quiet, unremarkable voice._

_"Your team passed the first two tests easily," he stated, looking over the paperwork, "But our notes on the tournament seem to be um... incomplete. You did compete, did you not?"_

_"Yes, sir," she confirmed._

_"And how did you do?"_

_"I made it to the semi-finals," she said humbly, "But I was defeated by Minato Namikaze."_

_"Hmm? That was you?" he studied her features, but no recollection entered his eyes. He shrugged, "I suppose it was. That boy was magnificent. To think he would be able to fight for ninety minutes like that, use all of those jutsus, and still be able to fight in the finals immediately afterwards. He will be a force to be reckoned with. I wish he was one of mine, he'll be wasted on Sarutobi."_

_"Yes, sir," Kohaku agreed softly. She had known within the first ten minutes that she could not defeat the younger Genin, but she had pulled out all the stops to stay in the battle, and show what she could do. In contrast, the Stone ninja who fought Namikaze in the last match had been knocked out in under thirty seconds. She glanced at her commander, who was still gushing over the Leaf warrior, and she sighed. Leader seemed to hear her exhale, at least in passing, and turned his attention back to her._

_"Well, Kohaku, your skills, at least, are oddly impressive," he told her, "the number of E, D, and C-rank ninjutsu and genjutsu you know is phenomenal, especially considering your age and rank. And your taijutsu and and weapons skills are much the same. But you do not know that many B-rank techniques, and almost no A-ranks. And none of your high level skills are particularly noteworthy, mostly common, utility techniques. That, combined with your uninspiring performance in the Chunin exam, makes me feel you are not ready for promotion. Do either of you have any objections?"  
_

_Neither of the other Jonin spoke, and Leader smiled at her condescendingly._

_"Maybe next time."_

_"Yes, sir," Kohaku nodded, and left the room as silently as she had entered._

* * *

Hinata was surprised to find an unconcealed person so close to the advancing Shozokus. The Byakugan user wondered if the woman was some sort of spy or scout, except she did not appear to be watching the renegades, or even trying to conceal herself from them. After signaling to Iruka that she was going to investigate, the Hyuga heiress broke off, aiming her approach so she could run past the woman and then sneak back from behind.

If it had not been for her Byakugan, the Leaf Tokujo could have mistaken the beauty's clothing for something a model or high ranking executive might have worn in one of the larger and more modern cities. But Hinata's bloodline eyes were able to detect the extra thickness in the high quality silk, and the mesh of metal wires woven into the fabric.

Up close the woman was even more stunning. She wore no makeup, however Hinata could not think of any cosmetics that would improve her appearance. Though the Leaf Tokujo did not generally compare her looks with other women or worry to much about what anyone besides Naruto thought of her appearance, she could not help but feel a twinge of jealousy as she observed the mystery beauty.

"You might as well come out, Hyuga-san," the woman's voice seemed out of place; Hinata expected rich syllables, dripping with sex; or the melodic tones of a master singer. Instead, the unknown kunoichi's voice was almost dull.

"I might not be able to match your eyes, or a fox's nose," the beauty continued, her bland voice almost straining, "But my vision and smell are well above average, and I caught you as you approached."

It was then that the white-eyed girl recognized it. The woman had a pale, bland, blue-grey aura, the kind the teen associated with the rare individual who had no natural chakra elemental affinity. There was a slight haze of green in the tenketsu in the woman's head, possibly indicating a minor personal preference for yang chakra techniques. But Hinata had also seen that there was a dense concentration of chakra around her target's heart, mostly the same blue-grey, but with a hint of purple. It had confused the younger woman, and she initially dismissed it as some sort of jutsu the mysterious beauty was maintaining. When the other woman mentioned the fox demon, it clicked for Hinata.

"You are the Jinchuriki of the Six-Tails Chameleon Demon," the Hyuga heiress stated nervously, stepping out of the tall grasses, "You are Kohaku Namikaze."

* * *

_"Kohaku, come in," Leader offered openly. The Jonin took the offer graciously, though the fact that he had both summoned her, alone, and had recognized her arrival put the nearly invisible kunoichi on edge._

_Now approaching her twentieth birthday, the years had been neither cruel nor kind to the young woman. She had grown, but only enough to stay of average height for her age and gender. Her face was still forgettable, her figure unremarkable. But that was not to say that she had not changed. The acceptance of her lack of notability had vanished in her late teens, leaving a subtly sarcastic youth, though few seemed to recognize the sharp edge that frequented her words. And her anger at her own lack of distinguishing qualities had not prevented her from using her ability to blend in to excel at stealth missions. _

_At her second Chunin Exam, Kohaku had made it to the final match, only to lose to a Sand ninja. She had been passed over for promotion again, so she worked even harder, expanding her repertoire and mastering some of her shakier combat styles. In her third Chunin exam, she breezed into the third round with a single partner, and then won the whole tournament. Combined with a skill sheet worthy of a Jonin, and a mission record stronger than half of the other Grass ninjas, her victory forced Leader to acknowledge that she was ready to be a Chunin. But she had not held that rank long; during the next Jonin Trials, she was promoted to master. To do so, she gave each proctor a notepad and begged them to take copious notes. Though four of her five testers still did not recall her face, their hand written reports could not be denied._

_"What can I do for you, sir?" she asked carefully. He took a deep breath, as if uncertain how or if he should proceed. Then he pushed the air out and started talking._

_"As you may know, we captured the Six-Tails Bijuu two months ago," he told her._

_"Yes, sir," she could not keep the bite out of her words, she had been one of the shinobi anchoring the Seven Virtues Seal._

_"In order to improve our standing among the Hidden Villages, we have been attempting to bond the demon to a host. To create a Jinchuriki."_

_Her eyes widened slightly and she did not respond. This was news to her, and she was surprised by it. Jinchuriki were a double-edged sword, prized as weapons but hated for the demons within them. And the Conclave of Shadows carefully monitored the sealing of spirits in Humans, she expected to prevent an imbalance of power._

_"Unfortunately," he continued without noticing her reaction, "our first few attempts have been... less than successful..."_

_Fear crossed her eyes._

_"You want me to be the next one to try to host the demon," she deduced._

_"Yes," he said sadly, though she could tell it was an act, "There appear to some points of similarity between your chakra and the chameleon's. We believe you can safely contain the monster, and hopefully even draw on its power."_

_'And if it fails and you die too, know one will notice,' he thought. She remained silent, fighting the urge to run._

_"This is a great honor," he offered, "And if this succeeds, I suspect no-one will overlook you ever again."_

_"They will be too afraid to," she whispered._

_"What?" he asked genuinely._

_"I'm not sure I am worthy," she lied at normal volume._

_"Kohaku, you are a... Jonin of the Hidden Grass Village," his pause told her he had to think for a moment to remember her rank, "I know you can do this."_

_"Thank you, sir. I will do my best," she agreed, her voice resigned. Kohaku understood that she had no choice in the matter._

_"Excellent," he smirked happily, "Now, the elders will be teaching you what you will need to know for the transfer..."_

* * *

_"Hmm, what have we here?" the giant reptile hissed mockingly, "A new toy for me..."_

_"Yes, yes," Kohaku cut off the demon, glancing around at the mental construct, "You're the big nasty Bijuu, you're going to break the seal, you're going to eat my soul. Can we just get on with it?"_

_The demon paused and observed the girl. He was not a stranger to human hosts, especially after the last few weeks. He had seen all kinds of reactions. He had been threatened, some times honestly and others times in bluff. He had seen begging and pleading. He had watched mortals break down sobbing in primal terror. Some even tried to bargain with him._

_And it was not that he had not seen resignation before. But generally it was either accompanied by fear, or it was an attempt to trick the demon. The monster sensed neither of them here. She was not afraid of him, and whether she lived or she died, she really did not care._

_"You want me to kill you?" he was flummoxed. He had heard of humans with a death wish, but to the immortal animal, this was inconceivable. He watched her carefully, for any hint of a deception._

_"It doesn't matter," she shrugged, "I am being given to you as a sacrifice. My commander expects me to die. He hopes that when you destroy me, he will learn how better to contain you. He knows that no-one will miss me, bland, boring, forgettable Kohaku. And if somehow you cannot break free, my life will still be over. So few people even recognize me now, and if I become a Jinchuriki, those who do know me will likely hate and fear me, or attempt to control me."_

_The demon looked at the girl for the first time. Though it was no expert on Human looks, it could somehow understand that her appearance was unremarkable. Similarly, and of greater interest to the spirit, the kunoichi's chakra was strong, but possessed no elemental structure. But she was fit, and from what he could see of her shielded mind, was quick witted and knowledgeable. A dark plot began to form in the monster's psyche._

_"If you hate your life," the demon broached slowly, trying to sound interested, "why don't you change it? Dress brightly, act crazy, so they will be forced to recognize you. Or, even better, you are a ninja, you should be able to change your shape."_

_"I still have to be me, live with the choices I make," she answered softly, "Even if I transform, other ninjas will be able to tell, and I will run out of chakra and change back eventually. Besides, I never hated my life. There are even some advantages to being all but invisible. It's just sometimes... I wish I could live my life as someone else. To know what it is like to have a boy stare at me in lust, or even revulsion."_

_The demon thought the human was contradicting herself, but chose not to challenge her._

_"What if you could?" he asked, his voice dripping with insinuation._

_"Could what?"_

_"Be someone else, but still be you. Change, without ninjutsu."_

_"How?" she could not keep the curiosity from her voice._

_"I am a chameleon," he pointed out, "I could extend my changing powers to you..."_

_"So I could change my skin color to camouflage myself?" she frowned dubiously, "how would that make me more noticeable?"_

_"A common misconception," it waved a claw like foot at her, "my mundane cousins also change color to attract mates and to scare off predators. And I am also a Bijuu. The transformation power I offer is far more... comprehensive than a simple altering of pigmentation."_

_"How much more?" she bit._

_"The last Jinchuriki who had my power," the Bijuu masked its hatred of the man who had died over two centuries ago, "he could change his height, his weight, his face, almost anything. He was still bound by the limits of the Human form, and he couldn't swap his gender either. But other than that, he could take on any appearance he could imagine. His shapeshifting was instantaneous and indefinite, and did not require any jutsu or even chakra. His transformations were so complete, even the Hundred-eyes Argus could not detect them."_

_"And what do you want from me in return?" though tempted, she was not stupid._

_"Your body."_

_"My... my body?" the young woman turned red as she looked down at her unimpressive figure, and hid behind her arms._

_"Not like that," the lizard sounded offended, "I'm not the Kitsune, after all. I just want to borrow your form from time to time. You see, there are thing about your kind that fascinate me, but, unlike the vixen, I am not in a position to experience them."_

_"When?" she asked carefully, "How much?"_

_"Say one day each month?" the demon offered amiably, "Is that fair?"_

_"And you will promise not to hurt anyone I care for during these days? Or do anything to my body I would disapprove of?" _

_"I suppose, so long as anyone you don't know or don't like is fair game."_

_She knew better. The demon was ancient, even older than the current Seven and Eight-Tails, or so the elders had told her. Like all the Bijuu, it was a demon of the highest rank and power, an animal suffused with Human intelligence and god-like chakra. And it was certainly not to be trusted._

_"Fine," she nodded, "on those terms we have a deal."_

* * *

"I see Konan has been telling tales," the elder woman smiled sadly, "I told him she would."

"Why aren't you with your men?" Hinata slid into a fighting stance, "Were you planning to sneak in to Ayameko's forces? To spy on them or sabotage them?"

"No," the Grass Jonin shook her head in amusement as she lifted her own arms into position, "I just drifted away, caught up in nostalgia. I'm not here to fight, I just was bringing Pein the reinforcements as a cover, so I could talk to him away from Gouki."

"Why? Are you plotting something behind Gouki's back?"

"No, I could never betray Gouki, and I doubt Nagato would either," Kohaku said wistfully, "I just wanted to talk to Nagato about my husband and Konan, and I thought it might be embarrassing for those stubborn men if Gouki overheard us."

"Listen to me, telling you this," the missing-nin chuckled, a greater hint of warmth in her flat voice, "Strange, isn't it. I guess I just feel a connection with you."

"What do you mean?" Hinata demanded, nervous and slightly upset.

"We were both overlooked when we were young, but blossomed into incredible women," the malleable beauty answered fondly, "And we are both women who fell in love with a Namikaze. That is, if Naruto really is Minato's son, like Gouki believes."

Hinata did not rise to the bait, but instead carefully controlled her reaction, one of incredulous surprise. Kohaku studied her and then shrugged.

"Either you really didn't know, you don't believe me, or you are a better poker player than I am," the Jinchuriki conceded, "But then, in a clan of people with those eyes, you would almost have to be, wouldn't you."

Hinata circled carefully around, so that Kohaku's primary avenues for retreat were towards the Shozokus, or towards the village. But the Byakugan user did not make the first move. She watched the Jonin carefully and waited.

"I suppose this means you won't just let me go?" the spirit vessel asked, and the younger woman shook her head no.

"I can't do that."

"I understand," Kohaku sounded almost regretful, as she launched a kick at the teen's neck.

* * *

"Iruka, Temari, cut a path for Choj'," Anko ordered, "Big guy, hit'em with your Human Avalanche. Ino and Shika, grab anyone that gets close to us. Girl..."

"Matsuri!" the Sand youth insisted petulantly.

"Self-important girl number two," Anko labeled her, while smirking at Ino, "you'll help me guard our mid and long ranged attackers."

The Kazekage's apprentice frowned angrily, but she nodded.

"Sakura," Anko told the last kunoichi gravely, "You're our main event. You're job is to snipe any red or grey Shozokus you get a shot at, okay?"

"Do you think we can really take on so many?" Matsuri asked as she closed ranks with her temporary leader.

"Don't have to," Anko replied happily, "we just have to take half, and hope the Grass ninjas are at least competent enough to handle the rest. Besides, we have a few more tricks up our sleeves, in case things get hairy."

Matsuri nodded, and a moment later a bow string snap brought the Shozokus' attention to the allies.

"Not yet, maggot," the serpent summoner hissed angrily.

"Sorry I had two blues and a red lined up," the medic archer explained. Anko looked around at the others in exasperation. Iruka and her students were all staring at her expectantly, and their delay led the two Sand kunoichi to wait as well.

"What are you waiting for?" she ordered, annoyed, "Do it."

"Fuuton: Wind Scythe Jutsu!"

"Raiton: Lightning Pressure Jutsu!"

As the two ranged techniques shot across the field, the hefty Tokujo was already humming loudly. He rolled up into a half-dozen giant spheres and barreled forward behind the two attack jutsus.

* * *

_The kunoichi breezed into her commander's office. Her long black hair shimmered behind her in elegant waves. Her Jonin vest was strained across her impressive chest, but was slightly loose around her narrow waist. Her bright, amber eyes practically glowed with cautious amusement._

_"Kohaku... san," Leader greeted her with barely concealed annoyance, "Thank you for coming."_

_"What can I do for you, sir?" though her unassuming voice had not changed with her appearance, there was a smug happiness in her speech._

_"It is what you can stop doing," he said sternly, "Stop changing your appearance, and stop seducing every man in this village."_

_She glared at him, but there was more amusement than anger in her gaze, "That's a gross exaggeration. I've flirted with maybe ten guys, and I haven't slept with anyone."_

_"But the men you chose are from powerful families..." he countered._

_"A coincidence," she stated, her confidence slipping._

_"And none of them appreciate being toyed with by a Jinchuriki," he ignored her. She closed her eyes, and a moment later a sardonic smirk crossed her plump lips. _

_"You will stop," he ordered, taking her grin for her answer._

_"You think so?" she shot back. He frowned, shock at her refusal overshadowing his rage._

_"What happened to you?" he asked, "You used to be a loyal ninja. Is this the demon's influence?"_

_"How would you know what I 'used to be'?" she snapped, "You never noticed me, no-one did. And you know full well that the elders and I fixed the seals you used to bind the demon inside of me. The chameleon is now properly sealed, giving me its power without its influence."_

_She and the three ancient Jonin had researched the fuinjutsu used on the other hosts of the Tailed Beasts, and had applied new seals over her heart. The Six-Tails was now in a glass cage on a desk in her mind, like a pet. The creature raged frequently; as she had suspected it had its own plans to betray her, and was none to happy to be double-crossed first. And some times its power could leak through the 'wire mesh' on top of the cage and fill her with rage, but she knew she had better control over her demon than the other Bijuu Jinchuriki she had learned about, except perhaps the Could ninja currently containing the Two-Tails Cat._

_"And I am still a loyal ninja," her anger changed to hurt and disappointment, "I take every mission without question, even the ones that are supposed to kill me. And I have one of the best success ratios in the village."_

_"And yet all of your seduction missions have been completed with genjutsu or drugs instead," he growled, not happy being lectured by his junior, "Or did you think we did not notice that?"_

_"I still completed those missions within their parameters," she justified darkly, "I'm _not_ a member of the Crimson Corps."_

_"And that is why it has been overlooked, until now," he forced himself to calm down, "but if you keep using your powers against the people of this village, we will be forced to take... punitive and preventative measures."_

_"What? For flirting with a guys?"_

_"For using your powers to deceive your fellow shinobi and other citizens of the Kusagakure," Leader narrowed his eyes, "Will you agree to keep your current form whenever you are in the village?"  
_

_"I..." Kohaku hesitated. The attention was still new to her, and not unwelcome. But her current, 'default' appearance, an upgrade to her natural form, was known to everyone in the shinobi town. And while the anger and fear were moderately better than being ignored, they could never compare to the admiration she received when she became a willowy blonde or a busty red-head._

_"I thought not," he stated before she had a chance to fully gather her thoughts and respond. He snapped his fingers and three other Jonin darted in. Kohaku realized once again she was not really being offered a choice, that the meeting and the request were a formality, probably to appease the few allies she had._

_"Hold her," he barked. The other three shinobi slammed her over the desk, pinning her arms down and holding her head steady. Thanks to the demon, she had wider than normal field of vision, so she was still able to see Leader take out the pentagonal branding iron._

_"This seal will allow us to track and identify you, regardless of what you choose to look like," he informed her, "and I'm sorry to say, this will hurt."_

_The pleasure in his voice denied his apology, and Kohaku tried to break free. But the Jonin holding her arms put their superior weight onto her joints, and she could not escape. Desperate, she tried to call on the demon's power, but man holding her head slapped a paper seal on her brow, disrupting both her chakra and concentration._

_Leader rounded his desk, sending his chakra into the jutsu-bonded iron. He pulled down her shirt, exposing her spine between her shoulder blades. He pressed the brand down, and Kohaku screamed._

* * *

**Preview:**

[background scene of a Hinata and Kohaku]

Kohaku [sadly]: My story does not end there.

[background scene of a younger Kohaku, surrounded by Hidden Grass hunter-nin]

Kohaku: Nor are Hinata Hyuga and I finished.

[background scene of a younger Kohaku and a younger Gouki.]

Kohaku [firmly]: Unfortunately, I must show you my Jinchuriki powers now.

[background scene of Hinata blocking Kohaku's katana with Ginmaki.]

Naruto [announcer voice]: Next time on Naruto: A Growing Affection; **Chapter 139: Who Loves the Namikaze**.

Naruto [projecting]: Shinku HADOKEN!

Sakura [angry]: Na-ru-to. Do we have to have another talk about this? [sound of knuckles cracking]

Naruto [worried]: Uh, wait, Sakura, I...


	139. Who Loves the Namikaze

**Chapter 139: Who Loves the Namikaze**

Hinata caught the rogue Jonin's foot on Ginmaki, and pushed the other kunoichi away. Kohaku launched both fists at the younger woman. The Hyuga heiress deflected one punch, and slid past the other, aiming her fingertip at the spot under the renegade's right breast that corresponded to a core tenketsu. Kohaku knocked the Gentle Fist strike wide with her elbow, but Hinata still connected, scoring a light hit to the Jinchuriki's right side but missing her chakra network.

"You are very quick," Gouki's wife noted, "and flexible. Naruto must love that."

Hinata turned bright red, but managed to avoid the knuckle strike aimed at her neck.

"I won't let you distract me," the pale teen's gentle voice was off-balance and slightly angry. She reached out to tap Kohaku's shoulder, but the shapeshifter caught her wrist and flipped the younger kunoichi over her hip, slamming the Hyuga heiress heavily into the ground.

"I'm not trying to distract you," the Jinchuriki shook her head as the Leaf Tokujo rolled back to her feet, "I'm making conversation. With Konan gone, I don't have any women to talk to. Besides, I'm curious. I want to know just how much alike Naruto and Gouki are. Or rather, might be."

"Rotation!" Hinata shrieked slightly as she spun, but Kohaku flipped backwards, narrowly avoiding the Heavenly Spin.

"Naruto is nothing like Gouki!" the normally quiet young woman barked defensively. The Jinchuriki's eyes narrowed angrily, and she sighed, and shook her head with an ironic smirk.

"You don't know anything about Gouki," Kohaku asserted kindly, "Only the biased versions others have offered you. Gouki is a good man. He is loyal, kind, gentle when he can be and deadly when he has to be."

"A loyal man who betrayed his people?" Hinata asked, rather than the sarcasm most people would have effected, she was genuine in her question, "A good man who is trying to conquer the continent? A kind, gentle man who started a war that could cost tens of thousands of lives before it is done?"

"You are young," Kohaku said sadly, "you could hardly be expected to understand the depths of pain some of us have seen."

"Such as watching the your mother murdered in front of you, by someone who wants to harvest your genes, probably in some horrific and painful way?" Hinata countered darkly, throwing her fist at Kohaku's face.

"Being all but disowned by the rest of your family?" as her fist was blocked, Hinata aimed her elbow at the Jinchuriki's ribs, "And having your brother try to kill you for your father's actions?"

"Watching as the man you love is mentally and socially tortured by almost everyone around him, for no good reason?" the younger woman kicked out at the Jonin's left knee, "And being powerless to help him because he barely notices you, and chases someone else?

"Having to struggle for years to prove to anyone, even yourself, that you are not weak and useless?" Hinata's second kick struck the Grass renegade's navel, cutting off a single chakra point and driving the taller woman back.

"I think I am fairly well acquainted with pain, Kohaku-san," she concluded, "I have worked hard for the happiness I have, and I have not betrayed anyone to get it."

"Pretty speech," the older beauty stopped her skid and returned to an upright stance, "And I may have underestimated your past suffering. But what are you doing to spread what you have found to others?"

* * *

_The young woman tripped, her short, thick, blue hair falling into her face, obscuring her vision. The pain between her shoulders was getting worse, and the last spike of agony had reached all the way down to her thighs, causing her stumble. She pulled herself up, breaking into a run again. She could hear them getting closer. She considered changing again, but she knew that wouldn't fool them. The brand would remain, visible to both their eyes and their jutsu._

_"Kohaku Zoishin," a voice rang out before her, and the missing-nin stopped, drawing herself up straight, focusing on ignoring the pain, though whether to bluff or to fight she had not yet decided._

_The five masked Grass ninjas trailing her closed the gap, and spread out to surround her. Two more stepped out from the area near the voice that had called her name. And then, last hunter-nin appeared before her. Even if she hadn't recognized his voice, she knew his stance and his build._

_"So Leader sent you, sensei?" the young woman asked sadly._

_"Please, stand down, Kohaku," he requested, "Come back to the village with us. There could still be a place for you..."_

_"No. There is no place for me there," she shook her head, and pointed her left thumb at her back, "The second time that man chose to mark me was the last straw, it just took me some time to realize that."_

_She took a firm breath, and met her teacher's eyes through the mask, "No-one there trusts me, and without trust, I can never be part of a team. I won't go back."_

_He dropped his head sadly, and then raised his arm, and made a curt slashing motion. Three of the hunters charged her, while the others started signing. Her former sensei stayed back, watching._

_The first one was too eager, and got ahead of his comrades. She recognized the scar on his right bicep; he was one of the Tokujo she had flirted with. She suspected he was looking for revenge on the 'Jinchuriki tease'. But that was not going to happen. She caught his extended left fist with her right hand, and drove her left elbow into his trapped shoulder while pulling, dislocating the limb. She released him, and considered her options briefly. There were seven ways she could kill him with her just bare hands, before the next melee attacker reached her. Instead she boxed his ears and then jumped up to kick his temple. He tumbled into the path of the second fastest taijutsu fighter, unconscious but alive. One of the ninjutsu users stopped signing, and darted forward to rescue the defeated shinobi._

_Her next opponent was both more skilled and more cautious. Unfortunately, Kohaku was again the superior martial artist, and within seconds her barrage of punches and licks was backing him towards the outer circle and away from the last melee combatant. Just as she was getting ready to knock him out, her vision went black, and the next instant brand between her shoulders flared again, stronger than before. She spun away from her opponent, relying on her ears and nose, but still one of their fists or heels clipped her side. She brought her hands together._

_"Release!" she intoned harshly, and the veil on her vision faded, but only briefly. The maiden decided two of the jutsu users must have used the illusion in tandem, leaving the third to slow her down by activating the brand, while the fourth tended to their fallen comrade. Then a foot hit her ankle, and she fell to one knee. She heard and felt the net drop over her, and started to reach for the demon's power. Before she could, another jutsu hit her, leaving her weak and unable to focus. The rope mesh started to tighten around her, and she tried to draw a blade before her arms were trapped. Someone stomped on her wrist, breaking it._

_"That was unnecessary," her former teacher said angrily._

_"I quite agree," an unfamiliar voice stated._

_"Who are you?" She heard another of the Grass hunters demand. Then she heard a sharp crack, and the pain between her shoulders vanished. She tried again to break free, but with her right arm disabled and the net pulling tighter, she could not._

_"Katon: Curling Flames Jutsu," one of her former allies shouted, and then there was another crash and part of the net went slack. She kicked out towards where the ropes were still taut. She heard a grunt of pain, and a return kick grazed her ribs, but was too weak and off balance to hurt her. There was a thump next to her, and the shadow over her eyes faded for a moment, but ultimately held. A moment later, the rest of the net loosened, and she rolled free. _

_"Stay still," the unknown ninja whispered into her ear, and she shivered. She complied, focusing her chakra on her wrist. She knew almost nothing about healing jutsu, but she could dull the pain and hold the bones in the proper position. The sounds of battle rang out around her, and a moment later her sight returned. She saw her mentor facing another shinobi; a tall, well built man with short auburn hair. But her rescuer was facing away from her, so she could not see his face. _

_"Who are you?' her sensei asked again, but this time nervously. The stranger darted forward, and after a quick exchange of taijutsu, her mentor fell, too. _

_Kohaku was amazed. Though she knew she had surpassed her teacher, she did not think she could have taken him down so quickly. Her heart fluttered. Her mystery savior turned and his sharp blue eyes locked on her. She thought he looked somewhat familiar, but could not find his face in her memories._

_"We should get some distance between us, before they recover," he told her, taking her uninjured hand, drawing her to her feet. It was then that she noticed the Grass hunters were all still breathing. He pulled her gently and they vanished into the woods._

* * *

_"You didn't kill them," she said suddenly, as he started healing her wrist._

_"I don't kill if I don't have to," he said simply, "and I find it more interesting that you didn't kill them. You could have taken down the first two much faster if you had used lethal techniques. That would have opened you up to reach the first genjutsu user, and then you could have broken free. You _are_ a missing-nin..."_

_"Not by choice," she interrupted, "I might kill those who forced me to turn traitor, but I hold no ill will for most of my former comrades."_

_He nodded, and then she sighed, reaching back to rub that sore spot on her upper spine. He released her arm, and she recognized that the ache in her wrist was gone._

_"And just escaping wouldn't have helped, they still could have tracked me," she explained. She undid her shirt, and his eyes narrowed. She smirked slightly, but then turned to show him the mark on her._

_"A Prisoner's Brand," she told him, as he leaned closer to gently probe the chakra burn, "it lets them track me, and inflict pain on me, so I won't be able to fight back as well."_

_"And what did you do to earn this?" he asked evenly, without accusing. All the while, his fingers rubbed the brand methodically, soothingly._

_"It is a long story," she said sadly, "but it basically comes down to two truly terrible crimes, I toyed with the wrong boys' hearts, and even worse, I repeatedly survived when I was not meant to."_

_He pressed down hard, and it was like ice spread out over her skin._

_"Well, that won't be an issue anymore."_

_She touched the spot again, and found the rough indentations she had grown accustomed to massaging were gone._

_"First you saved me, and now this," she purred, a seductive tone in her bland voice, "How can I possibly thank you?"_

_She let her open top slip lower, but he stood up and stepped away, chuckling._

_"You think I'm funny?" she frowned angrily at him._

_"I think you are trying too hard," he offered kindly._

_"What does that mean?"_

_"I mean no offense, Zoishin-san," he held up his hands in supplication, "But it seems like you are wearing a mask. You appear to me like a preteen Genin who just learn to perform a transformation jutsu, and is now running around in the disguise of an adult, trying to act like something you aren't, trying to get something you wanted but couldn't get in your normal form."_

_She looked down, and he blinked, surprised._

_"I'm close?" his tone was one of amusement and self-deprecation, "I guess that puts me back over fifty percen, again."_

_"How did you know my name?" she asked, trying to change the subject._

_"The one you referred to as your sensei called you Kohaku Zoishin," he explained, letting her deflect him._

_"So who are you?" she prompted, securing her clothing._

_"I'm just another missing-nin."_

_"But you know my name."_

_"True enough," he inclined his head, "I am Gouki Namikaze."_

_"That is why you look familiar," her voice lightened as everything fell into place, "I fought a Minato Namikaze in the Chunin exam, many years ago. You look like him."_

_"You faced my brother?" he studied her face more carefully, and she blushed slightly._

_"Yes. It was the semi-final match. I managed to hold him off for more than an hour and a half, before he knocked me unconscious."_

_"That was an impressive fight," he agreed, his voice growing cold, "But that was not you."_

_"Yes, it was," she insisted incredulously._

_"I recall every moment of that battle," he said harshly, "and while your fighting style is similar enough that it could have changed over the years, you do not have that girl's face."_

_"You.. you remember what she looked like?" her breath caught as she said it._

_"Of course."_

_She was not sure why she did it. But she relaxed, releasing her demon granted power for the first time in years. Her blue hair lengthened slightly and lost its luster as it darkened. Her pink eyes turned brown, and her feminine curves shrunk to almost nothing. Her chin, her cheeks, her nose, and the shape of her eyes all smoothed back into their original form. A second later, Kohaku Zoishin faced Gouki Namikaze with the appearance she had been born with. His eyes widened slightly, and his stern expression softened_

_"It was you," he affirmed, "I am sorry I doubted you._

_"That's alright," she said demurely, unaccustomed to being recognized like this._

_"But the way you transformed... I have never seen a jutsu like that," he said, fascinated._

_"It's not a jutsu, not exactly," she explained softly, changing again, but this time shifting back to her default disguise, "It's something _special_ I can do."_

_"If you don't want to talk about, you don't have to," he said, again correctly reading her._

_"Thank you," she nodded, blushing slightly_

_"Well, it was a pleasure meeting you Zoishin-san, but I should probably get going," he told her, "I need to get back to my apprentices."_

_He stood and turned to leave, and she jumped to her feet._

_"Wait!"_

_He turned back to gaze at her, and she saw curiosity in his eyes, and it may have just been her imagination, but she also thought she detected a hint of hope._

_"Umm..." she cursed herself for stammering, and for the butterflies in her stomach._

_'I am supposed to be the man hunter!' she told herself._

_"Maybe we could travel together for a while?" she suggested nervously, "You know, safety in numbers... They could come back."_

_"I would like that," he agreed. She ran forward to catch up with him._

_"So, Namikaze-san, may I ask why you left the Leaf Village?"_

_"It started after my third sensei betrayed my first..." _

* * *

The Jinchuriki drew the katana and wakizashi that had been hidden in her slacks and hopped forward, swinging both blades. The heiress caught the swords together on one bracer, but Kohaku was expecting that, and used her weight and leverage to push the smaller woman back. Then, while Hinata was off-balance, the Grass kunoichi dropped down and attempted to sweep her opponent's legs out from under her.

"Doton: Foundation Jutsu," Hinata exclaimed, snapping her hands together in the 'Ox' sign. A layer of earth surrounded her legs, and though Kohaku's kick cracked the hardened clay, it did not disrupt the Tokujo's footing.

"I start by not forcing my ideals on anyone and not robbing anyone of their free will," Hinata answered Kohaku's question firmly, "then, I do what I can, for who I can."

"But you don't seek them out, do you?" the elder kunoichi took advantage of her opponent's temporary immobility, angling one half of her daisho at each of the girl's knees. The blades cut into Hinata's legs, and in a puff of smoke Hinata was gone, a vaguely human shaped figure crafted from the local grasses left in her place. Kohaku spun instantly, her katana extended. The Hyuga Tokujo was forced to block the sword with her right bracer even as she landed from the Substitution. She curled her arm so her shoulder was behind Ginmaki, which let her use her weight to counter Kohaku's momentum. This freed her left hand to thrust at the Jinchuriki.

"Eight Trigrams: Empty Palm," Hinata shouted, shooting the column of chakra at her counterpart. Kohaku brought up her wakizashi, and released her longer blade. She signed twice as she put her second hand on the short sword's hilt.

"Ninja Art: Jutsu Splitter," she yelled back. The beam of force divided on Kohaku's weapon, and the Jinchuriki turn her body to narrow her profile. The still destructive halves of the bisected jutsu barely missed the Grass renegade. But Hinata wasn't done.

"Eight Trigrams: Empty Palm," she repeated, pulling back her left hand and snapping her right forward. The second Empty Palm was wider and denser, and the Hyuga scion aimed this attack at Kohaku's pelvis and upper legs. The Byakugan technique hit, and the log that took the Grass Jonin's place exploded into a mass of splinters. Unlike Kohaku, Hinata did not have to estimate where her opponent would reappear, her Kekkei Genkai letting her track the older woman's exact position during the Substitution. So the teen lashed out with a heel kick, leading into an elbow strike.

"What good is searching for people who may or may not need my help, and might not even want it," Hinata responded, "if it means I fail those around me, or worse, lose myself?"

Kohaku grunted lightly as she blocked the Tokujo's foot with a sweep of her wrist. She ducked under Hinata's elbow, dropping into a splits and hooking her katana's guard with her foot, and flicking it back to her hand as she tumbled away from Naruto's lover. Gouki's wife rolled back to her feet, interposing her daisho before Hinata's fingertips, as the young woman tried to disable the chakra points in the currently taller kunoichi's left shoulder.

"All other thing being equal, a taijutsu user always has a disadvantage against a blade master," Kohaku pointed out evenly, having decided to abandon the philosophical debate. Hinata's answer was to send a pulse of chakra into Ginmaki, increasing the length and width of the kote by manifesting the lightning blades. Kohaku blinked in surprise.

"I guess Konan wasn't exaggerating," the flirty Jinchuriki noted, dodging Hinata's leading slash. The Jonin countered with a quick jab at the teen's head, but Hinata blocked with her left bracer, and Kohaku nearly dropped her wakizashi when the electrical chakra surged into her hand and up her arm.

"Ninja Art: Resistor Jutsu," the sword user stated without signing, and her long blade intercepted Ginmaki's stab at her stomach. Even though she was able to deflect the kote's solid energy projection, the voltage was too strong for her off the cuff technique to fully stop, and her arm spasmed.

"Did your boyfriend really make those for you?" the talkative combatant asked sincerely, skipping back out of range of the pale woman's scissor attack.

"He did," Hinata nodded proudly, nearly blocking another slash with her defensive weapons. Kohaku pulled her attack up short, rather than be shocked again. The taller kunoichi jumped back, sheathing her dasiho and starting to form hand seals.

"Ninja Art: Blinding Flare Jutsu," she incanted. Brilliant light flash out from her hands, and she landed prepared to leap forward. She stopped, however, when she noticed Hinata had followed her, unimpeded. Kohaku rolled back out of the way of Ginmaki's blades again.

"Nothing?" she both pondered and asked, "I would have thought with those eyes, it would have been more effective, not less."

Hinata did not say anything, but continued to charge forward, both lightning extensions sweeping towards her opponent. Kohaku tried to fall back, but at the last instant, Hinata hopped forward, curling her arm in and slammed her elbow into the Jinchuriki's temple before tumbling past her. Both women turned slowly to face one another, Gouki's wife seemingly unconcerned by the blood now flowing down the side of her face, and Hinata surprised her Gentle Fist attack hadn't done more.

"There is that," Kohaku said aloud to herself, "And I have always wondered how well it would work against the Byakugan."

The former Grass Jonin placed her hands together, and began to circulate her chakra. An instant later, Hinata saw a new, powerful pulse emanating from second chakra pool in the woman's heart.

"No," Hinata whispered. Even though she had only see it a few times, she had always been watching Naruto closely, so she recognized what was coming. She darted forward, her hands extended.

"Eight Trigrams..." she started to announced, but as she drew close a burst of energy from Kohaku threw her back. As Hinata pushed herself back up on her elbows, she saw.

Three tails of energy extended behind the Jinchuriki. Unlike Naruto's full, vulpine tails, these projections of blue energy were thin, whip-like, reptilian. Kohaku grinned, and there was a hint of additional sharpness to her teeth. The cloak of chakra around her was vaguely lizard shaped and seemed to dull and blur the kunoichi's edges. Then the tails began to wrap around the Jonin. Hinata's eyes widened in surprise and fear, as Gouki's wife vanished completely...

* * *

**Preview:**

[background scene of a Gai and Kisame]

Naruto [mimicking Gai]: Alright, time for the rematch of the year.

[background scene of a Gai blocking a partially unleashed Samehada]

Naruto [normal, slightly worried]: But can Gai-sensei beat the Seven-Tails Jinchuriki without using any ninjutsu?

Naruto [announcer voice]: Next time on Naruto: A Growing Affection; **Chapter 140: The Shark and the Devil**.

Naruto [confused]: Okay, I'm out of quotes, and everyone else won't let me call out random attacks. How am I supposed to end the preview.

Shikamaru [flatly]: How about telling knock-knock jokes?

Naruto [excited]: Yeah! I know I have a joke book somewhere...

Temari [surprised]: You know Sakura is going to kill him, right?

Shikamaru [mildly amused]: Really, I hadn't thought of that...


	140. The Shark and the Devil

**Chapter 140: The Shark and the Devil**

"So, you remember me this time?" Kisame taunted, swiping at Gai's head with his shark-skinned 'sword', his Akatsuki robes fluttering around him. The Leaf Jonin ducked under the feint, and blocked the Mist renegade's follow up kick with his right heel.

"Of course," Gai stated imperiously, twisting his body to drive his foot into the Jinchuriki's knee, "I would never forget someone brazen enough to try to kidnap a comrade out of the Leaf Village. But I am unsure what you mean by 'this time', for this is only the second time we have ever met."

Samehada dipped to intercept the bowl-cut shinobi's leg, but Gai suddenly vanished, and reappeared on the other side of Kisame, throwing a punch at the demon vessel's left temple. Kisame took the blow, so he could bury his fist in the Leaf soldier's gut.

"What about two and a half years ago?" Hoshigaki demanded, his annoyance fueling his constant, cold rage, "You and your students fought me while you were trying to rescue the Kazekage from the Akatsuki."

"That was not you," Gai countered, sounding like he was lecturing a fool, "Though that person may have looked similar to you while we were fighting, he had neither your fearsome aura, nor your fishy aroma."

Kisame's next slash went wide in surprise.

'I thought he was insulting me by pretending I wasn't worth remembering,' the shark man pondered silently, 'or he was so brain-damaged he really didn't remember. Could he actually have recognized that the body I was possessing was not really me?'

Any further contemplation was cut short as Gai's manriki-gusari shot out and wrapped around the general's sword.

"However this sword I recognize from that battle," the Leaf soldier said darkly, feeling the chain rub against the scars on the palms of his hands, where the demon blade had forcefully unequipped itself from Gai. He pulled on the legendary blade, to keep Kisame off balance and unable to swing properly, and then launched the other weight of his weapon towards the Mist shinobi's skull.

Kisame intercepted the chain with his arm, forcing the metal mass to wrap around his limb instead of hitting his skull. He then sent a mental instruction to the semi-intelligent sword, and spikes, shaped like giant shark's teeth, tore out from under the cloth bindings, slicing through the links of Gai's weapon like they were flesh instead of hardened steel. Hoshigaki then brought Samehada down on the chain still holding his other arm, destroy it as well. The Jinchuriki flicked the broken weapon away, ignoring the pain in his wrist. The Seven-tails did not give its host the regeneration that the Nine-tails had Uzumaki, but it did accelerate his healing somewhat, and he sent extra chakra to his limb to hold the cracked bones in place and repair them quicker.

"I think my Samehada remembers you, too," Kisame shot back, slashing the still fanged blade at his enemy's chest. Gai hopped back, drawing his nunchaku as he did. The shark man snorted in amusement, and swung again. But when Gai blocked with his flail, the thinner chain cord and wood held. The shark's tiny, black eyes flashed angrily.

"Surely you did not think I would make the same mistake twice in the same fight?" Gai demanded, and then released his nunchaku with one hand, cause the shark-skin blade to fly past him from the extra force Kisame was putting on it. Lee's mentor spun the other end of his weapon back around, hitting the renegade in the back of the head; unfortunately Kisame was spared the worst of the impact thanks to his forward motion. He pivoted back, trying to stab the legendary sword into Gai's back, but the Leaf Jonin was also turning and deflected the blow into the ground with a hard strike from his whirling weapon.

"You have improved in the last two years," Kisame smirked mirthlessly, as he lifted his sword back into position.

"I'm simply not holding back this time," Gai managed to be humble and grandiose in same phrase, "You are stronger than the impostor, and my students are not here, so I do not need to offer them a chance to test their strengths."

The Leaf ninja twirled his nunchaku once, then held it parallel to his chest in both hands, "Does this mean you also are ready to battle in earnest?"

"I guess so," Hoshigaki offered a shark tooth grin, and reached for the clasp on his cloak.

The nodachi slid effortlessly free from the ice statue that had been a Mist Chunin, and a swift kick snapped off the dead ninja's torso at the legs. The liberator's top half shattered as it crashed to the hard packed dirt.

"Who is there?" a dark, wispy voice issued from the sword's owner, "It's no use hiding in the mist, I can still feel your heat."

Bunjiro Egureru was noticeably taller than average, though not quite as tall as his current partner Kisame. His skin was so pale that it had almost a greyish hue. The renegade swordsman's hair was a light sky blue, with white streaks and tips, and was pulled into a ponytail that hung just past his neck. His build was sharp, a thin mass of tightly bound muscle under his icy skin. His eyes were white, and if not for the visible pupil, could have been mistaken for the Byakugan. The remainder of his face was handsome, but painfully cold, like it had been carved from a block of glacial ice by a master sculptor who was more concerned with making his work perfect than matching any realistic human. He wore a black sleeveless shirt and pants, with wave patterned leather gloves and boots.

She emerged from the fog slowly not wanting to put herself in range of his weapon. The Souhi was nearly seven and one half feet long from point to pommel, with two-thirds of that taken up by slender, wind sharp blade. The metal was pure white, except for the slight darkening of the hamon line, shaped like a snow drift. The nodachi's long handle was wrapped in a mesh of whitened leather and blue silk. The crosspiece was a basic oval, but was carved with dozens of individual snow flakes.

"Kaede Mizuno," his eyes fluttered over to her immediately, "The daughter of the man who drove me out."

"You rebelled," she countered angrily, "you tried to kill the Mizukage because you did not like of his policies."

"I would have said that I sought to preserve the strength of the Mist Village," he shrugged, raising his blade, "but such old arguments are pointless now."

He slashed out, and despite her calculations, the five-foot blade came within inches of her left hand. Her fingers curled and turned dark red, severely frostbitten by the near contact. Kaede drew a kunai with her good hand, and hopped back, throwing the dagger at him. As he blocked the projectile, which shattered into dozens of icy pieces, she signed quickly, beginning to restore her damage hand. Then she crafted another set of seals, and a sheath of hot, dry air surrounded her body, driving away the mist jutsu.

"The Desert Breeze may protect you from most Suiton jutsu," he told her flatly, "But it will not stop Souhi's cold."

He swiped with his blade again, and despite the increased distance, she felt the concentration of frigid chakra clash with her soft barrier. The air warped from the divergent temperatures, and she grinned.

"I never expected it do," she told him, "Ninja Arts: Mirage Jutsu."

She vanished into the spreading haze created by the clashing of the heat, the cold, and the mist. A set of three shurikens appeared flying at Bunjiro's left side, and then an instant later another trio of stars flew at his right. He knocked all six from the air with a single sweep of his extra-long blade.

"Tricks and illusions will not work on me," he informed her without boasting, and rotated Souhi around his head twice. A sphere of cold burst out from the nodachi, turning the Hidden Mist jutsu in its range into snow, and neutralizing the pockets of warmth she had been generating. Kaede became visible amidst the flurries, signing another attack.

"Ninja Art: Summoning Jutsu," she finished quickly, and two polar bears burst into being.

"Get him," she said said, and with matched roars, the bears charged. Bunjiro did not even react as the massive animals struck, their claws digging into his chest. But as their paws advanced, the bears passed through the swordsman without injuring or moving him.

"Though there is wisdom in choosing an arctic animal, I already told you your genjutsu would not work on me," he stated as the bears faded from view.

"Are you sure about that?" she countered, drawing a kunai with a paper bomb tied to the handle. She drew her hand back to throw the exploding knife, and he lashed out with his frigid blade. Kaede tried to resist, but the cold washing over her was too powerful, and she began to freeze. Then Bunjiro suddenly took his left hand off Souhi's hilt and snapped it sideways. His fist struck the real, hidden Kaede's chin even as the frost-covered ninjutsu tag exploded, destroying the solidified Water Clone. The real Face of the Mist tumbled away from the force of his backfist, which fortunately put her out of range of a finishing strike from the legendary ice blade.

"Yes," he answered her question, "Or were you not aware that wielding Souhi robs the user of the ability to see light, and instead lets him see and feel heat and cold?"

"Now that you mention it," she wiped a trickle of blood from the side of her mouth as she stood, "I remember hearing a rumor about that."

"Now, should I finish you, or simply disable you so that we can use you against your father?" he asked her honestly.

"You might be getting ahead of yourself," she stepped further back, starting to sign again.

'If I can hit him with enough fire or heat,' she recalled the special training the Mist hunters had been given to fight the Broken Swords, 'I can temporarily disrupt Souhi's powers. And maybe blind him in the process. Then I might have a shot at him.'

"Katon: Phoenix Stream Jutsu!" she roared, thrusting her hands, her fingers splayed in the shape of a bird, her overlapping thumbs forming the head. A thick burst of orange flames, maintaining an avian profile, shot at the ice sword user. But he poured more ki into the nodachi and stabbed into the middle of the fire technique. The phoenix stopped, and its color faded from orange to yellow, before it began to break apart at the edges.

"That technique may have worked for your father," Bunjiro informed her, "but I have grown since then. And you are not your father. If you wish to take advantage of Souhi's weakness, you will need a much stronger Fire Release technique."

"Illusion Art: Encroaching Allies Jutsu," she ignored him, and signed another art instead. His eyes narrowed, and he watched her dubiously.

"How many times must I illustrate that your genjutsu are powerless against me?" he queried her, raising his sword in front of his eyes.

"One more would be nice," she smirked, "now that I know how which of your senses to target, and how."

His head shifted to the side, and his eyes widened in surprise. Three human shaped sources of heat were moving cautiously closer.

"You have managed to create a false heat source for me," he sounded mildly impressed, "but if I am aware the illusion is an illusion, what good does it do you? Now, I think I will begin by freezing your legs. I can always kill you later."

"DYMANIC ENTRY!" Rock Lee's right foot slammed into Bunjiro's right shoulder, pushing Souhi wide and staggering its master. Lee landed with a grimace, and then hopped back, favoring his left leg.

"My, that is cold," Lee grimaced against the pain.

"What is this?" Bunjiro jumped away from Neji and Tenten's joint kunai barrage.

"Not all illusions are crafted from chakra," the Face of the Mist noted smugly, as she regained her feet.

The Akatsuki cloak wrapped around Gai, trying to crush him. The strangulation jutsu was meant to be defensive, to prevent the robe from being stolen and used to infiltrate Madara's group. But the shark had suspected it could also be used as an offensive move, if the Akatsuki member was willing to give up the protection the reinforced fabric offered.

"Get off me, you accursed dress," Gai growled, tearing apart the silk and throwing the two halves onto the ground. He barely dodged Kisame's strike while his eyes were covered, but one of Samehada's teeth grazed the Leaf ninja's right arm. The demonic weapon latched on to the nearest tenketsu, and forcibly tore out a small chunk of Gai's energy. The Leaf Jonin grimaced from the unexpected pain of the shallow cut, but managed to sweep his nunchaku at Kisame's chest, preventing the Shozokus' general from capitalizing.

"You didn't know about my Samehada's power to steal chakra?" the Jinchuriki taunted, patting the hilt of the legendary sword. The shark-skin blade hummed happily.

"It must have escaped my notice," Gai said darkly.

"Of course it did," Hoshigaki agreed dubiously, "It's only so famous that Gouki Namikaze patterned his Syphon's power after it..."

"I do not listen to rumors," Gai shrugged.

"That's too bad," Kisame slashed again, and Gai once again diverted the attack into the ground with his flail, "Because, as I told you before, my sword has taken a liking to you. Or at least to your flavor."

The shark swung overhand, and Gai noticed his opponent was moving faster. He blocked the strike with his nunchaku's chain, and was pushed back.

"You are increasing your strength," the bowl-cut shinobi noted, twisting his body to force the sword away, while also launching a side kick at the renegade's stomach. Kisame stepped back to minimize the impact, and took his left hand off Samehada to grab Gai's ankle. He completed his turn, and threw the Leaf Jonin towards the lake. Lee's mentor bounced off the dark sand, and his training forced him to send his chakra down, so he skipped across the surface once, and then landed on the water instead of sinking.

"Samehada wants more of your chakra," Kisame agreed as he charged after his enemy, "So it is providing me some of the power it has stored."

"You speak as if it were alive," Gai pondered, attempting to stop Hoshigaki with a leg sweep. Despite his size, the Jinchuriki hopped nimbly over Gai's head, trying to behead the normal Jonin as he flipped. The boisterous ninja was still partially prone, but he slapped the blade aside with his bludgeon, and allowed himself to sink partway into the surf, to avoid losing an ear.

"It is, after a fashion," Kisame explained, "Since _you_ probably don't know this, I will tell you that this blade was made from a piece of skin, flayed from the Seven-Fins Shark. The same spirit I am 'fortunate' enough to play host to. That is part of why we fit so well."

Gai burst back out of the liquid, whirling his 'chucks at Kisame's right wrist, trying to disarm the Mist rogue. The shark yanked his hand back, and interposed his sword. This time, the rough edge tore through the reinforced chain of Gai's weapon. Hoshigaki shifted the blade slightly and scored another light hit on the Leaf shinobi's chest.

"I have to keep it happy, so I'll contribute something extra, too," the renegade did not sound like that was an imposition. As Gai tumbled past the Jinchuriki, using his momentum to try to buy himself a few seconds, he heard the sound of cloth ripping. As he landed on the water again, he glanced back, and saw a single, curved, triangle of blue energy, emerging from Kisame's back between his shoulder blades. At the same time, the near-Human reached out, and tore the remainder of the bandages covering his sword, revealing a thick mass of points under the larger protrusions, and also a vestigial mouth at the 'tip' of the blade.

"The full power of my Samehada, and my one-tails form," Kisame told, his voice just slightly more curious than mocking, "What's your move?"

Gai smiled broadly and unzipped his vest. The shark's eyes narrowed, as Gai tossed the garment back to the shore. It hit with a resounding thud, and kicked up a cloud of sand that appeared to accidentally save Ebisu's glasses wearing student from a blue Shozoku, when the dust disrupted the sergeant's field of vision long enough to let the boy escape a slash from the renegade's gladius. Kisame's eyes widened and his pupils narrowed, and he stared at Gai in disbelief. Without taking his eyes from the shark or losing his grin, the Leaf warrior removed the bundles from his legs and tossed them onto the beach as well, right next to his vest. They landed with similar booms and disruptions of the ground.

"You wear training weights on missions?" Hoshigaki demanded, incredulously.

"Body armor and a backup modular weapon set," Gai's teeth twinkled triumphantly, "But seeing as how they will do no good against you, I thought I could fight better without them. And since you powered up yourself as well as your equipment, I might as well do the same!"

"I open the first TWO gates!" Gai shouted, "Gate of Opening! Gate of Healing!"

Gai took one step forward, and then vanished. The next instant, he was on Kisame's other side, firing a right cross at the Jinchuriki's face. Kisame tried to intercept with his sword's pommel, but the instant before his block would have succeeded, the excitable Jonin disappeared, and a knee drove into his other side. Kisame coughed in pain, and tried a broad swipe, but Gai was already outside his range, and the instant Samehada had passed, he darted in again. The Leaf shinobi was moving too fast for the Mist traitor to see, but his shark's smell could track the blood that had been drawn earlier, and his sword was pulling him towards his opponent. He closed his arms in front of his chest, holding his broad weapon so it covered his vitals. But again Gai faded from view a heartbeat before hitting the blade, and instead Kisame felt a fist drive into his left kidney, and a heel crush his right knee. He began signing and actively dodging, focusing more on avoiding Gai than on trying to get the speedy warrior to hit his weapon.

"Water Style: Massive Water Prison Jutsu."

The water from the lake surged up, forming a forty-foot sphere of liquid centered on Kisame. The former Akatsuki member took a deep 'breath' as the clean water flowed over his gills, and smiled triumphantly when he saw Gai was trapped inside the sphere with him. He noticed that the self-proclaimed handsome devil had slowed by more than half, due to the thicker material.

'That will teach him to underestimate the power of a Jinchuriki,' Kisame thought, as Gai tried and failed to penetrate the edge of the prison. He felt his muscles unknotting from where Gai had hit him; while it might not have the regenerative powers of the Nine-Tails, the Seven-Fins further accelerated Hoshigaki's healing when they were underwater.

"I wonder how long you can hold your breath?" Kisame asked, his chakra letting him speak and be heard normally while submerged, "But you know, I don't really care that much. Suiton: Goshokuzame!"

He felt a small displeasure from Samehada as part of the water thickened and took the forms of five Tiger Sharks. The artificial predators swam towards Gai hungrily. The Leaf Jonin scowled slightly, and dropped his hands to his sides. He expelled some air, seeming to speak, but unlike Kisame, his words were indistinguishable. But his intent became clear as the water around him began to swirl, and his skin turned a deep red color. The chakra sharks continued forward, having even less understanding of what was happening than their source animals would have.

"Leaf Hot Wind!" Gai shouted, propelling himself up and forward. He began to spin, and his extended leg caught fire. The water exploded away from him, and he tore apart the jutsu sharks. Gai flipped backwards through the air, exiting Kisame's entrapping technique through the giant divot he created, before the the water could fill back in.

"That's like the technique you used to kill my shadow that time," Kisame noted, as he let the Water Prison lapse.

"A simpler derivative," Gai noted briefly, before shooting forward again.

'He is less talkative since opening the Gates,' the shark-man noted. Before Gai could close the distance, Kisame ceased sending chakra out of his feet and dropped into the water. The Leaf warrior raised his right foot to drive it into the water, but before he could break the surface, Kisame surged up under him, punching his left heel, and knocking Gai upwards. The Broken Sword followed him, and in the instant his opponent was off-balance, Samehada tore a chunk out of his right calf. But as they fell, Gai's good foot collided with Kisame's broad nose.

As he landed, Might Gai noticed his opponent's sword was large and spikier, and a tongue extended from the weapon's mouth, licking his blood off the tooth-like scales. He also noticed that now two fins were visible on Kisame, the one on his back and a new protrusion outside his left triceps.

"I can't match your three gates with one tail," Kisame noticed his opponent's gaze, "but a little more power from Samehada and a second tail should do the trick."

The renegade dove into the water again, and Gai tried to track him, but the darkness of the partial cave made up for the clarity of the water, and the shark vanished. Instead, he sent chakra to his wounds to stem the bleeding, and concentrated on the feeling in his feet. He felt the water begin to move under him, and rolled to the side. Unfortunately, he wasn't fast enough, and Samehada tagged his right arm again, only centimeters from the first cut. As he regained his feet, Gai took off towards solid ground. Kisame followed on top of the water, and this time he was able to keep pace with the Leaf liberator, and even begin to close the gap. He raised his hungry weapon to carve into Gai's back, when he heard a creak in the other Jonin's joints. Suddenly Gai was facing Kisame, and his foot was in Gouki's general's throat. Kisame rocketed away, choking. But they were too close to the shore, and he only sunk into the water a few inches.

"Fourth Gate," Gai whispered imperiously, "Gate of Pain."

Kisame watched his prey for a moment, taking in the feel of the water through his light clothing. His breathing slowly steadied.

'He had been one-upping me with the Inner Gates. He has only four Gates left, and then he dies, but I can fully control up to six tails, plus now that Samehada is happy, it can send me more power. And I have plenty of water at hand.'

"Suiton: Shark Missile," he intoned without signing, dredging up the lake and throwing a large chunk of it at Gai in the form of a Great White. He hopped sideways and then ran forward, hoping to catch the bowl-cut ninja from both sides.

Gai simply held his ground, and an instant before the water shark bit into him, he punched it in the nose. The force of the blow, plus the chakra flooding from his body, destroyed the jutsu, and Gai effortlessly slid out of the way of Kisame's first two stabs.

"You shouldn't be able to move like that with that leg," the Jinchuriki told him, as the Leaf ninja's fist numbed Kisame's whole arm when the renegade blocked a counter punch. Gai only smirked back, and punched again with the same arm. The renegade was too slow to block, and Gai's fist hit a pressure point in his left shoulder.

"Fine, try this," Kisame focused his chakra again, and the force of his ki pushed Gai back, cutting furrows in the sand. A third fin emerged under the upper part of his right arm, restoring feeling to the limb. But this time the fin was not alone, and an aura of dark-blue visible chakra surrounded Kisame.

Gai did not hesitate, but as soon as the pressure let up, he charged back in, his fist flying at Kisame's face. This time the rogue did not even attempt to block or evade; he took the blow without flinching, and was not moved by it. Instead, the skin on Gai's knuckles was deeply shredded by the rough texture of the demon shark shroud. Then he spun Samehada up, nearly taking off Gai's arm. The Leaf team-leader hopped back, examining his wounded fist and glaring at the the Jinchuriki.

"So, that is a the power of a Three-Tails level demon cloak."

Gai recognized that he still had the slight edge in speed, but if he could not hit Kisame without taking more damage than he inflicted, the normally loud Jonin expected it would be a short fight. Even though his sense of pain was dulled by the fourth gate, Gai could already tell he had inflicted some damage on his own body, and knew he could not keep going like this for too much longer.

"If I could take away that sword, it would help to even things up," Gai recalled, "Both in limiting his reach, and by cutting off his second outside supply of chakra."

"But you tried that last time, and Samehada didn't react to well," Kisame shot back, "But please, try it again."

"No, I think not," Gai shook his head, "Instead I will simply say, Unlock the Sixth Gate, Gate of View."

"Skipping one again?" Kisame demanded, but he also noticed that the vortex of Gai's energy was pushing the water away from them this time. The Leaf Jonin jumped forward, again faster, and Hoshigaki expected him to attack from behind again with his superior speed. Instead Gai came straight in, and his foot collided with Kisame's chin, launching him towards the leaf cover.

"Not that," Kisame shouted, as Gai jumped above him, his legs and arms curled in.

"MORNING PEACOCK!" Might Gai yelled, raining fire wrapped punches down on Kisame, driving the Jinchuriki back down to the ground. The former Mist Jonin managed to position his sword between them again, but the breadth and speed of Gai's attack ensured he was still hit by dozens of scorching punches. However, more blows hit Samehada, however in turn the sword tore into Gai's hands, ripping out more of his chakra and lapping up his blood. Finally, Gai ended with a mighty blow, rocketing Kisame down, burying him partway in the sand.

Gai landed, flexing his bloody fingers, and Kisame burst from the beach, a second fin on his back, for four total. His blue skin was blackened in places, and his breathing was as harsh as his opponent's but he pointed his sword at Gai, with a confident glare. The Leaf ninja studied him for a moment, focusing on the demonic blade, and then he grinned.

"Seventh Gate," he called out grandiosely, "GATE OF WONDER!"

"Are you that afraid of my Four-Tails form?" Kisame stalked slowly closer to the water. Gai did not answer, but lifted his open right hand before his face. He tapped the back with the first two fingers on his left hand, and as the chakra was transferred, his right curled into a partial fist. He rapidly turned his hand towards Kisame, and thrust at him. His fingers superficially resembled the roaring mouth of a big cat, and the energy that exploded out bore an even greater likeness to its namesake.

"DAYTIME TIGER!" his roar was partially drowned by the growl of the giant tiger head that shot towards Hoshigaki, creating a visible ripple in the air. It was too large, too fast for the shark to dodge, and so he brought up his sword again. But the whispers from the blade that he had been suppressing told him two things. The first was that there was none of Gai's chakra in the attack. He realized it was just a supersonic blast of hyper-compressed air. And the second impression he received from Samehada was a whimper of pain. His eyes dropped, and he saw what had made Gai smile. The tooth-like scales of the demon shark sword were burned and chipped. Like the incoming attack, the last technique had not directly used Gai's chakra, the heat was from friction, and the force was from his muscles. So Samehada had not been able to absorb the attack like it would have a ninjutsu. Kisame had enough time to agonize over the choice, but not enough time to act.

The Daytime Tiger hit Samehada and exploded, separating the blade from its owner with the force of the unraveling air mass. As he tumbled back, Kisame watched incredulously as the demonic blade snapped in half, and then broke apart three more times. The remains of the shark-skin sword scattered on the sand...

* * *

**Preview:**

[background scene of an injured Gai and a livid Kisame]

Gai [confidently]: Now that the sword is out of the way, time to finish this duel..

[background scene of Neji and Lee fighting Bunjiro while Kaede and Tenten plan]

Gai [imperiously]: And once my team finishes the other general, this battle is as good as done.

[background scene of Kisame, growing more, larger fins and his cloak becoming more solid.]

Gai [dubiously]: Well, I might be getting ahead of myself a little.

Naruto [announcer voice]: Next time on Naruto: A Growing Affection; **Chapter 141: Crushing Falls**.

Gai [confident again]: Either way, we end this, shark man.


	141. Crushing Falls

**Chapter 141: Crushing Falls**

Kisame Hoshigaki's eyes bulged and flicked back and forth between several of the larger lumps of metal and skin that had once been his sword. He felt his mental connection to the ancient weapon die, the chakra it had stored over the last century and a half dissipating. Inside the cage in his gut, he could hear the shark demon laughing angrily. The Seven-Fins was amused by Gai's action and Kisame's reaction, but was also outraged that the weapon made from a fragment of its flesh and energy had been destroyed by a mere mortal. The Bijuu could not decide which emotion was more powerful or important, so instead it indulged in both feelings.

During the Mist Jinchuriki's moment of distraction, Gai darted over to his leg guard, and assembled three of the weights into a staff. He kept the first seven Inner Gates open, but moved at normal speed. Getting rid of Samehada would even things up, but Kisame was still the host to the Seven-Fins. Gai knew he could hold open the Gate of Wonder for fifteen minutes before passing out, and in a moment of slight desperation, he again broke his vow to Lee and activated a healing ninjutsu. The low level medical technique began to slowly repair the injuries both Kisame and his broken sword had inflicted on his fists, and to reduce the damage the open gates had let him do to his own body.

Kisame stood, glaring at Gai, breathing heavily, his gills flaring as well.

"That's not possible," the shark-man insisted darkly, "No jutsu can harm Samehada. No mortal can kill a demon."

"Whatever its source materials, that was still just a jutsu bonded weapon," Gai countered, "And there was no chakra in the Daytime Tiger for your sword to absorb, just explosively compressed air."

Being contradicted was the last insult the Jinchuriki could take. Kisame's pupils shrunk to almost nothing, and his four fins and cloak, which had been starting to fade, suddenly exploded with massive amounts of visible chakra. Two more ki fins shredded his shirt as they erupted from his lower back, and the fins on his upper arms expanded until they were half his height, and extended past his elbows. The cloak of energy around his upper torso and head was no longer a partially formed cloud, but instead took the distinct shape of a giant shark's head. Not only did his Jinchuriki cloak change, his physical body did as well. His arms grew bulkier, and his mouth widened. His skin looked rougher and his nose seemed to become slightly longer and more pointed.

Kisame howled wordlessly, and shot towards Might Gai.

* * *

"Be careful," Kaede warned her allies, "Even an incidental contact with Souhi is deadly, and just letting the blade get close to you can cause advanced frostbite."

"Yes, you mentioned something to that effect when we first met," Lee recalled.

"We can counteract Souhi's power for a little while with a powerful Katon jutsu," the Mist Jonin added, "But my Phoenix Scream wasn't strong enough."

"If you boys can hold him off for a few minutes, maybe we can come up with something," Tenten suggested, and Neji and Lee nodded their agreement. The bowl-cut Tokujo had finished assembling four of his weights into an extra long staff, to help him keep Bunjiro at a distance. Neji drew the new tonfas Hinata had given him, after she destroyed half of his previous pair. His cousin had regretfully told him that they were store bought, rather than Naruto forged. But from what he had seen while practicing with the new set, they slightly surpassed his old tonfas in the quality of their materials and construction.

"That is only if we do not defeat him first," Lee said confidently, jabbing his staff at Bunjiro's face to try to create an opening for Neji on the Broken Sword's left side.

"He is blind, but can see heat," the Mizukage's daughter told them, before stepping back to confer with the other kunoichi.

"That's why you were trying to fight him directly," the Leaf woman noted, one of her questions indirectly answered, "Visual illusions wouldn't work on him."

"I have a few genjutsu that I might be able to use to simulate body heat," Kaede admitted, "But they take a while to set up, and aren't as effective if he knows they are coming."

Tenten nodded, and asked, "What about that fire jutsu you said you used? You said it wasn't powerful enough to overcome his cold, but how strong is it?"

"Phoenix Scream is an A-Rank technique," the Mist hunter explained, "It creates a dense mass of flames, shaped like a bird. It's the jutsu the Mizukage used to shut down Souhi when Bunjiro tried to assassinate him; but Bunjiro claims he is stronger now, and my fa... my leader has a greater natural talent for fire chakra."

Neji felt the nodachi's cold seep though his reinforced sleeves, as he blocked the legendary sword with both of his weapons. Lee slid into place behind the Mist renegade, and nodded. The Hyuga Jonin pushed back harder, starting to expel his chakra.

"Rotation," the Leaf soldier announced, spinning his body and creating the dome of bludgeoning energy. Bunjiro was thrown back, unprepared and lacking the mass to resist. Lee began to spin his staff overhand, planning to shatter their opponent's spine. The Broken Sword twisted in the air, and brought his sword up to block. The sharp blade sheered through the metal pole, leaving the end tinted white with frost.

"Maybe if we both hit him at the same time," Tenten suggested softly.

"Maybe..." the Face of the Mist whispered thoughtfully, "Or we could stagger it a bit. I'll hit him with the Phoenix Scream again, and while he is countering it, you can blast him with your own fire jutsu."

"The double limit concept?" the weapons mistress nodded.

"Exactly."

"Let's do it," Tenten agreed, "It will take me thirty seconds to overcharge a Crimson Passion jutsu."

Kaede suppressed her jealousy and said, "I'll need a little longer than that to get my Phoenix Scream to its strongest. Hold your attack, and release it when he blocks mine."

"Got it," the Leaf Jonin acknowledged the seemingly younger woman.

Lee deflected a stab at extension to avoid the worst of the cold; knocking his staff against the flat of Souhi's blade, rather than risk his weapon being trimmed again. Neji moved in behind Bunjiro, aiming an attack for the renegade's spine, but the Mist rogue twisted back, intercepting the tonfa with his nodachi's extended hilt, and even just the hilt contained enough of the legendary sword's frigid power to numb the Hyuga shinobi's hand.

Though the teammates were holding Gouki's general at bay, they were unable to make good on Lee's boast. Bunjiro was as strong as Neji, though not as powerful as Lee, and was faster than either of them. His sword gave him the edge in reach, especially since Egureru had damaged Lee's staff. And the arctic aura extended that further. In addition, not unlike Neji's Byakugan, the Broken Sword's ability to see heat allowed him to track opponents all around him.

All three men noticed as the two kunoichi ended their conference as the two women began to move closer to the fight. Kaede was signing again, slowly, and Tenten was holding her weighted scarf, twirling it slowly, but also keeping her hands conspicuously close together. Bunjiro intercepted Lee's next attack without facing the younger shinobi. Instead, his empty white eyes narrowed as he tried to track the Mist hunter's gestures.

"You are going to try the Phoenix Scream again," he deduced from the hand signs his altered vision was able to differentiate, "You hope your allies will be able finish me while I deal with your fire technique. It is not a bad plan, but it will not work."

"We'll see. But I guess you won't," the Face attempted to taunt him, while trying to sound unsettled. Her ploy had the intended impact, the emotionally stunted killer pursed his lips in disappointment.

"Katon: Phoenix Scream Jutsu!" she screeched the incantation slightly, and a larger, darker firebird winged towards the renegade. Bunjiro forced Neji to jump back with a wave of cold, and then brought Souhi up, plunging the tip into the phoenix. He expelled another blast of cold into the flame technique, and released his nodachi with his left hand, pointing the freed limb at Lee and Tenten to intercept their potential attacks. The Leaf woman spun out her flexible weapon, but instead of throwing or kicking it at Bunjrio, she caught it with her left wrist, allowing it to wrap around her forearm, freeing up her hands to form the last demi-god animal image.

"Tats'," she intoned, "Katon: Crimson Passion Jutsu!"

Unlike her teacher's version, Tenten's Crimson Passion had two ribbons of flame instead of three, but they were broader and spiraled more tightly. Bunjiro's eyes widened as the new source of heat appeared on his altered senses, and he tried to shift Souhi to block the new attack. But Kaede's green orbs narrowed in concentration, as she poured more ki into the firebird. Though she could not make the attack hotter, or prevent its failure, she was able to thicken it, slowing the icy nodachi as it cut free of the jutsu. The avian's left wing splashed against the renegade's pale shoulder, still hot enough to make his flesh redden and blister. These two hindrances prevented him from getting his sword into the proper position and preparing their linked chakra to counter the second jutsu.

Instead of hitting the Souhi's point and with it a barrier of merged wind and water chakra, the Katon ninjutsu scraped down the length of the blade before squarely striking the guard. For an instant it appeared the Crimson Passion would pass the crosspiece, however Egureru was able to redirect that cold energy, saving his own life. Though he protected himself, this allowed Tenten's fire chakra to discharge against the extended katana, uninhibited.

The air around them warmed noticeably. The white of the winter blade deepened, becoming the metallic grey of natural steel. Bunjiro blinked twice, and then closed his eyes as if concentrating. He groaned with effort, and his already white knuckles bulged as he bore down on the legendary sword's hilt.

"It's down," Kaede barked, "But we have at most five minutes, so we have to hit him hard and fast."

Lee jumped in, his staff swinging down quietly at Bunjiro's shoulder. The renegade, still holding the blade one handed, turned into the blow, and caught it on Souhi. This time the sword did not cut through the weighted beam, but only carved a small nick out of it. Neji and Tenten both stepped in closer. The Hyuga Jonin holstered his twin tonfa, and then stabbed his glowing fingers at Egureru's shoulder, hoping if he blocked the rogue's chakra flow, it would slow the sword's restart time. His clan-less lover simply kicked the end of her weighted scarf at her opponent's nose. But even as he was blocking Lee's attack, Bunjiro was creating partial hand signs with his open left hand.

"Hyoton: Crystal Wind Jutsu," he exclaimed, and burst of snowy wind knocked the engaged couple back.

"Do not think that just because you have disabled Souhi's cold, that means you can defeat me," Bunjiro said without boasting, "Even if its powers have become my primary method of combat, neither my blade or I are weak without them."

"But can you really beat four Jonin without them?" Kaede countered.

"Point of fact, I am not a full Jonin," Lee insisted proudly.

"Not the time, not the point," the Face of the Mist rolled her eyes in annoyance.

"Fuuton: Tornado Lock Jutsu," the Broken Sword announced without gesturing, "Suton: Water Burst Jutsu."

A column of air swirled around Lee, trapping the chakra stunted Tokujo, and slowly starting to suffocate him. In the next heartbeat, water exploded between Neji and Bunjiro, pushing the Leaf shinobi further back, and severely bruising his left arm, which he used to protect his body from the worst of the blunt force. Tenten threw her soft weapon into the vortex, and began to reel Lee out. With the members of team Gai removed from the battle if only momentarily, Bunjiro leapt straight at the Mizukage's daughter, lifting his sword.

"I think without you supplying them inside information, it will be much easier," he answered, the nodachi arcing towards her neck.

CLANG! An instant before hitting her, the sword suddenly stopped in mid air with an echo of colliding metals. The rogue's face scrunched in confusion, and he pushed down, but his blade did not budge. He glared at Kaede, who smiled at him blandly. Only one possibility occurred to him, and though it seemed unlikely, it was the only one that made any sense to him.

"Release!" he exclaimed, and instead of Kaede Mizuno, Bunjiro was standing before Rock Lee, his Souhi pushing down on Lee's staff. Tenten had pulled Neji from the Tornado Lock, and the Hyuga warrior was examining the gouge created in his tonfa while he was disguised as Lee. And where 'Neji' been, the real Kaede was panting from the effort of holding the illusion, and the pain from the multiple fractures in her left arm, regretting getting close enough to try to fake a Gentle Fist strike.

"You tricked me?" genuine amazement filled the Broken Sword's empty voice.

"Just a matter of using the right technique," she claimed, "And I had the perfect chance while you were focused on Tenten's fire attack."

Bunjiro frowned, and started to kick at Lee, when something hit his spine with the sound of rubbing sand and the feel of a soft cushion. Despite that, the powerful impact crushed two vertebrae, and his legs began to tingle uncomfortably. He deduced a second attack was coming, and tried to dodge, but his stems did not respond correctly, and Tenten's weighted scarf hit his right shoulder, breaking more bones and driving Souhi from his grip.

"You... Your oghi?" he asked of Kaede, still looking at Lee.

"Illusion of Illusions," she confirmed, "I used one False Presence on myself and the boys, and a second on Tenten's weapon. Once you confirmed it could fool even your altered senses, Tenten knew she could attack you without you knowing it was coming."

He slid to the ground, no longer able to ignore his damaged spine on force of will. But his left hand dug into the dirt, and he began to pull himself towards his sword. His lips moved wordlessly, and Neji's eyes widened.

"Lee, stop him," the normally composed Jonin shouted, and his bushy-browed teammate stabbed his staff turned makeshift spear through the Broken Sword's side, pinning him to the ground.

"Neji what is it?" Kaede asked, worried.

"He was saying something about an even exchange, and an alpha strike," the Hyuga warrior answered, "I believe he was going to try to kill all of us with a kamikaze attack."

"Not just us," her eyes widened in desperate terror. She shifted her gaze to their fallen foe, and noticed that the white hue was filling Souhi's blade again, and despite being trapped by Lee's staff and his right shoulder being useless, his left hand was inching closer the legendary sword's hilt.

"Stop him, kill him," she shrieked, stumbling forward awkwardly, "if he touches Souhi, everyone in this village will die!"

Her honest desperation spurred Neji acted on instinct, combining a Flash Step and a Substitution. He reappeared in front of Bunjiro, his body half buried in the ground where he had switched with the dirt.

"Byakugan Art: Mountain Crusher!" he intoned, placing his right palm against the Mist rogue's forehead. The force of the jutsu inflicted massive damage on Bunjiro Egureru's head and neck, and tore what was left of him free from Lee's staff, sending the body skipping away across the ground.

"What was that?" Tenten asked Kaede, as Lee started to help Neji dig his legs free.

"Souhi's alpha strike; its true, bonded user can send his chakra into the blade to break it," the Mist hunter explained as she limped towards her target's corpse, "According to legend it will reduce everything in a five kilometer area to a temperature of negative one hundred degrees. Instantly."

"That would be cold," Lee remarked blandly.

"Not just the air," she shook her head as she knelt beside the traitor, "water, rocks, plants, people, everything. No-one can survive that. It is, as Neji said, a kamikaze revenge technique. Obviously no-one was ever... well, cold enough to try it before. Bunjiro was willing to kill all of his troops, and all of the civilians left in the Waterfall Village as well. Katon: Traitor's Funeral Jutsu."

White hot flames erupted from Bunjiro's body, the Hunter-nin's secret technique consuming the secrets of the Hidden Mist.

"One down," she said, using Souhi's scabbard to stand with an expression of dull pain, "one to go."

"Are you alright, Kaede-san?" Lee asked.

"I thought I caught the Water Burst with my arm, but I think he tagged my hip, too."

"As there anything we can do?" Tenten asked.

"Bring me Souhi," the Face of the Mist said firmly.

* * *

Gai blinked, and when his eyes opened again, Kisame was directly in front of him. The shark was swinging his arm up, and the Leaf Jonin jumped back to dodge what he thought was an uppercut to the jaw. This saved him from being bisected, but the blade-like edge of Hoshigaki's fin still carved a deep furrow into Gai's chest.

Gai ignored the pain from the ragged wound, and kicked at the Jinchuriki's chin. Kisame smirked and pushed the extended foot away almost casually, angling his fin towards Gai's belly in the same motion. The bowl-cut warrior pushed off the renegade, tumbling awkwardly back to avoid being disemboweled. Lee's mentor kipped up, throwing two handfuls of throwing stars at Kisame as he returned to a vertical stance. The first group bounced off the forearm fin the Mist rogue raised as a shield. And for the second group of shuriken, shark's head cloak bit down on, catching all but one. Kisame trapped the final missile in his real teeth, cutting through the cheap steel and then spitting the halves out. Gai had the distinct impression the shark was trying to frighten him.

The Leaf Jonin charged forward, the green mist still pouring off his reddened skin. He launched a quick barrage of punches and kicks, but each strike was deliberately stopped short. Kisame seemed to recognize this, as he did not bother to dodge or fight back. And even though he did not connect, Gai's hands were bloodied further by the rough aura.

"So, are you done testing the destructive power of my demon cloak?" the shark-man asked, amusement tempering his rage somewhat.

'He is now faster than I am,' Gai contemplated, 'and also stronger. If I hit him, I suspect he will just shrug it off, while his cloak tears me up. Truly, the power of a Jinchuriki is exceptional. I will have to stop holding back, if I am to defeat him.'

Gai placed his hand together, and started to sign rapidly.

"Raiton Strikes Twice Jutsu," Gai intoned grandiosely. A jagged bolt of lightning left his hands, and shot towards the demon host.

"Shark Bullets," Kisame growled. Three fist-sized, shark-shaped darts of water burst from his demon cloak. Two swam towards Gai, but the third shot straight up, intercepting the second bolt from Gai's two pronged attack. Two of the water projectiles exploded into the lightning bolts, disrupting them, and the third struck the Leaf Jonin before he could dodge. It bit into the bloody wound on his chest, and then detonated as well, knocking him down. Gai did not wait, but started signing even as he spun back to his feet.

"Katon: Burn..."

"Demon Shark Bullet," Kisame barked angrily. A larger, denser projectile hit Gai, and drained the energy from his incomplete jutsu. The shark bullet also clamped down on his arm, sawing into the skin and muscle before fading away. Gai realized that if he had not had the first seven gates open, the attack would likely have severed his limb.

Desperate, Gai brought his right hand before his face again. Kisame did not give him the chance to unleash a second Daytime Tiger. The Jinchuriki jumped horizontally, slamming into Gai's chest. As they tumbled, the mouth of Hoshigaki's cloak closed part way on the Leaf Jonin's arm, holding it at extension and cutting into the skin, but not biting all the way down. They landed with Kisame on top of Gai, the traitor's demon energy still holding the Handsome Devil's limb and Kisame's right arm fin pressed against Gai's neck.

"I suppose it was too much to hope a normal ninja could stand up to this form," the Jinchuriki of the Seven-Fins sounded almost disappointed, "Maybe someone with a Bloodline talent will put up a better fight. Like your student Neji Hyuga, or Kakashi Hatake. Either way, I take Samehada's revenge. Now, it is time for your death, Might Gai of the Hidden Leaf."

_

* * *

"Well done, Lee-kun," Gai gushed, "You have mastered the procedure for opening the Seventh Inner Gate, the Gate of Wonder. Of course, you cannot actually test it, but I am certain that should the need arise, you will be able to execute the technique."_

_"Thank you, Gai-sensei!" Lee shouted, "Now, I am ready to start learning how to open the Eighth Gate."_

_"No," Gai said with uncharacteristic softness, "I will not be teaching you that technique."_

_"What?" Lee asked, wearing his disappointment openly, "Why not, Gai-sensei?"_

_"I cannot teach you how to open the final Gate," Gai said happily, then added, more somber but just as loud, "And even if I could, I would not."_

_"Does this mean you do not know how to open the last Gate?" Lee asked curiously, "Is that why you cannot teach me?"_

_"Oh no, I know how to open the Gate of Death," Gai deflected, "But unlike the other seven Gates, there is no one technique that can be taught to open the final Gate. A ninja must take his experience with the other Gates, and determine how to open the final gate for himself. Of course, there are a few tricks to help one discover the process, but I still will not be showing them to you."_

_"Why not?" the chakra-stunted Genin demanded again, "You have already taught me how to open the first seven Gates, even though it is taboo. And I have done so openly in my fight with Gaara. So why not teach how to open the Gate of Death."_

_"Lee, what do you know about the Gate of Death?" Gai queried._

_"It is the last and most powerful of the Eight Inner Gate, located in the heart," the younger man explained, "And supposedly anyone how opens that Gate will die. But surely there must be some way around that."_

_"There is not," Gai said darkly, "If a person opens the Gate of Death, he will die __**exactly**__ forty-two seconds later. There is no way to prevent it."_

_"I do not understand," Rock Lee frowned in confusion._

_"Lee, if you were to talk to a more scientifically minded ninja, one who had studied the Inner Gates, he could tell you how the first seven Gates work. The first Gate removes an instinctual limiter, the second sends more energy to the muscles... other techno-babble explanations. But no-one has been able to figure out how the Eighth Gate functions. Those eggheads claim it goes back and doubles the impact of the first seven Gates. Personally, I believe an older, less technical explanation of how it works."_

_"What is that, Gai-sensei?"_

_"The Gate of Death takes all of the potential of your life, both from your future, and missed moments of excellence from your past, and focuses them all into the present. Every bit of chakra, every victory that might have been won, all channeled into those forty-two seconds. That is why a person who opens the Eighth Gate becomes temporarily invincible, but it is also why he dies; he has burned up all of his life for a moment of greatness."_

_"What if the Eighth Gate were closed before the time limit expired?" Lee pondered._

_"It has been tried, and it does not matter. If my belief is correct, then your life has already been sacrificed by opening the Gate, and after that the Gate itself has no more meaning."_

_"Then why would a person use that technique?" Lee muttered in frustration._

_"To accomplish a miracle, when death is inevitable," Gai said softly, "The Gate of Death is more powerful then the first seven combined. The cumulative impact of opening the first seven Gates is a roughly twenty-fold increase in strength, speed, endurance, and chakra level, but it takes a terrible toll on your body. Opening the last Gate is generally a thirty-fold boost to what the first seven Gates have already given you, and during that time the negative effects of the other Gates is also eliminated."_

_"A miracle indeed," Lee said with a hint of awe._

_"But there should never be a reason for you to need that kind of power, Lee-kun!" Gai roared, "I personally wish my own sensei had never given me the keys to unlocking the Gate of Death technique."_

* * *

"I must agree," Gai said serenely, closing his eyes. Then his orbs snapped back open, and his scleras were glowing.

"I open the final Gate," Gai's voice seemed to echo through the whole Hidden Waterfall Village, "GATE OF DEATH!"

The shockwave blasted Kisame off Gai, and the shark cloak's teeth tore out huge chunks of Gai's arm. But that did not matter.

Gai stood serenely, no longer in any pain. All of his injuries were gone, and as was the red tint to his skin caused by the lesser Gates. Chakra of all five elements, in both yin and yang configurations, danced across his skin, giving the Jonin a blinding white aura. He took one step forward, and then vanished from the Jinchuriki's sight.

Gai reappeared behind Kisame, and brought his hands down on the renegade's back. The Seven-Fins' power tried to shred the Leaf ninja's skin as it had before, but Gai's nimbus unraveled Kisame's cloak as they met. Gai's fists hit one of the Hoshigaki's fins, and the chakra construct shattered without even scratching Gai. The impact cracked the Mist renegade's ribs and bounced him off the ground. The Leaf warrior kicked Gouki's general while he was still in the air, rocketing him back out to the surface of the lake.

"Impossible," Kisame groaned in pain as he staggered to his feet, "Only another Bijuu Jinchuriki should be able to fight me in this form."

His eyes widened as he saw Gai charging towards him, so fast that the Leaf Jonin appeared to be using a Flash Step, but without expending any chakra.

"Suiton: Senjikizame," the Broken Sword shouted fearfully, pouring all of his chakra into the water under him. The lake roiled as a substantial portion of its volume transformed into one thousand sharks. The jutsu animals flew through the air towards Gai from all sides. His opponent vanished in the feeding frenzy, and for a moment, the swordsman thought he had succeeded.

"MIDNIGHT DRAKE!" Gai shouted, and the water sharks all disintegrated. In their wake, a giant dragon of compressed and ignited air skimmed along the surface of the water. Kisame tried dodge, diving sideways into the water. At the same instant, he hardened his six-tails cloak, and began to reach for the last section of the Seven-Fins' power, no longer caring if it meant he lost control.

Before he escaped into the water, before he changed his energy robe into armor, before he surrendered his mind for the Bijuu's power, the dragon struck him and exploded. The heat and impact destroyed his forearm fins, tore away large portions of his clothing and skin, but also burned the wounds shut. Kisame fell the to water, but did not sink in.

Gai completed his trip across the water, and as he reached Kisame, the shark rose awkwardly to his feet. The Jinchuriki's body was pitted, scarred, and scorched, but his eyes and grin were creepily pleasant.

"I won't lose," Kisame said absently, "I still have one trick left."

His three damaged ki fins suddenly exploded back into place, and his chakra began to surge further. But Gai shook his head.

"I might have liked to fight your full power, devil to demon. Unfortunately, I do not have time for that."

Gai swept his arms sideways and a burst of chakra lifted Kisame off the water, breaking the Jinchuriki's concentration. Gai seemed to fly forward, striking the spirit host, and knocking him back to the beach. As he arrived, Kisame vaguely noticed that Gai was already behind him, but was also still in front of him and off to his left. The three Gais punched Kisame simultaneously, stopping him in place.

"Eternal Chaotic Dance!"

Though there appeared to be three of him, only one voice rang in Kisame's ears. Still, at any given instant, the Jinchuriki could feel three fists or feet hit him from different quadrants. The seemingly tripled Leaf Jonin darted around the Mist renegade, striking him three thousand times in one second. Then, all three of them jumped into the sky. Their legs ignited as the came down, and all three burning kick struck Kisame's chest. As the shark's vision faded, he saw only one Gai standing over him, panting slightly.

"Gai-sensei!" Lee shouted, as he, Neji, and Tenten ran over. Kaede Mizuno followed them more slowly, using the sheathed Souhi as a cane.

"You beat Kisame," Kaede tried to keep the incredulity from her voice, "He's dead."

She glanced around nervously, but still knelt beside the body, signing.

"Yes," Gai agreed, his breathing becoming rough.

"Where is Samehada?" she asked, frowning at him, as flames consumed what was left of the renegade Jinchuriki.

"I'm sorry, but I was force to smash it," the Leaf Jonin explained.

"Gai-sensei, are you alright?" Tenten looked at him oddly, surprised he appeared uninjured, but still seemed weak.

"Gai-sensei, I thought I heard..." Neji started, but his teacher cut him off.

"I opened the Gate of Death," he confirmed, "I had no choice, if I wanted to defeat his six-tails form."

"You won against the six-tails cloak?" Kaede let her amazement show this time, but they ignored her.

"I am... glad you guys made it over here in time," Gai closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and wobbled slightly.

"I wanted you three to know, that I was very proud to be your teacher. You will all do great things for the Hidden Leaf Vill..."

Gai's breath faltered, and he fell forward. Lee caught him, tears streaming down his cheeks. He gently laid his mentor's body on the sand.

_

* * *

He saw it. All of the times he competed against Kakashi, except that this time he won every contest. And Kakashi accepted the penalty games. But as he watched the missed victories, they faded from view._

_He saw it. A world where he had killed Kisame in their first encounter. Itachi was able to bring down the Akatsuki from the inside, cutting off Gouki's support mechanism before the renegade rose to power. Orochimaru and Sasuke were still a threat, however the Leaf ninjas and their allies were working to contain them. But as he experienced the peaceful timeline, it faded from view. _

_He saw it. He was wearing the Hokage's hat, leading a new era of cooperation and youthful vigor. The five great villages had a firm alliance, and working together, crime and banditry had been greatly reduced. But as he observed the fruits of his leadership, it faded from view._

_He saw it. An older version of himself, standing beside the Rokudaime Hokage, Naruto Uzumaki, as the leader of the Leaf Village assigned Neji, Tenten, and Lee each their first Genin squad. He grinned triumphantly, as his students finally became teachers. But as he gazed upon his legacy, it faded from view._

_He saw them. Two children, about ten years of age, floating in the void. The boy had light brown hair and eyes, a prominent yet not unattractive nose, and had a red fang tattoo on either cheek. The girl had dark grey hair and black eyes, a button nose, and a rounder face. And both had much thicker than normal eyebrows, but those did not detract too much from their pleasant looks. He began to sob, silently screaming at heaven and hell not to let them disappear. But unlike his other visions, they did not vanish. Instead they seemed to notice him and as their eyes locked on his, both smiled at him. And his heart soared as the last of his life force faded away._

* * *

**Preview:**

[background scene of Naruto running through the Grass Village, pausing briefly to fight a blue Shozoku.]

Gai [darkly]: Naruto, Kakashi never told you what happened to your father.

Nartuo [defiantly]: He told me enough! He told me _you_ killed him!

[background scene of Hinata trying to fight an invisible enemy.]

Gai [imperiously]: No... _I_ am your father.

Naruto [shocked]: No. No! That's not true! _That's impossible!_

[background scene of Naruto fighting 'Leader'.]

Gai [firmly]: Search your feelings, you know it to be true!

Naruto [dubiously]: No, it's literally impossible. You were like thirteen when I was born, and my mom was way out of your league.

[background scene of Hinata using the Eight Trigrams Sixty-four Palms against seemingly empty air.]

Naruto [proudly]: Besides, I already found out the Fourth Hokage is my dad.

Gai [enviously]: Wow, that is _very _cool.

Naruto [happily]: I know, right.

Naruto [announcer voice]: Next time on Naruto: A Growing Affection; **Chapter 142: Clashing Bloodlines**.

Naruto [softly]: Goodbye, Gai-sensei.


	142. Clashing Bloodlines

**Chapter 142: Clashing Bloodlines**

The original Naruto partially followed Twenty-Six's example, except he disguised himself as a blue Shozoku instead of a red. He had first spent a few minutes fighting alongside his duplicates, trying to figure out what part of the Shozokus' uniforms the Blood Clone had missed. Unfortunately, nothing stood out to him, and he lamented not bringing his lover.

"Hinata would have figured it out in a heartbeat," he muttered, kicking out a green Shozoku's leg before the rogue could stab number Forty-Four in the stomach. Out of the original fifty Blood Clones, thirty-one still remained. And the trio of copies who had assisted the Sand ninjas reported that that battle was winding down, Gaara's troops had destroyed Gouki's legion with only moderate losses. Now, Baki was making plans to move the Sand forces into the city.

And his other clones had let him know that the battle on northern front was not going quite as well. His comrades had hit the reinforcements, however they were not able to effectively control the movement of the much more numerous half-legion of renegades. Ayameko's Grass loyalists had still been caught in between the two sets of Shozokus, but thanks to the Grass ninjas leaving 'Leader' and rejoining those loyal to the exiled Daimyo's, and the distraction provided by Anko and company, they were not being overwhelmed, at least not yet. But his clones also were not able to tell him how well his friends were doing, beyond simply that they were fighting at the back of the already distant reinforcements.

Uzumaki darted through the city, interfering with Pein's communications as much as he could without getting caught or slowing down too much. He briefly wished he had not sent Kitsune back home, even though he knew the staff-blade would have been a dead give-away. The weight of the Shozoku's gladius he had acquired was mildly comforting. But it was no trade-off for his real weapon. As he drew closer to the armory where Twenty-Six had found Pein, he slowed from a run into a self-important stride. And instead of trying to sneak past, he walked right up to one of the lieutenants at guarding the doors.

"Unit one-four-three-three, Oak battalion," Naruto stated. After Twenty-Six's confrontation, he had ordered his clones to keep their eyes and ears open for the Shozoku's identification procedures. He hope the combination he had pieced together from the southern legion was valid. He tensed as the red-garbed warrior checked his paperwork, preparing to run. Retreat was against his nature, but he was highly outnumbered, and needed to reach Pein.

"Okay," the guard nodded, and Naruto silently sighed in relief, "What have you got, sergeant?"

"Dispatch for the tech squad," Uzumaki answered importantly, holding up the paperwork he had taken from a random courier, "a couple of lieutenants say they cracked the Sand's cell phone encryption."

"Excellent. That might be what we need to turn this around," the red Shozoku said enthusiastically, "Do you know where you're going?"

Naruto indicated he did not, and let the renegade give him directions to a room on the second floor. But he did not stop on the first landing, and instead went up to the top. And as soon as he was alone in the stairwell, he ignited the courier pouch. He knew he couldn't get past the fuinjutsu keeping it shut, so decided to destroy it rather than risking someone finding it.

The Leaf Tokujo walked quickly to the room were 'Leader' had been before, and as with Twenty-Six's visit, there was a steady stream of messengers coming and going. Naruto was surprised they were using written and printed messages, instead of radios or cell phones, unaware that Pein knew that Ayameko's forces had the majority of the Grass's passwords and encryption seals.

Naruto ducked into a room at the end of the hall. The half emptied weapons storage unit still contained hundreds of shurikens, and Uzumaki took the chance to replenish his own reserves. Then he began watching the string of Shozokus flow into and out of the Pein's remote command post. One unfortunate sergeant came to the room to fetch addition blades for his team, and died before he noticed the infiltrator or could raise the alarm.

As he waited for a shot to talk to Pein alone, Naruto had time to worry about Hinata and his other comrades.

* * *

"Suigin Byakugan," Hinata flooded her eyes with chakra, activating the enhanced version of her Kekkei Genkai, and expanding her visual range to the point where she could see the entire battlefield, as her blind spot was pointed away from the Grass Village. She immediately noticed Naruto, crouched in room, watching numerous Shozokus enter and leave another room. The second room was warded, and her sight could not pierce it, so the young woman could only assume that was where Pein was.

Hinata dismissed the distractions, putting her focus on the immediate area. But even with her enhanced vision, she could not see Kohaku.

"So my power even works against the Suigin Byakugan," Gouki's wife's voice seemed to emerge from all around the younger kunoichi, "I can't wait to rub that in Madara's face. He's quite afraid of you, you know. Something to do with what his half-sister did to him one hundred years ago."

Hinata forced herself to ignore the words, and try to find the source of the Jinchuriki's flat voice. As Kohaku tried to distract her, the Hyuga heiress subtly tilted her head, searching for any variations in the volume or timber of her opponent's voice.

"That won't help you," Kohaku offered gently, "Unlike most of the other Jinchuriki, my tails don't transform me into a combat monster. But they do give me an unbeatable defense. I can't be seen, or smelled, and you can only hear me now because I..."

Suddenly a knife hand struck Hinata's back, and the young woman pitched forward.

"...want you to hear me. But even so, you still can't track me by sound."

Hinata rolled away, spreading her arms wider, her eyes darting around in worry. The blow had been only modestly stronger than the previous attacks she had blocked, seemingly verifying the woman's claim that her chakra tails did not greatly increase her combat ability. But Hinata also could not be sure Kohaku was not lying, holding back, or testing to make sure the Byakugan user was not just acting.

'But it doesn't matter how strong she is,' the pale beauty thought, 'If I cannot reliably hit her or dodge her, she could eventually win through attrition.'

Hinata felt a foot start to hit her stomach, and turned away to avoid the worst of the impact. And just as Kohaku planned, this moved the younger woman's jaw right into the path of her fist. The blow spun the Hyuga heiress further, and she used the rotation.

"Eight Trigrams Palms: Holy Cyclone," Hinata cried out, creating the largest sphere she could, hoping to catch the Jinchuriki before she escaped. But she did not feel the dome connect, and as it faded, she gently probed her mouth with her tongue, checking for bleeding or loose teeth. Hinata watched the foliage carefully, hoping to catch an errant movement. But Kohaku was born and trained in the Hidden Grass Village, so she was better than most Jonin at moving without disturbing the greenery.

Hinata let out a deep breath to settle her nerves and focus. She knew that her vision was her weakness as well as her strength. She was so accustomed to being able to see anything, anytime, that when she could not, she grew agitated and distractable. As she centered herself, she thought of a way to even the odds. She began to sign rapidly, tensing against Kohaku's next attack. Fortunately, her Holy Cyclone had forced Gouki's general to retreat to a point where the Jonin kunoichi could not close the gap in time.

"Ninja Art: Luminous Barricade Jutsu," Hinata intoned softly, crafting a broad wall of yin chakra around herself, and she hoped Kohaku as well. As the barrier solidified, it began to reflect away any light from outside, and absorb any illumination inside. Naruto's lover felt a blow narrowly miss her, and knew she had succeeded.

"Release," Kohaku's echoing voice insisted, but nothing changed.

"So it is a ninjutsu, not a genjutsu?" the Jinchuriki noted, "I suppose you use this in combination with your Byakugan to give yourself an advantage."

"In theory," Hinata agreed softly, trying to cast her voice away from her actually location, "But my father just taught me the technique recently, so this is my first time to use it in actual combat."

"Unfortunately, I'm not one for fair fights, either," Kohaku said regretfully, "Or stumbling around in the dark, for that matter. Ninja Art: Yin Break Jutsu."

Ki began to flow out from the demon vessel, and cracks began to appear in Hinata's art. For an instant, the Tokujo considered attempting to hold her barricade, but then she realized that even if she could not see Kohaku, she could see the chakra in the other woman's technique, and track it back to its source.

"Raiton: Spark Darts Jutsu," the Hyuga scion fired a wide spread of lightning barbs into the area where she thought Kohaku was. She did not see or hear any impact, but for a moment the flow of yang chakra lessened, though it was still not soon enough to stop the late day sunlight from flooding back in.

"That is why you sheathed your swords," Hinata said softly, "and why you didn't try to hit me with an attack jutsu. Your cloak has a limited range, and whether it is your blades, or chakra exiting your domain, it would give me a way to track you."

"You are only the third person to figure that out," the Grass rogue sounded genuinely impressed, "But the real question is, what will you do with that knowledge."

Hinata pursed her lips as she considered the statement.

* * *

After almost half of an hour of painfully dull watching and waiting, finally the last Shozoku, a moderately stocky green, exited the command room without a replacement queued up. Naruto darted out into the hall, and charged the door. He stopped just before the entrance, and walked in officiously.

"I have a dispatch from the southern front, sir," Naruto said loudly, trying to cover the sound as he slid the latch shut behind him. The Leaf Tokujo didn't expect the metal bar to buy him more than a few seconds, unless there were jutsu in the walls or metal he wasn't aware of. But even a brief delay could be the difference between victory and defeat.

"Very goo..." 'Leader' started to answer in bland annoyance, but his boredom was banished as he turned to face the fake sergeant.

"You again?" Nagato could not keep Leader's amusement from altering his response slightly, "But you seem more substantial this time. You might make for a good meal."

He extended his hand and Naruto dove to the side, drawing his pilfered gladius in his right hand, and firing two shurikens with his left. Nagato's tertiary body slid around the stars, and dropped his arm into a more defensive position. The edge of his chakra stealing vortex still clipped Naruto, and the blue Shozoku's uniform changed back to the teen's usual orange and black attire.

"I'll let you have a bite," Naruto said slyly, "if you let me deliver Konan's message."

Pein froze briefly, as his three part consciousness fought over the suggestion. The raw force of the Preta realm did not care about the distractions of Human emotion, but was willing to do almost anything to feast on Uzumaki's unique chakra. Leader also did not care about Nagato and Konan's romantic hurdles, but he did recognize that the offer was likely a trap to distract Pein. And Nagato, the primary voice in Pein's psyche, was torn, wanting to hear his lover's words, but also agreeing with Leader that Naruto was using this message, if it even existed, as leverage in the emerging battle.

"Or, I can just tear all the chakra from your body," 'Leader' countered, "and then nail you to a chair and force you to tell me everything you know about Konan."

"Fuuton: Cyclone Spikes Jutsu," Naruto answered Pein's proposal. The Preta path lifted both hands, and the cones unraveled as the energy flooded out of them. The former Jinchuriki was right behind the attack technique, and slashed at his opponent's open palms. Pein turned out his right arm, and caught the sword on his wrist. Naruto was surprised as the blade cut through 'Leader's' sleeve, but understanding dawn as it bounced off the Jonin's wrist with a clang. Under his loose shirt, Pein had a thick tube of metal wrapped around each forearm, covering them both from wrist to elbow.

"Even in this weakened state, your chakra is quite powerful," Pein observed, again more emotionally invested than he intended to be, "I think if you were well rested, you might even have enough energy to make me feel full."

Pein reached for Naruto's forehead, tugging for the youth's ki. Naruto ducked away, and pushed the grab wide with his left hand, but a small portion of his energy was taken, and the dodge moved him into position to take Pein's roundhouse kick. Uzumaki brought his elbow and knee together, trapping the risen warrior's thigh between the joints. The Preta path grimaced slightly, but he wrapped his hand around the crosspiece of the stolen gladius. As he clamped down, he began to drain the chakra bonded to the sword, and the luster faded from the cheap metals. Naruto yanked the sword free, and tried to cut Pein's hand in the process, but the Rinnegan user avoided the blade. Instead 'Leader' slapped his palm against the flat of the weapon, and a gap appeared between the iron and the bronze.

Naruto glanced briefly at the damaged gladius and considered his options. He had given his word to Konan, so he did not want to kill the Preta path before delivering the defector's words. But his opponent's ability to negate his ninjutsu limited Uzumaki's options. Even hitting Pein could cost him some energy, and his reserves were not at their usual level. Naruto smiled slightly as he considered that and Pein's last statement.

Naruto drew a kunai in his off hand, and charged Pein, both blades extended and a desperate look on his face. 'Leader' casually swept the kunai away with one hand, and then shattered the weakened gladius with the other. The Preta Path caught Naruto's right wrist, and dug his fingers into the the teen's chest over his heart. He began actively dragging out Uzumaki's chakra, and as the Leaf ninja's energy faded, the kunai slipped from his fingers. He tried to kick Pein in the ribs, but Gouki's apprentice blocked with his knee. The Tokujo struggled to bring his hands together, and intoned, "Shadow Clone Jutsu."

A single copy appeared, and tried to jump kick 'Leader'. The reanimated Grass warrior released Naruto's forearm, and backhanded the duplicate's extended foot. The clone exploded and the Preta Path drained his essence.

"Did you really try to use a clone against me?" 'Leader's' voice taunted, though Nagato was more confused and surprised.

"No," Naruto looked up with a grin, "I just needed to send orders."

His now free hand grabbed Pein's shoulder, and he not only stopped resisting the drain, he began actively pouring his chakra into the Preta Path.

"Delicious," the spiritual part of Pein's mind grew stronger with the feeding and his shoulders and neck shuddered contentedly, "my hunger is actually diminishing."

"But why are you doing this?" Nagato forced his proxy to ask. Then suddenly, Naruto's chakra surged unexpectedly. Uzumaki took a step forward, moving them closer to the wall and sending more of his suddenly restored power into into Pein. The Preta element absorbed it happily, but Nagato and the fragment of Leader both grew worried. Just before his ki was drained again, the former Jinchuriki's energy was refilled to the brim. Nagato tried to let go and escape, but Naruto grabbed his wrist, keeping the Preta Path's hand against his heart. He also tightened his grip on Pein's shoulder forcing the Grass commander back again.

"How?" Pein grunted, his body shuddering as his tenketsu were filled to the breaking point. Nagato tried to stop stealing Uzumaki's energy, but with Naruto sending his chakra into the Path, he could not override the Hungry Ghost's natural instincts. The Leaf ninja's own network suddenly refilled a third time.

Pein howled in agony as the too massive ki shredded his tenketsu, destroying his chakra network. He slumped as Naruto released him. His transformation jutsu suddenly ended, revealing the Pein control rods in 'Leader's' nose and ears.

"How?" 'Leader' demanded again, managing to sound both weaker and more firm.

"My Blood Clones can choose to distribute their chakra to all my clones, like normal," Naruto explained, "or send it all back to me. So I ordered ten of them to take their last food pill, and then send me all their chakra. I figured if my normal chakra level was enough to fill you up, double that would be enough to burn you out."

Naruto forced Pein into on of the conference room's chairs, but more gently than the jutsu neutered warrior had expected.

"Now, you get to listen to me," Naruto said, blushing slightly.

"Okay, so, um... Konan loves you. She is doing all of this for you two. She said... Oh yeah, she said, 'I would rather live in this world with Nagato, than exist in Gouki's utopia without him.'"

"Does she really have so little faith in Gouki-sensei, and in me?" Pein asked rhetorically.

"She said you think you deserve to die for what Hanzo did to Yahiko," Naruto answered anyway, "And that Gouki doesn't want you to die, but would let you... how did she put it? 'Let you work yourself past the point where you can lead any sort of meaningful life afterwards', if it would help him to win this war."

Across the continent, seven different bodies frowned as if they had been fed something sour. He looked at Naruto suspiciously.

"Now what?"

"Now, I have to kill you. Or re-kill you?" Naruto answered regretfully, "I would have rather done it in combat, but my orders are to eliminate any Paths of Pein, to help the real Nagato live longer."

"I can't let you do that," 'Leader's' voice growled. He surged out of the chair, driving his fist into Naruto's gut.

"Even without ninjutsu, or the Path's special ability, I can still beat you with taijutsu and weapons," Pein boasted roughly, drawing an oversized kunai.

* * *

Hinata whirled her manriki-gusari in a fast, endless, horizontal circle, trying to prevent the invisible Jinchuriki from getting close enough to strike. So far the tactic had worked, at least better than her previous attempt to use dust and grass in the wind to find Kohaku. But the move was purely defensive, and the Hyuga heiress had yet to come up with any way to take the offensive.

"What do you hope to accomplish with that?" the Grass renegade asked sincerely.

"Even if you are a Jinchuriki, your chakra is not unlimited," Hinata offered, "And such an advanced ninjutsu most take a great deal of it."

She thought about Naruto's Ascendant Fox jutsu as she spoke.

"You are trying to wait me out?" Kohaku's non-localized voice was surprised, and the younger woman nodded.

"I don't think that will work," the Jonin argued, "I think your Byakugan will consume your chakra before my three-tails veil. And either way, your arm will probably grow tired before either of our chakra supplies run out. Besides, what is to stop me from just leaving and attacking your comrades? But if I stop speaking, you have no way to know if I am here, so you wouldn't dare stop."

Hinata slowed her whirled chain, drawing the weight in closer, but not stopping completely. Then she suddenly turned and threw the weight out in a short, hard arc.

"I don't always attack from behind," Kohaku sounded amused, "but it was a good try."

Hinata dropped the weapon and spun around again. But this time she did not halt her rotation.

"Eight Trigrams Palms: Infernal Whirlpool," she announced powerfully, while inside she hoped her mastery of the first of the clan leader's arts would be sufficient. As the teen had hoped, her faux surrender and subsequent random attack had drawn the hidden Jinchuriki into her range. Though she still could not see Gouki's wife, Hinata could feel her presence in the whirling mass of red chakra. Kohaku tried to stay steady and focused as she tumbled closer to here opponent. She attempted to form a ninjutsu to counter, but the turbulence was too much, and her hands kept slipping out of position. Finally, the Hyuga jutsu ended, depositing Kohaku directly in front of Hinata, more or less upright.

"Eight Trigrams, Two Palms!" Naruto's lover lashed out, feeling both finger stabs connect.

"Four Palms, Eight Palms," she continued as quickly as she could, but did not try to move around behind her target like she normally would have.

"Sixteen Palms, Thirty-two Palms," almost a third of her blows were striking air, and the rest Hinata could not tell specifically where on Kohaku she was hitting.

"Sixty-four Palms, Ninety-six Palms," she concluded, doubling the last set of strikes. Then she hopped back, silently praying it had been enough.

"Nice," Kohaku said hoarsely, "You didn't shut down my chakra system very well, since you couldn't aim right, but you still hurt me a little."

Two blows struck Hinata' on to her neck and the other to her right side. And then while she was staggering, she took a third hit, this time to her lower back..

"But it wasn't enough to win you the fight," the echoing shapeshifter announced.

'What am I supposed to do if I have no way to track her?' Hinata worried, 'How can I protect my friends, if even my Suigin Byakugan can't pierce her ninjutsu.'

The younger kunoichi paused as she though that.

'I just assumed that Kohaku's invisibility was a ninjutsu, because my Suigin Byakugan did not cancel it,' she reminded herself, 'But I have always been careful to tell everyone that I cannot be sure my Suigin Byakugan will break every visual genjutsu. Did I fall into that trap, believing my eyes were unbeatable? Could her technique be a genjutsu, or a hybridized technique, part real and part illusion?'

The more she considered it, the more it made sense. The echoing voice to prevent her speech from being tracked would be much easier as a genjutsu than as a ninjutsu. It could also explain why the Jinchuriki's invisibility was so far beyond any single genjutsu or ninjutsu technique she had ever heard of.

'It's worth a try,' she decided, placing her hands together, and stating firmly, "Release!"

Nothing around her changed, except Kohaku's attitude

"You think my power is just some genjutsu?" the Jinchuriki asked with a hint of mockery in the bland tones. Which, in turn, piqued Hinata's interest. The Hyuga Tokujo began signing quickly.

"Ninja Art: Illusion Sever Jutsu," she incanted.

"That isn't going to work," Kohaku insisted, but for just an instant, Hinata thought she saw a shimmer in the air, and heard her opponent's voice more loudly from that direction.

"Eight Trigrams: Empty Palm," she fired her energy as broadly as possible towards the distortion, but there was no indication that she hit anything.

"I was right," the pale beauty said, both to herself and to the shapeshifter, "it is both a ninjutsu and a genjutsu. And the genjutsu portion is probably constantly being reapplied, which is why the Illusion Sever only lasted a second."

"Even so," Kohaku's voice surrounded her again, but now there was a hint of pain, "If you keep using Illusion Sever and ranged ninjutsu against me, you'll get a few glancing blows, but you'll be out of chakra long before I will."

Hinata shifted her feet, placing her left forward, pointed out, and her right foot perpendicular and an inch back. She raised her left hand before her face, her pointer and middle fingers pointed up between her eyes Her right hand made the same gesture, but she held it before her heart.

"Suigin Byakugan," the younger kunoichi intoned, "Reflection."

Kohaku felt a rush of ki hit her, and then Hinata vanished from her sight...

* * *

**Author's Note: **Sorry it's late, no preview, and might not be up to my (admittedly mediocre) editing standards; I have a nasty head cold or flu thing. Hopefully the next one will be on time.


	143. Sakura Stands Tall

**Chapter 143: Sakura Stands Tall**

"Ninja Art: Hawk's Eye Jutsu," Sakura Haruno announced, partially drawing her second arrow. It seemed like word had spread of Choji's ohgi, because most of the Shozokus did their best to avoid the copies of the big Tokujo, while a few of the blues sacrificed their blades or used quick jutsus to eliminate the Shadow Clones. As the same time a few of the green and tan garbed renegades fell to the attack jutsus Iruka and Temari had launched.

Sakura watched a sergeant step in front of her lieutenant to get closer to the slowing Akimichi. She pulled her missile back to full extension and loosed. The projectile hit the blue Shozoku in the chest, passing clean through. It hit the higher ranked renegade in the back of the neck, punching though his spine. That slowed it enough that the tan Shozoku behind the two of them stopped the arrow with his right humerus, but the arrow went in almost to the fletching and the limb was no longer functional. As the invaders closed on Choji, the medic lowered her launcher for a moment to sign quickly.

"Ninja Art: Clone Shadow Jutsu," she whispered, and the back line of Shozokus paused as they 'saw' Choji suddenly split in four. Their hesitation gave Iruka and Temari time to form an earth jutsu and a wind jutsu, respectively, clearing out the group Sakura enchanted. With his rear flank covered, Akimichi was able to focus on the rest of the renegades, and took out a trio of them with a wide, fast swipe of his Partial Expansion enlarged hands.

A grey Shozoku spun towards them, barking orders. The rear half of the reinforcements turned to meet the Leaf and Sand ninjas, quickly spreading out to try to surround the smaller group and also make themselves harder to attack en masse. As the anonymous rogues started to flank both Choji and Temari, Anko split her thumb and started to sign.

"Summoning Jutsu," the abrasive kunoichi exclaimed, and a pair of thirty-foot long anacondas appeared on either side of her. She pointed to the incoming Shozokus and simply said, "Lunch."

Even though their faces were hidden, the fright was readily apparent in most of the invaders. Only one sergeant stood her ground, and she removed her right glove and bloodied her own digits.

"Summoning Jutsu," the converted Cloud Tokujo proclaimed. A single, black wolf manifested under her, forty-feet long from muzzle to tail. The lupine snarled at the serpents, and then pounced on the closest reptile.

Sakura drew a bead on the captain Shozoku's head and fired. The grey clad, anonymous warrior unsheathed his weapon, striking the arrow's metallic head, deflecting the missile skywards. She frowned and fired again, and he cut her bolt from the air again. So she nocked two arrows, knowing it would hurt her accuracy. She let the projectiles fly, and he ducked under the upper missile and his gladius carved the lower arrow in two.

'He must be another real ninja, who was turned into a Shozoku,' Sakura decided, wondering what village he had been from, 'Well, let's see how he handles this.'

"Ninja Art: Shadow Arrow Jutsu," Sakura released the bowstring, and as she did, the missile split into twenty.

"Suiton: Water Burst Jutsu," he countered, destroying most of the chakra duplicates and splintering their source. But a few of the outer shadow arrows were outside his range, and Sakura's attack took down two other followers of the renegade Raikage.

"Okay," Sakura frowned as he started to sign again, recognizing the start of a lightning release technique. She crafted the seals for a faster jutsu, and the drew and fired in a single motion, stating, "Ninja Art, Iron Arrow Jutsu."

The entire projectile took on a metallic hue, and the Shozoku paused his hand signs to sweep up his gladius to deflect the strengthened bolt. Under his mask, his eyes widened in surprise as the blade passed through the missile without the feeling of impact. Instead, he noticed a haze in the air, before the genuine, genjutsu masked arrow sliced through the edge of his extended arm and plunged into his liver. The real arrow had not been fired at full power, so after hitting his limb it did not have enough force to go all the way through the captain's torso. But the damage to his wrist forced the Shozoku to drop his sword, so he could not stop the second shot Sakura put through his left eye.

As the wolf struggled to keep the two serpents at bay, Anko watched the lupine's summoner for an opening. Then, as the mammal hopped to the side to avoid having her right foreleg constricted, Anko darted up the spine of her other reptilian ally, and leaped onto the wolf's back, her staff-blade extended. The converted Shozoku sergeant tried to block with a kunai, but the cheap throwing blade was no match for the weapon Mitarashi had inherited from Hizashi Hyuga. The knife shattered, as did the anonymous kunoichi's neck and collarbone. As the dead summoner fell from the back of her familiar, Anko ran up to the wolf's head.

"Reverse the summons, or end up like the traitor who brought you here," she hissed at the giant lupine. The wolf tilted its head, as if trying to see Anko, but then it seemed to nod and vanished. One of the snakes snapped forward, catching its mistress before she fell more than a few feet.

"Thanks," Anko told the serpent, and the reptile looked pleased with itself.

"Doton: Inverse Avalanche Jutsu," Matsuri proclaimed, tearing rocks out of the ground and causing them to fall skyward, breaking the line of Shozokus advancing on her side. Then she ended the technique, and the stones plummeted back to the earth, pummeling the off-balance renegades. The Sand Chunin started to craft a Katon attack, and almost didn't see the kunai thrown at her head by one of the surviving sergeants. An arrow hissed out from behind her, destroying both the throwing knife and its user. After she finished setting fire to the remaining Shozokus in range, Gaara's apprentice glanced backwards and gave Sakura a quick nod of thanks.

* * *

Pein slashed horizontally with his melee kunai, and Naruto hopped back out of his way. He reversed the blade, stabbing at Uzumaki's heart, but the Leaf Tokujo slammed his palm into Nagato's wrist, dislodging the weapon and sending it crashing into the ceiling. Pein ignored the pain, and fired his other hand at the teen's nose.

Naruto deflected Pein's fist, taking note that damaging 'Leader's' chakra crafting abilities had not slowed or weakened the other man as much as he would have expected. And though it had cost him ten Blood Clones to neutralize Pein, the influx of energy and the information he received both improved Naruto's disposition. He made note to ask Hinata or Sakura if it was normal for chakra from food pills filtered through a clone to feel more natural than taking a food pill directly.

His recently defeated clones indicated the battle was going well. The Sand ninjas were advancing steadily, and Kayo seemed to have been more successful than his duplicates at getting the Grass shinobi to abandon Gouki and 'Leader'.

Nagato had his Preta Path kick at Uzumaki's knee as a feint, and then launched a punch at the teen's throat. The Rinnegan user wondered why he was bothering. Denied the Preta Path's native power and all but the weakest jutsu, he doubted he stood much chance against the average Chunin, more or less one of the Leaf's top combat ninjas. But the Preta Realm and Leader portions of his composite mind were howling for Naruto's death, and more quietly urging for at least escape and survival.

Naruto caught Pein's fake with his own foot as he turned to avoid the punch. Doing so let the former Jinchuriki put his weight on 'Leader's' ankle, twisting it the wrong way and tearing the ligaments. Nagato's shadow hopped back on his good foot, unable to put his weight on the damaged limb without wincing. He snarled angrily, grabbed a chair, and threw it at Naruto. The teen sent some extra chakra to his arm, and smashed the heavy, wooden seat with a single punch. But the furniture was another distraction, and Pein followed behind it with a right cross that skipped along Uzumaki's arm and collided with his jaw. The force of the punch turned the blonde Tokujo, who kept the momentum going, snapping his foot into Pein's side and knocking Gouki's second into the wall.

The two men squared off again, but this time Uzumaki wore a frown of pity. Not the Nagato could blame him. The bruise on the teen's jaw was almost gone, and if the blow had made Naruto bleed, Pein could not see it. On the other hand, 'Leader' could no longer stand straight, due to the damage to his ankle and ribs. At this point it seemed to only be a matter of time, but the Preta Path did not want to go quietly. He drew a pair of hidden kama from his robes and jumped forward. The two short-hafted sickles arced for the Leaf ninja's neck, and the teen lift his right hand as if to block.

"Kitsune," Naruto focused his chakra into the word, and summoned his staff-blade into his hand. The longer weapon caught both of the curved blades, and Pein could see the kama strain under the impact. He tried to scrape together enough chakra control to send his remaining ki into the jutsu bonded to Leader's specially crafted weapons. But before he could determine if he would succeed or fail, the kama in his right hand snapped, the head flying away and digging into the wall. As a result, all of Naruto's pressure was transferred to the second weapon, which creaked uncomfortably forcing 'Leader' to disengage. His injuries left the Path of Pein unsteady, and the attempt to preserve his remaining kama opened him for a quick strike by Naruto to his unbroken ribs.

Pein transferred the scythe into his right hand, so he could drive the blade into the wall to use it as a support. He pushed off with his good leg, using his lever to attempt to kick Naruto in the head.

Naruto frowned in confusion. The move was slow and amateurish, just asking for a lethal counterstrike. Then Uzumaki met Pein's eyes, and saw a resolute desperation in Nagato's Rinnegan. Jiraiya and Gouki's apprentice had decided to abandon the crippled body, and was using Naruto's professed orders to do it.

"Fine," Naruto agreed softly, knocking the kick aside with his weapon. As he drew the staff-blade back, he ran his hand up the pole, manifesting the wind chakra sword. He stabbed forward steadily, and despite the other voices screaming at him, Nagato did not even try to block or avoid the attack. With no chakra to impeded it, the green blade slid easily Pein's heart. As it did, the black metal bars in Leader's nose and ears shattered. But as he collapsed on Kitsune, Pein's expression was more thoughtful than triumphant or defeated.

Naruto pulled his staff-blade free, and cleaned the blade before sheathing it. Then he took out a kunai and sliced his palm. He let the crimson liquid fall to the ground, sending his chakra into it.

"Ninja Art: Blood Clone Jutsu," Uzumaki intoned, crafting three more duplicates.

"You guys clear out this place, and then go join the battle," he ordered, "I'm gonna go check on Hinata and the others.

* * *

"What was that?" Kohaku's voice floated around the empty field from no particular source, "What have you done?"

"Even if my Suigin Byakugan can't pierce your genjutsu," Hinata's tones similarly emerged from all around, "I can still reflect it back on you. But since your cloak is constantly renewing your genjutsu, it seems like it is still affecting both of us."

"So now what?" the Jinchuriki sounded exasperated, "Do we stumble around blindly until we bump into each other?"

"If I were someone like Orochimaru," the pale beauty murmured, "I could abuse my summoning jutsu. I could summon a large number of Ninja Squirrels, and use them as cannon fodder to find your position."

"But you would not do that," Kohaku agreed, before pondering, "I could try to leave, but I can't predict what would happen with my genjutsu if I moved too far from you while you are reflecting it. It might stop connecting to you while still influencing me."

"Or I could drop the illusionary part of my power," the elder kunoichi added, confirming the teen's deductions, "But the physical camouflage from my cloak probably isn't enough to hide me from you."

Hinata waited, while trying to think of some other way to find Naruto's aunt. Then she heard a sigh. Not a masked, all around sigh, but a clear sound from thirty feet away in her right front quadrant. A heartbeat later, she saw Kohaku's three tails unwrap from around the Jinchuriki, leaving her fully visible. Then the former Grass Jonin signed quickly and stated firmly, "Illusion Sever Jutsu."

The Leaf Tokubetsu Jonin felt her appropriated genjutsu shatter, and from Kohaku's reaction, knew that she too was again visible. She also noted that though her opponent was no longer hiding, the three projections of the Tailed Beast's energy still extended behind her.

"No sense wasting my chakra," the Shozokus' general told her opponent. Hinata nodded, and Kohaku drew her paired blades again. Then Namikaze darted forward, and the Hyuga scion was surprised by her speed. She caught the first three sets of attacks with Ginmaki, but one of the Jinchuriki's fourth pair of slashes skipped off her bracer and sliced narrowly into her left bicep.

"Rotation," Hinata knocked her foe away, but even though she was struck by the Heavenly Spin, Kohaku landed lightly on her feet, appearing unharmed.

'Her Jinchuriki powers might be more stealth than combat,' Hinata decided, 'But drawing on her demon's chakra does increase her strength and speed, if not as much as Naruto's link with the Nine-Tails did. It still gives her an edge.'

The younger woman considered bring back Ginmaki's lightning blades, which she had dismissed when borrowing Kohaku's genjutsu. But as the Grass rogue raced back into range, she decided on a different course. She turned her palms down, so her opponent could not see the chakra swirling in her palms.

"Rasengan!" she called out as the katana and wakizashi angled towards her neck and stomach, respectively. She flipped her hands over, jabbing one of completed spheres into each of the incoming swords. The turbulent orbs met the blades with a deep, keening whine, but counter to the younger kunoichi's hopes neither part of the daisho broke, or was even scarred by the spheres. Kohaku pushed Hinata down to one knee, smiling politely.

"Gouki made these blades for me," she explained, "after my old katana failed. He thought it was inevitable one of us would fight Kakashi or Jiraiya one day, and that whoever it was would try to use Minato's jutsu on us. Too bad he did not think to protect my swords against lightning chakra. But I guess I shouldn't be greedy."

Hinata grimaced as she was bent further back, forced to keep send chakra to the Rasengans, or risk losing her hands.

* * *

With the expected captain and two lieutenants down, Sakura started sniping blue Shozokus while looking for any additional high ranking renegades that might have been there in defiance of the standard Shozoku legion compliment. She put down two sergeants, and injured one of the lower ranked privates, and began to notice that the discipline of the reinforcements was falling apart. Though a few of the blue, and even green, Shozokus tried to tried to take charge, they invariably received an arrow through the head, neck, or heart from their trouble. And so, the rest were considering carefully before they stepped up and made themselves a target.

In addition, without steady directions or a plan, many of the former bandits were fleeing in terror of Anko's two extra-large snakes. This disrupted their lines further, and bunched them up for Choji, Iruka, Temari, and Matsuri to take out in small groups, instead of singles or pairs. Ino and Shikamaru remained on the defensive, as a few Shozokus decided to try suicide runs against the allies. The Nara clan heir crushed one particularly aggressive green with his Shadow Strangulation, and then tossed the body into the next attacker, giving Ino an opening to drill the tan Shozoku with a handful of shuriken.

Sakura reached back into her quiver, and came up empty. She slung the holster and her scroll down, preparing to restock her ammunition. As she did, she saw a bright flash of green to the south, and a handful of renegades were launched into the air. She turned her attention there cautiously as she slipped her second quiver over her shoulder But she exhaled in relief when she saw the source of the wind jutsu.

"Naruto," she said thankfully, and a moment later the knucklehead broke through the enemy formation and bounded over to his friends.

"What are you doing here, kid?" Anko asked swiftly, not sure if she should be hopeful or worried, "Is that the real you?"

"The one and only, Anko-sensei!" Naruto grinned proudly.

"Thank the Gods for that," Temari interjected fondly.

"'Leader' is dead," Uzumkai continued, pointedly ignoring the Sand Jonin, "I have my clones telling the Grass Ninja, and I figured I should come back here and help you guys out. Oh, and I stopped and told Ayameko on my way here."

"Like we needed your help," the abrasive Jonin snorted to hide her relief.

"Yeah, looks like you got everything under control," he agreed. Then he frowned and demanded anxiously, "But where's Hinata?"

"She went to investigate something," Iruka's tone mirrored Naruto's as he remembered the Hyuga heiress was gone, "I would have thought she would be back by now..."

"Where?" Naruto barked.

"That way," Anko pointed, then ordered, "Sakura, show him, go with him."

"What about you guys?" the pink-haired Jonin asked, torn between her friend and the needs of the group as a whole.

"You already took out all the leaders," Anko groused, "How much more glory do you need?"

The younger woman nodded her understanding. She took off in the direction Hinata had disappeared, and Naruto followed close behind her.

"What was Hinata checking on?" Naruto asked.

"She didn't say," Sakura sounded uncertain, "just something strange."

For almost a minute they hurried in silence. Then Sakura's genjutsu heightened eyes picked up something. It was on the edge of her increased visual range, and she squinted to clarify the image.

"Hinata," she hissed when she realized what she was seeing, "She's under attack."

As she was running, the medical Jonin nocked an arrow, but before she could, Naruto was gone in a flash of golden-yellow fur.

* * *

Kohaku suddenly found herself on her ass, which had the fortunate side-effect of preventing Sakura from firing on her. Unfortunately, the cause was a very angry Ascendant Fox, who was now pointing a Rasenblade enhanced Kitsune at her throat.

"Get away from my girlfriend, Six-Tails," he growled. Kohaku knocked the blade aside with her resilient katana, and rolled back to her feet, putting some distance between herself and the Leaf warriors. She continued to keep one of her weapons pointed at each of the lovers.

"You must still have a bit of the Kyubi in you," the Jinchuriki chuckled, "if you are addressing me like that."

Despite her mirth, the tails behind her curled up tightly, reflecting both her hidden fear, and the rage and fear of the Bijuu within her as well.

"Are you okay, Hinata?" Naruto asked kindly, but never took his eyes off Gouki's wife and third in command. The pale beauty nodded, and slid back to her feet.

"Yes, thank you, Naruto."

Kohaku started to open her mouth, when an arrow emerged from the grasses. The Jinchuriki barely cut it out of the air with her wakizashi. She frowned and hopped back another step, sheathing her katana but keeping the short blade ready.

"I was willing to spend a little time fighting the two of you," she noted sadly, "if only to get a better look at him. But with a third, presumably your other teammate... That's too much. I'll see you again later, nephew."

She smiled affectionately at the young couple, even as her tails wrapped around her again, and she vanished from sight.

"Reflection!" Hinata shouted, taking a half step forward. But it was already too late, the Jinchuriki was already outside her range.

"Nephew?" Uzumaki looked at his lover nervously, even as Sakura emerged to join them, "Hinata, she called me nephew."

"They know, Naruto," Hinata told him, matching his tone, "They don't seem to have proof, but Kohaku and Gouki _know_ that you are Minato's son."

* * *

**Preview:**

[background scene of Naruto, Hinata, and Sakura in Tsunade's office]

Nartuo [neutrally]: Now that the Grass and Waterfall Villages are free, we get to take some to to rest, and plan for the next push...

[background scene of the Leaf Village at Gai's memorial]

Naruto [sadly]: And remember our fallen comrades.

[background scene of Kaede Mizuno and the Mizukage]

Naruto [resolutely]: Now all we have to do is take out my uncle.

[background scene of Gouki, Madara, Kohaku, and Yugito]

Naruto [hesitant and embarrassed]: Oh yeah, and free the Rain, and Mines, and Cloud villages...

[background scene of Naruto, Hinata, Sakura, and Kakashi in Tsunade's office.]

Naruto [apprehensive]: But it sounds like Gramma Tsunade has another plan.

Naruto [announcer voice]: Next time on Naruto: A Growing Affection; **Chapter 144: Redrawing Battelines**.

Naruto [high pitched]: Lucario, use Aura Ball!

Hinata [confused]: Naruto, why did you decide to say that?

Naruto [excited]: The new Pokemon game comes out tomorrow, and I'm getting hyped.

Hinata [supportive]: Then was that a quote or an attack call?

Naruto [deflated]: I don't know? Both?


	144. Redrawing Battlelines

**Chapter 144: Redrawing Battlelines**

"And I'm not sure that really matters anymore," Tsunade shrugged, after Hinata finished explaining that Gouki believed he had deduced Naruto's parentage.

The battles for the Grass and Waterfall Villages were over. The two shinobi outposts were now back in the hands of their surviving shinobi. Overall, the Grass Village had lost just over half of its fighting force between the civil war and the Shozoku conversions. But the Waterfall village was in even worse, being reduced to barely twenty percent of its previous strength, and many of those were the young Genin that had been evacuated by the Leaf ninjas during the initial conquest of the watery city. With the Waterfall Daimyo's grudging blessing, both the Mist and Leaf were maintaining small garrisons in the devastated town, at least until the end of the war. The Leaf and Sand were each also keeping a token force in the Grass Village, but the Grass Daimyo and and the new leader of the Grass ninjas were only to happy to accept the continued support. The eight Leaf ninja who had assisted in freeing the Grass had all been recalled, replaced by a slightly larger, yet arguably less powerful contingent. And the members of Team Kakashi were taking their turn to be debriefed by the Hokage.

"What?" Uzumaki stammered, "you spent all those years keeping my dad secret, mostly because of my uncle, and now he knows and you say it doesn't matter?"

"We were concerned Gouki would come back, make trouble, try to take you and raise you," Tsunade explained, "And no-one who knew you were Minato's son wanted to risk that, especially since you used to have the Kyubi. But it's too late for all of that now. You're grown up, more or less. The Fox is gone. And we're already at war with Gouki."

"If anything this might be to our advantage," the last Sannin mused, "It seems like Gouki and his wife are less inclined to hurt you and Hinata now. And this might prove to be a distraction for him."

"Either way," Tsunade returned from her reverie, "Good job you three. You're dismissed for now. And I'm sure I'll see you at the funeral."

* * *

"Well?" Yasuo Mizuno prompted his daughter anxiously. Kaede unfurled her scroll and removed Souhi, placing it on the Mizukage's desk. Then she put on a heavy steel gauntlet and extracted the hilt and the five largest pieces of Samehada.

"The Demon Shark blade, broken?" he whispered in astonishment. Then in a normal tone he queried, "And the wielders?"

"Both dead," she answered, "I confirmed the identities of both bodies and cremated them personally."

"And the other swords?" he asked grimly.

"I looked, but despite the rumors, I found no trace of Kiba or Kubikiribocho," she shook her head, "Either Kisame did not acquire them, or he had them hidden somewhere else."

"With Samehada destroyed, it becomes less important," he waved it off vaguely, "Oh, we will keep looking, so we can have the 'Six Swordsman of the Mist', but the circle will never again be complete, and the vault can never be opened."

"And maybe that is for the best," he added thoughtfully.

He studied the remains of the shark-skin sword, missing her look of confusion.

"What of the Seven-Tails?" he asked suddenly, "When Kisame was killed, what happened to the demon?"

"We arrived only seconds after Might Gai finished Kisame," she explained, "and I saw no indication of the Bijuu. If Gai's final words are to be trusted, he killed Kisame while the traitor was in his six tails form. Combined with the length of time the shark was trapped in Kisame, I believed at the time that the Bjiuu died alongside its Jinchuriki."

"That makes sense," he agreed, "But we will still keep watch for the Seven-Fins Shark or the new Tailed Beast that will take its place."

She nodded, and he frowned at her curiously.

"Might Gai really beat Kisame with the six tails cloak?"

"From what I could see, it looks that way," she confirmed, "But he had to open the Gate of Death to do it."

"What now, father?" Kaede asked, willing to acknowledge their relationship when there were no other shinobi present.

"I meet with the other Kages in three days," the leader of the Mist Village answered, "My guess... no, my proposal will be that everyone will join the offensive against the Rain Village. Once we free the Rain, Gouki will only control the Cloud and Mines Villages. He'll be trapped on the peninsula, giving us the tactical advantage. But until the meeting, we rest and prepare for the next offensive."

* * *

Naruto's Multi Blood Clone enabled the Leaf to escape the liberation of the Kusagakure without any losses, but the other villages and the Leaf's other battle did not fair so well. The Sand lost six of their seventy-two men, though another thirteen were seriously injured. The Mist suffered even greater casualties, with nineteen dead and eleven incapacitated in the battle to free the Waterfall Village. In the same battle, the Hokage's forces took fourteen major injuries and lost a total of ten shinobi, including Might Gai.

Gai's funeral was a traditional affair, with every Leaf shinobi currently in the village attending. The rest of the mourners waited as Tsunade offered the benediction, most in silence, though a few sobbed quietly. Or not so quietly in Lee's case. Finally, the Hokage finished, and asked for a moment of reflection on Gai's life.

"Momma," Rei Uchiha's voice echoed in the silent crowd, "why's everyone lookin' at a picture of Unca' Gai?"

"Gai did a great thing for the village," Yugao whispered to the girl, "So everyone came to thank him."

"But where is he?" the two and a half-year old demanded loudly.

"He's on a mission," Kakashi told his daughter, his voice wavering, "Now we need to be quiet for the other people, okay?"

The girl nodded in confusion, but remained silent. A few attendees smiled in spite of themselves. Then the moment passed, and Tsunade stepped aside, inviting the rest of the gallery to come up and say their final goodbyes. Most of the shinobi walked up alone or in pairs, and said a few words. Naruto and Hinata lingered a little longer, as Naruto expressed his gratitude to Gai for saving him from Kisame and Itachi, and for teaching him what he needed to fight Orochimaru's Sharingan. Both lovers' eyes were moist as they stepped away from the frozen image of the boisterous Jonin.

Neji and Tenten were the third from the last to approach the memorial. The Hyuga warrior stoically supported his fiancé, who was weeping openly.

"Thank you, Gai-sensei," Neji strained to maintain his composure, "You taught me a great deal about being a true shinobi, and about being a good man. More than I ever could have told you to your face."

Then he could not help but flash a sardonic grin as he added, "I would have been to afraid it would inflate your ego further, or worse, cause you to embrace me."

Tenten also chuckled against her will. But the moment of mirth did not last long.

"Good bye, Gai-sensei," she whimpered, "I don't think any other teacher could have made me into this strong of a ninja."

The two turned and moved away from the picture, making room for Rock Lee. Most of those who knew him expected Lee to be crying more than anyone else as he approached the photo. Instead, Lee's face was now dry, his expression determined.

"I will not weep for you anymore, Gai-sensei," he told the image, "You died gloriously in battle, defeating a mighty foe in the process. But I vow I will do everything I can to make up for the moments of greatness you expended to do so. I will become a most splendid ninja on your behalf."

Finally, Kakashi Hatake approached the dais, without his fiancé or daughter.

"You idiot," the Copy-ninja declared gently, "You should have at least waited until you were ahead of me in the score again. Sixty-three to sixty-three... now you can never say you defeated me. You were my best friend, Gai, and though I never took your little contests seriously, I always competed because it made you happy. And now that you're gone, I think I might actually miss our rivalry. Sayonara, Gai."

* * *

"Lady Tsunade," Shizune caught up with her mentor.

The party following Gai's memorial was less raucous than Jiraiya's send off, but not by much. Gai's friends and allies followed the fallen Jonin's boisterous example in their celebration of his life. Even Tenten, so distraught earlier, was able to get into the swing of things. Kakashi and family did not attend, however; partly for Rei, but mostly because Kakashi himself was not in the mood to carouse.

"What can I do for you, Shizune?" the Hokage asked, noticing Hana Inuzuka hanging back, to let them talk with a modicum of privacy.

"I have a request," the younger healer said nervously, "About Gai's legacy."

"His legacy?" the last Sannin sounded confused, "You mean his team?"

"No," Shizune blushed slightly, "I mean his... his fertility deposits."

Tsunade frowned in thought as understanding dawned. Like many Leaf shinobi, Gai had had the medical corp store his reproductive material, so if an injury on a mission rendered him sterile, he would still be able to have children. She also recalled that the Hyuga and Uchiha clans did not participate, for fear of theft. She put the errant thought behind her, and returned to Shizune's request. Her eyes drifted back to Hana, again.

"Ah," Tsunade smirked slightly, "You and Hana have been together for what, eight months now? Starting to get serious?"

"We've been talking," Shizune smiled happily, "about many things. Among them is the fact that as the next leader of the Inuzuka clan, Hana will need to have an heir. And I also want to be mother. And when we heard about Gai, we agreed this might be a good way to honor him at the same time."

"Even with those potential eyebrows?" Tsunade needled her apprentice.

"It's not certain," Shizune deflected, "And they can be trimmed or waxed."

"If you say so..." the Hokage waited a moment for her student to reconsider, but Shizune did not waver, "Then you have my blessing. But you two should probably to talk to Gai's students as well."

"We already thought of that. Thank you, milady," she said and then turned to leave.

"You're welcome," Tsunade smiled, "and Shizune?"

Shizune paused and looked back at her mentor.

"Congratulations. I'm happy for you."

"Thank you, milady."

* * *

Gouki glared at the map, ignoring Pein's Animal path, Madara Uchiha, Kohaku, and the half-dozen captain rank Shozokus. The purple figurines had been removed from the Waterfall and Grass villages, leaving only the ones on the Cloud, Mines, and Rain. They had been replaced by smaller markers of yellow, red, brown, green, cyan, navy, and white. More dashes of his enemies' colors had been placed in the Land of Trees, and also growing close to the Rain Country.

"What's the matter?" Madara asked in mock sympathy, "carefully laid out plan falling apart? Underestimated the other villages?"

Gouki did not react, but Kohaku buried a kunai in the back of Madara's chair, mere centimeters from his ear.

"You should know enough to be quiet in the presence of your betters," the renegade Jinchuriki said sweetly.

"Do you think to count yourself among my superiors now, demon bitch?" Madara snapped, shifting his stance to be ready to strike.

"Your powers won't work on what you can't see," Gouki's wife answered, unconcerned, "And I have just proven that my powers work on against the Suigin Byakugan, the one thing you fear most."

She and Gouki had decided not to let Madara know that Hinata had been able to reverse part of the Bijuu's invisibility, instead implying that Kohaku had retreated in the face of Naruto's Shadow Clones.

The first Uchiha did not back down, so Kohaku continued, "Maybe you would like to see what I can do with four tails, Madara?"

But rather than retreat, the Sharingan master leaned forward with a smug expression.

"Enough!" Gouki slammed his fists onto the map, scattering the placeholders.

"Enough," the Raikage said more gently, settling back into his chair, glaring at his wife and the Shozokus' trainer.

"We have enough to worry about without being at each others throats," he told them, and Kohaku calmed. Madara maintained his aggressive posture for a moment longer, before relaxing as well.

"And it is not as if we are beaten," Gouki said more confidently, "We still hold the three most secure fortresses on the continent. And while our allies arguably have the edge in numbers for the moment, that will be changing."

"Pein, step up the conversions of the Rain, Mines, and Cloud ninjas," Namikaze instructed sharply, "Have all the captains in the Rain and Mines assist you, and half of the captains here. Madara, increase the training rate of the non-shinobi assets. Kohaku and the remaining captains here will take over the physical upgrades after the Susano-o downloads are complete."

Madara grimaced slightly, then nodded. At his acceptance, Pein and Kohaku also bobbed their heads, and one of the grey Shozokus sighed in relief. Gouki waved to dismiss them, and Yugito, Madara, and the anonymous captains all left. But Kohaku remained, and as the door closed, she allowed her concern to show.

"Are you alright, my love?" she moved to sit on the arm of his chair, wrapping her arm gently around his shoulders.

"No," he answered shortly, "I could accept losing the Grass and the Waterfall, but to also lose Kisame, Bunjiro, and Pein's Preta path? I will not be able to fulfill my oath to the two swordsmen. And Nagato..."

"The Path can be replaced," Kohaku offered carefully.

"Not with Nagato in his current state. The backlash nearly killed him. In the long term, he might be better for the loss, but at this point he won't be able to bond a new path for weeks, maybe months."

"I shouldn't have done it," he slumped, "I should have cut that impatient, idiot pretender of a Grass Daimyo loose. Leader would have had more time to subvert the Grass Ninjas. We could have gone with the original plan, the original timeline. The Grass takeover would have been entirely internal, the Waterfall conquest would have been made to look like the Shozokus worked exclusively for Kisame and Bunjiro, and the other Hidden Villages would never have known about the conquest of the Mines Village until we were ready to move on the Sound and Rain. Our numbers would have been greater, and we would have been in stronger position before we needed to take hostage the Fire and Earth heirs."

"But you would never 'cut him loose'," she reminded him, "You made a promise to help him, and you couldn't go back on your word."

"No, no I couldn't."

"We can still win," she told him, "We just need to be careful, fight defensively, until we can build up our forces again. And you do have _that_ trump card."

"Yes," he agreed thoughtfully, "We can still create a better world. But I would rather not have to release the Bijuu to do it."

* * *

Tenten repacked her original, paired weapons scrolls, while Neji watched her apprehensively.

"Are you sure you are ready for this?" the Hyuga Jonin asked his lover, "Lady Tsunade offered to let us remain here on guard duty."

"I'm fine, would you just drop it?" she barked in annoyance, and started the roll up the jutsu bonded parchments. She set them on the shelf, and drew out a new scroll, and began loading it with the implements she had inherited from their fallen teacher.

"Consider it dropped," he said softly, an edge to his flat voice. She sighed, and smiled apologetically at him.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have snapped," she admitted, "But I really am fine. If nothing else, going to war, doing what Gai-sensei trained us for, will help keep my mind off things."

"Alright," he agreed, "Then let's make Gouki's men in the Rain village pay."

"Yes."

* * *

"I don't get it, Gramma Tsunade," Konohamaru whined, "We did a great job in the Waterfall Village. Why do we get stuck with guard duty?"

The Hokage sighed, wishing she had thought to stop the Genin from spending time with Naruto before the younger man had picked up that nickname.

"First of all," she lectured, "letting your Jonin sensei get knocked out and stabbed is hardly what I would call a 'great job'."

"It wasn't lethal," Udon stated uncertainly.

"Which is the second point," the Sannin continued, "While Ebisu is recovering, it is only right that you three stay here. But you will be helping protect the village as auxiliaries to Yugao Uzuki and her squad."

"Come on, Gramma Tsunade," Konohamaru complained.

"If you don't like it," she told the three teens darkly, "I can put you three on reserves, and you can wait until Ebisu is healthy again?"

"No," Moegi pulled Konohamaru back down, "It would be an honor to work with Yugao-sensei and her Tokujo team."

"I thought you might feel that way," the Hokage smirked, "Now get out of here. I have an important meeting to prepare for."

* * *

"Thank you for coming," Tsunade said, as all four members of team Kakashi entered her office. Sakura closed the door behind them, and the four ninjas sat down at her indication.

"The four of you know our forces will be joining the siege of the Hidden Rain Village," she began, "And at the same time, our other allies, especially the Snow and Mist, will be putting pressure on the Hidden Mines village. But I was hoping to take advantage of the chaos of the new offensives, and send you four out on another mission."

"What kind of mission?" Kakashi said suspiciously.

"A rescue mission, of sorts," she informed them, "While Gouki's focus is on the Rain and Mines, I want you four to sneak into the Land of Lightning, and extract Nagato from the Hidden Cloud Village..."

"Lady Tsunade," the Copy-Ninja cut her off, "I'm no longer on active duty. I have..."

"I know you have to look out for your daughter," Tsunade held up her hand, "And that is why Yugao and her team will be staying here, with reinforcements. But you are still one of our strongest field agents, and more importantly, you have a past with certain high ranking members of the Cloud ninja resistance. Besides that, I need someone who can reign these three in."

Sakura looked surprised, and a little hurt. But Naruto just smirked, and Hinata nodded.

"Kakashi, I'm not asking your team to try to assassinate Gouki, or Madara," the Hokage tried to mollify him, "Though if you _happened_ to have the chance, I wouldn't complain. But we promised Konan, and more importantly, it makes tactical sense. Take Pein out of Gouki's command structure, and we hurt him. We take out his five top generals, and force him to revert to conventional communications. And if Konan is right about Pein being what keeps Madara in line..."

She trailed off, and the silver-haired Jonin recognized that if Madara became subversive it could drive a wedge in Gouki's operations. Or even better, if the two Leaf traitors parted company, Namikaze would forced to train his collection of thugs and bandits normally, instead of having the first Uchiha imprint the skills of a Shozoku on their brains.

"I'm guessing you three have no objections?" Hatake sighed as he glanced side to side at his younger teammates. Hinata and Sakura looked grimly determined, but Naruto's expression was practically giddy.

"When do we leave?" Kakashi asked in defeat.

* * *

**Preview:**

[background scene of Team Kakashi in a small boat]

Nartuo [firmly]: Back to the Land of Lightning, to take out my uncle's command structure.

[background scene of the Team Kakashi, surrounded by red and grey Shozokus.]

Naruto [angrily]: Except it looks like they knew we were coming.

[background scene of Team Kakashi running from a much larger force of elite Shozokus]

Naruto [resolutely]: So much for sneaking in

Naruto [announcer voice]: Next time on Naruto: A Growing Affection; **Chapter 145: When a Ninja Strikes**.

Sakura [defeated]: So what's the gag this time, Naruto?

Naruto [sternly]: No more jokes, Sakura.

Sakura [surprised, nervous]: What? Why not?

Naruto [darkly]: Things are too serious for that. The time for breaking the fourth wall is over.

Sakura [sighing]: He says while doing it.


	145. When a Ninja Strikes

**Chapter 145: When a Ninja Strikes**

Hinata shuddered as memories of anger and fear accompanied her recollection of the approaching coastline. Though they were landing almost three kilometers east of where the Naruto Rescue Squad had entered the Land of Lightning, her Suigin Byakugan had been stretched to the limit on the unofficial mission to rescue her then boyfriend, so she had seen this stretch of rocky land. She remembered specifically discussing this spot with Neji, and rejecting Team Kakashi's current destination as being too narrow for the giant tortoise Tenten had summoned to serve as their vessel.

This time the four Leaf ninjas had a proper boat, painted black and chakra deadened like their stealth garb. Hinata and Sakura were taking turns controlling the subtle Suiton technique that propelled them across the bay between the Land of Lightning and the Land of Forests. And in turn, the two men guided the boat. Currently the two Jonin were providing the locomotion and steering, while the Hyuga heiress served as lookout with her basic Byakugan, and Uzumaki waited with a forced calm.

Naruto sensed his lover's dark mood, and shifted position carefully to take her hand.

"What's wrong, Hinata?" he asked.

"Nothing," she shook her head, "just unpleasant memories. The last time I came to the Land of Lightning was less than ideal."

Then she realized what she was saying, and added, "I'm sorry, Naruto. I suppose it was much worse for you."

"Not really," he shrugged, squeezing her palm, "I was drugged unconscious at the time, so it's not like I remember most of it."

"Shh," Kakashi advised, "We're getting close to shore."

The darkened coast drew steadily closer, and Sakura ended her jutsu, letting momentum and the waves carry them into the cove. Naruto and Hinata hopped out lightly once they passed the outcropping, landing silently on the water and stopping the boat before it could scrape on the rock and rough sand. Kakashi and Sakura joined them, and the elder Jonin extracted the scroll which would house their transport. After he finished storing the boat, he walked to the shore, taking a position in the middle of the three teens, Sakura in front of him, Naruto on his right, and Hinata on his left.

"Now what?" Naruto whispered excitedly, "Do we head for the Hidden Cloud Village?"

"That might be a little premature," the Copy-Ninja noted without concealing his voice, watching as Hinata tensed. He turned his attention to the pale beauty and prompted, "We're surrounded, aren't we?"

"Yes," she confirmed, "Twenty-five people, all in stealth gear. They must have been waiting for us, but I couldn't see them because they didn't move until you were already on shore, Kakashi-sensei."

As she spoke, the ambushers moved closer, giving the Leaf shinobi all a chance to see their attackers in the dim moonlight. The trap consisted of fifteen lieutenant and ten captain Shozokus, spread out in a partial circle around Team Kakashi.

"They're all reds and greys," Sakura hissed nervously.

"No big deal," Naruto shrugged, but he didn't sound totally convinced.

"I wouldn't be so sure," Kakashi's uncovered eye narrowed as he considered the attackers' stances and weapons, "These aren't Madara's reprogrammed bandits. Unless I miss my guess, these are all former Cloud and Waterfall ninjas, and they were also all probably Tokujo or higher rank."

"Should we try to get back on the water?" Sakura asked.

"Probably not," the elder Jonin barely had time to answer.

"Attack," the grey Shozoku in the center growled. Nine of them raised crossbows, twelve palmed handfuls wave-patterned shurikens, and the last four started signing. But even as the first throwing star flew, Naruto and Hinata were already moving.

"Double Vision," they proclaimed in unison, "Protection of the Eight Trigrams, One Hundred Ninety-Two Palms."

Their hands spun outwards, cutting bolts and blades out of the air, some almost before they were launched. Sakura looked back and forth at her friends, feeling the chakra pass between them even though they were not in physical contact. Her mouth dropped open as she contemplated the improved technique.

"Stay focused, Sakura," Kakashi chided her, as their comrades cut the second shuriken barrage out of the air.

"But they aren't even touching," the medic gawked, "and Hinata didn't activate the Karinme Jutsu first."

"It has been over a year since they first exhibited the technique. It's not surprising they have refined it further," his deliberately, overly bland tone told the healer he was almost as impressed as she was.

As if to prove Kakashi's deduction of their origin, the crossbow users reloaded and fired with a speed and accuracy common in the Land of Lightning shinobi and rarely seen elsewhere. But their lightning chakra enhanced bolts were still caught with unconscious ease by the defensive jutsu. Then the four Shozokus not involved in the barrage finished crafting their ninjutsu.

"Suiton," they intoned in unison, "Sea Lion Jutsu."

Two giant felines formed out of the surf, and lunged for the Leaf Ninjas. Naruto's right arm and Hinata's left extended out towards the ocean. In concert each traced a complementary spiral with their respective chakra threads. The interwoven whirlpools broke apart the watery constructs and the energy maintaining them, and instead of fangs and claws, only a gentle spray hit the invaders.

"Break," the lead Shozoku captain ordered, "Raiton and Katon jutsus."

Those were his last words. Despite her apparent distraction, Sakura had moved her bow into position, and nocked a single arrow. Without looking directly at grey clad renegade, she fired, and her missile shot through his chest. She silently cursed herself for missing his heart, but she still shatter one of his ribs, both front and back, and put a hole through his lung. The rogue collapsed, but his subordinates had already begun to rain fire and lightning down on the team.

"Water Style: Tidal Wall Jutsu," Kakashi exclaimed, as the young lovers ended their technique and hopped back to be covered by the liquid barrier.

"Hinata, give me a hand," the Copy-Ninja exhaled sharply, "Naruto, get a distraction ready. Sakura, on my signal, clear us a path up the middle."

"Water Style: Tidal Wall Jutsu," Hinata took over half of the wall. The electrical and fiery chakra splash against the liquid. Though the attacks were stopped, the walls shrank and were pressed back. And Hinata and Kakashi both grimaced from the strain. Naruto began sign intensely and precisely, and his beloved took a step back with a groan of effort.

"Now," their teacher shouted as all but five of the Shozokus paused to craft new attacks. Hatake and Hyuga both released their techniques, and all four Leaf ninjas jumped in the direction he had indicated.

"Fuuton: Cyclone Spikes Barrage!" Naruto incanted, shooting over one hundred of the tiny tornadoes at the renegades' line. He was less concerned with precise aim than with adequately covering the space so that the converted shinobi could not easily dodge.

At the same time, Sakura unfurled her weapons scroll with the same hand holding her bow, and reached into it with her firing hand. She drew out her oversized axe and threw it horizontally at the rogues in their way.

Many of the Shozokus abandoned their half formed attacks to raise defenses against Naruto's wind chakra salvo, but despite their quick reactions, seven of them were struck by the darts, but none lethally. And the ones in Sakura path had no choice but to scatter to avoid her massive blade. The four Leaf ninjas darted through the opening, but their ambushers quickly turned to follow. Sakura caught her axe's hilt as they passed the weapon, and stored it as they made their escape.

* * *

"Now what, sensei?" Naruto demanded after a few minutes of running away from the shore towards the rising rocks, "Are we gonna try to outrun them?"

They had not moved in a straight line, Kakashi had twice turned them towards seemingly defensible positions only to abandon the less then ideal rock formations and continue running. Though it hadn't helped them get away, it did keep their pursuers on their toes.

"I don't know if that's an option," the Jonin noted, watching as a few off the faster rogues drew closer, "Hinata and I might be able to get away on speed, but those three look like they'd be able to catch you and Sakura. We need to find a place that will work for us to whittle down their numbers."

"Sensei, they have us outnumbered six to one," Sakura pointed out, trying to sound respectful, "I don't think we can hope to draw them out enough not to be overrun."

"There," Kakashi pointed to a narrow gulley in the increasingly mountainous landscape. The teens turned automatically, though all three wore looks of uncertainty. Hinata kept her head turned slightly, so she could keep her Byakugan trained on the warriors following them. Though she did not say so, the younger kunoichi agreed silently with Sakura's assessment. Though there was a moderate disparity in the Shozokus' speeds, they were not letting themselves get pulled into smaller groups. Then she noticed something else. Her eyes widened suspiciously and she glanced sideways at Kakashi. Her teacher just winked at her, and she thought she could see the corners of his mouth turn up under his mask.

The last five Shozokus suddenly stumbled to a halt, their body language indicating severe confusion. They glanced about wildly, and settled into defensive stances. This caused a minor pause in their closest comrades, but most of Gouki's agents continued to follow the Leaf ninjas, unconcerned by, or unaware of, their comrades' plight. As the Leaf ninjas drew closer to the valley, both groups picked up speed, Team Kakashi trying to reach the choke point, and the renegades hoping to cut them off first.

"Duck!" Hatake suddenly shouted, dropping into a slide. With well practiced precision, his younger charges followed suit.

"Futon: Wind Scythe Jutsu," a familiar voice shouted from ahead of them.

"Hyoton: Razor Icicles," a less known set of female tones proclaimed.

The sharpened, hardened wind alone was deadly enough alone, but it added to the effect of the ice technique, making the frozen water denser and faster. The complimentary attacks shot over the heads of the Leaf ninjas, and tore into the front line of the pursuing Shozokus, killing the first four and and maintaining enough power to incapacitate the quartet behind them. Then Kaede Mizuno dropped her invisibility jutsu and calmly walked up to the closest warrior trapped in her genjutsu, and casually ran him through with her leaf-shaped sword.

"Temari, Kaede," Naruto shouted happily as he stood, then his eyes narrowed as he considered the second, older Sand kunoichi, "Gaara's bodyguard, right?"

"Natsuki-san," Kakashi acknowledge the woman his student could not quite remember.

"Shit," a female grey Shozoku cursed, as the Face of the Mist felled a second enchanted ninja. She considered her comrades that had been injured by Naruto with his Cyclone Spikes and by the Sand ninjas, the three still trapped by the Mist genjutsu mistress, and the trio of shinobi they had not planned on fighting.

"We have to get back and report to Gouki-sama," the foul-mouthed Waterfall renegade ordered sharply.

"I'm afraid we can't allow that," the Copy-Ninja said sternly, signing rapidly, "Doton: Stone Dragon Jutsu."

A eastern-style dragon rose up out of the rocks, cutting off their escape, and incidentally crushing the closest Shozoku.

"Naruto," Kakashi pronounced the teen's name like a death sentence. The blonde Tokujo grinned darkly.

"Okay, sensei. Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

* * *

"Alright, Kakashi-sensei, what was all that?" Naruto demanded in annoyed bewilderment, after the seven warriors finished disposing of the bodies of Gouki's soldiers.

"What do you mean?" the silver-haired Jonin answered innocently.

"They were waiting for us, and they probably had enough firepower to take us out, if it wasn't for Kaede, Temari, and umm... Natsuki. And we didn't even know that these guys were gonna be meeting us!"

"Guys?" the provocative Mist beauty pretended to be hurt by the use of a male generic.

"Since just before your mission to rescue Nyoko-hime, the Hokage has suspected there was a mole in the village," the Sharingan user admitted, "The Shozokus have frequently shown knowledge of our deployment and battle plans, intel that they should not have had. Someone in the Konohagakure has been feeding information to the Raikage. So before she sent us on this mission, Lady Tsunade decided she could use us to verify her suspicions."

"She used as as bait?" Sakura said softly, sounding hurt.

"That's nuts!" Naruto protested, "How are we supposed to get to Nagato if uncle Gouki knows we are coming?"

"Uncle Gouki?" Temari said softly, and all three foreign kunoichi frowned, each making the connection almost instantly.

"The fact is, there was very little chance we would make it into the Kumogakure without Gouki finding out," Kakashi shrugged, "Even without a traitor in the Leaf, Gouki has the Land of Lightning fairly well guarded, and probably has agents in the Cloud ninja resistance, too."

"So the Hokage decided to use this to find the traitor," he continued, offering the explanation the Sannin had given him, "She already had it narrowed down to three targets, based on the previous inside information the Shozokus seemed to exhibit. So she told one when and where we would arrive, but not that we were meeting anyone else. The second was told that you three would be meeting Mizuno-san, and when and where the meeting was to take place. But that suspect wasn't told about the Sand reinforcements, or that I would be here."

"And the last person would have been told about Temari and Natsuki-san," Hinata mused, "but not the rest. So then you could report back where they hit us, and who they were expecting to fight."

"That's why you guided us here," Sakura realized, "to meet Temari and Natsuki-san."

"That's correct," the elder male agreed, "And our earlier diversions were so we could pass by the location where we were to join up with Mizuno-san."

"But why not tell us?" the fox-faced boy added angrily, "So you could get genuine reactions again?"

"That, and general operational security," Kakashi acted mildly chagrined, "The fewer people who knew, the less the chance of cross-pollination. The Hokage already told me she was going to have a hard enough time keeping the suspects separate after she gave them the false intel."

"Shouldn't you be calling Lady Tsunade, to keep her informed?" Natsuki queried, more to give Kakashi a chance to escape the grilling, than out of any belief he would forget to report the results of the trap.

"Yeah, you're probably right," he stepped away and flipped open his cellular.

"Good afternoon, Lady Tsunade," the Copy-Ninja said a few moments later, "I'm calling to report on those honey-pots you laid out..."

* * *

"Gouki-sensei," Nagato stood unsteadily as the Raikage entered his room. Though the originator of Pein was still feeling weak, comparatively speaking, since the destruction of the Preta Path, Namikaze thought the Rinnegan user looked like he had put back on a little weight. But Gouki studied his student, and on second glance he decided he might only be seeing what he wanted to, aided the dim lighting.

"What can I do for you?" Nagato asked..

"I need your Paths in Mines Village to prepare," the Leaf traitor answered, "I will be sending a new, special unit to join them."

"Why, sensei?"

"Tsunade-sensei has sent us some... visitors. The fifth Hokage obviously has too much time on her hands. So I thought I would give her something to do, and return the favor."

* * *

**Preview:**

[background scene of Team Anko and Team Gai, jogging across a darkened field.]

Neji [evenly]: We have set off to join the siege of the Amegakure, lead by the heads of the Inuzuka and Nara clans, and Anko Mitarashi.

[background scene of Anko, Tsume, and Shikaku meeting with the Kazekage, the Tsuchikage, and their respective seconds.]

Neji [confidently]: They have come up with a plan to breach the walls of the village.

[background scene of multiple giant snakes and turtles moving toward the Hidden Rain.]

Neji [confused]: So why does Pein's Deva Path look so confident.

Naruto [announcer voice]: Next time on Naruto: A Growing Affection; **Chapter 146: Heaven's Tears**.

Pein [slightly happy]: Their timing in impeccable.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Sorry for the delay, I was having posting issues.


	146. Heaven's Tears

**Chapter 146: Heaven's Tears**

Tenten tried to convince herself the reason she shivered was because of the omnipresent downpour they had been marching through since mid-morning. But deep down, the Jonin knew she was intimidated by the giant wall, a fortification unlike any other on the continent, and the buildings jutting up behind it like the fangs of some tremendous, ancient demon. She wondered briefly if the size and position of the pointed roofs and smokestacks was intentional, or if she was just indulging in a fit of dark imagining.

The Leaf forces drew slowly closer to the Hidden Rain Village, attempting to use the namesake weather to hide their approach until after they joined up with the siege line. The Hidden Stone ninjas had set up their initial camp just outside the range of the catapults and ballistas lining the walls of conquered city. Sand reinforcements had arrived six days earlier, some from the Land of Air and others returning from the Grass Village. Unlike their Leaf allies, Gaara's men had not returned home to rest and regroup, opting to keep the pressure on Pein, instead.

A tremendous crash, maybe a kilometer in front of them, nearly disrupted the Leaf shinobi's stealth, as many strained not to run forward to investigate.

"Just a warning shot," Neji Hyuga whispered to those around him, his Byakugan seeing what the drizzle and distance hid from the others, "to prevent the Stone ninjas from moving their lines closer."

"Or it's a trap," Anko hissed dubiously, "Pretend to fire warning shots under the guise of keeping the Stone honest, while they try to improve the range of their catapults, so they can suddenly hit the Stone ninjas while they think they're safe."

Silence fell back over the Leaf warriors, and they began the final leg of their march. As they reached the temporary city of the Sand and Stone, the Konoha shinobi quickly spread out, taking directions from their allies on how they should hide their numbers in the outpost of canvas and rock. And the three leaders of the Leaf forces went directly to the command building, to speak with the other leaders.

The Doton jutsu users of the Land of Earth had constructed a simple yet sturdy fortress of unadorned granite. Though it could not withstand a concentrated assault, it was much more secure than the tents that housed most of the invasion force. It was expansive enough to contain both a large war room and the medical staff for the army.

Without pausing to announce their presence or seek permission, Tsume Inuzuka and Anko Mitarashi strode into the meeting room, followed closely by an annoyed looking Shikaku Nara. The Leaf ninjas already knew Gaara and Baki of the Sand Village, and recognized the Tsuchikage, Mitsuru Jishin, from their description they received in their briefing. But the second Stone ninja was unknown to them. He was taller than his leader, but not by much. And his body looked oddly artificial; his limbs were thick and lack definition, even at the joints. He almost gave off the impression of being a figurine made of smoothed but uncarved logs. His eyes were a dull, dark brown, almost black, and though they did not dart around as if he were nervous, they never stopped moving, slowly and constantly scanning the room. His hair was almost the same color, parted in the middle, and from there, poured down either side of his head, just past his ears. He wore a meticulously cared for white gi, with a Jonin vest over the top. And his Stone headband was worn like a choker, tight against his Adam's Apple.

"Tsume-san, Shikaku-san, Anko-san," the Kazekage acknowledged them as if they had observed proper protocol, knowing neither kunoichi was likely to care that their entrance had been rude, and borderline insulting, "Thank you for joining us. The sooner we can begin planning, the better. I believe you all know my second, Baki. These are our counterparts from the Iwagakure, the Tsuchikage Mitsuru Jishin, and her second Junichi."

"I hope our combined forces will be enough to finally dislodge Pein and his men from the Hidden Rain," the Stone Shadow said, a hint of doubt in her gravelly voice. They nodded, and the Leaf leaders tried to get a better feel for the siege.

"I noticed they are keeping you outside the range of their catapults," Shikaku stated apathetically, glancing down at the map, "But you seem to be in range of their ballista..."

"While that may be correct," the Tsuchikage's assistant interrupted the unasked question, "at this distance most of our people have time to stop or dodge a ballista bolt. And unlike the catapult stones, they have neither the lumber nor steel to waste bolts on ineffective shots. Besides, those weapons are the most dangerous when they can apply both types of attack at the same time."

"What about trying to sneak people in?" Anko prompted.

"It has been tried, but they are quite vigilant," Mitsuru answered.

"We managed to get a few people close," Baki added, "However they were unable to scale the wall before they were detected."

"Scale the wall?" Tsume echoed incredulously.

"The wall has decades of jutsu layered into it, to repel chakra," Gaara explained, "We can't run up it like we would normal stone, we must climb it like a civilian would. Also, the bonded chakra, combined with the rain, has neutralized our attempts to bring down the wall with ninjutsu."

Shikaku nodded, the falling water would sap the strength of most attack techniques, allowing the jutsu in the hardened stone to weather the weakened arts.

"What about siege towers?" he asked thoughtfully.

"What are we, common samurai?" Anko interjected angrily.

"We tried that as well," the Tsuchikage sounded mildly embarrassed to admit it, "but they were able to stop the towers with well placed barrages from their weapons, or with jutsu."

"Did you have dusty here try to make a ramp or something?" Anko hiked her thumb at the Kazekage. Baki's eye went wide first with shock, then with outrage, but Gaara just smirked mildly in amusement and shook his head.

"We tried, but it is more difficult to control sand when it is this wet," the former Jinchuriki explained, "and I am not the monster I once was. Pein's men were able to knock down the structure long before I could complete it."

"What about a different sort of siege tower?" the Nara clan leader proposed thoughtfully, glancing sideways at Mitarashi.

"What do you have in mind?" the Stone Shadow asked, as both Baki and Gaara looked away from their Leaf allies regretfully.

"Our village was attacked by Orochimaru a few years back," Shikaku had just enough tact to not bring up the Sand Village's involvement, "And he had some of his cronies summon a trio of giant snakes to knocked down our walls. Anko-chan has the same summoning contract, and while I don't think those snakes could take down these walls, they might be able to serve as living siege towers; our people protect them long enough to get us to the village, and they act as the platforms we need to get over the wall."

"Tenten has a summoning contact as well," Tsume nodded in appreciation, "Some of the ninja tortoises are as big as any of the snakes or toads. Unfortunately, none of my hounds are more than about twenty feet tall at the shoulder."

"What about your people?" the dog trainer directed her question at the two Kages.

"None of our village's contracted familiars are much larger than an elephant," the cycloptic Sand Jonin said, and the leader of the Stone Village slowly pivoted her head in regretful agreement.

"Even with just the tortoises and snakes, we can probably make it work," Shikaku decided.

"That plan has merit," the Tsuchikage agreed.

"Are we even sure this will work?" the Inuzuka clan leader suddenly thought out loud, "They might have Summoning Seals around the village. I know Tsunade had our people extend the range our seals cover to... a greater distance after what happened during the invasion."

"We are able to perform summonings in this camp," Gaara answered, "From what we have been able to observe, the boundary of their wards is from the base of the wall to just outside catapult range."

"So any enemy familiars would have to run the whole gauntlet of their siege weapons," Shikaku deduced, "without impeding their own summoning jutsus. But the snakes are pretty quick, and with shinobi riding them for defense, we can probably make it. We should try to plot the weakest spots in their coverage."

"It's not like summoning the giants is that easy," Anko interjected, "The serpent Sannin had to have a whole team summon those snakes, because of the amount of chakra required. I can manage a few snakes the size of Tsume's bigger dogs, or one giant. But two or three of them? That's beyond me. I'm not Naruto."

"And the same likely holds true for Tenten," Gaara recalled, "Temari told me she needed Neji's help to summon the giant turtle that carried the team that rescued Naruto."

"Could you two set up rituals like Orochimaru used?" Junichi asked.

"Well," Mitarashi considered it, "I can't speak for Tenten. But for me, the answer is not as simple as 'yes' or 'no'. I _could_ create a Snake Summoning Scroll that would let anyone summon a snake, but I won't. I'm not like my former teacher. The Snake Clan are my comrades, and some are even friends. I won't go trusting their lives to anyone else. However, I could set up a ritual summoning which allow a group of shinobi to help me with the process. But I would still be hesitant to put the snakes at risk, not without talking to them first."

"We would be right there with them," Shikaku reminded her blandly, "blocking attacks for them, and in just as much danger. Unless you have a better plan?"

Anko grimaced, and shook her head, "I'll consider it, if Tenten can and will help. Even with assistance through a ritual summoning, there just aren't enough giant snakes to carry enough of us to mount a decent attack. We'll need turtles, too."

"Then perhaps we should speak with this Tenten," Mitsuru may have phrased it as a suggestion, but her tone and expression told the other shinobi that it was not to be taken as such.

"I'll grab her," Anko volunteered, happy to escape for even a moment.

* * *

The clanless Jonin entered the room cautiously, wondering why she had been called on by the leaders of the three ninja contingents. And while she was normally comfortable around Gaara of the Sand, being in the same room with him and the Avalanche of the Hidden Stone made it harder to think of of him as her friendly acquaintance, and easier to think of him as one of the pair of Kages guiding the assault.

"Thank you for joining us, Tenten-san," Mitsuru's greeting was gracious enough, but her voice was all business.

"Of course, Madam Tsuchikage," the teen bowed deeply, "what can I do for you?"

"I take it Anko-san did not tell you why we asked you to join us?" Baki prompted sharply. Tenten did not answer, but Mitarashi just shrugged.

"It's not _my_ plan," the sarcastic kunoichi shot back.

"We are hoping to use your and Anko's summoning contracts," Gaara explained softly, "to summon snakes and tortoises large enough to let us reach the tops of the wall surrounding the Hidden Rain Village. Anko has told us that she only has enough chakra to bring one snake large enough to assist in the plan, but that she could set up a ritual summoning to allow others to help her. Can you perform a similar advanced summoning?"

"I know the process," the young kunoichi said, "And I assisted Gai-sensei once. But I have never served as the focus."

"Perhaps we should confirm first that these turtles will be able to serve our purposes?" the Stone ninja name Junichi suggested dubiously, "Has anyone seen one large enough to act as a staging platform? After all, they will not be able to stretch themselves higher, like a snake..."

"The three largest members of the tortoise clan will get us eighty percent of of the way to the top of those walls," Tenten said sharply.

"Three? Better than nothing, if you can summon them all," the Tsuchikage's assistant countered dismissively.

"No offense to Anko-san's snakes," the weapons mistress inclined her head towards the staff-blade expert, "But the tortoise clan is much better suited for this. Each of them can carry as many as fifty ninjas on their backs, and their shells would protect them from all but a direct hit by a catapult stone or ballista bolt. And presumably, the ninjas riding them will be helping to prevent those attacks."

Junichi nodded slightly, and the Tsuchikage's mouth turned up in the corners. Tenten suddenly had the impression she had just been tested.

"Then what can your snakes bring to this endeavor?" the Stone Jonin asked Anko. But Hizashi's student glared back, unconcerned.

"You already pointed out that my snakes can extend all the way up the wall, for any clay footed shinobi who can't make the thirty-foot leap from the back of a tortoise," Mitarashi hissed angrily, "And they are at least a little faster. Oh yeah, and no offense to Tenten, but I _know_ I can be the focus of the summoning ritual."

"So you can get us three serpents as well?" Gaara asked.

"Four actually," Anko answered confidently, "Five if we push it. But I wouldn't trust the last snake in the size category we're talking about."

"It seems as though between the serpents and the tortoises, we would be able to get over half of our forces to the wall in the first pass," the Tsuchikage sounded satisfied.

"Great," Tsume snarled happily, "then let's do this."

"It's not that easy," the deer-herder told the dog-trainer sarcastically, "We need to get the contact the summons, get the teams together, prepare the jutsu, determine time tables and attack strategies..."

* * *

"Lord Pein," a red Shozoku burst into the office formerly occupied by Hanzo. The Deva Path glanced up at the soldier's masked face, seemingly unsurprised by the unannounced interruption. The lieutenant froze, realizing his breach of protocol, but Yahiko's body waved the former Rain ninja in.

"What is it?" Nagato's first fragment asked openly.

"Sir, we need you to come to the northern wall," the red garbed warrior stated quickly.

"I'm guessing this isn't because the improvements to the catapults are complete," Pein stood, curious about the older man's urgency.

"No, sir," the lieutenant confirmed, leading his superior out of the building, "It's the invaders. They're up to something."

Pein frowned. He knew that Leaf shinobi had arrived two days ago, but they had successfully used the cover of night, the rain, and the size of the besieging army's camp to hide their numbers. He expected it was only a matter of time before the alliance launched a new assault, and the part of him that had been Yahiko's mind was waiting with anticipation for their next move.

"Something?" Nagato prompted.

"They are lined up just outside catapult range, as if they intend to march for the wall."

"But you said the northern wall, right?" the Deva Path queried, and the Shozoku nodded. Pein pursed his lips.

"The gate is on the western wall," the Rain's master pondered aloud, "unless they think they have found a way past our defenses, and are attacking the north because we have slightly less coverage than the western front."

Yahiko's face creased with a pleased grin, and he added, "Still, whatever they have planned, the timing is quite fortuitous. We will have to move a few more men to the northern wall, to greet our adversaries."

"Go to the western wall," Pein ordered the lieutenant, "and tell Captain zero-zero-three-eight that I want the Pine, Poplar, and Maple battalions to report to the northern wall."

"Yes, sir."

* * *

Tenten and Anko stood at the forefront of the allied army, under a temporary pavilion erected to protect the two kunoichi and their tools from the drizzle. Before each woman was a large parchment with a complex ninjutsu inscribed upon it. In an arc behind each kunoichi stood seven Leaf shinobi, acting a both conduits for, and shields from, the thirteen shinobi, both Leaf and Sand, in the second rank. Though the level of trust and friendship between the Konoha and Suna in the past six years had functionally redefined what it meant for Hidden Villages to be allies, there were still things the two ninja strongholds did not share, especially advanced jutsu. So, while Sand ninjas were helping to provide chakra, they were not directly involved in the rituals, nor were they given a clear view. Outside the two semicircles, almost seventy percent of the liberation force stood ready to move in the predawn dim.

"Alright, ladies," Tsume Inuzuka's voice echoed in their headsets, "Time to get started."

Each women nodded, and knelt on her mat scroll. Tenten cut her right thumb with a kunai, and Anko bit her left pointer. Then, both Jonin started to retrace certain kanji on the scrolls with their blood. The characters began to glow as the two ranks of shinobi behind the summoners begin to send their chakra into the seals. Finally, the two women stood again, and began to sign and chant, further shaping the flow of energy from their comrades.

"I, Inu, Saru, Tori, Hitsuji," they both incanted , "Summoning Jutsu."

A massive cloud of chakra smoke billowed forth, and resolved into seven titanic reptiles. As per Anko's demand, the tortoises and serpents had been contacted and asked to participate in the attack. The turtles had immediately agreed, as had the four snakes who were answering the call. But as Mitarashi expected, the fifth giant snake had declined, attempting to hide her cowardice in a veil of practicality. The shelled beasts retracted their legs, lowering themselves to make it easier for the shinobi scrambling forward to climb up to their positions on top of the turle's shells. Smaller groups of ninjas took their places on the snakes' backs.

"Ninja Art: Toppi Kakyaku," Neji Hyuga announced, placing his hand on his ride's neck, from his perch at the front of its shell. The jutsu was echoed on the other two war turtles; though the ninja reptiles were much faster than their mundane cousins, they were still not the fastest beings. But the Toppi Kakyaku technique would increase their speed further, allowing them to keep up with the snakes.

As one, the seven animals surged forward, and the shinobi riding them tensed for the counterattack.

* * *

"A bold yet wise plan," Pein's Deva self told his captains, his Rinnegan glowing as he watched the charge through the rain and darkness, and then added cryptically, "And if the situation were different, it might have worked."

"Open fire," he instructed, "And once they are about half-way here, give the order to the fourth and sixth legions to begin."

Nagato's second body then appeared to freeze; he did not respond to their acknowledgment of his orders. His eyes continued to stare across the field towards the approaching summons, but his expression was blank. But his chakra began to build, and though they could not see it, the Shozokus could sense it enough to give their leader a wide berth, as they began to fire on the attackers.

* * *

"Fuuton: Stone Grinder Jutsu," Gaara launched a stream of wind chakra infused sand into the ballista bolt. The particles tore through the projectile, weakening it as they slowed and deflected it. The missile clattered harmlessly into the turtle's natural armor, breaking without leaving a scratch.

All across the battlefield, the scene was repeating, as the allies used ninjutsu to stop both the Rain Village's siege weapons, as well as some Suiton jutsu from the Shozokus. The reptiles were advancing steadily, not quite so fast as certain shinobi had hoped, but far better than their worst projections. However, their defense was not perfect. One of the tortoises had taken a heavy stone to his right, rear quarter, cracking his shell moderately. Healers were already working on the reptile as he continued stoically forward. And the serpent the rest of Anko's team was riding took a hit from a bolt when a Stone ninja slipped off her back. The wound was deep, but not life threatening and did not impede the scaly familiar's movements.

"Kazekage-sama," Gaara's earpiece crackled to life, and the young man recognized the voice of the Tsutomu, the masked Sand Jonin who had been on the team that accompanied him to rescue Naruto.

"Tsutomu, what is it?" the Wind Shadow asked quickly, recognizing the edge in the scarred warrior's voice.

"Sir, the western position is under attack," the older ninja stated quickly, "we are being overrun."

"They are counterattacking?" Gaara said loudly so the others could hear him, "Then that must mean the gate is open..."

"No, sir," Tsutomu interjected, "the attack is coming from behind. Estimates indicate we have at least two full legions of Shozokus trying to drive us towards the wall."

"Reinforcements," Gaara frowned angrily. The alliance had only left fifty-three men on the western line, more than remained behind them on the northern front, but most of them were Chunin or Genin. Though there had been no reports from the Snow or Mist of Shozokus leaving the Land of Silver, there had been unsubstantiated rumors of forces still in the Lands of Forests and Rice Patties. The Kages had dismissed them as remnants of the forces rousted from the Sound, Waterfall, or Grass. Now Gaara wondered if overlooking the shaky intel had been short sighted.

"He is using our attack to bring them into the city," the Kazekage estimated, speaking at a high volume, so Baki and Shikaku could hear him.

"Can we get troops over there in time to help?" the one-eyed Sand soldier asked.

"Anko's snake might be able to make it," the deer-herder answered, referring to the western most summoned animal, "but that would open up our right flank open, and leave her team completely exposed. And I don't think twenty-two ninjas and one snake are going to be enough to stop a legion, not while defending from the attacks from the wall."

"And it is two legions," Gaara added stoically, and the other two Jonin reacted with shock, both aware of the implications.

"Tsutumo," the Kazekage triggered his radio again, "break, escape, let them through. You don't have the numbers to stop them, and we cannot get you reinforcements. Right now it is more critical you keep your men safe, and that we take the wall."

"Even if we can't hold it," Gaara told his second and Tsume's second, "if we can bleed them, and destroy some of their weapons, it won't be a total loss."

* * *

"Sir," a blue Shozoku ran up to Pein, ignoring his leader's trance as ordered, "The invaders' line broke. We believe they are letting our people through. The first units from the fourth legion are entering the city now."

"Excellent," Yahiko's body snapped back to awareness, "Then I think it is time to end this."

He lifted his arms, his fingers spread wide. His Rinnegan pulsed visibly with chakra. And on the other side of the continent, Nagato's true body mimicked the movements of his Deva Path.

"Banishment."

With the simple pronouncement, energy rolled off him, across the battlefield. And as it struck the giant familiars, each vanished back to whence it came...

* * *

**Preview:**

[background scene of Pein's Naraka and Human paths, and twenty black Shozokus, moving through the forest.]

Nagato [neutrally]: By you command, Gouki-sensei, we will remove Tsunade-sama from this war.

[background scene of Pein looking over a scroll.]

Nagaro [confidently]: With this information from you agent, infiltrating the Leaf should be quite easy.

[background scene of Naraka Pein and some of the Shozokus attacking Team Yugao.]

Nagato [sadly]: With their defenses in this state, our attack feels almost dishonorable.

[background scene of Human Pein and some of the Shozokus attacking Team Choza.]

Nagato [firmly]: But we will do what we must, to create our perfect world.

[background scene of Tsunade and Konan.]

Tsunade [smugly]: Your old friends won't know what hit them.

Naruto [announcer voice]: Next time on Naruto: A Growing Affection; **Chapter 147: Counterstrike**.

Tsunade [darkly]: Time to deal with our little traitor.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

I almost posted an April Fool's version of this chapter, but decided not to...


	147. Counterstrike

**Chapter 147: Counterstrike**

'This isn't the same as last time,' Pein's one-eyed Naraka Path reflected. Madara had lead them the last time Nagato's Paths has 'visited' the ninja city, but the immortal had been deliberately sparse with his information about the Konohagakure, to exert a measure of control over his former subordinates. The intel Gouki had provided Nagato partially made up for it, but was not the same as if one of the Land of Fire renegades had been there in person. Also, the Leaf Village was currently on high alert, and had deployed additional cameras and sensors, and more guards, negating some of Pein's intel.

While the Naraka Path looked forward, the Human Path looked backwards. The twenty black-clad Shozokus waited with uncanny stillness. Each had been a highly ranked Jonin from one of the conquered villages. But after taking the Oaths, each had been subjected to a new Susano-o training regimen, specially designed by Gouki for just this sort of mission.

A single leaf fluttered insistently in front the Naraka Path, and he reached out and grabbed it. It vanished in a puff of chakra, and in its place he held a parchment detailing the defenses of the Leaf Village. His single Rinnegan widened, he had known that Gouki's man in the Leaf had to be fairly highly placed, but he expected that no more than a handful of people had access to this information.

Though he hated to think it, even with the new class of Shozoku and all of the inside information, Nagato still had doubts. The Konoha was one of the great villages, and despite the massive mobilization for the war, the village would have at least one hundred ninjas on hand. And that was not counting students and warriors who had officially retired but had not been decommissioned. They might not all be on the walls watching, but they were sure to be ready to respond to any incursion. While his two Paths and twenty Shozokus could undoubtedly inflict some damage, he was not sure they could accomplish their mission, to kill or incapacitate the Fifth Hokage.

The Two paths crouched down over the plans, frowning. The information was not quite as useful as he had initially thought. Knowing the positions of the electronic devices would help his troops evade them, but there was no real weak spot in the guards on the walls, with Hyugas and Inuzukas positioned every hundred feet or so. And reinforcements were no more than one fifty feet away from any group of sentries. And there were multiple seals along the platform, waiting to bind or destroy any intruders. The Shozokus had to not only avoid them, but also not let the Leaf ninjas herded them into the traps. And on top of all of that, the guards would be changing in under an hour, and the parchment did not contain future rotations, though it did note that there was no 'changing of the guards', instead there was a ten-minute doubling when the next shift took over.

Pein identified the two most vulnerable spots in the village's defenses, and split his team to strike them both. His Naraka fragment took ten of the black Shozokus north, and the remainder of Nagato's forces headed west.

* * *

"Konan-san," the Hokage greeted the younger woman with deliberate formality. The two women had developed an uncertain rapport, they might have been called friends if not for the mild yet pervasive suspicions that tainted their relationship. That mistrust was on full display, as the last Sannin greeted the younger woman stiffly and applied the honorific to her name.

"Tsunade-sama," the defector offered in kind, taking note of the phone blinking on her host's desk, "What can I do for you?"

The leader of the Leaf ninjas watch Konan carefully, and then queried sternly, "I want to know why you didn't tell us that Pein possesses the ability to banish summoned familiars."

The origami kunoichi's flash of genuine surprise was quickly replaced by understanding, and a struggle not to take a defensive stance.

"Because he doesn't have any sort of jutsu like that," Konan said quickly, then offered more thoughtfully, "Or at least he never told me about anything like that before I... left."

"Do you think it's possible he developed that technique recently?" Tsunade prompted more

moderately. Konan relaxed, and considered the question briefly.

"I can't rule it out," the Jiraiya's student admitted, "I told you Nagato and Gouki are still trying to rediscover the limits of the Rinnegan. And given my... choice... it is probable they would accelerate that research, to have weapons I can't tell you about."

"Alright, thank you, Konan," the medic nodded, deliberately speaking more informally, "You can go home. Would you like Raido to escort you?"

"No, I haven't had any trouble from the people here. Besides, I'm sure the ANBU agents you have trailing me will step in if I'm in any danger," Konan noted ironically, "See you later, Tsunade."

The Hokage smirked and inclined her head slightly, and then waited until the defector had left the room.

"Well, Shikamaru?" she asked the guard of the Konan's Contract Seal, on the other end of the open phone connection.

"She wasn't lying to you. She didn't know Pein could do that, and I'd say probably she didn't even suspect it."

"I have to agree with you," she sighed, "Would you please convey this to Tsume, Gaara, and Mitsuru right away?"

"I guess," the apathetic Chunin sighed in a different way, and then disconnected. A moment later, the perimeter alarms began blaring, and Tsunade's smirk broadened grimly.

"And here I was beginning to wonder if I had misjudged you, Gouki," she whispered to the empty room.

* * *

Shino Aburame's head perked up, and Kiba Inuzuka's nose twitched. Both ninjas turned to look in the same direction, and their other teammates followed suit.

"Tsunade-sama was correct," Shino said softly, a single beetle crawling over the back of his hand.

"How long? And how many?" Yugao Uzuki asked steadily.

"At least ten, but no more than thirteen," Kiba answered, "They are trying to mask their scents, but most aren't doing a good enough job. And about thirty seconds."

Sasame Fuma nodded, and began rapidly laying down another line of threads. And their Jonin teacher started counting. Thirty-three seconds later, a wave of darkness flowed up from the trees and enveloped them, blocking their sight.

"Sasame," Yugao said calmly.

"Ninja Art: Filament Jutsu," the trap expert sent a sliver of chakra into each of her cables, and they erupted with a brilliant luminescence, burning away the yin ninjutsu. Behind it, a few of the Shozokus cried out in pain as the outwardly directed light blinded them. Gouki's soldiers crested their leaps and began to descend, and all but Pein hit the nearly invisible Fuma strands, and either bounced off or became tangled. The Naraka path was barely able to slip between the wires, and landed facing the shinobi team.

"Shino," the purple-tressed kunoichi stated.

The insect trainer gestured, and a cloud of moths flew out from under his jacket, buzzing towards the trapped and off-balance invaders. Pein gestured, and a burst of wind chakra prevented the bugs from landing on him or the nearest Shozoku, but the rest were beset. Those who could move freely began trying divest themselves, most by randomly slapping at the insects, though two maintained the focus to craft jutsus to remove the pests. But the moths began to feast, on both their uniforms and their chakra. Though the Naraka Path and the one he protected escaped unscathed, the other invaders lost clothing and energy before they cleared away Shino's allies. One Shozoku was even forced to scramble to cover her face, lest her second oath kill her.

"Kiba," Uzuki nodded to her third charge.

The Shozokus had begun to recover, more annoyed than injured, with Pein and three of his troops moving in on Team Yugao angrily, while the remaining three helped to free their trapped comrades. When the Leaf Jonin indicated her junior, the invaders paused and turned towards him, bracing themselves for his action. But Inuzuka only raised his fingers to his lips and let out a piercing whistle.

Udon and Moegi released the ninjutsu veil they had been maintaining, and Konohamaru dropped the leashes of the six Inuzuka war hounds he had been holding. Alongside the unbound Akamaru, the half-dozen younger canines surged forward at Kiba's signal. These dogs were not full ninja hounds, but were bred purely for combat. They would not attack anyone exposed to them as an ally, but would tear into any other creature with an advanced chakra signature, be they Human, summoned animal, or demon. These dogs had been taught to recognize the members of Team Yugao and Team Ebisu. The Shozokus were not so lucky.

The first of the anonymous warriors made the mistake of starting to craft a jutsu. The closest two canines went straight for his wrists, their sharpened fangs tearing through cloth and flesh, bearing him down to the ground. He kicked one of the dogs away, but a third hound clamped down on his ankle.

"Go," Yugao issued the last order to her Human subordinates.

Sasame flicked her wrists, freeing just over half of the anchors on her uncut threads. She gestured again, and wrapped her strings around the last trapped Shozoku's chest an instant before the renegade's comrades freed her.

"Ninja Art: Constricting Cords Jutsu," she announced and the cables compressed the ribs of the black-clad renegade. Another of Pein's soldiers used a Fuuton technique to cut through the threads, and the bound Shozoku collapsed, barely breathing and clutching her breasts to stem the bleeding.

"Man-Beast Combination: Fang Over Fang Jutsu," Kiba howled as Akamaru reached him, and the partners each turned into a whirlwind of teeth and claws. They flew through the air towards Pein, Kiba muttering under his breath about a second chance. But as they reached the Naraka Path, he simply extended his hands, stopping them cold. He grimaced for a moment, but the look of pain quickly turned to an expression of grim satisfaction. His flat palms closed over their skulls, and their jutsu was forcibly ended. Nagato continued to tighten his grip, drawing a whimper from Akamaru.

"Ninja Arts: Insensate Jutsu," Yugao incanted. Kiba and Akamaru pulled free as Pein lost his sense of touch, and with it some of his agony enhanced strength.

"Release," Pein broke the genjutsu, glaring at the Jonin with his lone eye.

"Clone Jutsu," Konohamaru called out, and then held out his hand, while the non-corporeal duplicate began stabbing at it with his fingers. Chakra swirled above his palm, and appeared to react to the illusionary copy's actions.

"Rasengan!" the Third Hokage's grandson shouted, charging forward.

"I don't understand," Shino's frown was apparent in his voice as he addressed Moegi, who was still standing in the middle of the seal scroll that had helped her create the cloak. Aburame directed his insects towards two of the Shozokus while the kunoichi began crafting a jutsu, and he continued, stating, "The Clone Jutsu has no substance and cannot manipulate chakra. What purpose does creating one serve?"

"Ebisu-sensei says it is more of a mental block, senpai," she offered, "Since Naruto taught Konohamaru to use the Rasengan with a Shadow Clone, he still needs that psychological support, even though he's gotten good enough to form the Rasengan alone."

The Shozoku that Konohamaru attacked blocked with his gladius, and this weapon was made of tempered steel instead of the iron and bronze swords Gouki's soldiers usually wielded, so it did not shatter immediately. Despite that, the spiraling sphere began to slowly shave away the edge of the blade.

"Retreat," Pein suddenly ordered, as Sasame's threads knocked two of the Shozokus backwards off the platform. A moment later, alarms went off up and down the wall. The Shozokus' heads snapped up, and some of the rogues with jutsu enhanced senses heard or saw Leaf ninjas from the other parts of the wall start to converge on their position. Helping their injured comrades, Pein and his soldiers darted off the barricade and vanished into the trees. Kiba started to follow, but Yugao put her hand on his shoulder to stop him.

* * *

Pein's Human Path ordered his group to move fast and hit hard, rather than use a distraction like Naraka Path had just tried. The group they were hitting contained a Hyuga after all, even if she was only a Genin. He could not repress a shudder, although they had had Uzumaki's help, the young woman's teammates had killed his nearly indestructible Demon fragment.

It had taken Nagato longer than he had liked to find a replacement for the Human Path Naruto had killed. In place of the tall, rail-thin, long-haired Waterfall ninja, he now was bonded to a former bandit of slightly above average height and muscle mass. The previously turquoise-haired warrior had been slated to become a red Shozoku, until the Animal Path saw him, and noticed the compatibility in his aura. Now, the water and earth aligned soldier had Pein's orange hued locks, multi-ringed blue eyes, and the control rods through his nose and ears.

"Eleven targets incoming", Hanabi Hyuga stated calmly, the instant she saw Pein and the indistinct forms of the stealth garbed Shozokus. The invaders were moving towards the village so fast, for a moment the white-eyed girl thought they were flying.

"One is a Path of Pein I don't recognize," the Byakugan user added, looping her left hand around a string attached to her belt, "the rest are cloaked, so probably Shozokus."

"We have already identified the new Naraka path, so this must be a new Human Path," Choza Akimichi nodded, remembering the fight outside the Hidden Sound village, "Unless he was able to replace his Preta Path already."

The big Jonin wrapped his fists against his belt buckle. The action triggered the summoning jutsu, bringing out a pair of heavy steel gauntlets with blades down the back of his hands and on the first knuckle. He lifted his armored hands into place, while Hanabi slipped into the Gentle Fist fighting stance. But Keiko and Kei did not move, they stood stiffly, one on either side of their melee teammates, and slightly behind them.

Pein let the two fastest Shozokus take the lead, and angled himself towards the younger of the two kunoichi. Choza lashed out at the lead warriors, his arms, fists, and gauntlets expanding until they were each as large as one of the Takamichi twins. The black Shozokus drew their swords in response, and a gladius intercepted each fist, sparing its owner the worst of the hefty Jonin's strike. Pein landed and reached for Hanabi's forehead. But a moment before he connected, he saw the twine wrapped around her wrist, trailing back across the wall and then suddenly vanishing. At the same moment, he received a memory from the Naraka Path, of an ambush hidden behind a visual cloak ninjutsu. He froze and glanced at the grey-haired Genin on his left, as Kei Takamichi relaxed.

The shield the two teens had been struggling to maintain vanished, revealing the true termination of the thread Hanabi was holding. It was wrapped around the wrist of the now visible Shizune, who's eyes were closed, but her face was pointed straight at Pein. The medic stood in the midst of a large, wooden, fuinjutsu tablet, and was forming hand seals. Behind her, Hana Inuzuka and her two ninja dogs stood as both guards and backup.

"Scatter," Choza ordered, and he and Kei Takamichi dove to the sides, while Hanabi and Keiko rolled back to stand beside the medic. The older Genin kunoichi smirked at Pein, as she placed her hand on Shizune's shoulder. The Jonin healer finished signing, and slammed two jugs together. The clay shards fell away, leaving the contents, a sickening green-purple miasma, floating in front of her.

"Ninja Art," Shizune intoned, "Toxic Vortex Jutsu."

With Hanabi's Kariname Jutsu guiding her, the Hokage's assistant was easily able to focus on all eleven attackers at once. And she used Keiko's water chakra to supplement her own supply. So instead of a single large cyclone of poison, eight smaller, faster twisters curled out, five targeting a single invader each, and the last three engulfing two opponents apiece. The impact of the technique not only pushed them back, it forced the aerosolized toxin through the material of their uniforms, where it could be absorbed by their skin and eyes, and entered their lungs with every breath. The Shozokus started choking with in seconds, and they peeled back the bottoms of their masks as they clawed for the pockets containing their Akatsuki designed broad-spectrum antidotes.

Pein's Human Path recognized that this trap had been prepared for his Naraka counterpart. As he started to plan a counterattack, his other self called for a retreat as the alarms began to sound. The bells quickly circled the wall, and he noticed movement on either side of them as other Leaf ninjas began to cautiously move in, not wanting to open a gap in the village's defensed, in case this was a distraction. But they were also ready to assist their comrades against Gouki's attackers. He also knew that the pills Zetsu had created were not perfect, and it might take to Shozokus minutes, or even hours, to recover from Shizune's poison.

"Retreat," Nagato's fragment growled angrily, and turned to leave, the other two portions of his mind not entirely concerned if his men could or did follow.

* * *

Once the fight ended, the combat hypnosis Madara had instilled in the black Shozokus faded, and the remains of their original personalities resurfaced. A former Grass Jonin with extensive medical training started working on his new comrades who had injured by Yugao's team and those more thoroughly poisoned by Shizune's attack.

"I cannot believe we were so easily repelled," one of the three female Shozokus noted sourly. Another nodded in agreement.

"It was a trap," Pein's Human Path snarled.

"The Fuma kunoichi's web was too complex to have been set after we started our approach," a former Mines ninja acknowledged.

"We still should not have lost to one woman and a handful of children and dogs," one of the Naraka Path's subordinates barked, earning himself a set of apparently dirty looks from the black-masked kunoichi trio.

"That was not all we were fighting," the Demon Realm fragment of Nagato stated simply.

"Sir?" the tallest anonymous warrior prompted uncertainly, still bleary from the toxin.

"Didn't you notice it, as we passed the boundary of the wall?" the Human Path answered disdainfully, "A sudden feeling of weakness and sluggishness?"

"There were ANBU agents hidden at the base of the wall," Naraka Pein continued with less annoyance, "maintaining a jutsu. A gravity art, unless I misread it. They were planning on my Deva Path being here. But even without the need to counter my main body's Shinra Tensei, that seal slowed us, giving them another advantage."

"But how did they know to plan that?" another of the converted women pondered, "Could the map from Gouki-sama's agent have been faked?"

"No," Naraka Pein shook his head, as did the Human Path, "The seal was real, and there is no way they could have known the time and location to deliver it to."

"Unless whoever it is betrayed us," the sexist Shozoku grunted.

"Or was discovered and given false information," Nagato's stolen bodies noted in unison.

* * *

"Well done, Shizune," Tsunade told her apprentice, "and when you see Hanabi and Keiko, tell them they did a good job, too."

"Thank you, milady," the younger medic bowed, "I will convey your praise to them when we rejoin Team Choza."

The Hokage nodded, and then sighed as she turned to the window. Hana Inuzuka had accompanied her lover, and stepped back to leave. But Shizune kept her position, knowing the last Sannin was not done yet.

"It probably won't go as well next time," Tsunade sighed.

"Lady Hokage?" Hana asked cautiously, once she realized they were not going, "How did we do so well this time? There were two paths of Pein, and a score of Shozokus, and by all accounts these Shozokus all moved like master shinobi."

"Yes, but we were prepared," the Hokage answered, "We made them think they had an opening, but were actually drawing them into a trap."

"But that is my question," the veterinarian continued, "How did you know they would attack? How could you be so sure they would find the fake weak spots, and that they would not suspect a trap?"

"Well, I did spend half a year training Gouki," Tsunade shrugged, facing them again, "And both before and after that, I observed him with Orochimaru and Sarutobi-sensei from time to time. Gouki has a certain fondness for turning his opponent's plans back on them, with his own improvements."

"Like revenge?" Shizune asked, "Or mockery?"

"There's no anger or malice," the lead healer shook her head, "though there is some ego involved. No, it's more about strategy, an opponent generally doesn't expect it."

Then she frowned darkly, "As for how I knew Pein would find our traps... I have known for some time that someone in the Konoha was passing information to Gouki. Yesterday, Kakashi was able to verify my suspicions. So I set this one last trap, both to confirm the mole's identity again, and to see if he would be willing to betray the village to a direct attack. And now I know."

There was a knock at the door, and a hard anger crept into the Hokage's eyes, frightening her assistant and the vet.

"Now if you two will excuse me, I need to discuss this matter with certain people."

Hana and Shizune hurried out of the office, and their eyes widened as they passed the three elders; Danzo, Homura and Koharu...

* * *

**Preview:**

[background scene of Team Kakashi, Temari, Natsuki, and Kaede moving up the side of a mountain.]

Naruto [excited]: Time to meet up with the Cloud ninja resistance, so we can bust into the Kumogakure.

[background scene of the Leaf, Sand, and Mist shinobi surrounded by Cloud shinobi.]

Naruto [nervously]: Though they don't seem to happy to see us.

[background scene of the Naruto and Hinata, staring at the night sky pensively.]

Naruto [sadly]: And I guess I've got some things to think about.

Naruto [announcer voice]: Next time on Naruto: A Growing Affection; **Chapter 148: Storm Clouds**.

Naruto [hopefully]: We're almost there, Konan.


	148. Storm Clouds

**Chapter 148: Storm Clouds**

Hinata froze, and gestured to her comrades to stop. The ninjas paused, taking cover and suppressing their chakra. They waited anxiously as the Shozoku patrol passed by them. It would have been easy enough to eliminate the four anonymous soldiers, as well as much faster. But doing so might have given the enemy a clue as to their current location, and thus their goal, so they opted for stealth, instead.

"So, Natsuki," Naruto said softly, once they were clear of Gouki's soldiers, "What are you doing here?"

"The same as the rest of you," the Sand village's only ice-user answered dryly.

"But I mean, why you?" the blonde Tokujo pressed, missing her subtle sarcasm.

"Does my presence offend you in some way, Naruto-san?" the kunoichi affected a mild hurt. Naruto both shook his head and waved his hand vigorously in denial of her accusation.

"No, not at all," he noted hastily, "It's just, you're Gaara's bodyguard, aren't you? And Shikamaru told me that back when you guys helped rescue me from the Akatsuki, Gaara asked you to take Kankuro and Shukaku back to the Sand village. But you insisted you should stay with him, right? So I figured you would probably want to stick close to Gaara right now, especially when he's helping attack the Rain village."

"To be honest, I would rather be at the Kazekage's side," Natsuki admitted, deciding not to tease the teen further, "But he is surrounded by a substantial army of our people, as many of our trusted friends from the Leaf, and an even larger number of our current allies from the Stone. So my presence would not help Gaara-sama, and might even hinder him."

"That being the case, Gaara-sama asked me to accompany Temari-sama," she continued, "And act as an escort for Nagato while we brought him back to the Konohagakure."

"Having a trained bodyguard could come in handy," Kakashi noted, without directly joining their conversation, "Both if we are attacked, and if Nagato proves... reluctant."

"hst," Hinata called for silence, as she spotted another group of stealth-garbed scouts.

* * *

They had marched slowly, cautiously. Since their lunch break, they had been forced to double back and find an alternate route twice, to avoid larger groups of Shozokus. In the end, it took the seven allies almost a full day of travel to reach their destination.

The Stratosphere had been an Akatsuki base, high in the mountains, perilously close to the Hidden Cloud Village. However, during the chaos surrounding Naruto's abduction and rescue, Goro Yutsuki had taken the opportunity and severed his ties with the Madara and Pein by capturing the base, stripping it bare, and all but leveling the remains. The few remaining partially intact buildings amidst the ruins had been restored and now acted as a base for the Cloud shinobi who opposed the new Raikage.

As they drew closer to the stronghold, the Leaf, Mist, and Sand ninjas all noticed that they were being slowly surrounded. But acting on Kakashi's lead, and Hinata's confirmation, they took no aggressive actions. Once they reached the edge of the plateau, and could all now see the outlines of the buildings, they were finally met openly.

"Who dares to approach the domain of the angry storm clouds?" a voice called out to them grandiosely. Kakashi sighed, and then turned towards the source of the query.

"Six weary travelers," the Copy Ninja answered, "and one fool of boundless energy. We seek refuge before plunging into the fields of betrayal."

"Then enter and be welcomed," the Cloud Jonin stated, stepping forward.

"Was all that really necessary, Washichi?" Kakashi demanded.

"Of course, Kakashi," the porcupine summoner extended his right hand, and the Sharingan user responded in kind. Each grasped the others' wrist, and gave it a firm shake, to check for weapons. A single shuriken popped out of each shinobi's sleeve, and the two men grinned and retrieved the throwing stars. An identical exchange had happened when they first met, and it had become a ritual between them, at least when they encountered one another on friendly terms.

"Gouki has attempted multiple times to infiltrate our ranks," Washichi continued, "Only our strict adherence to arcane protocol has prevented him from confirming our location."

"Confirming?" Kakashi frowns, "You mean he suspects, Washichi?"

"He'd be a fool not to," the Land of Lightning ninja shrugged, "It is an ideal location. But according to our intelligence, it is fifth on his list, and we have been trying to give him reason to focus on his second most likely target, the molten crater that used to be the Valley of Dawn base."

He glanced briefly at Naruto with a sly smirk, and Uzumaki rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment, before turning away from the two Jonin to talk to his teammates.

"That guy is acting like he knows Kakashi-sensei," he muttered to Hinata and Sakura, chagrined at being indirectly called out for his mistake, "And me too. And his name sounds kinda familiar to me. Should I know who he is?"

"Probably not," Sakura her hand in tired acceptance.

"We never saw him," Hinata explained, "But that is the Cloud Jonin who was contracted to drive Yukie Fujikaze off the set of the sixth Princess Gale movie."

Naruto slammed his hand into his open fist as he remembered, "Oh yeah, the guy Kakashi-sensei said he scared off by guessing the number he was thinking of!"

"What have you been telling people, Kakashi?" Washichi asked, his voice strained and his right eyebrow twitching.

"Nothing important," Kakashi tried to sound nonchalant, "Just having a little fun with Naruto."

Then his visible eye sharpened, and his voice turned serious as Hatake asked, "Speaking of that mission, where are your students? Are they part of the resistance?"

"They are gone," the Cloud ninja's mood darkened.

"We fought the guy you were training in the Land of Grass," Naruto remembered sadly, "but what about the girl? As she dead, too?"

"No," Washichi shook his head, "From what I have been able to learn, Tashigi is still alive. Like Yoshi, she was captured and forced to become a Shozoku."

"But at least she's not dead, right?" Naruto offered in confusion.

"She might as well be," Washichi shook his head, "She is Gouki's slave now. And if anyone who knew her from before ever sees her, or even hears her voice, and acknowledges her, she will be killed by her own chakra."

"Shozokus must remain anonymous," Kakashi recalled Konan's explanation.

"Exactly. She may be alive, but she is still gone from my life," their host said sadly. Then he forced the emotion away, and showed his teeth in a manner that was definitely not a smile, "But you're here to help us put an end to this. To take down the arrogant bastard who stole our village and turned our friends and comrades against the world."

"We're not here to assassinate Namikaze," the Mizukage's daughter reminded the two men forcefully, "We are here to 'rescue' Nagato, and thus rob Namikaze of five critical generals in one move. Maybe more."

"But that doesn't mean if we get a shot, we can't take it," Temari said angrily.

"Those are our orders as well," Sakura agreed.

"Why don't you all come inside," Washichi recovered his poise and resumed his default, light-hearted persona, "so we can discuss how we will get you into the Raikage's fortress, and what we know about where Nagato might be?"

Kakashi, Sakura, Natsuki, and Temari followed close behind the Cloud Jonin, who was joined by two other shinobi from the conquered village. Naruto started to go with them, but then he turned away, a melancholy expression on his face. Hinata stuck with her beloved, as he meandered over to the broken wall that formed a rough rampart at the edge of the plateau. Kaede had been right behind Natsuki, but when she saw Naruto and Hinata leave, the Face of the Mist broke off and trailed them surreptitiously. A small part of her suspected they might be up to something, but mostly she just wanted to eavesdrop on the young couple.

Hinata stepped up beside Naruto, and studied his face carefully. She knew the crestfallen cast of his face, it was very similar to how he had looked the night before his final duel with Orochimaru, and also his grimace the next day when he had destroyed Sasuke to finish the serpent Sannin. She closed the last of the distance between them, placing her left hand over his, resting her right hand on his right shoulder, and leaning her face against his left bicep.

"What's wrong, Naruto?" she asked gently.

"Nothing," he answered, but he was unable to force a convincing version of his normal joviality.

"You can't hide it from me," she continued softly, "I know when something is bothering you."

"I guess not," he grinned wryly, if only for a moment. Then his expression turned introspective again, and he sighed.

"It's just, I'm worried we might have to fight Uncle Gouki in the next few days," he told her. She lifted her head so she could meet his eyes.

"We might not," she said uncertainly, "That's not our mission. Both Lady Tsunade and Kakashi-sensei said that."

"Yeah, but Gramma Tsunade also said she wouldn't mind if we did run into him and had to take him out," Uzumaki reminded his beloved.

"That's true," the pale beauty agreed putting her cheek against his arm, "And I have to admit, I'm afraid to fight him, too."

"I wasn't really thinking about it like that," Naruto said, his voice shaking a little, "but now that you mention it..."

Her eyes widened, and then filled with hint of self-recrimination.

"I mean, my uncle is pretty much a demon," he continued, "He killed the last Raikage in single combat. And that Hando guy fought and defeated all three of the Sannin at once, but uncle Gouki was able to teach Nagato enough to go from being an amusement to Hando to killing him."

"Hanzo," Hinata whispered, smiling against her will.

"Yeah, him," Naruto nodded, "Plus uncle Gouki taught Pein, and Pein is the one keeping Madara in line. And I couldn't even beat Madara."

"You beat Madara," the Hyuga heiress countered, sounding somewhat upset, "And you've beaten Pein, too. And just because Gouki taught Nagato, doesn't mean he is stronger than Pein. After all, Gouki is said to have surpassed Orochimaru."

"I hurt Madara," the blond Tokujo answered, "But that was only after Orochimaru weakened him. And from what Konan said, Madara would have kept coming after me, if you hadn't shown up. And sure, I have beaten up some of Pein's Paths, but I never fought all of him at once. And for that matter, I couldn't win against Orochimaru either, not without Sasuke and Pervy Sage sacrificing themselves for me."

"Who can say if you would have won against Orochimaru without Sasuke or Master Jiraiya?" she told him firmly, "And even if Madara was injured, you weren't at your best either, right? And you are stronger now then you were then."

Then she turned her face up, and kissed his cheek, stating, "And you won't be alone. If I had to save you from Madara, I'll help you fight Gouki, too. If you need me. I'm sure Sakura and Kakashi-sensei would, too."

"Thanks, Hinata," he shifted slightly, and pressed his lips lovingly to hers. Both teens turned to look out at the horizon again. But Uzumaki's contented look slowly faded, and as his worry returned, so did hers.

"You are thinking about it again," she prompted him sadly, "Please tell me."

"Even if I... Even if we fight Gouki, and even if we win... Well, I'm not sure I can kill him," Naruto explained. Hinata did not say anything, but from her perch, Kaede frowned in confusion.

"I know he's like a super-villain out of a manga," he continued, "He made a bunch of criminals and mercenaries into his elite enforcers, raised an army, and it trying to take over the world. He started this war, and is trying to eliminate or enslave every single ninja. But despite all that, he's family. He's my father's brother, and the only living family I have."

"And family is supposed to mean something," Hinata echoed her lover's words to her grandfather, as she thought about how alone Naruto had been for the first half of his life.

"Yeah," he nodded.

"That's strange," the Face of the Mist decided to make her presence known. Hinata looked annoyed, but not surprised, but Naruto hopped to the side, half carrying her girlfriend as he moved, and landing between her and the interruption. He relaxed as he recognized the face and the voice of the flirty Hunter-nin.

"Here I thought you had a much bigger family than I did," Kaede managed to fill her sultry tones with both disappointment and sarcasm, "I mean, I keep hearing about 'Gramma Tsunade', and 'Big Sister Shizune'. And what about your uncles, Kakashi and Iruka? Aren't Shikamaru and Choji your brothers? Isn't Sakura also like your sister? And that's not even considering your cute little bride-to-be there, and father, sister, and all the rest of her family that you'll get saddled with."

Naruto's frowned at her initial statement, but as she elaborated, he began to nod and grin.

"You're right," he told the platinum-haired woman, "I've been thinking to much about blood, and not enough about who's actually been there for me! Thanks, Kaede."

Then he appeared to realize something, and shouted, "Oh crap, the mission. I better get in there so I can hear the plan."

He darted away, and both women smiled fondly.

"Thank you, Kaede-san," Hinata added her gratitude.

"I didn't do it for him," the Mist Jonin fibbed, shrugging dismissively, "Your boy is the best combat asset we have, and something tells me we're going to need him at his best if we want to pull this off."

"Of course," the Byakugan user nodded, agreeing with Mizuno's statement and allowing her temporary comrade and not quite friend to save face.

* * *

"Are you ready?" Kakashi asked the radio in his hand.

"Yes," Washichi's voice emerged from the machine, "Today, we make Gouki regret underestimating the pride of the Cloud ninjas."

Kakashi rolled his eyes and addressed him team, "We move on the first explosion."

* * *

**Preview:**

[background scene of Gaara, Mitsuru and Tsume talking.]

Gaara [evenly]: Despite many injuries, our failed assault on the Hidden Rain could have ended much worse.

[background scene of Shikamaru and the three leaders.]

Gaara [flatly]: And for better or worse, it has been confirmed the Konan did not cover up Pein's latest power.

[background scene of Team Gai talking.]

Tenten [excited]: Sorry to interrupt, but I have an idea.

Naruto [announcer voice]: Next time on Naruto: A Growing Affection; **Chapter 149: Breaching the Impenetrable**.

Lee [tearfully]: We will do better this time, Gai-sensei!


	149. Breaching the Impenetrable

**Chapter 149: Breaching the Impenetrable**

Pein's Deva Path dropped to one knee, panting. Two captains immediately closed in on him, shielding him from the other Shozokus and standing ready to assist the general if he requested anything.

"Are you alright, sir?" the former Cloud Jonin asked quietly, as one of the giant crossbows thrummed next to them.

"I will be fine," Nagato's fragment answered, "It was just exhausting, forcing those familiars to return home. It may take me a few hours to recover."

Yahiko's subverted form rose gracefully back to his feet, and surveyed the battlefield. Leaf, Sand, and Stone ninjas flowed rapidly back towards their camp, while trying to avoid the bolts and stones joining the rain in pelting them.

"Continue firing," Pein ordered, "Most of them will probably escape, but eliminate as many as you can. I will be in my room if you need anything."

* * *

Nagato's sigh of release reflected his Deva Path's, as half a continent away, Yahiko's body slumped into a chair. Gouki looked at his student curiously and Kohaku looked worried. The Raikage and his wife were meeting with the real Rinnegan bearer in person so that the Animal Path did not need to divert from her task of watching and assisting Madara Uchiha. The Namikazes had been receiving updates on the Rain and Mines villages, as well as the attempt to infiltrate the Leaf.

"My apologies," Nagato offered.

"What is it?" Kohaku asked gently. Unlike her husband, it had been some time since she had seen Pein's originator, and she was disturbed by how frail and tired he looked. Her sympathy for Konan increased slightly.

"Nothing important," he shook his head stoically. But she narrowed her eyes, staring at him aggressively, and he relented.

"My Deva Path just disrupted an attack on the Rain village by banishing seven giant familiars," he explained, shifting ahead to the last report, "And it was very draining to both of us. I... he just sat down in his room, and I could not help but share in his relief."

The Six-Tails' Jinchuriki nodded her understanding. And Gouki frowned in thought.

"Nagato, I want you to have your Deva Path summon your Asura Path to the Rain Village," the Leaf traitor instructed, "And then you can bring Yahiko back here and put him into stasis."

The Rinnegan user considered that carefully. Gouki knew as well as he did that only his main body and Deva Path could summon the other Paths. If Yahiko's body left the Rain Village, he would have to return there on foot.

"Are you sure?" the ring-eyed man asked his teacher.

"I know that we lose the ability to rapidly move your Paths between the Rain and Cloud, at least temporarily," Namikaze confirmed, "But by your report, your Asura Path is no longer needed in the Land of Silver, and giving your Deva Path time to rest and recover will serve us better in the long run."

"And my reasons are not entirely altruistic," he continued with a sigh of his own, "Team Kakashi is coming, and based upon what you just told me about the ambushes prepared for you at the Konohagakure, Tsunade-sensei is very close to discovering who my man in the Leaf is, if she doesn't already know for sure. Which means she wanted me to know Naruto and his friends are coming, which in turn means she is probably plotting something else. And either way, four of the Leaf's best fighters are on their way. So I want your strongest Path here to help deal with whatever the Hokage thinks she is going to do."

Nagato nodded, but added, "It will take my Deva Path a short time to recover enough to perform the summoning."

"That's fine," Gouki said, "We will take our leave, so you may rest as well."

* * *

"Total casualties were seven from the Leaf, seven from the Stone, and five from the Sand," Gaara's medical leader told the Kazekage, Tsuchikage, and Tsume Inuzuka, handing each of them a page with a list of respective names, "An additional thirty-six are alive but disabled across the entire allied force. I also can provide everyone with the names of the injured, if you wish."

Gaara dismissed the Tokujo with a grateful wave, and the three leaders faced one another.

"We were lucky we didn't lose more people," the Leaf's field commander did not sound as if she felt fortunate.

"It was a mistake we never should have made," Mitsuru rumbled, angrily, her dark eyes focused on the dog-trainer, "we should have known in advance that Pein possessed the ability to reverse a summoning jutsu. It appears your so-called defector has been holding out on you."

"That remains to be seen," Gaara said neutrally, "It is possible that Nagato did not tell Konan about that power, or that he discovered it after she left. That is why Shikaku-san and his son are speaking with the Hokage, and hopefully with Konan as well."

As if they heard themselves mentioned, the two Nara men entered the room, and the three leaders turned to them expectantly.

"Konan didn't know anything about it," Shikamaru started without waiting, "She told the Hokage that she had never heard of Pein having that kind of power, and the Witnessed Contract Seal I had forced on me didn't even flutter. So she wasn't even trying to deceive us. Now can I get back to Anko and Choji?"

Tsume nodded, knowing that the lazy Chunin's teacher and best friend had both suffered injuries during the retreat. Neither one was seriously hurt, however Choji's arm would take at least a month to heal, even with ninjutsu. The hefty Tokujo had punched a catapult stone out of the air before it could hit the Tsuchikage. Anko had taken a glancing blow from a ballista bolt, and despite Ino's insistence that she rest for a few days, the serpent summoner was chomping at the bit to get back to work, angered and insulted by Pein's removal of her reptilian allies.

Remembering her debt caused Mitsuru to bob her head as well, and with the permission of two of the leaders, Shikamaru tried to maintain his apathetic posture as he hurried out of the room. Shikaku joined Tsume on the Leaf's section side of the now triangular table, and the four Jonin all paused to consider the situation.

* * *

"What do you think they will try next?" Rock Lee asked his two teammates quietly. Tenten and Neji both looked down at the map. Though it was not quite as thoroughly marked as the one the armies' leaders used, Neji's Byakugan plus some scouting and flirting by Tenten had afforded the trio a fairly accurate picture of the battlefield.

"The city can only be approached from the north or the west, and the only entrance is in western wall, which is also the most heavily defended," Neji pondered aloud, hoping his words would inspire himself or his friends.

"The southern wall is more lightly defended," Lee noted.

"That's because that plateau is a mess," Tenten reminded them, "The rains are much heavier up there, and so the whole thing is a giant quagmire, full of quicksand, sink holes, and poisonous everything. Even if we were able to navigate it, we would be too exhausted to mount a proper attack. And it is guarded enough that they would almost have to see us when we tried to climb down into the village."

"And the river is also impassible," Neji continued.

"I have heard that the Stone ninjas tried to tunnel in early on," Lee informed them, "but they were discovered before they reached the wall, and the Shozokus collapsed the ground on them. They lost three good squads in the attempt."

"The main issue is the wall," the Hyuga Jonin ran his finger over the mark on the map, "It acts as both a defensive position and a weapons platform. And between its strength and the weather, our jutsu so far have been ineffective."

"It is merely stone," the chakra-inert Tokujo insisted, "If I could get close to it, I could make us our own gate."

He punched his right hand into his left hand, striking first with extended knuckles before closing into a fist. Neji recognized the technique he was pantomiming and nodded.

"Yeah," Tenten's eyes lit up and she looked down at the map again, "That could work."

She jumped up and stepped towards the door to the tent, stating, "Come on, you guys. We have to go talk to Tsume-san and the others."

"What are you thinking?" Neji asked his fiancé with a slight grin, caught up in her exuberance.

"I'll fill you in on the way," she answered with a confident smile.

* * *

Tenten struggled to control her shivering as she stepped into the river, the water frigid even though it was technically summer. Still on shore, Neji and Shikamaru each had one hand on her shoulder and another on her waist, both to steady the kunoichi, and to feed her chakra. Still, her body quaked despite her best efforts, and not just from the cold.

She had been excited and self-satisfied as she had presented her strategy to the Kazekage, Tsuchikage, and the Nara and Inuzuka clan leaders. After a short discussion, and a few suggestions and adaptations from the four leaders, they had ratified her plan. But now that the time had come to execute it, she could not help but be nervous. If even one of the worst case scenarios came to pass, forty of the strongest ninjas in the invading force would be dead, all because of her bright idea.

An explosion on the far side of the Rain Village lit up the night for a moment, signaling the start of the attack on the main gate. The young Jonin steadied herself, and wrapped a tiny flow of fire chakra around her legs.

"I, Inu, Saru, Tori, Hitsuji," she intoned for the second time in four days, drawing extra energy from her allies, "Summoning Jutsu."

There was a brief splash as multiple tons of ninja tortoise displaced the water. Fortunately the guards were distracted by the clamor on the opposite side of the village, and did not notice.. Kameko arrived fully submerged in the deep waterway, but she had been briefed in advance by her human ally. The giant terrapin had been more then happy to assist in her friend's plan, to have a chance to avenge the humiliation her clan had been handed by Pein.

The humans jumped quickly onto the turtle's barely covered shell, using their chakra to cling to the reptile as the river made a strong bid to wash them away. As soon as everyone was aboard, Gaara and two Stone ninjas began signing, while Shikamaru and a quartet of Sand and Leaf ninjas began to ready two complimentary techniques.

"Doton: Granite Tent," the Kazekage and his allies said in unison, struggling to pull up rock and mud from the riverbed, forming a second dome over the top of Kameko's shell. The barrier protected the ninjas from the water, and the tortoise began to march carefully forward, dropping slowly out of sight in the yawning abyss of the river, aided by the dark, perpetually cloudy night. All three human kept up the flow of earth chakra, both to keep the 'tent' from being eroded or dislodged by the water, and to lift it so that Kameko did not have to bear the full weight of the stone.

"Ninja Art: Obscuring Sands Jutsu," Shikamaru and the two Sand ninjas working with him intoned. Though none of them could see it, the outside of the dome and of Kameko began to bear a low-level visual contact genjutsu that would hide them should any of the guards happen to look down.

"Fuuton: Spelunker's Friend Jutsu," exclaimed the last two members of what Lee had termed the 'submarine crew'. The wind chakra art renewed the air continuously, as the tortoise plodded stealthily along the bottom of the river, drawing slowly closer to the wall around the Hidden Rain village.

* * *

"Close up the right flank," Baki instructed in a voice not his own, as one of the Sand ninja teams drifted out of position, creating an opening for the Shozokus to fire on the warriors who were preparing a massive lightning jutsu to try to destroy Hidden Rain's gate. A Stone Tokujo stepped in and stopped a ballista bolt from skewering the Leaf shinobi who was the focus of the ritual.

The Land of Air Jonin started to issue another order, but had pause to make sure he phrased it correctly. Baki had assumed the form of the Kazekage, so that Gaara's presence would not be missed by Pein. This also forced him to try to speak in his leader's careful, deliberate manner. Only the commanders of the diversionary attack were privy to the deception, and he was not about to let the rank and file warriors catch on the the disguise.

"Tsutomu, your new target is the southern most platform," the 'Kazekage' ordered, and the other Sand Jonin leaped into action.

* * *

After almost forty minutes, the ninjas felt the tortoise start to incline upwards as she reached the opposite shore. The familiar stopped, and a low tone echoed through her shell, quietly forming into the words, "We're there."

Gaara twisted his hand, and a hole opened in the dome. Then he pushed his palm out, and the stone moved out in a platform towards the wall. A Stone kunoichi took out her phone and relayed their readiness to the Tsuchikage.

"It's your turn, Lee," the Kazekage announced softly.

"Alright," the boisterous youth nodded and ran forward onto the bridge, his mouth opening wide. Then Neji appeared beside his teammate, and clamped both hands over Lee's jaw, giving him a meaningful look. The Tokujo nodded and carefully closed his mouth. He took a cleansing breath, and clenched his fists to help him focus his power.

"Grand Key Art: Opening, Healing, and Life," he proclaimed in a subdued whisper. His skin turned deep red, and energy began to swirl around him. Lee took another half step forward and dropped into a fighting stance. He lifted his right arm as if to punch, but his fingers were uncurled, the tips pointing at the the wall. And while still maintaining his portion of the dome, Gaara activated a technique to speed up his vision, to see if what Tenten had told them was accurate. Lee hopped forward and his arm shot out. Even with his temporarily boosted eyesight, the Kazekage could barely track his former opponent.

Rock Lee's fingers struck the wall and then folded, so his knuckles could move in to hit the same spot. He collapsed his digits again so his full fist could strike the stone. He shifted his arm away, but as he did so his hand snapped back open allowing his fingertips to weakly connect with his target for the fourth time. He continued his forward momentum, and his elbow scored a stronger blow against the singular point of contact. Finally he leaned down slightly as he slid the rest of the way forward, and his shoulder struck the same spot one final time.

For a half a heartbeat, nothing seemed to happen. Then the wall exploded, spraying particles of dust in both directions. But the sound was muffled by the roar of a thousand lightning bolts, when their allies on the other side of the wall unleashed their Raiton technique. The hole before them was almost twenty feet in diameter, but tapered off as it passed through the thirty-foot thick rock barricade, leaving only an eight-foot breach on the far side.

Gaara's eyes widened. Lee had described the technique, but to strike one point on a target's body six times in less than a hundredth of a second seemed improbable. And even knowing what he did of the Futae no Kiwami, the former Jinchuriki had not expected this exponential power increase from its three fold cousin.

"This is the power of Rokujuu No Kiwami," he murmured, as Lee closed the Inner Gates, and Ino darted forward to examine the bowl-haired Tokujo. The other ninjas did not pause, but began to move through the new entrance, knowing that despite the distraction, there was no chance the billowing debris and sudden hole in the wall would not be noticed.

"Don't be too impressed," Neji stopped next to the Wind Shadow with a knowing grin, "It's much less useful in real combat."

Gaara's blue eyes locked on Neji's white orbs in askance, and the Hyuga Jonin elaborated.

"Like all the other versions, the Six-Fold Limit Break requires all of the strikes to hit the exact same point on the target," Neji stated, "Living targets are always moving, and tend to

get pushed away by the initial strikes, making the attack virtually impossible to use on another ninja. In a fight against a person, Lee would be lucky to land four hits, so he might as well use the Yojuu no Kiwami, which he can do with only the first two gates. The Rokujuu no Kiwami is really only usable against large, immobile targets."

"Still, it is what has given us this chance," Gaara responded.

"Then let us not waste it," Lee grinned and shot them a thumbs up. The rest of the strike force had entered the city, leaving the Kazekage with Lee, Neji, and Tenten on the stone bridge between the summoned turtle and the wall.

"Thanks, Kameko," Tenten told her familiar, and then said, "Dismiss."

Gaara allowed the last of the Granite Tent to collapse into the river as he and the three members of Team Gai raced into the Hidden Rain Village.

* * *

**Preview:**

[background scene of Tsunade talking to the three elders]

Tsunade [gravely]: As you all know, we have traitor in our midst.

Tsunade [angrily]: A very highly placed traitor at that

[background scene of Koharu and Homura yelling at Danzo.]

Koharu [shocked]: How could you do this, Danzo?

Naruto [announcer voice]: Next time on Naruto: A Growing Affection; **Chapter 150: Gouki's Man**.

Tsunade [exasperated]: Could you please not upstage me...


	150. Gouki's Man

**Chapter 150: Gouki's Man**

"I assume you have asked us to come here to discuss the failed attack from earlier this afternoon?" Koharu said sharply as she settled gracefully into the chair opposite the Hokage, "But can we dispense with the gloating?"

"I would never rub it in your faces that I was right about Gouki countering our invasion with one of his own, even though you three all said I was being paranoid, Koharu-dono," Tsunade insisted magnanimously, as the two male Elders sat on either side of the female comrade, "And you would be wrong about why I summoned the three of you here."

The septuagenarian kunoichi stared at her leader with a mix of disdain and curiosity, while Danzo's face remained blank, and Homura looked confused.

"I'm sure you are all aware, we have a mole," the Sannin opened, fishing slightly. Danzo did not react, but both of the Third's former teammates looked rattled.

"During the unofficial mission to rescue Nyoko Honokata, we began to notice that Gouki's forces were moving and acting as if they were aware of out plans..."

"Yes, we all have heard your suspicions," Danzo interrupted, his tone mildly dismissive.

"Not suspicions," Tsunade shook her head smugly, "During the liberation of the Grass Country, we were able to prove there was someone feeding Gouki information. We changed the plan after our people left the village, and limited the information to those in the attack force. Pein slash Leader's reactions to the attack only made sense if he was already aware of the original plan, and not privy to the updated strategy."

"Then you have summoned us because..." Homura adjusted his glasses thoughtfully.

"Because only a handful of people had the full original battle plan," Tsunade stated, "A few of the highest ranked members of the Jonin Council, the various clan leaders... _the three Leaf Elders_..."

"YOU?" Koharu spun to her right to glare at Danzo, assuming a defensive posture while staying seated, "You betrayed the Leaf Village?"

"That is quite a logical leap," the leader of the ANBU and Root said impassively.

"Not really," the other male elder considered it.

"You have been trying to undermine and replace Tsunade almost since she installed as Hokage," Koharu insisted.

"The same could be said of both of you," Tsunade remarked with bland amusement.

"We may have attempted to guide you somewhat... forcefully," the female Elder admitted defensively, "But we never sought to embarrassed or remove you."

"Danzo always was... shall we say enamored with Gouki," Homura changed the subject.

"You were quite vocal in favoring Gouki as Sarutobi's first choice for the Fourth Hokage," Koharu remembered, "And when the elder Namikaze turned down the position, you tried to talk him into reconsidering."

"How many times did you ask Gouki to join the ANBU? At least ten, that I observed," Homura continued as soon as his teammate paused for breath. Danzo's perpetual scowl deepened at the damning question, and he took a breath to answer.

"Speaking of the ANBU," Koharu suddenly jumped in before the cycloptic Elder could argue, "I always found it suspicious that Nyoko-hime's four ANBU guards were disabled without even one of them having an inkling that they were under attack. But if Gouki knew who they were, and how they were deployed, it becomes much more plausible."

"And that's assuming they were not ordered to collude with Gouki," Homura nodded.

As their tirade of accusations faded, Danzo rose slowly from his chair...

* * *

Twenty of the invaders crouched just outside the visual range of the main gate. The first of two who had been left behind was the kunoichi who had been trapped by Sasame Fuma. The former Mines Tokujo had lacerations across her torso that were beyond their field medic's ability to repair. The other injured Shozoku was a male adapted Jonin who had proven to be allergic to one of the substances in Shizune's concoction.

Pein's remaining forces waited patiently, yet cautiously. The traitor had sent them another missive, promising to open the way for them within the hour. Nagato was not entirely sure he trusted the communication, but could not pass up the opportunity that it was genuine.

* * *

"It seems you have found a way to eliminate me, Tsunade-hime," Danzo stated, his flat voice both mildly bemused and slightly offended.

"Please, sit down Danzo-san," the last Sannin said apologetically. His eye widened in surprise, and he complied.

"As much as I hate to say this, Danzo isn't the traitor," she told the other Elders firmly, "He's a manipulative bastard and a war hawk, but he's also totally loyal to the Konohagakure and the Land of Fire. When Gouki refused to return and was declared a missing-nin, Danzo was most vocal about hunting him down at any cost."

"That could have been a smoke screen," Koharu interrupted, "or he could have changed his mind after the deaths of the Fourth or the Third."

"It's not impossible," Tsunade conceded, "But I also can't see Danzo placing himself as Gouki's subordinate, or destroying the Way of the Shinobi."

Danzo inclined his head slightly, a expression foreign to Tsunade in his lone eye, respect.

"Besides that, I have proof of who the traitor is," the medic continued, "and it isn't Danzo."

"Oh?" Koharu bit, sliding an inch forward in her chair.

"You see, after I had narrowed the list down, and began feeding them," Tsunade continued, "Giving various individuals specific pieces of intel, to see which Gouki reacted to. And I had them monitored, both to keep track of any potential mixing of data, and to see who made phone calls, sent letters, or used long range communications techniques. As I eliminated suspects, I began to give the remaining potential moles more specific and less obvious pieces of our plans."

The kunoichi Elder nodded approvingly.

"For Team Kakashi's current mission, I gave the three final suspects accurate but incomplete information, and made sure that there was no way they could have shared it with each other. Then after Kakashi reported back on the results, I set up the traps for Pein, and gave the fake defenses to the traitor, to confirm his identity, and to see if he would put the village and all the civilians here at risk."

Tsunade's eyes narrowed angrily, and she slammed her hands on the desk as she stood, growling, "That's how I know Gouki's mole..."

Time seemed to slow, as Homura flipped backwards out of his chair, placing four paper bombs in the air even as he signed. Koharu turned towards her former teammate, even as she leaned away from him in instinctual defense. Danzo leapt to his feet a half an instant later, as the traitor finished his jutsu.

"Katon: Focused Detonation Jutsu!" the male Elder shouted. The four tags exploded, and their inferno and impact were all channeled into a tight cone aimed at Tsunade. Koharu was caught by the edge of the attack, but managed to cover her face, so only the backs of her arms were scorched as she was thrown into the wall. The last Sannin tried to move to defend herself, but she had been expecting a denial and argument from the traitor. Caught off guard by the sudden attack, she could not create a jutsu or fully dodge.

Though he was a moment behind his former comrade, Danzo moved with speed the belied the permanent damage to his face and arm. But the ANBU leader did not have time to craft a counter technique, so he did the only thing he could and threw himself between the Hokage and Homura's attack. He channeled most of his chakra into his body and his robes, hardening them against the heat. Then he poured every scrap of energy he had left into his feet so the explosion would not throw him forward. For one heartbeat, Danzo stood before Tsunade, creating a break that forced the inferno to flow around her. The windows behind the Hokage exploded outward, but the jutsu did not touch her.

Then the attack ended, and her politic rival collapsed forward. His back was seared black, and the mere movement of falling caused the charred flesh to crack and flake, allowing blood to seep through. Danzo lifted his head, and when he saw the Hokage was unharmed, he grinned smugly. The bandage that had covered his ruined right eye was burned away, revealing a blind, sickly yellow orb. The ANBU's leader had lost his right eye in battle, and his body had rejected the replacement. The infection that followed had damaged the socket too the point that a second transplant was impossible. The doctors had wanted to remove the ruined eye, but Danzo had refused.

"Good," he wheezed.

"Why?" she demanded, tears coming to her eyes unbidden.

"I am a patriot," he confirmed, "I could not let a traitor kill our rightful Hokage, espe... geh... especially not in a time of war."

He slumped down on her desk, his chest no longer moving. She moved to check on him, when she heard a cough and saw Koharu try to rise. Realizing there was nothing she could do for Danzo, Tsunade rushed over to the female Elder, and began to check her injuries.

"How did you come to suspect Homura? It could not have just been the information Gouki had," Koharu wheezed as the medical Sannin worked on the blood loss from her shattered shoulder. Tsunade recognized the question as Koharu's way to both keep herself awake, and focus on something other than the pain.

"Do you remember Homura's last team?" the Hokage engaged her patient's mind.

"Hizashi Hyuga, Ichibe Sarutobi, and Sakura Futabi, was it not?" Koharu struggled to remember events almost two decades prior.

"Yes," Tsunade agreed simply, "It was just after Hizashi and Sakura made Jonin, and Ichibe made Tokujo. The Fourth sent them on one final mission together. It was supposed to be a simple B-Rank job, taking out some bandits."

"But something else happened," the concussed woman dredged up the memories, "It was Gouki, wasn't it?"

"Yes. That was right after Minato was forced to declare his brother a missing-nin, and Homura and his team were the first ones to encounter him. Gouki knocked out Hizashi in less than a minute. Then he broke Homura's left arm and disabled him with the Ranshinsho. Homura was forced to watch as Ichibe and Sakura struggled against Gouki. Ichibe fought like a mad-man, refusing to give any quarter or back down, and Namikaze hurt him, bad. After that, Sakura fled in terror. When she worked up the nerve to come back, she was surprised to find them all still alive, and Hizashi was starting to wake. She and Hizashi brought Homura and Ichibe back here."

"But it was too late for Konohamaru's dad. The damage Gouki inflicted left him with a permanent limp and limited use of his left hand, and he was unable to continue as a shinobi. And Sakura was too humiliated and too terrified to go on any more missions, so she resigned her post and was decommissioned. Only Hizashi recovered."

"According to Homura's debriefing, Gouki left immediately after Sakura retreated. But the doctors' reports indicated that it appeared some simple healing had been performed to stabilize Ichibe. And Minato's notes indicated that Homura did not seem angry or sad at what happened to his team. The Fourth thought that even though he hid it, Homura seemed to be impressed by Gouki."

"You believe Gouki kept Ichibe from dying," Koharu's speech was more steady thanks to Tsunade's efforts.

"And Sakura was gone long enough that Gouki and Homura could have had a nice little talk before she came back," Tsunade expanded on her reasoning, "So Homura might have been Gouki's man all this time, or he might have had years to mull over Namikaze's actions before finally deciding to switch sides."

"Shouldn't you go after Homura?" the Elder suddenly had a moment of clarity.

"I need to make sure you're stable, first," Tsunade glanced towards the door angrily, "It would be a problem if we lost all three Elders in one day. Besides, I already have a few people who are watching..."

Shizune ran into the room without bothering to knock, and the last Sannin thought, 'It took you long enough.'

"Lady Tsunade, what happened?" the younger medic asked as she started to assist her mentor. Hana Inuzuka and her two canines stood by the door on high alert.

"Homura is the mole," the Hokage explained quickly, "He attacked us, but Danzo protected me."

Shizune's eyebrows shot up in amazement, but she did not say anything.

"I need to go after him," the last Sannin contradicted her previous statement, "Can you handle things here?"

"Of course, milady. Be careful."

"We'll come with you," the veterinarian insisted.

"No," Tsunade shook her head, "I already have some reinforcements out there. You three guard Shizune and Koharu."

Without waiting for an agreement or an argument, Tsunade charged out the door, her face livid as she let her emotions loose. She yanked out her phone, and nearly broke the buttons as she jammed in the number.

"Yamato," she barked into the device, "I need your teams in conference room three, five minutes ago."

* * *

"Pein," Homura whispered into his cellular, crouched in a shadowed alley, "I've been made. But the plan is still on, we simply need to move up the time table. I will be at the main gate in no more than twenty minutes."

* * *

**Preview:**

[background scene of Homura sneaking through the village]

Tsunade [angrily]: I will not let him escape!

[background scene of Tsunade dispatching ANBU agents.]

Tsunade [angrily]: Not after he dishonored everyone who has been loyal to what my grandfather created!

[background scene of Homura being stopped by Yamato and Sai.]

Tsunade [angrily]: Everything Nawaki and Dan stood for

Naruto [announcer voice]: Next time on Naruto: A Growing Affection; **Chapter 151: Too Far to Run**

Homura [smugly]: You are too late...


	151. Too Far to Run

**Chapter 151: Too Far to Run**

Homura paused on the second-story roof of a staggered three floor building. The tree in front of the apartments, and the two larger structures to the side and the back afforded him a high degree of cover. Panting slightly, he took out a food pill and bit into it. The supplement was slightly bitter, so he washed it down with two quick swallows from the bottle of grape juice he had stolen to wet his dry throat.

The traitor took a deep breath and waited for his body to recover. Though he had maintained the rank of Jonin seven years ago, and his mind was still sharp, his stamina and chakra supply had diminished rapidly over the last three years. He fully expected that the next time he was forced to renew his credentials, he would be demoted to Tokujo. The advanced fire technique he had used in the Hokage's office and the energy he spent to boost his speed in his subsequent flight had left the old man feeling drained.

'Damn that Danzo,' he thought, 'Who would have thought he would protect Tsunade? Now she will be coming after me.'

He chewed on a second tablet and took another sip as he considered his last thought. No alarm had been raised yet, not had there been any guards outside the Hokage's office.

'Did that stupid slug expect me to go quietly?' he wondered, 'Or did she still have doubts about my allegiances? Could I have talked my way out of that? Or is she trying to use me again? Does she think I will lead her to Pein? Could she have some idea of my plans?"

The fallen Elder shook his head, 'I can't afford to second guess myself now. The longer I delay, the more chance they have to find me, or find the bombs...'

His breathing and heart rate down, and his chakra recovering nicely, Homura took a quick look around before proceeding to the next shady spot.

* * *

"… and no masks," Tsunade concluded, "If he sees the ANBU out in force he'll get more cautious. And I don't want to panic the civilians."

The dozen assembled special operations shinobi complied, each removing the reinforced ceramic face that concealed their identities from the rank and file ninjas.

"Do you have any idea where Homura may be going, Tsunade-sama?" 'Wolf' inquired as he stowed his mask.

"Nothing beyond the obvious," the Hokage shrugged, "He doesn't appear to have gone home for equipment, so he might try to hit Emporium Karin or one of the smaller stores. He has been frequenting the movie theater on the west side, but that could have been a cover, he might have a bolt hole in the area. Otherwise, he'll probably try to reach the wall so he can escape and link up with Pein."

The ANBU agents all nodded in agreement.

"Don't underestimate him," the Sannin added pointedly, glaring at the youngest ninja present, "Homura was a teammate of the Third Hokage. He's highly skilled, clever, and has probably forgotten more secrets about this village than any two of you know. He has to know we are coming, and what's waiting for him when he's caught, so he will almost certainly continue to go for the throat. I don't want to loose any more people to that traitor. Now, get going."

The twelve hunters all vanished from the room, leaving Tsunade alone with her anger and doubts.

* * *

_"What is this?" Danzo asked impassively, "A new iron supplier's sample?"_

_"If only," Tsunade sighed, "It looks like just an iron bar now, but when Yugao Uzuki brought it to me earlier today, it was a copy of the Syphon."_

_Koharu gasped, and Homura's constant frowned spread to his eyes and forehead. The medic proceeded to tell the trio about Team Yugao's mission, and how the purple-tressed Jonin had recovered the duplicate axe._

_"Are you certain?" the ANBU leader's question was born of caution, not doubt._

_"Do you think I would ever mistake that weapon?" the Hokage shot back, unpleasantly amused by the whole situation._

_The three Elders all considered that. The Syphon had been the preferred weapon Hiruzen Senju, father of the First and Second Hokage, and shinobi whose name the Third Hokage had inherited. Hiruzen had passed the weapon on to his grandson, Tsunade's father, but the younger Senju had never mastered the axe as his grand-sire had. His daughter had also tried her hand with the Syphon, but decided the blade was not large enough or heavy enough for her tastes. During her brief stint as Gouki Namikaze's teacher, she had taught him her weapons skills, among other things. His talent had impressed her, and he had a love for the battle-axe that endeared him to her. So she had passed the weapon on to the future traitor. _

_"Probably not," Koharu seemed unwilling to fully acknowledge the younger woman, "But does this mean _he_ is back?"_

_"I don't see many other options," Tsunade said evenly, "It's highly unlikely that anyone else would be able to use Syphon's cloning power, when neither my father or I could master it. We have to assume Gouki is alive, and more importantly, on the move."_

_"Why give a copy of Syphon to such a weak group of bandits?" Koharu contemplated._

_"May I take this?" Homura asked, pointing to the metal rod._

_"I guess?" Tsunade shrugged, "Why?"_

_"If I break it down, the trace elements might let me track the region of origin," the Third's teammate explained, "Which could help us find Gouki."_

_"Go ahead," the Hokage nodded, her voice carrying a hint of hope._

* * *

_"Hello, Gouki Namikaze-san," Homura's voice carried through the abandoned building. The subtle scratches in the metal had directed him to a specific address in the capitol of the Land of Tea._

_"Homura Mitokado-dono," the dark blonde Jonin emerged from the shadows, "You are not the one I expected to meet."_

_"The bandits you entrusted the message to made the mistake of trying to shake down a team of Leaf ninjas," the Elder explained, "The Jonin leader recognized Syphon and brought it back."_

_"And you decoded the message."_

_"Sarutobi and I designed that code, for when Koharu was being particularly... prudish," Homura smirked, "What I cannot decide is if I am surprised Sarutobi taught it to you."_

_Gouki chuckled, but quickly sobered._

_"Well, this is a pleasant enough conversation, Homura-dono," the missing-nin said pleasantly, "But what are you doing here? And why did you come alone? Are you looking for revenge for what I did to your team?"_

_"No. I have had years to think about what you did, and what you said to me after. 'Our world's about to break.' I watched the Nine-Tails attack, and the chaos following your brother's death. Orochimaru betrayed the village and tried to destroy it. Surrounded by deceit and death, with no care for the innocents we kill or corrupt. I understand your words now, and I cannot help but agree. I have come to join you."_

* * *

Homura recovered from his reverie and resumed his escape. He found the streets nearest to the wall were all but empty. Though the general air in the village was more amused than frightened after earlier, aborted attack, the civilians were keeping closer to the center of the town, just to be safe.

Homura thought he had a clear shot at the southwestern wall, but held his position out of long honed caution. The guards on the walls were still looking outwards, but he suspected that might be a trick.

Finally his pressing need for haste overcame his worries, and he darted towards the wall. But before he was halfway to the barricade he heard and saw the subtle flashes of two shinobi, and he dropped into a defensive stance even as they landed, one before him and one behind him.

"Tenzo-san," the Elder pretended to relax, and then glanced back and acknowledged the younger ninja, "Sai-kun."

Homura returned to a normal posture, while subtly shifting his robes to give himself freer access to his equipment, and then asked conversationally, "I was on my way to inspect the site where Yugao Uzuki's team was attacked. Is there something I can do for you?"

"Sorry to interrupt you, Homura-dono," the former substitute leader of Team Kakashi seemed mildly apologetic and equally nonchalant, "But the Hokage needs to have a word with you right away."

"Of course," the elderly shinobi bowed slightly, and swept his arm to the side to indicate that Yamato should lead the way. But as he did, he drew a tag out of his voluminous sleeves and as he completed the gesture released the paper bomb. The explosive shot towards Sai, but the teen was not surprised by the attack. The younger ANBU warrior fired off a single shuriken, skewering the parchment and turning it back on the traitor. Homura flicked up his fingers and the bomb exploded creating a cloud of fire and smoke between himself and the ink user.

"Stay there and watch for the invaders," Yamato ordered the ninjas on the walls, as they turned to gape at the unexpected internal battle, "but report this to Ops."

The middle-aged Jonin nodded, and her slightly younger Chunin teammate took out his phone and triggered the first number on his speed dial.

Yamato was already signing before he finished giving the order, and intoned, "Mokuton: Putting Down Roots Jutsu."

Thick branches erupted from the ground around the mole, wrapping his legs and then merging into a single tree trunk that continued to spread towards Homura's knees. At the same time, Sai dashed off a quick sketch and an ink wolf leaped off the paper. The renegade palmed a tag in each hand, placing his left hand against the chakra generated wood, while tossing the right hand sheet at the fake lupine.

"Hyoton: Winter's Bite," Homura announced, and ice began to flow from under his left hand, first halting Yamato's jutsu and then cracking and splitting the tree.

"Katon: Fireball Jutsu," the former Elder continued, and the tag he had thrown at Sai expanded into a sphere of brilliant white flames, consuming the wolf and forcing the artist to roll back. Homura kicked his way free from the weakened wood, and lifted two more of his chakra laced parchments.

"He uses a variety of ninjutsu tags," Yamato reminded Sai, "to make up for his below average chakra levels."

The younger ANBU agent nodded, recalling the tactical readout on the Third's teammate that Tsunade had provided them. It stated that Homura's strategy was to prepare a large number of paper seals in advance, so he could limit his chakra usage in combat to unleashing the prepared techniques and altering them slightly. This both saved his energy, and gave him a speed advantage over most ninja.

'Most shinobi don't have the skill and patience to create so many different types of paper bombs,' Yamato thought to himself, 'But that also means if we can get them away from him, he will be at a disadvantage.'

"Mokuton: Wood Clone Jutsu," Orochimaru's former test subject stated, creating two duplicates out of the remnants of his destroyed trap. The copies ran forward, engaging the Elder in melee combat while Yamato and Sai continued to hang back, both to block any attempt to escape and to utilize ninjutsu.

The first clone grabbed for the traitor's left arm, trying to implement the plan to remove or restrict Homura's jutsu tag usage. The older ninja slipped out of his path, and the facsimile rotated his body into a low kick, to try to disguise his motives. The second clone angled in from the rogue's right, feinting for Homura's head before launching a real punch at the traitor's kidney. The maneuver was supposed to put him into position to strike upwards at his target's right shoulder. But with subtlety of movement which contrasted his creaking joints, Gouki's mole slid around the attacks, while also slipping himself into position behind the first clone.

"Your tactics are too obvious, Tenzo," Homura continued to use the ANBU agent's real name, instead of the pseudonym Yamato had grown more comfortable using. He placed his hand firmly on the out-of-position clone's back and when he took it back there was a paper tag affixed to the wooden warrior.

"Katon: Forest Fire Jutsu."

Both the real and copy Yamatos' eyes widened as the renegade Jonin activated the jutsu Madara Uchiha had created to fight Hashirama Senju. Flames instantly engulfed the duplicate, leaving a pile of ash in less than a second.

"Go," Sai said simply, having completed a much larger and more complex piece. The two-headed dragon separated from the page, and flew towards the traitor, while both remaining Yamatos hopped into place to block Homura's avenues for escape.

"Katon: Ignition Jutsu," Homura proclaimed without using a tag, and fires danced across the wyvern. But this time the ink creation did not burst into flames. Instead it opened one of its mouths and breathed a cloud of stylized pigment flames at the renegade. He dodged backwards, not sure if the ink could actually burn him, or if it would just hit him and possibly hinder his movements. His evasion put him in range of Yamato, and the deposed Elder had to jump desperately to avoid losing his right sleeve.

Homura regrouped, struggling not to pant. Even this brief fight was already taking its toll on him. The dragon art and the two Yamatos were already closing in on him again, and Danzo's pawn's brush was already fluttering over a new page.

"I had been hoping to save this one," he groaned, slipping a certain tag out of his left sleeve and slapping it against his neck, "Ninja Art: Chronal Regression."

The subtle wrinkles in Homura's face smoothed, and the darkness crept into his hair. He stood a little taller, and his muscles filled out a tiny amount. The traitor cracked his neck, and frowned at them thoughtfully. He hopped forward and drove a fist into the remaining wood clone's gut, triggering the tag wrapped around his knuckles. The copy shattered into five pieces and the traitor pointed his other arm at the descending ink dragon.

"Diluting your pigments with water to make them harder to burn was inspired," he informed Sai, adjusting his glasses, "However that introduces a different weakness. Suiton: Dowsing Rain Jutsu."

Water flowed out of the paper bomb, and into the air. It dropped back down, pelting the wyvern, which began to expand on lose its shape.

"Normally your constructs are hardened against liquid intrusion," the mole concluded, "But this alteration also removes that protection."

The dragon dissolved an instant before it would have hit the rejuvenated traitor, showering him with dirty water. Yamato was also dowsed, but the ANBU Jonin had retreated, so he was not so thoroughly dyed. The wood chakra user glanced at his ally.

"Fighting Homura-san was dicey enough when he was seventy-four," Yamato noted, his voice oddly unconcerned.

"That sort of transformation could not last more than a few minutes," Sai said, his tone as flat as usual, "especially with his reported chakra supply."

"Except that he could have poured chakra into that tag over the course of months," his superior countered, "so the reversion could last hours, or possibly days."

"Which is why I did not want to waste it on the two of you," Homura agreed, "Unfortunately, it didn't appear I would be able to escape in time without it."

One side of his frown turned up, and he darted away from the out of position Yamato, towards the wall. Orochimaru's guinea pig shook his head, signing.

"Just because I said it would be tougher to fight you," the First's inheritor stated, "doesn't mean I can just let you go. Mokuton: Carved Titan."

Roots expanded from the ground in front of Homura, merging and expanding into a twelve-foot tall wooden statue. It was generally humanoid, except it had a stylized wolf's head with bull's horns, and two sets of arms. The construct creaked slightly, then stepped forward with surprising speed, punching out at the traitor. Homura jumped back, pulling out another two of his tags.

"Haven't you already learned? I know how to deal with your Mokuton."

"Actually, I have," Yamato did not seem worried, "Sai?"

The artist shinobi gestured, and again ink rose from the page. But instead of attacking the former Elder, the seemingly incomplete sketch flew past him and hit the Carved Titan. The pigment coated the statue, giving it a layer of black tattoos. The construct lashed out again, now moving even faster. But instead of changing his attack, Homura continued.

"Katon: Grand Fireball Jutsu," the mole proclaimed, sending a large mass of flames at the artificial warrior. As with the dragon, the ink covering the titan resisted the inferno, protecting the planet matter underneath. Yamato and Sai both pointed in unison, causing the statue to swing its leg forward.

"As I expected, Sai's adapted material stops my Katon jutsu from burning your Mokuton," Homura noted, "And presumably the wood underneath will absorb any excess water should I try to use Suiton techniques to thin the ink."

He jumped over a kick and returned the tag he held in right hand to his holster, and drew two different tags instead. As he did he noticed the matched expressions of concentration on his opponents' faces.

"However, there is one obvious flaw with your attack," he glanced at them knowingly, "You both have to focus the majority of your attention and energy on synchronizing the movements of the wood and the ink. That prevents you from taking any other action, and leaves you open to counterattack."

"And simply stated, just because I cannot exploit the weaknesses inherent to your individual styles, does not mean there are not other ways to deal with your automaton."

Homura lifted both hands and activated each tag with a sliver of chakra, stating, "Doton: Advancing Wall Jutsu."

Both of the parchments crumbled and two giant blocks of granite rose out of the ground, one on either side of the Carved Titan. The walls moved quickly forward, trapping the statue before it could escape. The two-part construct pushed back on them, keeping itself from being crushed. But it could not free itself, and Homura turned to its creators with a smug, yet disappointed look.

"You have both invested a great deal of chakra in that weapon," the mole said, "If you let it be destroyed, you will not have the energy to keep me here. Of course, if you spend all of your efforts on keeping it around, you won't be able..."

His assertion trailed off at the sound of shattering stone. He turned back to see a cloud of dust where one of the walls had been. And an instant later, Tsunade emerged from the dirt, followed by the Titan.

"It looks like you two were having a little trouble," the Hokage informed the ANBU agents pompously. Yamato had the presence of mind to look chagrined, but Sai met her gaze without concern.

"It would have been much easier had you not insisted we bring him in alive," the teen insisted blandly.

"Probably," the last Sannin shrugged, "But we really need to question him. See what he knows about Gouki's plans, and how he sends Namikaze information. If we can continue to play up the leak, it might help us end the war faster."

"Unfortunately, I was kept in the dark about Gouki-sama's plans. At my own request," the traitor shot back, "And I have already relayed my unmasking to Pein. If you intended to use me to feed false data to Gouki-sama, you should not have tipped you hand so soon."

"Maybe not," Tsunade shrugged, noting the change in honorific. Then her eyes flooded with barely constrained fury, "But I could not suffer one more day of you betraying this village. Betraying everything my grandfather and Sarutobi-sensei worked to build."

Homura opened his mouth to lecture her, and then shook his head.

"So then, now I have to get by all three of you to escape?" he asked seemingly unimpressed.

"Not quite," Tsunade grinned darkly, "The other ANBU agents I dispatched to search for you? I already called to let them know where you had been found."

Two additional shinobi appeared behind Tsunade, and three more in positions surrounding the renegade. The Carved Titan took another step forward, and Homura glanced over his shoulder at his original foes. Both were still focusing on the construct, but Sai looked almost giddly, while Yamato appeared relieved.

"The rest will be here in minutes, at most," the Konoha's leader continued, "And some of the members of Root are looking forward to talking with you about what happened to Danzo. I'll tell them you don't have any other useful information, but I'm not sure it will help... It might make things worse."

"It doesn't matter," Homura chuckled hollowly, "even before Tenzo and Sai found me, I had already set my final plan into motion. Its far too late for any of you to stop it."

As he boasted, he drew the singular jutsu tag from the deepest pocket in his sleeves. He pressed it up against his throat, opposite the Chronal Regression paper. It began to glow a devious purple, and Tsunade's eyes widened in surprise. She raced for the treasonous Elder, but he slumped forward before she could reach him.

"Dammit," she half snarled, half sobbed, barely resisting the urge to grab him, "What were you talking about? What final plan?"

"What was that?" Sai asked in muffled confusion, as Homura's body began to collapse inward on itself.

"Corrosive Blood Jutsu," Yamato explained, "An old-fashioned suicide technique, one that turns red blood cells into acid. It prevents enemies from learning anything useful from the ninja's body."

As if in delayed response to Tsunade's question, the sound of an explosion suddenly reached their ears, and they turned to see a mushroom of dust in the distance beyond the wall. They realized Homura must have seen the beginnings of the cloud, even as he killed himself. The Hokage's expression turned to one of fear, and Yamato blinked as if he had suddenly bitten into something unexpectedly foul.

"No," the medic stood, appearing to want to act, but frozen in place nevertheless.

"He blew up something outside the village?" Sai prompted his superiors, "Given your reactions, it must be significant. What is it?"

"Judging by the size and location of the pillar at the time the sound reached us," Yamato whispered in uncertain awe, "it appears the source of the explosion was the Konoha Strict Correctional Facility."

"That prison houses eighty-three of the worst Chunin or higher ranked criminals from the Leaf, Mist, and other lesser villages in the region," Tsunade stated, her voice flat, "none of them decommissioned."

* * *

"Well, the faces are different, but the eyes are the same. I see you finally came for me, Pein," the woman known as the Reaper stared at him with expectant eyes, after she emerged from the wreckage of the prison's main gate.

"Not just you," the Human Path told her, switching his personality, his words suddenly dripping with concern and sincerity. He jumped onto a chunk of fallen rock, and addressed the stunned crowd of freed criminals.

"I doubt you have been informed, but the Leaf village is at war, and thus is sparsely guarded at the moment," he told them, his voice ringing with violent suggestion, "Anyone interested in helping me stomp them out?"

* * *

**Preview:**

[background scene of Neji and Gaara in the Rain.]

Gaara [calmly]: The rest of you must do you best to disable the Rain's defenses.

Gaara [more firmly]: Neji-san and I will hunt down Pein.

[background scene of Tenten, Lee, and five Sand and Stone ninjas fight Shozokus near a catapult.]

Tsume [annoyed]: Well, can you guys hurry it up.

[background image of Neji and Gaara facing off with a dark hair woman.]

Neji [annoyed]: Both of you may be getting ahead of yourselves.

Naruto [announcer voice]: Next time on Naruto: A Growing Affection; **Chapter 152: A Light Through the Rain, and Yet..**.

Naruto [exasperated]: Three chapters in a row with out us, again?

Hinata [consoling]: Don't worry, most of the rest of the chapters are ours.

Naruto [grumpy]: They better be. You'd think the writer is forgetting who the main draw is!

**Author's Note:** 18


	152. A Light Through the Rain, and Yet

**Chapter 152: A Light Through the Rain, And Yet...**

"Pein-sama," the grey Shozoku pounded on the door to the Amegakure leader's office.

"Enter," Pein's Asura Path answered. The door swung inwards, and despite the initial urgency, the captain entered with a hint of trepidation. He had been expecting the Deva Path, but the switch was not the only reason for his pause. Though the former Rain ninja had seen the Asura Path since her creation; like most of his original comrades, he considered Deva Pein to be his real leader. Nagato's first path had been the one to kill Hanzo and announce his death, so that was the body who garnered their allegiance. The Rain shinobi, even the converted ones, seemed to have a hard time accepting all of the Paths of Pein as being the same person, and instead viewed Yahiko their commander and the other Paths as his underlings.

The Shozoku swallowed his misgivings. At least this Path had been a Rain Jonin before her transformation into a subset of Hanzo's murderer and successor.

"Ma'am, the eastern wall has been breached," the grey-garbed officer stated quickly, "And there are reports of fighting in the city."

"Did you say the eastern wall was breached?" Pein's eyes narrowed dubiously, "The river side of the village?"

"Yes, ma'am," the captain nodded, "A hole was blasted through the wall, just above the waterline. The sentries saw some enemy ninjas slipping into the village, but could not confirm numbers or identities."

"How?" Nagato's first female fragment questioned rhetorically, "How could they cross the river without being seen, and what kind of jutsu could they use in that circumstance, that would penetrate the wall before we could notice them?"

The Shozoku wisely did not answer, and Gouki's general abandoned the train of speculation as unnecessary and distracting.

"There can't have been more than twenty to thirty of them," she estimated introspectively, and then addressed the messenger, "Divert the Twelfth into the city to root out the infiltrators. Expect them to be using stealth, and attempting to sabotage our supplies."

"The supplies, ma'am? Not the gate or the northern wall?"

"I doubt they have the number or the strength to create a larger breach in our defenses, even from the inside," Asura Pein told him, "Their most likely course is to go after our provisions. With our resupplying options limited, if can destroy our fruit or grain stores, it will be easy for them to starve us out."

The captain nodded and turned to leave, as Pein added firmly, "And tell the engineers in the Third Battalion to get to work sealing that breach."

The Shozoku raced out to relay the general's orders, and after a moment's consideration, the Asura Path exited the office as well.

* * *

"Tenten-san," Gaara instructed the last team's leader calmly, "I want you to take your team and start with the eastern end of the north wall, and work your way west. Destroy every catapult and ballista you can, but if too many reinforcements appear, escape over the wall."

"Understood," the Leaf Jonin nodded, and her unit, consisting of herself, Lee, and two ninjas from the Sand and three from the Stone began to move with covert haste in a northeasterly direction.

"That leaves the two of us," the Hyuga Jonin noted with cautious curiosity, "I presume that you singled me out for a reason."

"I need your Byakugan, Neji-san," the Kazekage confirmed, "And then your skills. You and I are going to find Pein. If we eliminate Nagato's Deva Path, the Rain village will no longer follow Gouki. And if they follow their pattern, they will obey us instead."

"If there are any Rain shinobi who have not become Shozokus," Neji interjected, recalling what he had seen of the defenders, and the distinct lack of unmasked warriors.

Gaara nodded to concede the point, "Even so, all of our other considerations for wanting to eliminate Pein still apply."

"Do you have any plans for how to deal with his gravity techniques, Shinra Tensei and Bansho Tenin?" Neji prompted uncertainly.

"My sand already defies the pull of gravity at the command of my chakra," the former Jinchuriki offered, "I believe that will allow my sand armor to protect me."

"And if it does not?"

"I am the Kazekage. You are one of the Leaf's top Jonin. We will think of something."

* * *

Tsume Inuzuka surveyed the gate with annoyance and a hint of dismay. The blast of lightning her multinational unit had just unleashed would have destroyed the main gates of the Konohagakure, and probably killed anyone within fifty yards of them. But the doors to the Amegakure suffered only a light gouge, with a few modest fissures radiating out from it. The canine mistress tried to comfort herself with the thought that the attack was primarily meant to cover the noise of Lee's ogi striking the opposite wall. Then the Tsuchikage gave her and 'Gaara' each a subtle nod, and the Leaf Jonin grinned ferally. The others were in, the unassailable Rain had been breached.

"Alright, that was a good first step," she told the Raiton users assigned to her, "Now, lets work on widening those cracks. I want three teams, each hitting the boundary of that crater with a Thunder Pressure!"

Even as she barked the order, Earth chakra rolled down from above the gate and began to repair the damage.

"Hey, Gaara," she snarled at the Shozokus as she spoke to the imitation Kazekage, "You mind keeping those traitors and wannabes from fixing the doors before we even have a chance to capitalize on my guys' hard work?"

Baki bristled inside from the casual address, but forced himself to remember that the real Gaara never took any offense at the informal and arguably impolite manner of speech many of the Leaf ninjas used.

"As you say, Tsume-san," the Sand Jonin agreed impassively, "Ranged and Suiton units, focus fire on the Shozokus around the entrance."

The shinobi around 'Gaara' complied, and a hail of arrows, kunai, and water chakra attacks struck Gouki's men on the wall. Though the distance and the downpour made it difficult to aim well enough to land an intentional hit, the barrage forced some of the Shozokus to break off their jutsus and seek shelter. The restoration of the granite doors slowed, but did not stop. And a captain Shozoku issued new orders, and a counterattack of catapult stones and water arts struck at 'Gaara' and Tsume's positions.

* * *

"Leaf Hurricane," Lee yowled as he spun into the blue and green Shozokus, knocking both off the inside edge on the wall. They plummeted twenty-some feet into the stone stairway, and did not move. Reinforcements hopped over their fallen comrades as they raced up the steps to regain the wall. A massively muscular Sand shinobi lifted one of the half-ton catapult bullets in each hand, and bowled them down the stairs, forcing Gouki's soldiers to attempt to dodge. Most succeeded, but a few did not, and even those who survived were slowed. The Stone sisters guarding the western edge of the siege weapons' platform combined their Raiton and Suiton arts to create a wide claw of purple electricity that jumped from puddle to puddle, tearing through Shozokus as they tried to reach the allied attackers. Finally the second Sand and third Stone ninjas monitored the eastern walkway; currently they were not under attack, but they stood ready to fend off another resurgence from the far end of the wall, or to assist the other two teams if needed.

"Alright, ready," Tenten affixed the last paper bomb to the catapult. The tag was made of a waxy paper that was harder to scribe a jutsu into and more expensive, but also resisted the rain that was steadily striking the explosive and its brothers, now attached to the three giant weapons on the platform.

"Are we going to be able to continue west?" she asked her comrades, looking at the group of sergeants and privates attempting to overrun them from the direction of the next target. Lee's fist collided with a lieutenant as the red-garbed woman reached the top of the stairs and placed her foot on the balcony.

"We've got it covered, Tenten-sama," the younger Land of Earth woman answered, and the siblings began to sign more quickly.

"Plasma Release: Solar Flare Jutsu," they incanted in unison, linking their adjacent hands and extending their opposite arms. A bar of ochre energy blasted out of their palms, searing away all of the warriors blocking their path. The two Tokujo slumped slightly from the effort, and each took a food pill as the backup team moved forward, in case there were any survivors.

"Great," the weapons mistress nodded, "Lee, drop the stairs."

The melee Tokujo hopped up and drove his fingertips down to where the stone spread out into to form the first few steps down. He only folded his fingers twice, but the Three Layers was more than enough. The area of impact exploded into a twelve foot crater, and the Sand Chunin had to grab Lee's other hand to keep him from falling. The expanding cracks took out the top thirty feet of the extended staircase. It would not be enough to keep the Shozokus from regaining the wall, but the inside of the wall repelled attempts to cling to it with chakra it just like the outside.

"Let's go."

The seven warriors darted west, and before they reached the next platform, a group of explosions behind them obliterated the ballista and catapults.

* * *

The unmasked woman froze, her loose, mid-back length, blue-black hair plastered against her uniform by the omnipresent drizzle. She closed her eyes, and took in a deep breath, seeming to sample the sounds and smells of the village, even though those were muted by the almost constant inclement weather.

Pein's Asura path looked the same as she did in life. Like all of his Paths of Pein, her basic form had not changed. She was still midway between five and six feet tall, with feminine curves that were noticeably above average without being too voluptuous. Her nose was too small for her face, and her jaw too wide, giving her a flat, striking face that was not completely unattractive. But beyond just her shape, Nagato used a jutsu to hide her now orange hair, her control rods, and the Rinnegan that had replaced her red-purple eyes, just as he had with Leader. This was not to fool the Rain ninjas, who were all aware of the woman's death and conversion during Pein's assassination of Hanzo. It simply made the local shinobi more comfortable around the Asura path.

Despite the lie he had told Naruto during the ultimately failed attempt to take Hanabi Hyuga, Pein had been quite happy with the third Path he had created. He had been considering replacing her with Itachi's body, because the Sharingan was a better fit for the powers of the Asura realm, and because he had hoped Uchiha's cold and steady personality would help him reign in the spirit of the warrior demon realm. But when Madara destroyed that opportunity, Nagato decided it was probably for the best.

The unique senses of the warrior demon realm spread out from her, assisted by the host soul's knowledge of the ninja stronghold. She could feel the Shozokus scurrying around her, most like ants, but a few stood out like mice or even cats to the Asura Path. Further out her senses dulled rapidly, though she could feel the battles on the walls and at the gate, she could not make out any individual's spirit in the distant fights.

Then two new wills moved closer, into the range were she could feel them uniquely. A crow or small falcon and a badger were moving through the street southeast of her, occasionally stopping to crush the ants that crossed their paths. Even had her warrior's awareness not marked them as enemies, the fact that they were fighting her men was a dead giveaway.

It seemed like they would miss her, but Nagato's fragment was not about to let them escape. The Asura soul craved battle, the Rain kunoichi's remnant was angry that someone had broken into the village. And his own mind, officially in charge of the body, wanted to find out what he was sensing, eliminate the threat, and save the Shozokus who were being knocked out or killed by the intruders.

The three parts of her mind in agreement, Pein turned and ran back the way she had come. It was only then that she began to suspect that the two targets she was tracking were heading towards the Rain ninja's headquarters. This fed her curiosity, and she increased speed, her Asura realm powers telling her they would meet up momentarily.

She crossed into the square, and skidded to a halt in surprise, as did the two men she was hunting. Pein smiled in anticipation as she realized the falcon was the infamous Jonin of the Hyuga clan, and the badger was instead a tanuki and the Kazekage himself.

"Gaara of the Sand and Neji Hyuga," she said happily, flexing her fingers, "what great luck the gods have granted me today."

"A kunoichi, but unmasked, so not a Shozoku," Gaara frowned at her, misunderstanding her joy, "Are there still Rain ninjas who have not been converted?"

Neji did not answer, but instead suddenly pushed the Sand Jonin to the side, using the backwards momentum to put space between them. Before Gaara could demand an explanation, a huge, translucent, grey energy blade cut into the space where Gaara's right arm had been. The Kazekage turned to see Pein's limb extended as the Tetsuton technique connected to the limb faded away.

"It was not immediately obvious because she lacks the altered coloration," Neji confirmed, "but even without orange hair and the Rinnegan, she matches Konan's description perfectly. This is Pein's Asura Path."

"That will save us introductions," the spirit of the warrior demon compelled Nagato's fragment's response, "I hope the two of you are enough to provide me with some sport. Tetsuton: Steel Arrows Jutsu!"

Neji jumped sideways out of range of the metal chakra projectiles, while Gaara focused his energy, and despite the rain, was able to muster enough sand to protect himself.

"Just as I thought," she sounded disappointed. Then she shrugged and started signing again, "But maybe you're just getting warmed up."

* * *

"Misa, Sami, are you two okay?" Tenten asked kindly as the sisters from the Stone village completed their third hybrid fire and lightning chakra attack. Lee swept the sole Shozoku who escaped the attack off the outside of the wall. The youngest kunoichi, Sami, slipped down to her knees, and took another food pill. Her sister, Misa, remained standing, but bent over, panting.

"We'll be find... fine," Sami smoothed back her cyan hair and surged back to her feet, "just needed a breather."

"Okay," the elder teen kunoichi did not seem totally convinced, but she nodded anyway.

"Lee, Satoru, are you two good?" she addressed her teammate and the Sand strongman.

"Good to go, Tenten," the bowl-cut Tokujo nodded broadly and the quiet brute mimicked him. She shook her head in mock dismay.

"Iwao? Osamu?" she turned the two last members of her team.

"We are prepared to keep going, ma'am," the Stone ninja called Osamu added. Tenten grimaced at being addressed like that by an older ninja of the same rank, even if she was in charge of the team.

"Great," she sighed, "We've taken out the three eastern most positions on the northern wall. Which frankly, is one more than I thought we would. But there are four more. And the fact that they aren't attacking us now means they are almost certainly sending reinforcements to the other platforms."

"Unless the other teams are doing so well that they do not have people to waste on us," Lee said enthusiastically, "We have taken out almost thirty of them."

"Out of five hundred or more," Misa said softly, futility squeezing some of the water out of her purple locks.

"There haven't been any explosions on the western wall," Tenten noted.

"They could have destroyed the weapons without blowing them up," the Sand Tokujo Iwao interjected, unable to keep a snide inflection from his tone when addressing the Leaf Jonin.

"And the gate isn't open yet," she continued forcefully, "And Gaara ordered us to escape before we were overwhelmed."

The others all considered her words carefully. And then Sami spoke out.

"But the longer we keep them occupied, the better it is for the others," the youngest member of the team considered, "And every catapult and ballista we take out is one less they can fire at us later... You know, if we don't break everyone else in today."

The others all stared at her, and the fourteen year old fidgeted, asking, "Was I out of line?"

"No, I believe we all are in agreement," Lee placated her.

"Unless our leader wants to turn tail," Iwao glanced at the Leaf Jonin sideways.

"I would not have thought you would be so anxious to violate the Kazekage's orders," Tenten countered pleasantly. Both of the Stone sisters grinned, and Iwao blushed.

"Good," the weapons expert dropped the argument, "Then if we're all in approved, and rested, let's take out the next platform."

* * *

Another cheer went through the allied forces as the next explosion rocked the northern wall. The joy died as quickly as the flames, as a new round of water chakra hit the attacker's front lines.

"The group attacking the north wall is doing well," Baki commented impassively, using Gaara's voice.

"Good thing someone is," Tsume said sourly, glaring at the fully restored gate to the Hidden Rain. The siege weapons and Suiton jutsu had ultimately kept the alliance forces at bay, giving Pein's warriors time to repair the damage. The Shozokus greater number let them rotate units more frequently, and thus use ninjutsu more freely.

"Maybe we should move back out of range, and start planning our next attack," Shikaku suggested thoughtfully, "Give them time to redistribute their remaining weapons, so they'll have less coverage."

"If we stop attacking, they'll be free to send the majority of their forces into the city," Tsutomu's voice echoed slightly under his mask, "And that'll be trouble for the Kazekage and those with him."

"I wasn't serious," the deer-herder responded in annoyance, "I was trying to get someone else to think of something."

"Something is happening," the Tsuchikage's voice rumbled out of their radios. The four Jonin quit glowering at one another, and turned their attention to the wall. They immediately noticed that the barrage keeping the away from the city had declined, particularly around the entrance. As they watched, a burst of water flooded out from the northern platform, while the post on the other side of the gate was lit up by the purple energy of Raiton techniques. A second later, flares appeared on ramparts. There was a roar of protest from inside the village, and the Sand and Leaf warriors could make out shapes moving hastily behind the parapets.

"It's about time," the Inuzuka clan leader growled hopefully, her muscles tensing. All around her, shinobi of the Leaf, Stone, and Sand prepared anxiously to charge the gate.

"Don't let up," the Tsuchikage's voice echoed out harshly, "Do what you can to keep them off of our people."

The ninjas, frozen in anticipation, jumped back to work, raining weakened fire and lightning jutsu on the defenders attempting to retake the captured stations. Those among the allies with advanced hearing could barely make out some angry shouts amongst the partially hidden Shozokus. A few seconds later a loud creaking sound reached everyone's ears, as the massive doors began to swing inwards.

"GO!" all three leaders roared in unintentional unison.

* * *

"Eight Trigrams: Empty Palm," Neji thrust his palm at the feminine Pein, trying to buy Gaara a few moments to gather and dry his scattered sands.

"Testuton: Dividing Blade," The Asura Path countered with an intercepting sword of iron chakra, dividing the Byakugan technique in half.

"Gaara, are you alright?" Neji asked throwing a handful of shuriken at Pein. She gestured in amusement and the metal stars were deflected into a nearby building.

"It is only a minor cut," the Kazekage noted, "Were it not for all of this water, Pein would not have even pierced my defenses."

"You should keep going," the Leaf Jonin looked into his ally's eyes, even as he dodged the kunai Pein threw at him. Then the Hyuga ninja slipped away from the dagger again, as it suddenly reversed direction and flew towards his back.

"We came to find Pein's Deva Path," Neji continued, "and he is probably inside somewhere, which means you won't have to worry about the rain. I will hold her off, while you head for the Amegakure's Ops, or whatever they call it."

"I wouldn't recommend that," Pein shook her head.

"Why not?" Gaara asked with a touch a curiosity.

"Aside from the fact that the two of you together are not quite holding your own against me? Yahiko is not here."

"Why should we believe that?" Neji demanded suspiciously, despite his Byakugan indicating Nagato's fragment's sincerity.

"Yahiko, which is to say my Deva Path, was recalled to fight Team Kakashi," she informed them, smiling at Gaara. The Kazakage blinked, and Pein's grin widened, having struck the nerve she intended to.

"What does that mean?" the white-eyed man demanded.

"Naruto and his teammates were dispatched on a special mission to the Kumogakure," Gaara played his hand close to his vest, not knowing how much Pein and Gouki knew, or the full results of Tsunade's trap.

"Even now, my other self is helping Gouki-sama entertain our guests," the Asura Path ignored Gaara's inadvertent attempt to bait her, and instead dropped another line of her own. Both Gaara and Neji's eyes widened at that tidbit, and Pein launched her next attack while they were off balance.

"Tetsuton: Star Bullets," she yanked the throwing stars Neji had used out of the wall with her chakra, and fired them at the two men, faster than a human could hope to throw. The technique also sharpened and reinforced the blades. The former Jinchuriki shot out gobs of wet sand, but this time the water aided his action. The silicate entombed each shuriken, so instead of carving into them, they squished against the pair of invaders like a moderately strong, soggy punch.

"Even if she is being dishonest about the Deva Path," Gaara reasoned, "I think it is better if we work together, to minimize our own injuries and chakra usage. That way we will still be of use after the fight is done."

"I like your confidence," Pein said truthfully, "But Konan should have told you, next to Yahiko, I am the strongest Pein."

"She told us that that body possessed the latent talent for the Murasame clan's Tetsu Kobushi," Neji recalled, "and somehow either the Rinnegan or the Asura realm's spirit awakened the bloodline."

"Actually, it was both," Pein said simply, "But that's secondary. You do know about the Asura Path's special nature, don't you?"

"You possess a special sense for strong fighters," Gaara recalled, "One that is not tied simply to chakra or to physical ability."

"And that power allows you to anticipate our actions," Neji concluded, "Almost to the point of precognition."

"That's why I need both of you," she agreed, "Together you might be able to surprise me, or to create an attack that is large enough or strong enough that knowing in advance doesn't help me. So far, only sensei has been able to do that."

"I don't think you would find me so unamusing if the battle took place under drier circumstances," the Kazekage insisted.

"So you keep saying?" she sounded mildly exasperated, "Would you rather go inside?"

"We don't need your pity," Neji hissed angrily.

"Are you sure?" she asked openly, "Because I've barely even started yet."

"Neither have we," Gaara stated firmly.

"Show me," she demanded hopefully and then sent out arcing axe blades of chakra generated steel.

* * *

**Preview:**

[background scene of Team Kakashi and company in a sewer pipe]

Naruto [happily]: Finally, we're gonna bust into the Cloud village.

Kaede [exhausted]: Sneak in, while the Lightning ninjas cause a distraction.

[background scene of Hinata and Kakashi, watching Shozokus while they all hide.]

Naruto [excited]: ...bust some Shozoku heads...

Temari [annoyed]: Avoid confrontation while we make our way to the Raikage's manor.

[background image of Gouki dispatching his generals.]

Naruto [confidently]: ...and take down my uncle!

Kakashi [resigned]: Rescue Nagato and slip him out of the village.

Naruto [announcer voice]: Next time on Naruto: A Growing Affection; **Chapter 153: Rebellious Lightning**

Hinata [worried]: Naruto, you do know the plan, right?

Sakura [exasperated]: We'll just tie him up, gag him, and carry him with us 'til we need him.

**Author's Note:** 17


	153. Rebellious Lightning

**Chapter 153: Rebellious Lightning**

Naruto could not suppress a look of amazement as Kaede Mizuno dropped into the fetid water of the storm drain without complaint. Kakashi and Hinata were already in the man-made tunnel, when the Mist Jonin hopped in. Temari quickly followed the genjutsu expert, with Natsuki right behind her.

"What is it?" Sakura asked her teammate, a hint of danger in her voice. She had not failed to notice how her teammate's eyes tracked the salacious Mist kunoichi.

"I just didn't expect Kaede to go in there without some kind of comment," he said squarely, and though the reason for her annoyance shifted, secretly the pink-haired medic could not entirely disagree.

"The war and everything else that has happened the last few years has forced _most_ of us to mature," Sakura argued with him sharply, "so why wouldn't 'The Face of the Mist', too? And besides, she was a full Jonin and a hunter-nin before we even met her. I'm sure she's had to go places like this before."

"She's also Kakashi-sensei's age," he reminded her, and then frowned, "well sort of. And he hasn't changed much."

"I don't know about that," Tsunade's apprentice whispered, "ever since Rei..."

"What's holding you two up?" the Copy Ninja called softly out of the tunnel.

"It stinks in there," Naruto said truthfully, "That Washichi guy said this sewer was for rain run-off, not for... waste; but you couldn't tell from the smell."

"It's just your nose, knucklehead," Temari chided him.

"Just get in here," Kakashi insisted sternly, and Naruto complied. Sakura clambered in more slowly, pulling the massive manhole cover back in place behind her.

"According to the rebels, the tunnels that they have cleared of traps and sensors will get us into the heart of the city," the silver-haired Leaf Jonin explained quietly, "and about one third of the way to the Raikage's manor. Unfortunately, after that we will have to go above ground. We don't have the time to play dungeon sweepers, so it will be faster, safer, and probably easier to avoid detection on the streets. Washichi's forces are providing a distraction, but the rebels are outnumbered and generally outgunned, so they won't be able to keep the pressure on very long. So we need to find Nagato and extract him as quickly as possible. Any questions?"

They all shook their heads to indicate they understood without further explanation.

"Okay, I'll take lead. I want Hinata in the middle to get the best coverage out of her Byakugan. And Naruto will take rear guard. The rest of you are good as you are."

He began to trudge forward without further instructions, and the others moved to follow, with the two youngest ninjas drifting into the marching positions indicated.

* * *

"We appear to be under attack," Madara stated in amusement, turning away from the monitors. Gouki appeared unconcerned, while Kohaku and the two Paths of Pein searched the screens, looking both the invaders from the Leaf, and the Jonin ranked members of the Cloud rebellion.

"This is not a laughing matter," Pein's Animal path hissed, the part of her that was still Yugito Nii taking the assault on the Kumogakure personally.

"Kohaku, take the Third and Thirteenth legions.," the Raikage instructed his wife, "Surround the rebels and crush them."

"It won't be that easy," she protested thoughtfully, her eyes still on the monitor, "They're already using hit and run tactics; they're sure to break off and flee if we approach in force."

"I have confidence in you," he said simply, and she nodded.

"Madara, and Pein, I want the three of you to find Team Kakashi and kill them," Gouki continued, drawing a pleased look from Madara.

"Are you sure they are coming, Gouki-sama?" Pein's Deva Path asked, clarifying, "This attack is obviously a distraction to allow them to sneak into the village. Too obvious for Kakashi Hatake."

"But Kakashi may be acting under orders from the Hokage, or the rebels may be attacking despite his wishes, or he could be double bluffing us, and on, and on," Namikaze argued steadily, "And if we start going down that path we could end up arguing for days. Occam's Razor and my intuition both say they are making their way into the village, even as we speak. And if that ends up being incorrect, it is still the safer course."

Kohaku nodded her agreement, and surprisingly, so did Madara. Both Pein's heads dipped slightly in defeat, and the four generals left to pursue their given tasks.

* * *

After twenty minutes of trudging through the muck, Kakashi stopped as he noticed the poorly concealed electronic eye and the subtly carved Doton jutsu seal that the sensor was supposed to draw attention away from.

"End of the line," he turned back, looking for the ladder he had just passed, "time to go up."

Kaede was closest to the exit, but she stepped back so Sakura could go first, knowing the powerhouse medic would have the easiest time removing the heavy iron plate at the top of the rungs. The pink-haired teen quickly climbed up to the top, and lifted the cover with one hand. She move the rest of the way into the cellar, still holding the plate. The others quickly scrambled up to join her, and then she blocked off the drain again.

As she entered the basement, Hinata gasped and covered her mouth.

"Hinata, what is it?" Naruto asked quietly.

"The Shozokus are out in force in the city," she explained, "And a large number of them are heading for where Washichi and his people are regrouping. Kohaku is with them, possibly directing them. Pein's Animal Path appears to be searching for something."

"Probably us," Temari concluded.

"What do we do?" Natsuki directed her question at Kakashi, their agreed upon leader, "Fight or run?"

The Copy Ninja glanced around at his allies, judging their reactions. Sakura and Kaede's faces said the two women wanted to avoid unnecessary conflict. Hinata and Natsuki were both focused on him, their expressions not betraying a preference. And Naruto and Temari both tensed for battle, neither shinobi being the type to run from an opponent. Hatake frowned, their split opinions not helping him at all.

"Both," Kakashi decided, "We'll split up into three smaller teams. Sakura and Natsuki-san will take a northeast route to the Raikage's manor. Hinata, Naruto, and I will go southwest. Temari and Kaede-san, I want you two to take out Pein's Animal path."

"Huh? Why?" Naruto questioned, "Why not stick together?"

"Smaller groups will have any easier time avoiding detection," the Sharingan user explained, and then held up his hand when his student opened his mouth again, "And before you ask, yes, there is a reason I am asking Temari and Kaede-san to attack Yugito."

"Gouki knows we are coming, or at least he thinks he does. And the Animal Path is familiar with our scents from the time they attacked the village. If she finds this place, then Nagato will be able to confirm our presence for Gouki. But for now he doesn't have proof. If you two attack Pein, Namikaze might second guess that intel."

"Unless he realizes that this is a joint mission between our three villages, and steps up his response further," Kaede interjected dubiously.

"It is possible," Kakashi conceded, "But if Yugito makes it here, she'll be able to smell that is more than just my team, even after we're gone. We can't have all four members of my team go after the Animal path, but if only two of us go after her, Pein and Gouki will know that we are here and have split up. This way, they will suspect it, but they also have to consider all of their intelligence suspect."

"Are you sure about this?" Temari asked thoughtfully, her eyes not on her fellow Jonin.

"No," Kakashi grinned under his mask, "but does anyone else have a better idea?"

They did not answer, so he prompted, "Any other objections?"

Again no-one protested, so he concluded, "Okay, then you have your orders."

Sakura and Natsuki nodded, and both darted out of the building heading north.

"Come on, knucklehead," Kakashi instructed, as Hinata moved towards the door, already looking west. Naruto grimaced and followed his teacher and his girlfriend away from the entry point of the rebels.

"Shall we?" Kaede smiled at Temari in resignation.

"You can drop the act," Gaara's sister told the lighter-haired woman, "I've heard all about your combat performances in the Valley of Dawn and the Hidden Waterfall village."

"It's not all an act," the Mizukage's daughter shrugged as she exited the abandoned residence. Temari followed closely behind her.

"I really would prefer to avoid this fight," Mizuno offered, "But Kakashi makes a good point. So, let's go be found."

The duo began moving quickly through the streets, in the direction Hinata had indicated they would find Pein. They maintained a cursory veneer of stealth, and when they passed the resurrected form of Yugito Nii, the former Jinchuriki immediately noticed them, and started to follow them...

* * *

Sakura and Natsuki paused in an alley and waited for the Shozoku squadron to pass them by. After the masked warriors had passed a bend in the main thoroughfare, the two kunoichi emerged and raced forward. Both were painfully aware that there were no civilians out in the streets. Not only that, but they saw no cats, dogs, or any other mammals. Beyond the Shozokus, the only living creatures they saw were sparrows, and even the small birds seemed unusually jumpy.

"It's like the village itself is afraid," Sakura whispered, as much to herself as to her comrade. The Sand Jonin bobbed her head once.

"They are under attack by their own people, and being guarded by the faceless hoard," the Kazekage's bodyguard noted, "It is hardly a surprise."

Both woman hastily trailed off as they heard voices ahead of them. They quickly ascended a nearby restaurant, and continued along the roof tops until the reached the source of the noise. They crouched on the edge of the building and looked down on the scene below.

"… your men to point fourteen by nine, and await my order to attack," an unmasked, glamorous beauty instructed the Shozokus. Ten of the twenty masked warriors nodded, and raced of to the north east. It only took Sakura a moment to recognize the default appearance of Kohaku Namikaze. The medic summoned her bow and quiver, and steadily drew a single arrow, aiming for the Grass renegade's throat.

"What are you doing?" Natsuki demanded in an anxious whisper.

"That is Kohaku Namikaze," the Leaf Jonin explained, "Jinchuriki of the Six-Tails Chameleon, Gouki's wife, and one of his generals. If I take her out, it will create a hole in their command structure. Any other groups she sent to attack the Cloud ninjas will never get her attack order. And Gouki will probably be put off balance."

"And the Six-Tails might be unleashed in the middle of of the Cloud village," the Hyoton user noted, her voice carefully neutral. Sakura let her draw relax, considering both the positives and negatives of releasing the Bijuu. But ultimately, the risks exceeded the rewards, and she lowered her weapon.

"We can't just let her go," Tsunade's apprentice insisted.

"That point is arguable," the Sand Jonin countered, "She is not our mission."

Sakura frowned unhappily, however Natsuki was not done debating the issue, "Sill, if we were to confront her, capturing her would be the better choice. How do you think Gouki would react if we took his wife as a hostage? Kakashi-san, what do you think?"

Natsuki revealed her radio, which she had palmed and activated without the younger woman noticing.

"You are both right," the Copy Ninja's voice emerged from the communicator, "Killing her is not an option. But getting her out of the way, could serve us on multiple fronts. Make sure she doesn't report in, but take her down."

Sakura nodded, and lifted her bow again, this time aiming at the shapeshifter's legs...

* * *

Kakashi lowered his radio and addressed his younger charges gravely.

"It looks like Sakura and Natsuki will be a little late in joining us," he informed them, even though they had both heard the conversation. Hinata nodded, while Naruto frowned dubiously.

"Are you sure they beat Aunt Kohaku?" Uzumaki mused, "I mean, even Hinata's Suigin Byakugan couldn't find her."

"Between the two of them, I'm sure they will figure something out," the silver-haired Jonin tried to sound more upbeat.

"Sakura knows everything I know about Kohaku's powers," Hinata reminded her lover.

"Either way, sitting around here won't help them," Kakashi asserted, "We need to do our part. If we can take Nagato out of the picture, Kaede and Temari will be able to back up Sakura and Natsuki."

The trio resumed their silent movement through the Hidden Cloud. Hinata and Kakashi both noticed that despite the occasional interference, they were not having to spend as much time dodging Shozokus as either of them would have suspected. Naruto's thoughts remained on his friends and the battles they were undertaking. The blonde youth ended up in between his two more observant comrades, Kakashi on his left and Hinata on his right. After the next few blocks, he shook off those worries and began to think about what awaited them.

Despite his reputation, Naruto was not stupid, nor was he always oblivious. He had seen Temari and Natsuki looking at him when Kakashi suggested they split up. He knew about his reputation for making people rethink their darker beliefs, for making allies out of enemies. He wasn't entirely sure he believed it, even given his track record.

'I couldn't save Sasuke,' he reminded himself. Despite that glaring failure, he could not help but think that everyone was counting on him to convince Nagato to surrender willingly. And after his talk with Pein's Preta Path, he was not certain that was possible.

Hinata carefully tracked the various empty spots that corresponded to the Shozoku's stealth garb. Though she could not see them when they moved in the shadows; in the bright open streets, they appeared as obvious voids in her Byakugan. She did her best to Gouki's men a wide berth. If she could have made out their rank coded colors, she might have been willing to pass closer to the privates and even the sergeants. Instead she stopped when necessary and often took the two men on seemingly random detours, to avoid the few Shozokus in this portion of the city. And in her task as guide, she began to drift subtly ahead of her teammates.

A black clad figure stepped out of the dark alley, suddenly gaining a notable non-presence in Hinata's eyes. She turned to shout a warning to Naruto and Kakashi, but the enemy ninja had already raised his hands.

"Bansho Tenin: Dometsu," he proclaimed, and a rift appeared in the air between them. A massive gravity explosion hurtled all matter and energy out of the spatial disruption. The force slammed Naruto and Kakashi backwards into a nearby building, while Hinata was thrown forward, tumbling further down the street. A massive fissure split the street where the Leaf ninjas had been standing.

"Pein," Naruto snarled as he extracted himself from the crushed bricks. Kakashi was slower to recover, and unlike his regenerating protégé, had to activate quick jutsus to both neutralize the pain and remove the bruises. The attacking shinobi removed his mask to reveal Yahiko's familiar face. He walked into the middle of the street, positioning himself between Naruto and Kakashi, and the crack he had created. As he turned to face them, his lips pursed in consideration.

"I will admit, I was bewildered when I... my Animal Path was ambushed by the Kazekage's sister and the Mizukage's daughter," Pein told them, "I thought that the Hokage may have given Homura-san false intelligence. But it seems it was simply incomplete."

"Homura?" Naruto frowned in confusion, "That Elder guy?"

"So it was one of the Elders," the Copy Ninja mused, "and if you are telling us, that means the Hokage must have already confronted him..."

Hinata moved silently forward, preparing to leap across the gap and strike at Pein from behind. But Kakashi caught her eye and shook his head in the guise of cracking his neck.

'Keep going,' he told her with sign language, 'Time critical. Find him, do not confront. Will join you as soon as possible.'

The young woman nodded dubiously, but turned once more towards the Raikage's residence and disappeared into the shadows.

"… but if you think revealing the mole is going to distract us, you're sorely mistaken," Hatake continued more harshly, "We have both been wanting to talk to you about what you did to Sakura."

"Who I notice is absent," the Deva Path countered, "Is she with Temari and Kaede, or with the other Sand or Mist shinobi?"

"Surrender, and maybe we'll tell you," Naruto answered dangerously, slipping Kitsune out of its scabbard...

* * *

Hinata reached the Raikage's castle without any further entanglements. Most of the Shozokus were in the eastern part of the town, making her trip easier. She also watched her allies fight Gouki's generals, but only indirectly. Most of her focus was on her target.

Like the Shozoku's stealth uniforms, the building was shielded against scanning jutsu, including her Byakugan. She hoped the wards were only in the walls, and that once she was inside she would be free to use her Kekkei Genkai to find Nagato's position. But she also knew that there would probably be at least a hadnful of individually sealed rooms in the building. And if Nagato was in one of them she could have to search them individually to find him.

There were three red Shozokus outside the building's southern entrance, the smallest of the three portals. Though it hosted the least manpower, it was still heavily reinforced, though not so much as the windows and patios on the upper levels.

Hinata scaled the outer wall and flipped forward, twisting as she dropped down behind the two forward guards. As she jumped she was already focusing her energy and when she landed the young woman pressed one hand to each of their backs. She sent a sent out twin pulses of chakra, softly proclaiming, "Eight Trigrams, Assassin's Palm."

The first two Shozokus crumpled even as the final warrior started to react. The Hyuga heiress spun back, jamming her heel into his throat in a high thrust kick and pining him against the door. Although the move looked impressive, and accomplished the primary goal of preventing the enslaved shinobi from raising an alarm, it was also less lethal than her other attacks. So, while her opponent was initially stunned, he quickly pushed back, and reached for her foot with arms thicker at the wrist than the widest point of her thighs. Rather than try to hold him, she pushed off of his neck, and used the momentum to rotate her whole body.

"Eight Trigrams Palms, Heavenly Spin," she whispered as the chakra flowed out of her hands, throwing the recovering soldier back into the building and knocking aside his fallen comrades. The Hyuga scion deliberately reduced the power of her jutsu to limit the noise of her target's impact, but between the energy dome and the shale wall, she still hit him hard enough to stun him again. Which in turned gave her the chance to step in and place her hand on his chest.

"Assassin's Palm," she intoned quietly for the second time, and the Shozoku's body collapsed forward away from the building. Hinata started to turn her attention to the door, when she heard one of her initial targets groan and saw him rise slowly to one knee. The pale beauty quickly deduced that since she could not see neither his heart nor tenketsu through his shielded uniform, she must have missed the vital points for the Assassin's Palm. Unwilling to risk giving him the time to cry out, she spun as she hopped towards him, her glowing fingertips flashing forward.

"Eight Trigrams: Ninety-two Palms," she did not bother with the count up, nor did she try for precision. Instead, she just stabbed the common locations for the chakra network and internal organs, hoping that her multitude of rapid attacks would be enough to finish the job in time. As she drew back, exhaling, luck was with the pale beauty, and the Shozoku collapsed again. And this time he did not rise.

After disposing of the bodies with what she hoped was a sufficiently subtle combination of water and earth techniques, Hinata was finally able to work on the door. Though her Kekkei Genkai could not penetrate the thick, metal bound and chakra shielded oak planks, she could see both the inner works of the lock, and the fuinjutsu she would need to bypass to utilize the entryway without alerting what amounted to the entire Cloud Village. Though her work took less than a minute to complete, she still worried at the delay, and breathed a sigh of relief when the final technique yielded to her chakra and the door swung in. Hinata steadied herself, and raced inside, calling to mind the partial map the Cloud renegades had shown them.

Unseen by the Leaf Tokujo, another black-clad form detached from the shadows further down the wall, and followed her inside. And under his mask, red spirals on black eyes glowed with anticipation...

* * *

**Preview:**

[background scene of Kaede, Temari, and Yugito.]

Naruto [confidently]: Even if we couldn't sneak in like we wanted to...

[background scene of Kaede surrounded by lions and tiger, as Temari and Pein sqare off.]

Naruto [excited]: ...at least Temari and Kaede can take out Pein's Animal Path

[background image of Kamatari looking confused.]

Naruto [back pedaling]: They can, right?

Naruto [announcer voice]: Next time on Naruto: A Growing Affection; **Chapter 154: Elements of the Storm  
**

Naruto [deeply]: I can see the ending.

Hinata [confused]: Isn't it a little early for that, Naruto?

Sakura [dangerously]: Wait, was that supposed to be another catch-phrase? I thought we were done with that lame gag.

**Author's Note:** 16


	154. Elements of the Storm

**Chapter 154: Elements of the Storm**

"Do you think we're far enough from the others?" Kaede asked Temari out of the side of her mouth. She glanced sideways, pretending to be looking out for Shozokus, but the Mist Jonin really wanted to catch a glimpse of their shadow.

"Probably," the Sand Jonin agreed, frowning, "What I really want to know is, why she is just following us? Why hasn't she attacked or called for reinforcements yet?"

"It's like Kakashi said. Pein must be trying to figure out if it's just the two of us or if we are meeting the Leaf ninjas they were told to expect."

"Should we ask her?" Temari smirked. Kaede nodded, and both kunoichi skidded to a halt, spinning 180 degrees as their dragging heels kicked up small clouds of dust.

"You might as well come out," the Kazekage's sister announced, "We know you are there."

"I was wondering why two Jonin would invade this village, only to run around openly like raw Genin," Yugito Nii's voice answered as the Animal Path stepped into the open, "Have you been leading me away from your comrades?"

"No," Kaede said smoothly, "We've been leading you away from _your_ comrades."

"That makes no sense," Pein scoffed, "Why not just slip away from me so you could fulfill your mission?"

"Haven't you figured it out?" the Face of the Mist shot back smugly, "You are our mission."

Temari carefully limited her reaction, though she wondered why Mizuno would reveal their task to their target. But the former Cloud ninja drew back in confusion and uncertainty.

"Me?" Yugito sounded confused, but latched on to another thought and her expression cleared, "You mean you are after my main body."

Kaede shook her head with a pitying expression.

"Do you think we're that stupid?" the genjutsu expert denied, "Nagato is sure to be right under Gouki's nose, and heavily guarded at that. There's no way we could get to him. I said _you_ and that's what I meant. Pein's Animal Path, a.k.a. Yugito Nii. The one who made it possible for Gouki to become the Raikage. And the only reason many of the Cloud ninjas offer any allegiance to Namikaze."

Temari almost laughed at the misdirection, but kept her mouth shut when she saw the doubt hovering in the Rinnegan.

"We knew we couldn't get to Gouki or Nagato," the Mizukage's daughter continued without a hint of hesitation, "But the illusion that Yugito was still alive and on his side is was the reason Gouki was able to challenge Goro Yotsuki. And from what we can tell, just over half of the Cloud ninjas still haven't been converted to Shozokus, if you count the rebels. The Conclave concluded that if we could take out this Path, then we would have a good chance of turning rest of them against the fake Raikage. Plus our intel said that the Animal Path is the least heavily guarded, and also one of the weakest. So attacking this Pein gave us the best chance to put a dent in Gouki's operations."

The resurrected, former Jinchuriki had slipped into a fighting stance, and grew more tense with each of Kaede's statements. And Temari found herself nodding along, almost wondering if this was part of the mission that she had not been told about. Then the fan wielder recognized the subtle layer of genjutsu in Kaede's voice.

"And if I thought you two could defeat me, why wouldn't I just call for help?" Pein asked.

"Go ahead," Kaede offered magnanimously, "You can't think we came here alone. Right now, the other seven members of our respective teams are setting up radio jamming seals, and taking out any Shozokus they come across."

The Animal Path touched her communicator, but a second layer of illusions caused her to hear only static from the device.

"That's fine," Yugito's shoulders bobbed in unruffled acceptance, "I wasn't planning on using my radio. I have faster and more tamper proof methods of communication."

"You're going to call back to Nagato, and have him send more troops?" the Face said dubiously, "I suppose it could work."

"Actually," it was the Animal Path's turn to look superior, "I was thinking asking my Deva Path to join us, to make it two on two. Yahiko should be able to get here in three or four minutes, depending on how long your underlings can hold him off."

"Nice try, but we know your Deva Path is in the Rain Village."

"Actually," Yugito repeated as she shot Kaede down again, "last night I sent my Asura Path to the Rain, and brought my Deva Path back here, specifically to deal with this."

The former Jinchuriki grinned at Temari darkly, "In fact, my Asura Path just let the rest of us know that she has happened across Neji Hyuga and Gaara of the Sand, and is preparing to engage them."

Temari swung her fan off her shoulder, but Kaede lifted a hand to stall her ally.

"You think that you're taunting Temari," the Mizukage's offspring interjected dismissively, "But instead you just told us that the Kazekage's forces have found some way to enter the Rain village, and that they are in a position to take out your command structure."

Gaara's sister snorted in amusement and relief, while anger flashed through the former Cloud ninja's eyes. The Animal Path crouched down, and then bounded forward, her nails changing into extended claws. Kaede and Temari seamlessly switched places, and the Sand Jonin caught the talon swipe on her fan. She then snapped it open, clipping Pein's jaw and forcing the Animal Path to jump to the side to avoid the minor wind jutsu the action stirred up. As Yugito landed, Kaede finished signing.

"Suiton: Fishing Net Jutsu," the Mist Jonin proclaimed. drawing in the liquid from the air, forming it into a dense, solid lattice, before ultimately dropping it over their opponent. Pein spun horizontally, her claws tearing at the aqueous mesh. Unfortunately, the physical attack was not enough to disrupt Kaede's technique, and the web fell over Yugito, pulling her down to her knees with its weight.

"Fuuton: Wind Scythe Jutsu," Temari swung her fan forward, sending three blades of air slicing toward Pein. Despite the interference of the water cables, the trapped Rinnegan user completed her own set of hand seals before the air technique hit.

"Katon: Blazing Talons," she hissed, and her inferno wrapped claws shredded the water net, even while their heat disrupted the Wind Scythes. Then she drew out one of the three scrolls clipped to the back of her belt. Unconcerned as her claws lit the treated parchment ablaze, she dashed it against the ground, ordering, "Unbind."

The scroll vanished, leaving behind three above average sized tigers, and two equally massive male lions. The five felines looked at their mistress expectantly.

"The unarmed one with the white hair is yours," Pein gestured at Kaede. The cats turned toward the Mist Jonin, who had already begun signing. The two lions lunged for her, while the tigers began to stalk around the Human. Mizuno hopped to the side and ducked under the first big cat, and brought her knee up under the jaw of the second; all without interrupting her hand seals. The struck feline snarled at her in surprise as he drew himself up again, blood running out the right corner of his mouth and down into his mane. The other lion drew back cautiously, joining the tigers in their predatory circle.

"Wind Scythe," Temari spun her fan towards the hybrid hunting pack. But Yugito interceded, her burning nails cutting apart airy blades again.

"You will need stronger winds than that," the Animal Path admonished her.

"Fine, I'll give you more winds," the blonde Jonin snapped, touching a particular segment of her fan rather than waste the time to sign, before intoning, "Double Cutting Whirlwind."

Kamatari appeared next to her, but the weasel halted his scythe mid swing, staring enraptured at Pein. Temari's portion attack was easily countered by Yugito, who jumped forward, her claws raking downwards at the younger kunoichi. Temari swung her fan up, but not fast enough avoid a shallow cut on her left forearm, though the wound was instantly seared closed by the Katon technique still surrounding the Animal Path's claws.

"Kamatari, why did you stop?" the Sand kunoichi demanded, as she danced away from a kick and the slash that followed it. The sentient rodent's eyes cleared briefly, and he pointed his sickle at Yugito again. For he second time he froze, slack-jawed.

"Kamatari!"

"I'm sorry mistress," the weasel both wrenched his head away from Pein and closed his eyes, "I just can't attack her."

'Is this the power of the Animal Path?' Temari pondered, sparing a glance for the disparate felines circling her comrade with uncommon patience and tactics more fitting wolves than great cats. Whenever Kaede came close to completing a jutsu, one of the predators behind her would jump in, forcing her to stop to deal with the lion or tiger, though in a few cases they merely spoiled her aim. One of the tigers was limping, and the lion she had first hit was still bleeding slightly. But in turn the kunoichi had three moderately deep sets of scratches on her limbs, and a large portion of the midriff of her uniform had been torn away, though that attack had not done any damage to the woman herself.

"Then help Kaede," Temari barked at her familiar, forcing Yugito's claws high with her fully expanded weapon, and then attempting a quick kick at Pein's ribs. The rodent nodded regretfully, and loped over towards the hunting pack and their difficult prey.

"Wind Scythe Jutsu," Kamatari's voice was both regretful and thankful as he unleashed the attack on the wounded lion. The cat tumbled away with serious fissures carved into its torso. Despite the potentially lethal injuries, the predator struggled to rise again.

"Raiton: Flowing Sparks," the disruption of the circle and the other felines' diverted attention bought the Face of the Mist enough time to finish and direct a jutsu. The cresting wave of electricity struck one of the tigers directly, killing it outright, and grazed another, knocking it out. Anger flashed across Yugito's face as she regarded the dead, the dying, and the unconscious cats. The remaining lion and tiger slowed, their survival instincts trying to override Pein's divine influence.

"Kamatari," the Animal Path said sweetly yet firmly, putting emphasis on the familiar's name, "Would you please kill Kaede Mizuno for me?"

She deliberately using the Mist Jonin's full name to avoid any attempt to subverted her instructions. The sapient weasel struggled for a moment, and then his eyes glazed over, and he turned his attention to the Face of the Mist. Kaede also put most of her focus on him, judging the ninja animal to be more of a threat than the five cats had been.

"Return," Temari clapped her hands together in annoyance and sent the ensorcelled rodent back to his clan's burrow. In her moment of distraction, Pein kicked at her knee, but the Sand Jonin managed to avoid the blow. However Gouki's general was signing at the same time, her hand seals quick and precise despite her oversized, flaming fingernails.

"Katon: Fire Streamers Jutsu," Yugito's voice intoned, and four golden lines of flame arced and twisted randomly towards Temari. The younger woman grabbed her fan from where she had driven it into the cobblestones, swinging it up into the fire technique. She connected with two of the streamers, and the wind chakra bonded with her fan broke them apart. In the same motion she was able to avoid a third comet, which struck one of the houses behind her, setting it ablaze. But just when the final line seemed ready to miss her, it swerved and hit her lower back.

"Temari!' Kaede shouted as her ally fell, then thought angrily, 'Damn, now's not the time to play safe or hold back.'

She addressed the remaining felines, signing much faster than she had before, concluding by shouting, "Summoning Art: Hellfire Demon Jutsu."

The two cats crouched backwards, trying to put distance between themselves and Kaede without moving. Their tails shot straight up, the hairs along their spines standing erect. Pein and Temari both turned to look, but only saw a ten-foot tall mass of vaguely humanoid flames. As they were not her target, they could only see the physical manifestation of her two-part technique. Unlike the tiger and lions, they were not privy to the genjutsu which caused the inferno to appear as a solid creature, overlaying the crackling of the flames with an unnatural roar, enhancing the aroma of smoke with an unearthly stench.

They tried. Their training, their predator's pride, and Pein's control all worked together to try to keep the felines on the hunt. But the demon was too much for them, and they turned and ran. Even the dying lion that Kamatari had cut did its best to limp away from the perceived spirit. Exhaling in both release and to catch her breath, Kaede turned back to Pein. Then she flash stepped to Temari's side, supporting the younger kunoichi as she finished standing.

"Are you okay?" the Mist ninja asked, observing the patches of reddened and blackened skin through the holes in the Sand Jonin's uniform.

"What did you do to my pack?" Pein demanded, "How did that weak fire drive them off?"

"I can still fight," Temari responded roughly. Mizuno nodded, and met Pein's eyes.

"Genjutsu doesn't work well on animals," Kaede answered indirectly, "Their brains are different. And on top of that, they don't rely on their senses in the same way Humans do. But by creating a physical backing to the illusion, and hitting three senses at once, I can overcome those impediments. They weren't running from the flames you saw, they were running from the fire oni they saw, heard, and smelled."

"So when are you going to stop hanging back?" the Mizukage's daughter preemptively switched topics, her voice dripping with insinuation. She pointed at Pein with her right hand, while her left carefully palmed a jar of ointment and slipped it to Temari.

"Meaning?" Yugito prompted, unconcerned.

"We know that you have the Bijuu's special attack, the Menacing Ball," Mizuno elaborated, "Or did you think Naruto wouldn't have reported that, or the Hokage wouldn't share that knowledge, after you became our target?"

"There's two problems with _that_ jutsu," the Animal Path sounded amused, "First, is that the Menacing Ball is a tactical attack, and not suitable for use inside the village I protect."

'Does that mean Naruto qualifies as a tactical target?' Temari wondered.

"And, as I'm sure Uzumaki-kun has informed everyone, the Menacing Ball tires me greatly," the revived Cloud shinobi continued, "Which I'm sure is what you were hoping for, wasn't it, Mizuno-san?"

Kaede shrugged in defeat, and Temari began to rub the burn medicine onto her back.

"But you are correct, it may be better at this point to finish you quickly," the Animal Path concluded, Nagato having grown less confident when his Deva Path started fighting Naruto and Kakashi.

"Feline Sapiens Jutsu. Composite Claws Jutsu."

Her ears moved higher on her head and become more pointed. Her canines lengthened and grew sharper. Her limbs all lengthened slightly and their muscles thickened. And a tail poked out of her uniform as her transformation completed.

Her second jutsu did not change the size or shape of Yugito's claws. Instead, they took on a distinct, metallic sheen. The flames on the outside seemed to sink in, and the talons started to glow red with heat. Purple lightning chakra crackled along their surface. And finally a thin layer of wind chakra formed over the top of her nails, without touching the fire chakra within them. Her transformations complete, the Animal Path leaped forward, aiming her left hand at Kaede's face, and her right at the Mist shinobi's gut.

"Weapon Summoning Jutsu," Kaede resisted the urge to dodge, knowing it would leave Temari open. Instead, she called for her weapons. Two scabbards appeared on her left hip, and one on her her right. However, only the second of her right-handed-drawing sheaths held a blade. Instead a xiphos materialized in each of the hunter-nin's hands, and she parried Yugito's claws with the leaf-shaped swords. The Animal Path pressed down hard, focusing her efforts on the blades. Mizuno's weapons endured the attack without a scratch, and the Face of the Mist smirked at her opponent.

"My xiphos might not have the fancy tricks of Temari's fan, your boss's axe, or the Seven Swords," the genjutsu expert swept both sets of talons to the side and aimed a kick for Pein's crotch, "but I'm a hunter, so they are hardened against just about any kind of jutsu my targets might use against me. Nothing short of a _tactical_ ninjutsu will break, cut or melt them, and they don't send heat, cold, or sparks to my hands."

"We'll see about that," the Animal Path shifted away from Kaede's low-blow counter faster than the Mist kunoichi expected, and scored a light spinning kick to Mizuno's left elbow. She slashed downwards again, and the white-haired kunoichi narrowly avoided her right claws while knocking her left hand wide. Despite the successful evasion, the chakra around Yugito's nails sliced and burned Kaede's uniform from the near miss, exposing small strips of Mizuno's left hip and thigh.

"I thought you said you were still good," Kaede prompted Temari with a growing anxiety, flipping away from another set of claw rakes once she recognize that the strikes could not have been redirected to the Sand ninja after she evaded. Temari rolled her shoulders to get a feel for the oil's effect on her still injured back, and then retrieved her fan, stepping into a flanking position on Yugito's left side.

"I am," Gaara's sister said firmly, swinging her fan down and sending a sliver of wind chakra into it. The Animal Path blocked with her left talons, and Kaede took the opening to swing her paired swords at Pein's chest. Nagato's fragment spread her fingers wide, catching both of the blades, and then flexed her arms, sending both of the invading kunoichi flying. Each landed on her feet, but they exchanged uncertain glances.

"Good," the normally indirect Mist fighter said unevenly, "I thought you might be trying to make me do all the work here."

"I think there is more than enough for both of us," Temari mirrored her comrade's mood, as Yugito pounced on her with a hiss...

* * *

**Preview:**

[background scene of Sakura aiming at Kohaku.]

Naruto [cautiously happy]: I used to have no blood relatives, but now I have an uncle. And an aunt, too.

[background scene of Natsuki being sent flying by an unseen attack.]

Naruto [excited]: And as a Jinchuriki, she can probably relate to me better than other people.

[background image of Natsuki and Sakura back to back, glancing around desperately.]

Naruto [sadly]: It's too bad she's on the wrong side, I guess.

Naruto [announcer voice]: Next time on Naruto: A Growing Affection; **Chapter 155: The Deceptive Jinchuriki  
**

Naruto [thoughtfully]: Maybe she's the one I should be trying to convert.

**Author's Note:** 15


	155. The Deceptive Jinchuriki

**Chapter 155: The Deceptive Jinchuriki**

The air reverberated from the speed and power of the bowstring, as it returned to its resting position. The arrow crossed the distance between archer and target in only slightly less time than it took the the noise of its launching to cover the same span. Between Sakura's strength and the bow created across two generations of Uzumakis, the projectile would have had enough force to punch through the reinforced walls of a Kumogakure residence, and still bury itself in the rocky ground or cobblestone street up to its fletching.

The Leaf Jonin had waited until Kohaku had dispatched the last of the Shozokus. She did not want to risk one of the masked warriors alerting their comrades of their general's defeat and capture. Though she and Natsuki could probably eliminate Gouki's foot soldiers before they could announce the ambush, it was not worth the risk.

Kohaku was already on edge, believing without reservation that the members of Kakashi's team were in the Cloud village. She had been enhancing her senses to help her keep track of her men, but even after they had all been sent to their marshaling points, she maintained the genjutsu. As a result, she heard the bow creak as Sakura released the missile. Tracking the hum of the string, she hopped backwards, expelling unformed chakra to speed her evasion and to try to deflect or at least slow the arrow. Thanks to her actions, she was able to avoid having her knee destroyed as Sakura intended, but her efforts to avoid the projectile backfired,. Though the hit was not square, the arrow sliced through her armored pants and the outside of her left thigh.

Without conscious thought, the Jinchuriki called up her three-tails cloak and vanished. Sakura immediately nocked another arrow, focusing her chakra as she hastily pulled it back half-way. The partial draw was much faster, if similarly weaker, and she fired again before her first arrow had fully imbedded itself in the street

"Ninja Art: Shadow Arrow Jutsu," she announced, still targeting on the spot where Kohaku had been. The real projectile dug into the paving stones, while its chakra sisters shattered. None of them appeared to hit the Six-Tail Chameleon's host, despite the wide area of the attack. Natsuki leaned over the edge of the roof, trying to get a better look at the area below them. The Sand kunoichi drew back less then a heartbeat later, shouting, "There is a spot of blood at the base of this building. She is..."

The conclusion of her statement was disrupted as an invisible knee collided with her jaw, throwing Natsuki onto her back. Sakura fired at where the attack seemed to have originated, but again hit nothing. Gaara's bodyguard recovered, standing while she wiped the blood off her split lower lip. Sakura felt something moving towards her, and tried to dodge, but Kohaku's punch still grazed her left shoulder, numbing her arm. The medic swung her bow like a club, hoping to connect before the Jinchuriki escaped her range, but the weapon whistled through the air without any resistance. Another unseen limb struck Natsuki's right rear quadrant. The Sand soldier rolled with the momentum of the strike, redirecting it slightly so she ended up perilously close to the edge of the building, instead of vaulting off. Sakura charged forward and grabbed the bodyguard's arm, and yanking her back. Their eyes met, and instead of setting her down, the Leaf powerhouse tossed her ally back to the middle of the platform. Natsuki modulated her flight, spinning horizontally, her leg extended to keep Kohaku from getting too close.

"Back to back?" Sakura suggested, reversing the weapon summoning, sending her bow and quiver back to their stand in her room. Instead she took out a scroll and withdrew her battle axe. Natsuki nodded and both women began to moved tentatively closer. The older woman's hands twitched in apparent anxiety, and her eyes darted around, searching for any sign of the invisible woman. Just before she reached Sakura, a broad kick struck her midriff, knocking her aside. However a heartbeat later, a howl of surprised pain filled the air around then.

"What was that?" Kohaku's voice demanded, her teeth chattering. As Hinata had described of her fight with Gouki's wife, they could not track her voice, as it seemed to come from from everywhere and nowhere at the same time.

"My leg is half frozen," the Grass rogue complained.

"Frostbite Armor," Natsuki grinned as she rose, clutching her stomach. Sakura hurried over to her comrade, counting on Kohaku's announced impairment to keep her from interfering long enough for the medic to counteract the worst of the Sand Jonin's hurts.

"A simple Hyoton technique," Gaara's bodyguard continued as the Leaf ninja began fixing the torn muscles and burst blood vessels in her torso, "One that easily countered with ranged or weapons attacks. But according to our information, your illusion has a limited range, so you can't use those sorts of moves without being discovered. Not that there are not other ways of finding your location."

"Oh?" Kohaku sounded genuinely curious, "Such as?"

"Fuuton: Sand Screen Jutsu," the ice user signed after Sakura finished the field treatments. Dust rose from the rooftop and from the street below, swirling around them. The cloud of sand was not thick enough to impede their vision or to cause any significant damage, but it stung and created a definite haze. Unfortunately there were no empty, human-shaped areas visible within the storm.

"That won't work," Sakura told Natsuki, "Hinata tried, but Kohaku's power compensates for this sort of thing."

"So I read," the Sand kunoichi nodded, "However Hinata-san's methods were more... mundane. I thought a jutsu designed specifically to detect cloaked or hidden individuals might be worth attempting."

Sakura felt a heel drive into the back of her left knee, trying to dislocate the joint. She dropped forward to minimize the damage, and took an elbow to the back of the head for her efforts. Natsuki spun, her cold wrapped fists lashing out randomly in the area around the younger woman, hoping to score a lucky hit or at least drive the Jinchuriki back. As she did, the Sand Jonin let her concentration lapse, and the dust devil petered out.

"Are you alright, Sakura?" Natsuki omitted the honorific as a matter of expediency. The younger woman nodded as she returned to upright.

"She did more to my knee than to my head," Haruno said, "Compared to getting flicked or cuffed in the back of the skull by Lady Tsunade, that was nothing."

Her eyes drifted out of focus as she said it, giving lie to the statement. Nevertheless, Gaara's guard nodded her agreement and turned her focus back outwards as the healer began to work subtly on the injuries.

"Hold very still," the thirty year old snow user advised, signing again. Sakura complied, keeping her back close to Natsuki's and holding her axe in front of her body like a shield.

"Hyoton: Skating Rink Jutsu," the Sand ninja intoned, and a layer of slick, polished ice spread out from under her feet. Sakura felt herself lifted a few millimeters as the sheet pushed her up as it expanded across the roof.

"Don't move," Natsuki instructed her younger ally again, "This technique is very slippery and will naturally repel any attempts to stick to it with chakra. Kohaku should not be able to move as quickly or as accurately now. Which means she should not be able to escape unharmed if she strikes us."

As she spoke, the Sand Jonin subtly shifted her left hand further back and began to tap a quiet rhythm on Sakura's right hip. The Leaf Jonin drove her axe into the ice for support, cracking both the ice and the rook tiles underneath. As the medic braced herself, Natsuki began signing again.

"That appears to be a Fuuton technique you are forming," Kohaku's flat tones flowed all around them again, "Hardly unexpected from a Land of Air shinobi and a Hyoton master. Perhaps a wide area attack that will knock me off this building while the ice is slowing me down and preventing me from securing a grip. In that case, what's to prevent me from simply escaping?"

"Only your pride," Tsunade's apprentice answered, "Our files on the Grass ninjas might be limited, but Gouki isn't the type to run from a possible turnover, especially when he has the upper hand. And I can't imagine he would marry someone that would do that, either."

"Then I guess I'll just have to stop that jutsu," the Jinchuriki conceded with a hint of bemused defeat. Then, as she finished speaking, a new sound rang out, like the shattering of cheap glass. Both visible kunoichi spun to look at the source.

"There!" Natsuki barked, and Sakura incanted, "Weapon Summoning Jutsu."

The medic released her melee weapon and was drawing her chakra bonded bow even as it appeared. Kohaku recognized that the clamor had originated from her position, and that both were looking in her general direction, but lower, and her eyes flashed to her feet.

Cracks spread out in the ice from around the leg she had moved. And though her three-tails cloak naturally disguised where her foot had landed and the area immediately around it, the range was too limited to fully conceal her, instead resulting in what looked like a large, unbroken footprint in the midst of a fractured area of the rink.

Realizing her position had been compromised, the Grass renegade took off, the pattern of her footfalls heading straight towards her opponents. Sakura fired, and for an instant the missile vanished, only to reappear, Kohaku's blood painting the arrowhead red. The medical ninja started to pull back a second arrow, but the invisible kunoichi was faster than she expected. Before she could ready the projectile, a knife hand hit a pressure point in her neck, and a fist collided with her temple. Her vision blurred as she fell, struggling not to pass out. Before everything went dark, she saw a flash of steel as the blades of a daisho appeared out of nowhere, and then heard a piercing squeal of electronic protest.

* * *

"Hyoton: Ice Kunai Jutsu," Sakura heard Natsuki proclaim as she pulled the scattered fragments of her mind back together. She lifted her head, and saw the two halves of the Sand ninja's bisected radio lying next to her. The next returning thought was that the ice under her was gone.

"Hyoton: Absorbing Snowman," the Kazekage's bodyguard intoned. Sakura looked up, and for a moment thought she was seeing double. The first Natsuki's frozen daggers disappeared into the three, stacked spheres of snow created by the second Natsuki. Then the Natsuki on her left unleashed a wind jutsu, blowing apart the snowman. The Natsuki who had been on defense gestured, turning the scattering flakes into a number of globes of liquid water, and sent them out to pummel her identical foe. That shinobi managed to narrowly dodge the attack and started to form her fingers into animal symbols again.

"What's going on?" Sakura mumbled loudly, her awareness still not fully recovered. However the medical training Tsunade had forced into her on a near instinctual level made note of the identical, bleeding wounds on each woman, a cut on the left thigh and a deep, possibly through and through, stab wound in the right side. She recognized the leg injury as the one she had given Kohaku at the start of the fight.

"Sakura-san," both Natsukis stopped their attacks and turned to face the younger woman. The last pieces of her intellect began to fall into place, and she clasped her hands together.

"Release," Sakura proclaimed, staring hard at the two versions of the Sand Jonin.

"I tried that already," the Natsuki on her right said sadly.

"_I_ tried that," the left version of the bodyguard interjected firmly, "But both Konan and the Grass ninja's reports said she is a shapeshifter, right?"

"She waited until you couldn't see, and then she turned into me."

"And she destroyed my radio and gave me injuries like hers..."

"So you wouldn't be to tell the difference," both of the doppelgangers said in unison.

"Alright," the pink-haired teen felt her headache worsening, and blandly asked, "In that case how did we first meet, Natsuki-san?"

"Technically, we crossed paths when our two villages liberated the Sound Village from Kabuto's control..."

"… but we weren't formally introduced, and we never actually spoke on that mission. Those happened during the mission to rescue Naruto from the Akatsuki..."

"… when you were treating people after everything was finished. You approached me to see if I was injured..."

"...I told you I was fine, and asked you to check on the Kazekage..."

"…and then we talked a few times on the way back, before you returned to the Leaf Village and the rest of your team went with us..."

"… to attend Kankuro-dono's funeral. We talked about Naruto-san, Gaara-sama, and Kankuro-dono."

The duplicated women trailed off, staring at each other suspiciously.

"How do you know all that?" the left Natsuki asked.

"Genjutsu? Or some sort of mind reading?" the other one countered cautiously.

"It's probably just normal reading," Sakura sighed, "Ayameko-san told us that Kohaku has a perfect eidetic memory, it's part of why she can mimic people so well. The mole in the Leaf village must have given Gouki my reports."

The younger woman looked chagrined, "Lady Tsunade keeps telling me I don't need to be so detailed."

The three women glanced back and forth between one another, though the two Natsukis focused primarily on one another.

"I've already seen that you can both use Hyoton techniques," the pink-haired teen mused out loud, "Can you both use the Frostbite Armor and Skating Rink Jutsus?"

"Yes," both answered in unison.

"But if she were lying, she might be able to fake it with what she's seen" the left hand copy decided uncomfortably.

"More importantly, could you tell if the techniques were real, without putting yourself in danger, Sakura-san?" the right version asked.

'I guess I just don't know enough about Natsuki-san,' Sakura thought to herself. Then she had a bad idea, but decided to use it as a test.

"So should I just take you both out, then?" Sakura asked sarcastically.

"That ploy never works."

"You wouldn't know me well enough to know if I would say that."

"Beside, if you shot _me_ first, you'd have to fight _her_ alone."

"Or if you did manage to disable us both, you would just have to waste time and chakra to heal _me_ afterward. Otherwise, I wouldn't be able to finish my part of our current mission."

"Okay, then, speaking of the mission..." Sakura grinned.

Both Natsukis raised their hands to forestall her, but only the Sand Jonin on the Leaf kunoichi's right spoke, stating, "Don't."

"We can't be sure how much Gouki has learned about our mission, so it might not work," the other one continued.

"And even if you asked about something Kohaku didn't know, then she would know about it. And if she escaped..."

"… that would mean Gouki and Pein would learn about it as well."

"What about the message you just gave me?" Sakura asked.

"The one I...

"...tapped on your leg?"

"She must know the basic gist by now."

"And that language is not very specific."

"Since she obviously saw it, if I gave you the exact message, she might be able to decipher the code."

"Why did she mimic Natsuki, and not me?" the unique woman demanded of the mirrored kunoichi.

"Your bow. She can't copy that."

"Your strength. She can't copy that."

Sakura sighed, and put her free hand to her face. The two answers, given at the same time, were both reasonable, and didn't help her.

"So, what are we supposed to do here?" she queried angrily, "I've got no way to figure out which one is Kohaku and which one is Natsuki."

"Do nothing."

"Let us fight."

"If the real me wins, we are fine."

"Otherwise, you should be able to finish Kohaku in her weakened state."

"Okay," Sakura sounded dubious, but inside she was thankful to have a moment to rest her doubly taxed brain. She took a few steps back, watching both Natsukis carefully for anything that might give away which one was the fake. She stowed her axe, and then settled into a casual stance with her bow still half drawn.

"Hyoton: Razor Icicles," both of the supposed Sand kunoichi proclaimed at the same time...

* * *

**Preview:**

[background scene of Naruto and Kakashi getting blown away by Deva Pein.]

Naruto [annoyed]: Finally, back to us, Kakashi-sensei.

[background scene of Naruto and Kakashi launching familiar ninjutsu at Deva Pein.]

Kakashi [deadpan]: I suppose. I could have used a few more chapters to rest, though.

[background image of Naruto fighting Deva Pein in melee.]

Naruto [exasperated]: You know it doesn't really work like that, sensei.

Naruto [announcer voice]: Next time on Naruto: A Growing Affection; **Chapter 156: Pein's Righteous Path  
**

Naruto [lecturing]: Besides, aren't you usually the one lecturing me about breaking the forth wall.

Kakashi [chagrined, but covering with gruffness]: Let's just get back to fighting Pein, okay?

**Author's Note:** 14


	156. Pein's Righteous Path

**Chapter 156: Pein's Righteous Path**

"RASENGAN!" Naruto shouted, charging Nagato's persona. Uzumaki's right arm was extended, and the spiraling sphere in his palm noticeably larger than usual.

"Chidori," Kakashi's voice was more subdued as he surrounded his hand with lightning chakra. His Sharingan was already active; Hatake had uncovered his transplanted eye even as Hinata had vanished around a curve in the street. Despite the more reserved start, the Leaf Jonin raced forward faster than his apprentice.

"Shinra Tensei," Pein announced when Kakashi's fingers were only inches from his chest. The gravity jutsu formed a sphere around Yahiko's body, and threw Kakashi away from its creator. The orb touched Naruto, and for an instant it appeared the teen would be similarly dislodged. Instead a Shadow Clone was destroyed by the pressure, and the turbulent ball od chakra exploded. The Deva Path was forced to squint as he looked around for Uzumaki. Before he could find the teen, Naruto announced his presence.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu," the blonde Tokujo's voice emerged from the fissure Pein had created in the street, and two duplicates caught Kakashi, while the original plus six facsimiles darted up out of the gap, closing on the Deva Path from all directions. Off guard from the sudden escalation, and his gravity power recharging, Nagato readied his fragment to engage the copies in melee combat, at least from a few heartbeats. Unexpectedly, four of the clones slid feet first towards him, surrounding him and passing under his planned guard level.

"Na..." the two clones on his sides shouted together as their feet hit Yahiko's ribs, knocking him upwards.

"...ru..." the Uzumaki behind him exclaimed as he literally kicked Pein's ass, pushing the Rinnegan user higher.

"...to..." the fourth diving copy's kick hit the bottoms of Gouki's apprentice's feet propelling him rapidly skyward. The fifth duplicate kneeled and cupped his hands to give the sixth a boost as he jumped after Yahiko.

"… Uzu..." clone six yelled as his fist hit Pein's jaw, rocketing him above the roof of the tallest building around them. The real Naruto also received a lift from the fifth clone, and then landed on the back of the sixth briefly, using him as a launchpad to pass Pein.

"...MAKI BARRAGE!" Naruto roared as he brought his heel down on Yahiko's skull, rocketing the Shozoku's general back towards the ground. Naruto's clones exploded, and he watched Pein plummet hopefully. An instant before he hit the street, another ball of gravity formed around the Deva Path, dimpling the hard pack dirt as he instantly decelerated. Still floating, he rotated slowly back into the upright position, and then touched down gently. Naruto drew Kitsune as he dropped more normally, angling the staff-blade at Pein's neck. The Rinnegan user noticed him, and rather than allow the Shinra Tensei bubble to dissipate, he directed the energy at the younger man, tossing him towards the clouds like a rag doll. Yahiko's face then creased with a frown as he reached to rub the bump forming on the back of his head.

"It is unfortunate my Naraka Path is indisposed," he noted, "But I suppose the destruction of the Konohagakure is more important than my transitory aches."

"What does that mean?" Naruto barked, pointing Kitsune at his foe as he landed heavily on the wall of a pharmacy.

"Gouki-sensei dispatched my Naraka and Human Paths, along with an elite Shozoku unit, to assassinate Tsunade-sama. However, thanks to Homura-dono, we have acquired certain additional forces, and are preparing to lay siege to the Leaf."

"Ignore him Naruto," Kakashi instructed darkly, "He's just trying to distract you. And even if what he is saying is true, Lady Tsunade was expecting Gouki to try something like this."

"Of course," the Copy-ninja's voice grew lighter, as he turned back to Pein, "the real reason you told us that was to delay us long enough for your gravity powers to recharge. Or did you think we hadn't noticed you needed a break between strikes?"

"You think that matters?" Yahiko's enthusiasm and speech briefly overtook Nagato's control, "Tell you what, I'll go without using Shinra Tensei, Bansho Tenin, or any of their variants for five minutes. And we'll see if you two do any better."

"Sure, why not?" Kakashi refused to be riled.

"Fuuton: Cyclone Spikes Barrage," Naruto indicated his acceptance by sending dozens of drilling tornadoes down in cloud that covered a larger area than just Pein's body.

"Fuuton: Gale Curtain," the Deva Path proclaimed passively, creating a pane of translucent wind that absorbed Naruto's air chakra before fading away.

"Doton: Stone Spears Jutsu," the Copy-ninja altered the stone of the plateau into sharpened pikes, stabbing up at Pein.

"Doton: Epicenter Jutsu," Yahiko intoned, stomping his foot. Kakashi's technique shattered as the ground around Nagato's fragment bucked and shook. The Leaf Jonin remained on his feet, but his protégé was dislodged from his vertical perch. As he fell, Naruto summoned two copies, who started signing without care of their impending impact. The real Uzumaki grabbed a window sill and flipped back up to stand on the side of the building again.

"Raiton: Spark Darts," the first clone finished moments before he hit the ground.

"Katon: Fire Trace," the second duplicate timed his jutsu more carefully, pressing his right hand to the street to unleash the the two tracking flames, even as the rest of his fragile body crashed down and exploded in a puff of smoke. The fire and lightning attacks flashed towards Pein, who regarded them impassively.

"Raiton: Cloud's Breath Jutsu," Yahiko indicated 'Ram' before unleashed a dozen thin cords of electricity on Naruto. The massive attack broke apart the Spark Darts, and cascaded around the blonde youth. He blocked as best he could with his shock resistant weapon, but was still struck multiple times. His adherence to the apothecary failed again, and he dropped the rest of the way to the road, his uniform trailing smoke. The former Jinchuriki landed with a dull thud.

"Katon: Tide Of Fire Jutsu," the Deva Path continued after flashing the 'Dragon' sign. Orange flames poured off of him, extinguishing Naruto's technique and flowing towards Kakashi like a river broken free of its flood gates.

"Suiton: Water Dragon Jutsu," the Copy Ninja shouted, slamming every drop of free liquid his energy could grasp into the advancing inferno. For an instant it appeared the wet wyvern would lose, but then Pein's ninja art shattered, and the slightly smaller drake flew at the Rinnegan user's chest.

"Suiton: River Tiger," the Deva Path incanted. The mythologically opposed beasts struck one another and exploded, drenching all three shinobi and the buildings around them.

"Cute," Naruto growled as he dragged himself to his feet, his injuries already visibly fading, "Countering all our attacks with jutsus of the same element."

"The Rinnegan affords me affinity to the five primary chakra elements and the five simple hybrid elements," Yahiko's voice explained without boasting, "And I know all the jutsus that any of my Paths knew in their first lives. That's why I don't need my Shinra Tensei to defeat the two of you."

"Ninjutsu isn't the only way to fight," the teen roared, leaping horizontally with Kitsune held ready. The staff-blade glinted out parallel to the ground, aimed for the base of Pein's ribcage. Yahiko pushed the tubular weapon lower and stepped back the rest of the way out of Kitsune's path. Uzumaki released the staff-blade with his left hand, and his fist continued forward, hitting Pein's jaw. The blow pushed the Deva Path back into the trajectory of the handful of shurikens Kakashi had unleashed.

"Wind Screen," Nagato's alternate incanted without signing, conjuring a quick wall of air chakra that was still enough to deflect the throwing stars.

'They should have known that I can use any chakra element not dependent on another Kekkei Genkai,' the spirit of the Deva Realm and Nagato thought in unison, 'Konan would have told them about my Bloodline. Why goad me into using all five primary elements? Unless they did not believe her.'

Both Yahiko and Nagato's souls felt spikes of anger at the thought that their beloved former teammate might have doubted by the Leaf ninjas, even after everything she went through, betraying their teacher and leader.

'Were they just trying to confirm it for themselves?' the original Rinnegan user considered alone. Then a light-bulb went off in his head.

"Why did I counter with the same elements?" Pein demanded aloud, "I could have dodged or blocked more efficiently using other elements. Are you using your Sharingan on me, Kakashi Hatake?"

"Katon: Phoenix Flower Jutsu," Kakashi did not answer as he spit dozens of small spheres of flame at the Deva Path. But the corners of his mouth turned upwards under his mask.

"Shadow Kunai Jutsu," Pein created a mesh of chakra daggers to defeat the copied Uchiha clan technique. As the same time, Pein stretched forward to launch a punch at the retreating Naruto's midsection. The former Jinchuriki blocked the strike, and thrust his still disengaged left palm at Yahiko's nose. Gouki's apprentice dove under the attack, coming up behind Uzumaki. The younger man spun around to face Pein before he could capitalize.

"Did you also make me want to stop using my Shinra Tensei?" the Deva Path demanded.

"You have worked with Madara enough know that the Sharingan can't make you do anything you don't want to," the silver-haired Jonin shook his head, "Especially not at this level. It can just give you a little push. You offered to give up your gravity moves on your own. I just took the chance test out your limits."

'So he was confirming that I could use all the elements,' Pein considered Kakashi's words carefully, 'But that's not all. He wanted to know if I could summon jutsu fast enough and powerful enough neutralize their attacks with the same element.'

Kakashi launched his own Spark Darts at Pein, and Nagato forced himself to craft an earth wall to stop both the electricity and Naruto's side kick.

'No, it's more,' he realized as Uzumaki broke through the granite with Kitsune's green chakra blade, 'he's trying to make me waste chakra.'

His multi-ringed eyes shift back to Naruto.

'Even with my unique abilities I cannot hope to outlast Uzumaki's chakra supply,' the Deva Path admitted to himself, 'Only a Bijuu Jinchuriki can hope to do that, and Kohaku-dono is the only one left hosting a Tailed Beast.'

Naruto swung again, and Pein's distraction hindered his evasion. He took a deep cut on the left forearm, bringing his attention back to the battle. He reflexively sent a tiny pulse of earth chakra into his hand, to knock aside the next slash from the blonde teen without getting sliced again. Pein kicked up at the Tokujo's passing elbow. A clone appeared beside Naruto, pulling him out of the way, and then instantly exploded. Yahiko's eyed widened, and he flipped sideways, his other heel following Uzumaki while his body drifted over Kakashi's latest set of thrown kunai.

"So you have progressed to the point where you can form a Shadow Clone without hand signs or an incantation," the Deva Path sounded genuinely impressed.

"Just one though, and they're less stable than usual," Naruto managed to sound smug even as he stated the weaknesses. He moved to intercept Pein's kick with Kitsune, and the Rinnegan user grabbed the ground with his hands and hauled himself back to avoid losing a foot.

'Two ninety-eight, two ninety-nine, three hundred,' a portion of Pein's mind finished counting, then he grinned as he returned to a standing position, facing both Leaf Ninjas.

"Time's up," he announced, before adding, "Bansho Tenin."

He made a grasping gesture at Kakashi with his hand, and swung his arm harshly towards Naruto. The Copy Ninja was yanked towards his apprentice at high speed. Without time to dodge, and not wanting to let his teacher slam into a building again, Uzumaki dropped his staff-blade, the energy blade instantly collapsing. He raised his hands as if to catch his mentor. However as Kakashi reached him, the former Jinchuriki was shifting his feet, not planting them. He grabbed Hatake's arms, but instead of stopping his teacher, Naruto turned into a perfect shoulder throw, redirecting Kakashi's momentum towards Pein and adding additional speed in the process. The two opposed ninjas faced each other dumbfounded as they approached collision at incredible speed.

"Naruto, what the..." Kakashi howled as he tumbled uncontrollably towards the Deva Path.

"...hell is he thinking?" Yahiko muttered as he braced himself. He might have been able to evade the human missile, but chose to surround his right hand with a blade of blended fire and lightning chakra instead.

"You thought this would help you in some way?" Pein said, for the first time letting a hint of derision spill into his voice, "I would have expected better from a fellow pupil of Jiraiya-sensei."

He brought his hand forward, preparing to disintegrate the Leaf Jonin. Only then did he notice Kakashi's eyes had shifted from dismay to amusement. Two feet away from Gouki's general, a cloud of white chakra smoke surrounded Kakashi.

'Clone?' Pein thought, until the table spun out of the explosion. It had a heavy granite top, and a broad, wrought-iron base. The Deva Path vaguely recognized it from one of the patios overlooking the street. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Kakashi appear on said balcony, waving his hand once, his massive grin obvious despite the mask that always covered his mouth.

"Substitution," Pein hissed. With no other options, he jabbed his plasma wrapped hand into the heavy furniture. The high-energy chakra was less effective on metal and stone, but he still cleaved through the table without any hesitation. Though he was spared being crushed, chips of the shattered rock and drops of the molten iron pelted him as the majority of the table sailed past. Dozens of cuts and small burns peppered his chest, arms, and face, and he started to glare at Naruto.

"Cute, but merely an inconven..." Yahiko tried to boast. But the instant the halves of the table cleared his vision, he realized Uzumaki was only a foot behind it, Kitsune already swinging down.

'They have that level of teamwork?' Pein asked himself in amazement, 'No talking, no sign language. Naruto throws Kakashi at me like an idiot, Kakashi substitutes for something that will obscure my vision despite being highly disoriented, and Naruto uses the distraction to close the gap on me for a killing blow. It is possible Kakashi instructed Naruto to use various elemental jutsus without me noticing. I knew they were strong, but I still managed to underestimate them.'

The timing required from the multi-stage feint saved the Deva Path from instant death. Between summoning his dropped weapon, and sprinting toward Pein with chakra boosted speed, both in the heartbeat after the table appeared, Naruto did not have time or focus left to generate one of Kitsune's specialized blades. Instead, the raw, reinforced steel of the staff-blade slammed into Pein's right shoulder, the full force of the Tokujo's weight and chakra supplemented muscles behind it. Yahiko's clavicle and humerus were not so much broken as shattered, and the rest of the force cracked his top rib and shoulder blade and drove him to his knees. He did not stay that way for long, as Naruto's foot collided with his left ear, sending him tumbling away.

Pein did not so much stand as push himself back to his feet with a weak Shinra Tensei. Despite the defiant act, Nagato was filled with dread as Kakashi hopped down and walked over to stand by his student. Yahiko's eyes were narrowed and fluttered in agony, but he still stared down the two Leaf shinobi.

'I can summon my Naraka Path,' he told himself, 'it might hurt the attack on the Konohagakure, but he can repair these injuries, and then we can fight them two on two. Gouki-sama will understand, and the Human Path should be able to lead that army.'

But before he could enact his desperate plan, Naruto and Kakashi's radios both crackled to life. All three ninjas paused, the Leaf warriors in surprise, and Yahiko's body so he didn't miss what was being said.

"Is anyone listening?"

Naruto's eyes narrowed in worry and shock, as he recognized the voice of the ninja squirrel Sol, his beloved's favored familiar.

"I know I shouldn't be doing this," the female rodent continued, "But Hinata-dono was ambushed by Madara Uchiha inside the Raikage's castle, and she's in a bad way. If Naruto-dono or anyone else can hear this, please help."

The clamor from the device ended, and Naruto stared at his squad leader in desperation...

* * *

**Preview:**

[background scene of Hinata searching the Raikage's manor.]

Hinata [carefully]: I may have made it inside, but much of this place is still protected from my Byakugan.

[background scene of Hinata ducking into a room to avoid discovery.]

Hinata [uncertainly]: And it appears I am being followed.

[background image of Hinata ambushing a Black Shozoku.]

Hinata [firmly]: But I just have to deal with the shadow and continue my search.

[background image of Hinata facing off with Towa's body, with red swirls on a black background replacing the ANBU agent's eyes.]

Hinata [timidly]: What? Why were you...

Naruto [announcer voice]: Next time on Naruto: A Growing Affection; **Chapter 157: Byakugan vs. Sharingan: Hinata's Desperate Battle  
**

Naruto [fearfully]: Hang in there, Hinata.

**Author's Note:** 13


	157. Byakugan Vs Sharingan: Hinata's Battle

**Chapter 157: Byakugan Vs Sharingan: Hinata's Desperate Battle**

Hinata's hopes were almost immediately dashed upon entering the Raikage's stronghold. Even after passing through the layer of fuinjutsu that blocked her Kekkei Genkai from the outside, she could still only see the first floor of the four story structure, and she could not even see all of that. What she could see was three teams of Shozokus along the outer wall of the building, and a large, two-level room in the center of the building. Most of the first floor rooms that her silver eyes could not penetrate into were on the far side of the fort, and she quickly plotted the fastest and safest route.

As she moved carefully through the building, Hinata noticed one of the blank spots in her Byakugan seemed to be following her. She could not be certain, partly because the Shozoku's form was so indistinct, but also because the Shozoku appeared to be avoiding his comrades. The Leaf Tokujo would have expected the foot soldier to raise the alarm and make contact with the other anonymous warriors, if he was tracking her. Since he was dodging the other Shozokus, she wondering if he disobeying orders in some fashion. In that case he might have been on the same course as her simply because it was the best way to stay undetected.

She checked the first two rooms without incident. However her unease grew, as her shadow remained the same distance behind her. The Hyuga heiress decided to put the Shozoku to the test. She turned back, to where she had seen a staircase. She darted up to the second floor, and found her ability to see down to the first floor with her Byakugan was immediately blocked. There were more sealed areas on the second level than there were on the first, but she could still see into just under half of the rooms. And there were also fewer Shozokus, at least in the sections that were not protected from her enhanced vision.

But instead of continuing her search in earnest, she looked in the closest blocked room. Finding an empty bedroom, she ducked inside. As she expected, the fuinjutsu only blocked detection from the outside, so her metallic eyes could gaze through the wall. She settled down, intently watching the stairs.

She waited anxiously for five minutes, though that turned to a mild impatience as the next five minutes drew our. Hinata was just about to admit that he had not been tracking her, when a blank spot emerged from the lower level. The young woman still could not make out the specifics of his height or build, however he definitely had the same gait. Beyond just the way he moved, her instincts told her that this was the same individual. She waited until his back was to her, or so she thought, and slid the door open a fraction. She frowned at what she saw; though the warrior was facing away from her as she hoped, his unfamiliar black variant of the Shozokus' uniform gave her pause. Hinata only waited for a second, knowing he might turn at any time. She pushed the door the rest of the way open with a careful balance of speed and silence. Then she darted forward, rapidly striking his hips and shoulders, hoping to disable the tenketsu leading to his arms and legs. She grabbed his shoulder with her right hand and placed her left palm over the spot on his back roughly corresponding to his heart.

"Why are you following me?" she asked sternly, "Why haven't you raised an alarm?"

"How did you know I was there?" he queried calmly, seemingly unconcerned by her initial strikes, or by her current, potentially lethal position, "These uniforms should block your Byakugan. You should not have been able to see me."

"You fuinjutsu aren't as good as you think," she said firmly. But inside Hinata felt a sliver of uncertainty, as she thought she recognized the Shozoku's voice.

"Or perhaps that is the point," he decided, "You can't see through these clothes, but you can see everything around them. After all, if you could see me, you would probably have tried to kill me outright, instead of trying to question me."

Her anxiety rose, and Hinata chose to take him at his word. She pressed her threatening hand more deeply into his clothing, and intoned, "Eight Trigrams, Assassin's Palm."

Even as she started forming the chakra threads that would perforate his cardiac muscle and seal the tenketsu around it, the black shozoku went limp. Her training told her to duck even before her eyes saw him, and she dove under the red chakra spear that stabbed where her head had been. She spun as she dropped, trying to sweep his legs as she turned to face him. He hopped backwards to avoid her. For the first time in her life, Hinata refused to believe what her Kekkei Genkai told her. But once her physical eyes landed on him, she could no longer maintain her hopeful doubts.

"Madara," Hinata struggled to keep the fear from her voice, as she saw the Shin'en Sharingan glowing in Towa's eye sockets. The chakra tattoo weapon retracted, and the first Uchiha smiled at her with unsettling serenity.

"That is awfully forward of you, grand-niece, addressing me by my given name without any sort of honorific," he told her, but his voice contained no recrimination, "Are those really the manners of the next leader of the Hyuga clan?"

"You have no honor," she explained darkly, edging back slightly, "Why would I address you as if you did?"

Madara's gentle smiled turned into an amused smirk, but the red swirls in his black eyes flashed. He took a step closer, not letting her escape, yet his posture remained calm.

"I suppose I have not answered your questions yet," he pretended to remember, "I did not alert my creations because I do not need them, and do not want them to interfere. And I followed you because I was hoping to have some time alone with my beloved sister's great, great, granddaughter."

Hinata dropped into the Gentle Fist stance, her legs tensing, though she was not sure yet if she would charge or run.

"Now, now, dear niece," Madara admonished her, "if we start in the hallway, we are certain to attract the attention of Namikaze's cannon fodder. And I believe we would both rather avoid that. There is a modest dojo on this floor, one with reinforced and soundproof walls. I would suggest we go there for this family reunion."

Hinata's eyes narrowed as she considered him. Now that the stealth uniform was gone she could she all of Towa's body. She could see the unique chakra bonded tattoos on his right arm. She also noticed that the tenketsu she had attempted to close were now open, but she could not say if she had missed due to the shozoku's interference, or if Madara had removed the Byakugan's blocks. And she was not surprised to find that in addition to the usual chakra reservoir in the area between his stomach and heart, there were extra concentrations of energy in his eyes.

However what she was really looking for were signs of deception, and despite his oddly polite facade, she could not see any dishonesty. Hinata was not foolish enough to think her eyes were infallible, especially against the immortal who had trained to fight them. But she decided to trust her skill, to a degree.

'Besides,' she reasoned, 'Konan said that Madara wants to kill me personally, and if the Shozokus or Gouki get involved, he could lose this chance.'

"Lead the way," she gestured allowing her body to relax while her focus remained sharp. He nodded magnanimously, and walked past her, his defenses seemingly down. The Hyuga heiress did not take the bait, and trailed him just out of arm's reach.

"You're Tobi," she suddenly realized, "You're playing the part of Tobi again."

"Tobi was fun, partly because of how much Konan was annoyed by him," he half-turned to smile at her openly, "just like you are now. But it was also nice not to have everyone around me either cringe or bluster and pretend they weren't afraid. Since I started working for Gouki, I haven't had a time or a reason to put on that mask again. So I thought I would show it to you. Sorry if it makes you uncomfortable."

Hinata contained her frown. Even though she _knew_Madara did not regret his actions or their effect on her, she could not see anything other than sincerity in his apology. She began to wonder if he was actually taking her to a private sparring room, or somewhere else. The pale beauty also doubted she could escape him now, not without alerting the guards and making the whole mission that much more difficult. And that was if she could get away at all. She decided to keep following him for the time being, but her mind was already considering other plans.

Her worries were unfounded, at least in this instance. Madara led her to a larger room, entered first, and generously allowed her to have a look at the dojo. The space had a thick padding on the floor, walls, and ceiling, soft enough to lessen the impact of falls and throws, yet firm enough to not impede movement. There were a few weapons racks mounted on the walls, filled with practice replicas made from bamboo or foam covered wood. Unlike the bedroom where she had waited for Madara, this room blocked her Byakugan for leaving as well as from entering, but that fuinjutsu was in the outermost strata of the walls, which were comprised of multiple layers of wooden, metal, and chakra. As Uchiha had told her, no sound would be escaping the dojo, and the reinforced structure would be able to take all but the strongest ninjutsu. Hinata doubted her Rasengan or Eight Trigrams Empty Palm would even put a dent in the walls, though she expected an Odama Raiton Rasengan would overwhelm the armor.

Hinata closed the door behind her, and Madara turned to face her, his expression changing. Hatred emitted from from his eyes, strong enough that it was nearly a physical force. His stance did not change, yet any sense that his posture was casual and open evaporated. The Hyuga heiress fell into the Gentle Fist stance again, wondering if she had made a mistake.

"I have been waiting almost eighty years," his stolen voice was eerily dead, "I was going to destroy my sister Hoshi's mind, merge her Byakugan with my Sharingan, and take my rightful place as leader of the Hyuga clan. But her eyes, those accursed silver eyes, they turned my power against me, and nearly destroyed me. That is the only reason Hashirama Senju was able to defeat me, to force me to fake my own death and flee the Hidden Leaf Village. But today, I will crush the Suigin Byakugan, and prove that I am better than the clan that abandoned me like garbage."

As his rant ended, Madara surprised Hinata by breaking the fundamental tenant of the Uchiha fighting style. Rather than wait for her to initiate, he jumped forward, the tattoos flowing off his right arm, forming giant claws over his hands. The pale beauty caught the red blades on Ginmaki, and used the force to slide backwards, avoiding Madara's followup kick. His right hand followed her, and her bracers stopped the attack again. This time she countered with a Gentle Fist tap aimed at the shadowed remnant of the tattoos on his arm. Madara spun away from her, unsure if the Gentle Fist would effect the physical base of his weapons, but unwilling to take the chance.

'First a spear, now claws,' she considered as she blocked another slash with her kote, 'is there a limit to the number of forms those tattoos can take? I wish that part of Towa's file hadn't been redacted.'

Madara seemed to notice her focus on his stolen chakra weapons, because the claw on his left hand suddenly shifted into a wakizashi, while the one on his right hand lengthened into a bullwhip. Uchiha snapped the lash towards her neck. Hinata knew he would try to wrap to the whip around her arm when she interposed Ginmaki, and then pull her into range of his short blade. So instead she put both bracers together, creating a broad enough surface that whip was deflected.

'I can't stay on the defensive,' Hinata told herself, 'But against an Uchiha... no _the_ Uchiha, I have to be careful. He can copy almost anything I do, especially if those tattoos can take any shape. That means I can't use my kote weapon style, the Whipping Willows, or the Tiger & Heron. And most of my ninjutsu are also going to be off limits. But he can't steal my Byakugan techniques, and while he can copy the movements of the Gentle Fist, without my family's Bloodline, it becomes ineffective as a combat style. And if Kakashi-sensei and Naruto are right, the Sharingan can't copy the Rasengan, either. So those attacks will have to be my arsenal.'

The Hyuga heiress's eyes continued to track the tattoo weapons, as she blocked and dodged Madara's attacks, waiting for an opening. The reason for her focus had changed, but the Sharingan user either did not recognize that or just did not care.

"They are quite useful," Madara stated smugly, as he changed the whip into a pike, stabbing at her without concern for the fact that a real version of the polearm would have been too unbalanced to wield with one hand. Ginmaki pushed the extended spear away, and Hinata spun closer, aiming her glowing fingers for his wrist. His off-hand sword darted towards her forearm, and Naruto's lover was forced to abort her attack.

'They are physically solid, but seem to resist normal damage,' she noted, ducking past a horizontal sweep of the pike.

"At first I was quite furious that you and Naruto prevented me from entering Hanabi's body, and that I was forced to take this ANBU agent's body instead," he taunted her, "But once I realized how well these weapons compliment my Sharingan, I began to think it was for the better. Besides, having a fully trained, adult, male body is better than that of a female child."

"Rasengan," she intoned angrily in response, slamming Minato's jutsu into the pike as it flashed towards her heart. The spinning technique did what the earth chakra enhanced impacts with her bracers had not. The flesh bonded, chakra altered ink construct shattered. The front half of the polearm fell to the floor, flaking away. Madara looked at the splintered end of the weapon in shock, but then shrugged, unconcerned. He retracted the weapons, and as the tattoo reformed on his arm, Hinata noticed that the lower ring was now jagged and incomplete.

"Well played, but a temporary win," he informed her, "Even if my weapons are damaged, they are self-repairing in their sealed form. My tattoo should be back to normal in at most two days, and then I can resume using them normally."

"But for now, you are limited to hand to hand," she raced forward, her chakra wrapped digits aimed for his neck and heart. Madara twisted his body to prevent her right hand from striking his throat, but instead of avoiding her left hand, he lifted his right palm to intercept it. Hinata stopped just short of hitting it, the oddly swirling chakra in his forearm tenketsu triggering something she remembered from a discussion with her cousin Neji.

"You know the Ringing Palm don't you?" she asked as she leaned back to avoid his followup punch.

"Not precisely," he admitted, "But I have always been looking for methods of overcoming the Hyugas' techniques. So after I heard how the leader of the Suzuhira clan defeated and humiliated Hoshi's son, I made it a point to observe them. Though I was not able to learn the true Ringing Palm, I was able to create a close approximation."

'How close?' Hinata wondered silently, as her fingers lashed out again. Again he evaded the attack on his left side, while attempting to get her left hand to strike his right palm.

'It looks like he can only use it with his right hand,' she concluded dubiously, 'Unless that's an intentional trick. But the main issue is, will his defense damage my fingers as the true Ringing Palm did to Neji, or will it just stop my Gentle Fist attack?'

"Katon: Fire Clone Jutsu," Madara intoned while fully ducking her next set of strikes. Two apparently normal copies of Uchiha split off, and started to move to surround Hinata.

"Rotation," she incanted in retaliation, throwing the duplicates into the walls where they exploded in matched bursts of intense heat and flame. Unfortunately, the real Uchiha was just out of range of the repelling dome. Madara exhaled in annoyance, and hopped forward, thrusting his right palm at her forehead. Hinata dropped under the attack, letting it sail over her. At the same time, her arms both darted upwards. Her right index and middle fingers dug into Madara's elbow, while the matching digits on her left hand landed one inch back from his wrist. From her crouching position, she somersaulted past Madara, shutting off two tenketsu in the left side of his torso as she passed. And before he could turn, her Gentle Fist struck again, shutting down two points of his chakra network within his right lung and cutting shallowly into the muscle over said organ.

Hinata surveyed him hopefully as he faced her again. Three of the tenketsu she closed in his torso were vital, and the attack on his arm had ended his Ringing Palm copy.

'His ability to use jutsu should be limited now,' she told her with no small amount of relief, 'and without that blocking jutsu, I should be able to shut down his chakra...'

"Chakra Pulse," he exclaimed, violently derailing her train of thought. Her eyes widened in surprise and fear as his energy blasted through his spiritual network, removing the blocking effect of her attacks, leaving him with only the minor physical damage. He smirked at her expression.

"You might be wondering how I learned your technique," he answered the unspoken question in her silver eyes, "But I didn't. You and Naruto recreated a jutsu that I devised decades ago. Of course, I called it 'Explosive Opening', but since your name for it has become somewhat infamous, I decided to adopt it."

'He has spent his whole life creating and stealing techniques to use against the Byakugan,' she realized, recalling her father's description of his fight with the first Uchiha, 'none of the well known jutsu of the Hyuga Clan will work against him. But some of the newer or hidden variations might still be effective...'

Madara closed the gap between them, again trying to tag Hinata with his open right hand. The young woman decided to test her theory, and began to rotate before he could touch her.

"Eight Trigrams Palms, Heavenly Spin," she stated strongly, using the full incantation to empower the hemisphere around her. Madara placed his hand against the dome, and instead of being thrown away, he dug in his heels to avoid being pushed back and the Heavenly Spin distorted away from him. In the midst of the barrier, Hinata shifted her stance slightly, and inverted the flow of her chakra.

"Eight Trigrams Palms, Infernal Whirlpool."

The energy sphere turned from blue to red, and began to suck Madara inwards. His pirated jutsu did nothing to impede her technique, and his eyes narrowed in annoyance as he circled the boundary, being drawn unevenly closer to Hinata. The pale beauty dropped her right hand, her fingers slightly curled, and chakra began to spin above her palm.

"RASENGAN!" she shouted once Madara was in range, thrusting Minato's jutsu at the traitor. The immortal raised his right hand to block, but the Rasengan destroyed his copied technique, and then skidded along the inside of his arm until to hit his chest. The Rasengan tore into his flesh, even as the Infernal Whirlpool pulled him into the deadly orb. Finally the Hyuga clan leaders' hidden technique ended, Hinata's focus directed to the spiraling sphere. Then that jutsu also ended, but it did so with an explosion, throwing Madara into the padded wall of the dojo. Hinata's shoulders dipped slightly as she panted from the effort of using the two techniques in concert. She took a food pill to restore her chakra, even as Madara drunkenly stood.

The skin on his palm and all down his right arm was shredded. His shirt was destroyed, and the flesh and muscle of the right upper quadrant of his torso had been flayed to the bone. The injuries were not necessarily fatal, but would have incapacitated most ninjas. But there was only hatred in his eyes as he literally stared death at her.

"Amaterasu."

Black flames flickered around the edges of his orbs, and then shot towards her with an unholy roar.

'Please be right, Itachi-san,' she begged mentally, as she through her arms outward, expelling most of the chakra left in her body as she desperately cried out, "EIGHT TRIGRAMS PALMS, HOLY CYCLONE!"

Hinata disappeared behind the opaque purple dome, and the shadow inferno cascaded over the bubble. Madara's ohgi burned away even the chakra of the Holy Cyclone, but the technique was constantly renewed under it. And since the Uchiha jutsu could only burn what the user could see, it passed no further. Inside the dome, Hinata felt no heat, and it was only thanks to her Byakugan that she could see Madara's wrath increasing. She also watched the walls of the dojo behind her being slowly consumed by the black flames.

Uchiha tsked bitterly as he ended the Amaterasu. Hinata waited another half second, and then dropped her Holy Cyclone. Her chakra was exhausted, but the food pill started to kick in, slowly replenishing her energy. His eyes continued to study her, livid yet also more thoughtful.

"So, even at the Shin'en level, my Sharingan is worthless against you," he said as much to himself as to his opponent, "You refuse to use jutsu I can copy, you are immune to my Tsukuyomi and Susano-o, and you know the secret limitation of Amaterasu, probably from Itachi. I'm guessing Kakashi will have also taught you some way to counter or avoid Kamui. And neither Izanagi nor Izanami will help in this situation."

"I guess I will just have to kill you as if I were a common Jonin," he shrugged in mock defeat, "But first... Suseri."

The substantial damage from her Rasengan flowed gruesomely across his body, neck, and face, vanishing into his whirlpool eyes, leaving him unharmed. Even the minor, internal cuts from her Gentle Fist attacks were removed. As he healed himself, Hinata bit down on a second food pill and started signing.

"Raiton: Lighting Cannon Jutsu," he announced without crafting hand seals, as Suseri completed. Hinata was forced to cancel her technique, as she shifted Ginmaki to block the eight-inch sphere, sending earth and water chakra into the kote to reinforce them. The cannon shot was deflected into the ceiling, but Madara followed close behind it, slashing down with a katana shaped from Towa's undamaged tattoo.

After a brief exchange of melee combat, Hinata had only scored one good Gentle Fist hit, though it was to Madara's throat. She was too busy fending off his attacks; Uchiha was pouring chakra into his muscles to match her speed and overpowering her in strength. On top of that, the crimson blade gave him the advantage in reach. Hinata had managed to avoid any truly damaging hits, but she had multiple minor cuts on both upper arms, plus one on her right calf, and one leading up her left jawline to her earlobe. She was waiting for her chakra to recover, but even with two food pills her energy was not growing fast enough. She dared not waste it to increase her own physical abilities. And with each injury he inflicted, Madara's mood lightened.

"You know, it's too bad that _you_ encountered _me_," the Uchiha founder said conspiratorially, shifting once again to Tobi's kind tones, "If it had been any other member of your team, I probably would have ignored them, or even told them where to find Gouki..."

His taunt reminded Hinata of her mission, and she dabbed the fingers of her right hand against her bleeding leg. Then she vaulted past Madara, and tagged the ground, stating, "Summoning Jutsu."

Madara smirked in amusement as Sol and Luné appeared before their contractor. The squirrels darted around to stand beside Hinata, but the albino rodent could not suppress a squeak of fear when she saw their opponent.

"You need us to help you take this guy down?" Luné bluffed.

"No, you have your orders," Hinata shook her head.

* * *

_Hinata joined Kakashi even as he banished his ninja hounds back to their kennel._

_"You wanted to see me, sensei?" she asked, once he turned his attention to her._

_"Yes. Thanks for coming Hinata."_

_"What can I do for you?" she prompted immediately._

_"Would you summon Sol and Luné, please?" he requested._

_"Of course," she nodded as she took out a kunai and lightly sliced her fingers, "but may I ask why?"_

_"Tomorrow, we might need more eyes and ears to find Nagato," he explained, "I want to prepare your friends in advance, just like I did mine."_

_He showed her the picture of Nagato that had been copied from Konan's photo album._

_"I want to make sure Sol and Luné know our plans and are familiar with Nagato's appearance. So that way, if you think they can help you find Nagato, and won't jeopardize operational security, you can call them and they will know what to do with you needing to explain further."_

_"What about Naruto and his toads?" she asked, gathering her chakra into the blood on her digits. Kakashi considered that for a moment, and then slowly shook his head._

_"Given who Naruto is likely to end up summoning, and the person doing the summoning, probably not."_

_Hinata smiled slightly as she nodded her understanding. Then she printed her blood on the ground and intoned, "Summoning Jutsu." _

* * *

Sol scampered closer, placing her paw comfortingly on the taller human.

"Are you certain, Mistress?" the female squirrel asked.

"Thank you, but yes. Go."

The black and white rodents nodded, and raced towards the door. Hinata moved to defend them, but Madara just shook his head. Once the dojo was again sealed, Madara unleashed a weak wind jutsu, which circled around to try to hit Hinata from behind, as he ran forward, stabbing at the teen's heart with his crimson chakra sword.

"If you want Gouki dead, why did you work for him in the first place?" Hinata asked the question Konan had never been able to adequately explain. She back flipped over the arcs of sharpened air, letting Uchiha deal with his own technique. She dropped into a low crouch as she landed, throwing out her uninjured limb in another leg sweep.

"Namikaze..." Madara seemed to struggle with the question, as he hopped over her knee, "Namikaze is excellent with both the carrot and the stick. He used himself and Pein as threats to keep me in line. But on the other hand, he taught me an excellent new way to use Susano-o. He helped me acquire a new body. And if he is true to his word, he will return the Demon God statue to me once he controls the continent. And the Three, Four, and Five-tails Demons still sealed within it. The fool."

"The Seven and Nine-tails are dead," she stated curiously, "There is no way Gouki will let you have the Six-tails. And the other three are also beyond your reach."

"For now," he agreed, unconcerned, "But the shark and fox will be replaced in time, and Kohaku can't live forever. And I can find the One, Two, and Eight-tails again. The three remaining will do, for a start."

He swung at her head, and she caught the strike on her left bracer, her right index finger closing in on his left elbow.

"Do you think Gouki will allow you to use the demons as weapons?" she recalled the Akatsuki's two stated uses for the demons, as fake disasters to manipulate politics, and to power the most destructive tactical jutsu ever conceived.

"The Bijuu were never meant to be weapons," he grinned confidently, taking the hit to his joint in exchange for the chance to slam his heel into the cut on her leg, "That was just a ruse to control the Akatsuki. They were captured for me."

"You want to be a Jinchuriki?"

"For a few years," he agreed, "that should be all it will take for me to subjugate and absorb all nine of the Tailed Beasts."

Hinata backed off, finally openly frightened. However it was not his strength that cracked her mental defenses, but his insanity.

"That's what the statue is for," Madara enjoyed her reaction, and relished the chance to boast about his genius, "Not just to store the spirits, but see if the nine of them could be forced into some sort of balance, so that a vessel that could normally only hold two or three of them might be able to stably contain all nine."

"You already have a Bloodline trait," she protested.

"And it's not enough," he countered, "Even with the powers of a Mime, a Siren, and an Ifrit, and the unique abilities that arose from combining them, my Sharingan is still not sufficiently stronger than any other Kekkei Genkai."

"But imagine," he continued with a touch of deranged wonder, "innate control of the five elements, almost without the need for chakra. Instant shapeshifting. Unmatched regeneration. And a functionally infinite chakra supply to do anything the innate powers of the Bijuu cannot. Combined with the immortality I already possess, I would be more than a Human, more than a ninja. I would be a god."

His head dropped from gazing at the ceiling, "But you will not live long enough to witness my ascension, grandniece."

"Katon: Grasping Blaze Jutsu."

Madara's left hand was surrounded by talons of flame, almost as large as he was tall. He flexed the artificial hand once, and seemed pleased with the result. Hinata braced herself and started mentally preparing a jutsu, and Madara charged her again, katana and flame claw both swinging...

* * *

After the ninja squirrels exited the dojo, they split up as instructed. But while Luné loped away to search, Sol found a sheltered corner. She reached into her sash, and took out the radio she had stolen from Hinata. She knew her actions were highly illegal, due to the potential threat the communicator posed to both her clan and the Humans they had a contract with. And she was disobeying her orders as well. But Sol had also see the fear in her beloved mistress's face. And she had heard stories about the one with the eyes of the abyss. So after gathering up all of her determination, Sol activated the device.

"Is anyone listening?" the albino squirrel said tentatively into the microphone, "I know I shouldn't be doing this... But Hinata-dono was ambushed by Madara Uchiha inside the Raikage's castle, and she's in a bad way. If Naruto-dono or anyone else can hear this, please help..."

The white rodent crouched down around the radio, hoping desperately for a response.

* * *

**Preview:**

[background scene of Kakashi, Naruto, and the Deva path, switching to Sakura, and the two Natsukis.]

Naruto [emphatically]: Kakashi-sensei, we gotta help Hinata.

Sakura [desperately]: We can't let her fight Madara alone.

Natsuki [cautiously]: I agree with them, Kakashi-san.

Deva Pein [straining to remain composed]: I agree with them.

Kohaku [compassionately]: No-one should have to fight Madara alone.

Kakashi [surrendering]: Fine...

Kakashi [leadership voice]: Naruto, Sakura, go help Hinata. Natsuki-san and I will handle things here.

Naruto and Sakura [together]: Right!

Naruto [announcer voice]: Next time on Naruto: A Growing Affection; **Chapter 158: Tagging Out  
**

Tsunade [annoyed]: I don't hear anyone scrambling to rescue us.

Gaara [dryly]: I guess once you become a Kage, everyone assumes you are beyond needing help.

**Author's Note:** 12


	158. Tagging Out

**Chapter 158: Tagging Out**

Pein's Human Path was not entirely surprised when his grand request was met with suspicion and doubt. The Reaper joined his troops, and the Two Stupid Brothers followed her like brain-damaged puppies. But most of the other rogue ninjas watched him with varying degrees of suspicion.

"I understand your hesitation," Pein's voice dripped with sincerity, "After all, there are just over one hundred of us. The Leaf ninjas should outnumber us three or even four to one. Attacking their stronghold against that kind of numeric advantage would be insanity."

"But there is something you don't know, something I'm sure the Hokage did not want you to know, so you would remain quite, remain... docile," he sounded as if he were sharing a vital secret, "But the truth is that the entire ninja world is at war. My teacher and leader, Gouki Namikaze has raised an army that rivals the power of the four remaining great villages. And yes, I said four, because even now the Rain, Mines, and _Cloud_ villages are under Gouki-sama's control."

Whispers passed through the crowd. The name of the rogue who had defied the Conclave of Shadows for nearly two decades was a legend among the missing-nin. Beyond that, the potential implications of such a war were not lost on the smarter criminals.

"Right now, even as we speak, the majority of the Leaf ninjas are helping to defend their allies or trying in vain to assault our forces," he increased his volume, "From our earlier scouting, there are no more than one hundred fifty shinobi left to defend the Leaf. And many of those are Genin, too weak or too green to send to war. So any edge they have in numbers, we will more than make up for in skill, in experience, and in determination."

His expression darkened, "This is your chance to secure a place for yourself in the new regime. You may flee now, and we will not stop you, but know that when the war ends, no matter which side is the victor, you will still be hunted as criminals. Stand with us, and you will leave this battle as free men and women."

"So I ask you again," his tones switched back to rousing sincerity, "Who will stand with me against the Konohagakure?"

A cheer went up through the deviant mass. The Human Path stepped back, and the black Shozokus moved forward under the direction of the Naraka Path, distributing their extra weapons to the new converts, and working to establish a chain of command.

"I almost bought that," the Reaper told the Human Path surreptitiously, brandishing Gryphon's Claw to reaffirm the feel of her trident.

"What do you mean?" he asked innocently.

"Even if we have the edge in skill, the Konohagakure still has its defenses," she answered, "not to mention the fact that they are armed to the teeth, and most of your new army will be lucky to get a kunai and couple of shurikens from these fancy new Shozokus of yours."

He did not answer, but studied her face with a mildly curiosity. Nagato realized he had never seen her without her armor of ninja crests before.

"But the real lie was that they would have a place in Gouki's world," she added, "The best most of these can hope for is to become a blue or red Shozoku. And that's if they aren't executed outright. We both know Namikaze's stance on rape, mind-control, and the slaughter of civilians. And we both know he's nowhere near as kind-hearted as the Leaf."

He frowned at her, but the Reaper just smirked back.

"Oh don't worry, I won't tell them," she purred, "I doubt there are more than a handful among them that don't deserve whatever fate they find. After all, they are ninjas."

She said the last word like it was a deadly insult. Pein nodded, and he and the Reaper also began to interact with the convicts.

* * *

Sakura tapped the shaft of an arrow impatiently against her knee, as the two copies of Natsuki danced around each other. Both fought like bodyguards, focusing more on defense, with offensive techniques were not designed to kill, but to disable an opponent for a quick escape. The volatile medic had almost reached the point of trying to knock out both of the supposed Sand kunoichi, and dealing with the consequences, when her radio crackled to life, and Natsuki's damaged device whined pitiably as it tried in vain to fulfill its purpose. All three women froze, and stared at the working communicator.

"...If Naruto-dono or anyone else can hear this, please help..." Sol completed her call for help weakly. Sakura reacted openly to the ninja squirrel's familiar voice, and both Natsuikis realized that if the younger woman knew the source of the plea, it was probably genuine.

"Go," the Natsuki on her left turned to the Leaf medic, her icy blue eyes locked on the archer's green orbs, and firmly instructed, "go help Hinata, Sakura-san."

"I... I can't do that," Tsunade's apprentice balked uncertainly, "I can't leave you alone, not against Kohaku."

The copy who had spoke suddenly began to change. Kohaku's long, blue-black hair replaced Natsuki's shorter, sandy locks as the Jinchuriki returned to her default guise. Gouki's wife then pulled aside her top to reveal most of her left breast, caught some of the blood from the injuries Sakura had given her on her right pointer finger, and carefully scribed the kanji for honor over her heart.

"If you go to rescue Hinata, I swear on my life that, so long as my battle with Natsuki of the Sand Village remains one on one, I will not turn invisible, change my shape, or use more than one... or two tails of the Chameleon's power," Kohaku pledged, shocking both Natsuki and Sakura. And the former Grass ninja was not finished yet.

"I'll even give you a few minutes to treat Natsuki-san's wounds, Sakura-san."

"Why would you do this?" Natsuki demanded.

"Obviously, I think I can still defeat you with those restrictions and I want to get rid of Sakura-san," Kohaku admitted freely, "But just as importantly, I want Sakura-san to save Hinata-chan."

"Why?" both of her opponents asked dubiously.

"There are only two people I have ever hated enough to wish on them a one on one duel with Madara," the Jinchuriki shuddered as she contemplated that, "Those being the previous 'Leader' of the Grass, and Madara himself. Beyond them, I wouldn't let anyone else fight Madara alone. Especially not a woman, and especially not a member of my extended family... or eventual family member, I suppose. Even if she is on the other side."

"Madara might be a necessary evil for our plans," Kohaku added vehemently, "But that doesn't mean I don't intend to kill him the _instant_ he outlives his usefulness."

"Go," the real Natsuki said softly, and Sakura blinked at her in surprise, "If half of what I have heard about that Uchiha is true, than Kohaku-san is right."

Then the ice-user grinned ironically, "Besides, I began serving as Gaara's bodyguard when he was still the host of the One-Tails. If I can't handle her using only one third of her power, and sealing her two strongest abilities, I don't deserve my position."

"Alright," Sakura agreed, though her voice still held some hesitancy. She slipped the arrow she had been playing with back into her quiver, and shouldered her bow, before approaching the paused combatants. She stopped in front of Natsuki, and handed her ally a food pill, before beginning to work on her wounds. As the medic worked on restoring the frostbitten patches of skin and closing the gashes in the Sand kunoichi's leg and side, she grabbed Natsuki's gaze, and rolled her eyes to the side. The elder Jonin looked surprised, but then she smiled slightly, and nodded.

Sakura turned away from Natsuki, having done all she could without spending a much larger portion of both chakra and time. The wounds were smaller, and what remained was mostly scabbed over. The healer took three quick steps, and ended face to face with Naruto's aunt. Kohaku tensed slightly, but Sakura placed her hand over the Juinchriki's punctured torso, and began to close the wound. After the medical jutsu ended, the Leaf Jonin handed the Grass renegade a food pill. Though she considered it for a moment, Kohaku finally bit into the supplement.

"Why?" the shapeshifter asked in honest confusion.

"The terms you offered were too generous," Sakura answered, "I had to even the scale."

Kohaku nodded gratefully, and Sakura added sharply, "But since your transformations don't heal you, I can still use the wound on your thigh to tell you two apart, when Hinata and I get back."

The Jinchuriki chuckled appreciatively, and the medic raced away at high speed, disappearing over the side of the restaurant.

"Shall we?" Natsuki prompted with a modest smirk.

"After you," Kohaku grinned back. The Sand kunoichi fashioned a sphere of intense cold, and hurtled it at Gouki's wife. Kohaku slid narrowly out of the way, and countered by turning the tiles under Natsuki's feet into a grasping claws.

* * *

The iron chakra of the Asura Path stabbed through Gaara's sand barricade, and scored a cut on his right cheek that went deep enough to scratch to the bone. The Kazekage dragged in his scattered ammo as quickly as he could, pooling it under Pein.

"Suiton: Raindrop Senbon," Neji attempted to distract her from his ally's action by crafting a water jutsu. But the advantage he gained from the natural precipitation was offset by the now missing ring and pinky fingers on his right hand. One of Pein's earlier attacks had claimed the digits, and only Gaara's intervention had saved the other two. The cuts were clean, and both men understood if they could end the fight quickly, one of the field medics could probably reattach the fingers. Or, as increasingly appeared to be the case, if the two young men could at least survive, a master healer like the Hokage or one of her two apprentices might be able to regrow them. Without the digits, Neji's ability to shape his energy through hand signs had been severely reduced. He had mostly made up for that with the Hyuga clan's ninjutsu and taijutsu, but now he pulled together enough focus and chakra to change the droplets falling on the Asura Path into combat needles.

"Tetsuton: Chrome Shell Jutsu," Pein indicated pig, dog, and ram, creating a bubble of shining steel chakra around herself, stopping both Neji's Raindrop Senbon and Gaara's Sand Coffin. She stepped out of the grasping silicate, her metallic barrier unmarked by either attack. She passed the body of a Leaf kunoichi who neither Gaara nor Neji had recognized. When she attempted to help the two Jonin, Pein had cut the interloper down without hesitation but with an odd look of distaste. Though the three fighters each tracked the even increasing clamor in the western part of the Rain Village, no more of the invaders broke through to help the Kazekage and his temporary teammate.

"I suppose it is too late to take you up on you offer to take this battle inside?" the former Jinchuriki of the One-Tails asked without a hint of irony or sarcasm. He pulled back the sand that had piled around her bubble, but his flagging energy and the weight of the water it had absorbed kept the material plastered to the ground, instead of flying through the air as it normally would have.

"I'm sorry, but no," the Asura Path surveyed them carefully, "In the shape to two of you are in, it won't make any difference. At this point our best hope is to remain out in the open and pray that someone on your side finds us. Someone with skill that is..."

Neji bristled at the insult to his fallen comrade, even as Pein allowed her defensive technique to lapse.

"'Our best hope'?" Gaara sounded curious, "inclusive?"

"Your best hope for survival," she clarified, "And my best hope for a renewed challenge."

Neither man looked happy to hear that, yet neither could deny the accuracy in her words. Neji slipped a food pill out of a pouch and began to gather chakra from another Mountain Crusher, while Gaara created an umbrella of air chakra to dry his sand as he gathered it and help keep the water off it for his next strike.

* * *

"They're coming," Tsunade set aside the Hokage's crystal ball, and looked up at the assembled team leaders. Yamato, Shizune, Hana Inuzuka, Yugao Uzuki, Choza Akimichi, Saburo Takamichi, and Tomi Arashikage were the only active Jonin left in the village besides herself, since Homura's betrayal left him and Danzo dead, and Koharu hospitalized just over an hour before. The rest of the temporary captains were Tokujo rank, except for two Chunin who had not yet chosen to participate in the Trials yet. And the majority of the defenders were Genin with a precious few Chunin level shinobi.

Before the Hokage could further instruct her lieutenants, a young girl rushed into the meeting room. Though she appeared to be no more than ten years of age, she wore a standard jumpsuit uniform, minus the Chunin vest. And instead of the Spiral Leaf of a full Land of Fire ninja, she wore a headband with a much more realistic carving of a leaf. She slipped through the adults, and handed a note to Tsunade, before smartly saluting and slipping away. Given the danger posed by the criminal legion, the last Sannin had even asked the Academy students who were in their final year to help. Most had jumped at the chance, too young and foolhardy to fully grasp the threat. Tsunade was neither desperate nor cruel enough to assign them to the front lines, but instead had them carrying supplies and messages.

She had also called up the Konoha's Special Defense Forces, a small group of shinobi who were allowed to retire without being decommissioned in exchange for swearing oaths which prevented them from spreading their retained knowledge and called for them to fight for the village in the event of a dire emergency. In theory they were the Leaf's hidden line of defense. In practice there were currently fewer than a dozen of them, and most had allowed their skills or physiques to degrade, or both. Still, they were better than nothing, so Tsunade put them in charge of the children, and had them take the gofer jobs closest to the walls.

"Alright,_ you guys _don't need me micromanaging you right now," she sighed angrily after reading the missive, "Get to your positions, prepare any other traps you think are appropriate, and keep an eye open so they don't try to surround us. Dismissed."

She waited until they had all left, waving off Shizune and Yugao when the two stopped with questioning looks. Once she was alone, she reached for the speaker phone in the middle of the room, and dialed.

"Mara," the simple, no-nonsense name offering emerged from the phone.

"Mara, it's the Hokage, I just got your note."

"And you don't sound too happy about it, Tsunade," the programmer noted without bothering with any sort of polite speech.

"You said you could get the Negative Chakra Reaction Seal up and running," the Sannin reminded her.

"I also said from the beginning that I would be brutally honest with you," the civilian scientist countered, "I told you having that fuinjutsu completed, installed, and tuned might be possible in three to four years. And despite the the fact you've only given me two, my team has the initial placement and setup of the jutsu web nearly finished."

"Then we can use it?"

"I suppose," Mara answered sarcastically, "If you don't mind errant bursts of anti-chakra destroying the village's other defenses or disabling your people on the walls."

"I didn't think you had this sharp of a tongue when I hired you," Tsunade noted with a hint of amusement.

"I had just been kidnapped, and then accidentally rescued by two strange kids," the younger woman shot back, "You'll forgive me if I was a little shell-shocked."

"So we can't use it?"

"Not reliably," the scientist sounded mildly apologetic, "Though I could have my people remove the safeties and flood the matrix. We could cover the entire border with a blanket of negative chakra. The Summoning Seals and everything else would need to be replaced after, and I could only guess at how far into the village it would spread."

"But that might work as an emergency measure," the Hokage pondered, "Alright, Mara, can I get you to head to command and control and monitor things there?"

"Whatever you want, boss," the civilian sounded only mildly exasperated as she agreed. The line went dead, and Tsunade steepled her fingers as she looked at the map.

"I guess the best thing for now is to wait and see what Pein's next move will be," the leader of the Leaf decided cautiously, looking at the spots she had marked, indicating the approximate placement of Pein's one hundred and three warriors. Though the crystal ball could not track the Shozokus, the positioning of the two Peins and the eighty one released prisoners let her fill in the blanks.

'Assuming that's not some sort of trap, too,' she reminded herself.

* * *

"What are you going to do?" the Deva Path asked, Yahiko's normally smooth voice rasping slightly in repressed hurt.

"Go ahead, Naruto," Kakashi instruct easily.

"Are you sure, sensei?" the teen hesitated, glaring hatefully at Pein.

"Our goal is in the Raikage's castle, and Hinata is our best scout," Kakashi reminded Uzumaki, using his teacher's voice, "And Madara is pretty high on our list of secondary objectives. So you backing up Hinata and taking Uchiha out is a threefold win for us."

"Besides, I should be able to handle this guy now," the Copy-ninja decided confidently.

"You think so?" the first Pein sounded unconvinced.

"You're right arm is worthless. You have some pretty substantial internal bleeding. And you have spent a lot more chakra than I have. So, yeah, I'm pretty sure that even one on one, I've got the advantage."

"Get out of here," the Sharingan user instructed, "I'll catch up with you as soon as I can."

Naruto bobbed his head once, and took off, heading straight for the distant structure without any care for their previous route. Yahiko waited until the young man was gone, and then raised his left hand before his face, his pointer and middle fingers extended.

"Heaven Release: Tenshi no Tsubasa," the Deva Path stated, and three pairs of feathered wings extended grandly out of his back. Kakashi recalled the wings from Pein's escape during the diversionary attack on the Leaf, but also remembered Nagato's fragment using a different incantation. The half-dozen extra limbs flapped lazily, and Yahiko lifted into the air, hovering rather than flying.

"Going to chase Naruto?" Kakashi asked, "Or maybe warn Gouki?"

"You misunderstand, Kakashi," the Deva Path admonished him, "These wings are not physical, nor are they just for movement."

He plucked out one of the feathers, and tossed it almost casually. The pinion drifted through the air, until it brushed up against Kakashi's shoulder. Suddenly, gravity tripled around the white-haired Jonin, almost forcing him down to his knees.

"Each feather is a tiny Shinra Tensei or Bansho Tenin," Pein explained, "Though weaker than normal, they provide me with greatly increased mobility, and they do not take any time to recharge..."

* * *

A primal roar erupted to the south of the Konohagakure. Years, or in a few cases decades, of patient anger exploded.

There was no organization, no strategy in their approach. Instead, the mob of convicts and Shozokus moved like a vicious amoeba, pulsing towards the wooden barricade surrounding the ninja stronghold. Then the mass split into four. Though Pein did not trust the supposed weaknesses in the Leaf's defenses, his two Paths and the Reaper agreed that there was too much information in Homura's report for it to all be fake, so they focused on the areas of medium resistance. As they surged forward, the Leaf shinobi braced to meet the assault.

"Look, it's just who we were hoping for," Choza Akimichi rumbled darkly, as the one-eyed Pein approached their position, "Alright, let's take snake formation."

His three Genin students lined up behind him, hiding behind his great bulk. The size-shifting clan leader locked his attention on the Naraka Path, and expanded his fist to twice its natural size. The Naraka Path noticed Akimichi's glare, smirked confidently, and shifted his course. Nagato's fragment ran up the wooden wall and vaulted over the spiked palisade, and shook his head in mock dismay as Choza's giant hand arced towards him.

"Armor of Pain," he intoned softly, absorbing the force of the punch.

"Yup, that's what we thought," the Leaf Jonin agreed as the nearly identical Takamichi cousins leapt out from behind him. Each Genin unleashed two handfuls of oddly tinted needles. Pein continued to rotate his head side to side as he and the two teens dropped to the platform.

"You think I didn't know you two were part of his team?" Pein asked in honest disappointment, "That I didn't expect you to try to poison me again? I've already taken an Akatsuki antidote, and have more at the ready."

"That's why those senbon aren't poisoned," Keiko Takamichi shot back triumphantly, "They're coated with all sorts of different pain killers, from concentrated versions of over the counter drugs, to surgical grade anesthetics. All so you won't be able to feel this."

"Eight Trigrams, Two Palms..." a high, clear voice suddenly announced behind Pein.

* * *

**Preview:**

[background scene of Sakura sneaking into the Raikage's manor.]

Naruto [reassuringly]: Hang on, Hinata.

[background scene of Naruto sneaking into the Raikage's manor.]

Naruto [confidently]: Help's on the way.

[background scene of Naruto fight two Acolytes of Pein.]

Naruto [less confidently]: Uh, once I deal with these guys.

[background scene of Naruto and Nagato, facing off.]

Naruto [announcer voice]: Next time on Naruto: A Growing Affection; **Chapter 159: Jiraiya's Heirs  
**

Naruto [frustrated]: Sorry, Hinata.

**Author's Note:** 11


	159. Jiraiya's Heirs

**Chapter 159: Jiraiya's Heirs**

Sakura took Kohaku's parting advice, and snuck around to the northwest corner of the Raikage's manor. As described by both the rebels and her sympathetic opponent, she found one of the two secondary entrances to the fortress. The secluded gate was guarded by one red and three blue Shozokus. She moved cautiously into a tree overlooking the entrance, and drew her bow.

Her arrows felled the lieutenant and one of the sergeants before they recognized the thrum of her weapon. The second intermediate warrior had started to look for her, when her third missile penetrated his throat and severed his spine. The last blue Shozoku had his gladius out before she was able to release her fourth projectile, and he cut it from the air, surprising her slightly. He signed around his weapon's hilt, and unleashed his jutsu before she could retrieve another arrow again.

"Fire Style: Physical Blaze Jutsu," he intoned, launching a one foot diameter, three foot long cylinder of dense yellow flames at her. Sakura dropped out of the willow, the burning technique missing her by inches. She fire again as she fell, but the blue clad soldier deflected the arrow with his blade again. His hands began to shape his chakra again, but Sakura pulled two arrows from her nearly empty quiver, drew both together, but only halfway to save time. She fired, and her on the fly, midair, double draw was not as accurate as normal. The upper arrow flew towards the crown of the Shozoku's head instead of his upper chest. The lower arrow was even more off course, aiming for his leg instead of his stomach. In this case, it worked out for the Leaf Jonin. The Shozoku was only able to block the headshot, though the uneven angle at which he struck the arrow left his fingers numb. He tried to grab the other arrow, but her missile had too much power, and it sliced through both the glove and skin on his palm and fingers, before continuing most of the way through his calf and into the wall, pinning him.

Realizing his danger, he reached for his radio, but Sakura fired her last two arrows in rapid succession. The first took the shortsword from his weakened grip, and the second hit him square in the heart. Sakura summoned her second quiver as she approached the dying warrior. As the last breath rattled out of the Shozoku's lips, his other jutsu ended, and the sergeant's blue uniform reverted to the deep grey of a captain's shozoku. Sakura slipped her bow back across her body, and knelt to look at the lock.

'I could pick it,' she told herself, 'But I've already wasted to much time on that guy, I need to get to Hinata.'

Sakura grasped the handle firmly, and ripped it out of the door and the wall with a single jerk. She did not hear any alarms, but she did not let herself believe that that meant she had not triggered some sort of alert. Vaguely wishing Sol had been a bit more specific about where Hinata was, the pink-haired woman pushed the now loose door inwards and ran inside.

* * *

Naruto charged straight for the front gate. He recalled, vaguely, Washichi telling them about two smaller and more concealed entrances to the Raikage's home, but Uzumaki hadn't paid very close attention. He had expected to be following one of the five Jonin in their group. Or that Hinata would remember the directions, and be the better choice to find the one of the other doors, if the Tokujo lovers somehow ended up sperated from the rest of the team. He had never expected to be all alone, so he aimed for the obvious entrance. He diverted slightly, and instead of heading for the gate in the wall surrounding the manor, he climbed the stockade just out of view of the main opening in the outer barrier.

Naruto skidded to a halt and dove flat onto the narrow barricade, when he saw the number of Shozokus guarding the large set of reinforced, double doors. There were fourteen that he could immediately count, and he suspect there were at least a few more around the curve of the building.

'Darn it,' he cursed mildly in his head, 'I don't think I can take that many without making some noise. Besides, I need to save my chakra to help Hinata.'

Uzumaki looked around, and noticed a balcony on the third floor of the building, out of the view of the anonymous guards. He remembered the Cloud Jonin telling them something about how the windows and terraces were even more reinforced than the doors, specifically to repel shinobi who thought they could get in that way.

'But Madara was probably on the upper levels with my uncle and Nagato,' the blonde youth decided, 'So that where Hinata'll be.'

He crawled backwards on the wall, until he he could no longer see the sentries, hoping the same also applied. He slipped quietly off the parapet, landing in a small tomato patch. He carefully lined himself up with the edge of the balcony and raced forward.

His momentum, the traction of the soles of his sandals, and the slight inward incline of the building let him make it almost halfway to his goal. But he quickly slowed, the jutsu tied to the fortress preventing his chakra from gripping. Uzumaki began to fall, and had to clamp down on a howl of annoyance. Instead he reached into his weapons pouch, grabbed the first kunai he touched, and plunged it into the stone.

By luck or by providence, the dagger he grabbed was one of the black ceramic blades Hinata had given to him for his sixteenth birthday. The stealth kunai slid easily into the stone, and with much less noise than one it metallic counterparts would have made. Naruto wound up hanging five feet above the ground. He recognized that the fall would not have hurt him, but it would have almost certainly given away his position. He searched briefly, and found one of the other two special blades. He pulled himself up, and plunged the second blade into the side of the building before extracting the first. He continued his climb in that manner. His ascent was not so quick or silent as he would have liked, but the blonde Tokujo made it onto the ledge without being detected.

The door was a lattice composite of steel and glass, as defensive as it was decorative. Uzumaki tested his stealth kunai against both substances, but it cut neither. He decided if it wasn't for the thickness of the stone that made the outer wall, he would have had an easier time chopping his way through that. He put the blades away, as he considered the possibility of bypassing the portal entirely.

'I might be able to cut a hole around the door with Kitsune's Futon Rasenblade,' he calculated, 'but that would be noisy and would waste a lot of chakra. Besides, there's no way I could cover that up.'

He knelt down and glared at the lock. Having taken Hinata's encouraging platitudes on the morning of his sixteenth birthday to heart, and had never learned to pick locks beyond the basic level. Even his unskilled eyes could tell that the complex and well-made deadbolt before him was beyond his abilities. His eyes narrowed as he stared at the door, as if trying to get the lock to magically open by means of his uncommon fortune.

'Okay, Hinata said Lee just breaks down doors, right?' he searched his memories, as he tapped the metal experimentally, 'A Rasengan might not do it, but a Fuuton Rasengan would. But if I do that here, I'll be sure to attract some kind of attention. She also said Shino has his bugs crawl in the keyhole and open it that way. But my toads aren't small enough to fit in there.'

As Naruto considered those different methods, his face suddenly brightened. He signed quickly and then whispered.

"Fuuton: Dead Air Jutsu."

Naruto's chakra grabbed the winds around his left hand, creating an area of total stillness. Asuma Sarutobi had taught him the simple technique as part of his Wind Release training. The jutsu was only E-Rank, and had a limited range. Asuma used it mostly to keep breezes from blowing out his matches when he was trying to light a cigarette. But the deceased Jonin had also admitted that the technique was a perfect substitute for ear-plugs.

Uzumaki cupped his left hand around the keyhole, and the sent the rest of his attention to his right hand, to his raised pointer finger. Chakra began to twist over the digit.

"Rasengan," Yukihana's son intoned softly, as the sphere solidified. With the Dead Air eliminating the noise, Naruto pressed the miniature Rasengan slowly against the keyhole. The enhanced metal resisted, but the orb ground it away, slowly destroying the inner works of the lock. After almost a minute of work, the handle dropped, its support gone. Naruto gently pushed the door in with a self-satisfied grin.

Hinata was not in the room, so Naruto ignored the room's furnishings as he headed for the door. He did not notice the exquisitely complex origami sculptures hanging from the ceiling around the edges of the room, nor the familiar black and red rode draped over a chair. The young man just charged into the hall, without even bothering to check if anyone else might have been there. As a result, both he and the two guards in front of the next room down received an unexpected surprise.

Of the two sentries, one was definitely male and the other appeared to be female, but her slender build and the concealing nature of their clothing made it hard to tell. Each of the guards carried a naginata, but with a shortened haft more suited for close quarters combat. They wore off-white shozokus, but the loose sleeves and leggings, along with certain other touches on the masks and uniforms gave them an almost priestly appearance. Their eyes, hidden behind mirrored goggles, snapped over to Naruto, as did their polearms.

"You're Pein's Acolytes," the fox-faced youth recalled with a growl, drawing Kitsune, "I guess I shouldn't be too surprised to run into you guys here. But what are you guarding?"

"That is none of your concern, Naruto Uzumaki," the female Acolyte confirmed her gender when she spoke, "for your life ends here."

Before she had finished speaking, her comrade charged forward, stabbing his naginata at the Leaf shinobi's chest. Naruto swept the abbreviated polearm aside, and then hammered his left fist into the Acolyte's right elbow. Nagato's follower dropped far more than he should have from the blow to his limb, and the blonde teen realized he was clearing the path for his ally.

"Dual Arts: Magnetic Earth Jutsu," she incanted, having completed her hand signs. She released a fist-sized chunk of rock, crackling with purple lightning chakra. The stone arc through the air, aiming at his weapons pouch. The fox themed staff-blade dipped down, shattering the rock and resisting the electricity.

"It is as our former sister said," the male Acolyte commented, "his weapon ignores Raiton techniques. We will have to avoid those Dual Arts that use lightning."

"What do you mean 'former sister'?" Naruto asked curiously, "You two aren't the Acolytes I fought before?"

The male warrior shook his head.

"So what happened to them?" Uzumaki queried.

"We are the last two of our order," the female Acolyte answered harshly, "Within Gouki's command structure, our group was... unnecessary. So the rest of our brothers and sisters have been converted into Shozokus."

"Dual Arts: Frigid Burns," her partner completed his jutsu while she distracted Naruto, and launched a sphere of nearly frozen water, wrapped in a layer of white hot flames.

"Cyclone Spikes."

Naruto's favorite Fuuton technique tore into the hybrid attack, forcing the flames and liquid into contact. The chakras normalized, and Uzumaki was struck by a ball of lukewarm water, with only moderate force.

"Last time I took on three of you guys at once," the Leaf ninja threatened, "And I wasn't even at my best back then. Now why don't you take a clue from your old buddies, and get out of my way."

"Sera, Toro," a voice emerged from the room, weak yet also commanding, "I have nothing to fear from Naruto Uzumaki. If he wishes to see me so much, let him in."

"Are you certain, Nagato-sama?" the kunoichi asked carefully.

"Yes," the answer came without recrimination. The two Acolytes nodded. They resumed their places on either side of the door, and the male warrior opened it for Naruto. Inside the dimly lit room, the former Jinchuriki could see the face and frail form of their target.

He hesitated.

'I already abandoned Kakashi-sensei to save Hinata. On the other hand, Nagato is the reason we came here. Now that he's right here in front of me, can I just leave? If go, will the Acolytes move him someplace else?'

'But if I don't go what will happen to Hinata?' Uzumaki debated with himself, 'Okay, if I can convince Nagato to surrender, or knock him out, then maybe Kakashi-sensei, or Kaede and Temari might be able to get here in time to help Hinata. She can hold out for a little while longer, right? But can I really take that chance? Sol sounded scared, and this is Madara we're talking about. I can't risk her like that...'

Then his father's sharp words from their first meeting came back to him. Words about the cost and responsibility of being in command.

'When I am Hokage, I might have to send Hinata or another of my friends into danger. When that time comes, I have to trust in them, and stick to the mission. And now, Nagato is the mission.'

Naruto squared his shoulders resolutely, and walked slowly into the room.

Nagato's room was darker than he expected. It had a simple table with a bench on either side. It would have looked more like meeting or private dining room, if not for the simple bed against the back wall. Nagato sat on the opposite side of the furnishings, watching the younger man enter. He leaned forward against the table, seemingly interested of his guest. But Naruto's eyes were not fooled, Nagato's posture was as much born of exhaustion as of curiosity.

"Weren't you coming here to rescue your teammate?" Nagato asked evenly, as Naruto sat opposite him, "Can you afford to waste time here with me?"

"You heard Kakashi-sensei say that our target was here, and that we needed Hinata to find him?" Naruto said bitterly. Nagato frowned, but he also nodded.

"Well, if I just happened to find the target, we wouldn't need Hinata to track him, would we? And I can't abandon my mission, even for the woman I love. Besides, I pretty sure Hinata would scold me if I chose her over our assignment, even if secretly she'd be pretty happy I did it."

"Your target? Me?" the true Pein queried dubiously, and Uzumaki indicated his agreement.

"I thought you were here to assassinate Gouki-sensei," the Rinnegan user protested weakly.

"Yeah, Gramma Tsunade figured you guys'd think that," Naruto shrugged, "But the real reason we're here is to rescue you."

"_Rescue_ me?" Nagato objected, "I am not a prisoner here. I am Gouki-sensei's pupil, and at the risk of sounding immodest, his friend and trusted comrade."

"You are dying," Naruto insisted pointedly, "so we're here to rescue you."

"I chose this," the former Akatsuki countered with a hint of scorn, "It is like you just said about Hinata, I accepted this life, I accepted this mission, so I can hardly quit just because my life is in danger."

"That's not the same," the fox-faced teen struggled not to shout.

"Why not?"

"It just... isn't! Hinata might be at risk, but it's not a sure thing. Her life isn't being slowly sucked away."

"But what if it was a sure thing?" Nagato objected, "Ninjas undertake suicide missions."

"Then the goal would have to be worth the sacrifice!"

"And my life for world peace isn't a worthy sacrifice?"

"World peace?" Naruto snorted, "Yeah, I've heard all about that, both from Konan and from the Reaper's rantings. But I don't buy it. Peace through war is a stretch at best. But peace through slavery? No way."

"Slavery?" Nagato tried not to sound unsure.

"What else do you call the Shozokus? They have to obey Gouki. If they don't, they oaths they were forced or tricked into swearing will _kill_ them. They can't even turn rogue like a real ninja could. And he's got you brainwashed pretty good, too."

"I am working for Gouki-sensei because I want to."

Naruto shook his head, "You're doing it because he gives you an out for your guilt. Plus, his ideals are pretty close to yours, so you ignore all the bad things that are happening. He has you convinced it's for the greater good, so you just accept that working with criminals, taking away people's free will, and starting a war are necessary."

"Like any of you are any better," Nagato's indignant protest sounded almost childish, "There have been three Great Ninja wars before now, and a handful of smaller conflicts."

"Maybe not," Naruto agreed, "But some of us are trying to find a better way. And if you sink to the level of everything you claim to hate, will you really be able to change anything, in the end?"

Nagato slumped further, before forcing out, "But Gouki-sensei..."

"Didn't even try another route," Uzumaki interrupted, "I mean sure, he had you guys try to steal Madara's plans first. But he must have known that anything Madara thought up was at least as bad as this. And when the Akatsuki fell apart, he went straight to war. He could have taken over the Cloud Village legally and tried to talk to the other villages, to show them that his way might be better. Given everyone a chance to judge for themselves. Tried to make some sort of compromise. Instead, he decided it was easier to just try to force everyone to live his way."

"You may have a point," Pein's base agreed, "But so does Gouki-sensei. The other villages would never have accepted him or his ideals. We've all seen too much to believe that."

"But if you were really the good guys, you would have at least tried, first, right? Why subject everyone to Pein, especially the woman you love?"

"It wasn't supposed to be like that," Nagato grabbed the thread and ran with it, if only to direct the subject away from his other, growing doubts, "The Sage used all Six Paths, all the time, and he didn't suffer from this sort of weakness."

"Well, I don't know much about that," Naruto grinned in embarrassment, "history was never my best subject. But I can say that you're not the Sage of the Six Paths. Even if two people use the same jutsu, what happens isn't always the exact same, right? And that's assuming your Paths jutsu is the same as that guy's."

"Or maybe your Rinnegan just isn't as strong as his was. Like how Madara's Sharingan is so much better then Itachi's or Sasuke's. Or how Hinata is the only one right now with the Suigin Byakugan. Just 'cause you have the same bloodline doesn't guarantee you'll get all of the same powers."

"So I'm just too weak? That sounds about right... That's how it always was..."

"Argh," Naruto grabbed his head in frustration, "That's not what I meant! I was just trying to say that you are you. You're not the Sage, and you're not my uncle."

"Look," the blonde youth reached across the table and poked the fragile shinobi gently in the shoulder, "I guess I'm really trying to ask, what do you want? If Gouki were to die today, and told you to do what you thought was best, would you keep doing this, keep trying to make a better world by erasing this one? Or would you be like Konan, and decide that being with the one you love is more important than putting her or yourself at risk?"

"I don't know."

"How can you not know?" Uzumaki demanded, "You knew what you wanted when you took revenge on that Hando guy, right? Have you just been coasting since then, letting Konan, and my uncle, and Madara decided everything for you?"

"I..." his already weak voice faltered, and his Rinnegan stared blankly at Naruto, as he thought about the teen's query, "I don't deserve to move forward, not until I am forgiven... I want to be forgiven. But I can't be... Not yet..."

Naruto sniffed, a feeling of sadness filling him. He remembered how he had felt after killing Sasuke. And he wondered what it would have been like to sunk in that level of regret and self-loathing for almost twenty years.

"I forgive you," Uzumaki said softly, and Nagato's eyes suddenly snapped back into focus.

"What?"

"I forgive you for hurting Sakura. I forgive you for working with Madara to hunt down and kill me. I forgive you for helping kill Gaara, and forcing Granny Chiyo to sacrifice herself to bring him back," then Naruto remembered what Konan had told him about Nagato's history, "And I forgive you for not being able to save Yahiko, or all of your other friends in the original Akatsuki. I forgive you for outliving your family."

"What do you know..." Nagato started to lash out, but as he complained, he remembered that Naruto knew all about being the instrument of his best friend's heroic sacrifice. That this teen was also the last survivor of his family. But despite the revelation, he shook his head with an weak grin.

"That's very kind of you, but you don't have any authority to do that. That's why I need Gouki-sensei. If he becomes the ruler of the world, he will be able to absolve me of all of my sins. He will shoulder them all himself."

Naruto started to argue the point, but then another idea came to him.

"What about Yahiko?" Naruto asked carefully, "Does he forgive you? Does he have the right to forgive you?"

"Yahiko is dead," Pein stated harshly, "He can't forgive me."

"Yahiko is out there right now, fighting Kakashi-sensei," Naruto stared at him intently, "I talked to Ino, and she told me she and her dad both saw a part of the mind and soul of the original person in the Paths of Pein they fought. So the same thing must be true with your Deva Path, right?"

Nagato looked like he had been slapped.

"It seems so obvious when you say it," the scarlet-haired rogue stated with a sense of wonder, "But I never even thought of that. Or maybe... maybe I didn't want to..."

"Sometimes, it's easier not to move forward," Naruto agreed, trying to sound wise.

"But what if he doesn't forgive me?" Nagato asked his would-be rescuer, a tear running down his cheek.

"Then at least you'll know, won't you? Then you can legitimately give up; or you can try to earn his forgiveness, or something."

"Then I guess I'll have to ask..." Nagato announced with a renewed strength, his Rinnegan suddenly glowing brightly in the dark room.

* * *

The scene tore at his heart. Nagato found himself back in the ruined village of the original Akatsuki. The buildings were broken and smoldering, just as they had been when he and Yahiko had returned to find Hanzo's massacre. But none of the bodies of his friends and students were present, nor could he see Konan or Hanzo and his men.

"So, you finally came here," a familiar voice greeted him. Nagato turned so fast that he would have hurt himself had he been in the physical world.

Yahiko was just as Nagato remembered him. He was in his dark grey gi, his orange hair slightly shorter, and his darker blue eyes lacked the concentric rings of the Rinnegan. And his grin carried an easy mirth that Nagato had missed for a great many years.

"So, does this mean you're finally ready to forgive me?" Yahiko asked with amusement, but also a hint of sadness.

"Forgive _you_?" Nagato demanded incredulously, vaguely noticing that his voice had regressed in years. He looked down and saw that he was once again a gangly teen in clothing just like his comrade's.

"Is that a no?" Yahiko's taunting was cut by a greater degree of worry.

"Yes... I mean, no, of course not," Nagato seemed confused, "Why would I need to forgive you? You haven't done anything wrong."

"I did bring the original Akatsuki together, only to let Hanzo slaughter them," the dead teen suggested, pretending to be nonchalant.

"But if you hadn't done that, most of them would have died years earlier from starvation, exposure, or disease," Nagato protested, "And you didn't just save their lives, you gave them a purpose. They were happy, while they were with us."

"Besides," the boy who would be Pein looked unhappy, "I failed them too."

"No," Yahiko argued, "I was the leader. I was the one who chose to keep stealing work from the Rain Village. And it was all my idea in the first place. If I had chosen to side with Konan, when Jiraiya-sensei offered to bring us to the Leaf, we might all be alive and happy, living as Leaf shinobi. If I had listened to you and Konan about not antagonizing Hanzo, he might have kept on ignoring us."

"And that's only for starters," the too happy rogue returned to the first topic, "I forced you to help me kill myself, because I couldn't think of any other way to save you and Konan from Hanzo's goons. And that hurt you a lot."

"But that's also my fault," Nagato did not deny his friend this time, "If I had better understood my powers, I could have done something. Or if I hadn't hesitated to throw away that kunai, you wouldn't have had the chance..."

"And Konan would have died, and neither of us wanted that."

"I..." the Rinnegan user couldn't argue that point.

"And worst of all, I interfered with your relationship with Konan," Yahiko actually showed embarrassment as he said that.

"Wha..." Nagato stammered, totally confused, "What are you talking about?"

"You really still doubt her? You really think she 'settled' for you? Or that I was in love with her?" the original soul of Deva Pein's body briefly sounded exasperated at his friend, "I was just so sick of the fact that neither of the two of you could just spit it out. You both had it so bad for the other, but neither of you ever said anything. So I thought that if I made a play for Konan, one of you would tell me to back off. Then I was going to force whoever cracked to tell me why, and then run to the other one to pretend to apologize. That way I could have got everything in the open."

"Except you were ready to step out of the way for me," Yahiko suddenly switched from apologizing and explaining to accusing, "And Konan kept humoring me, I think because she was afraid of breaking up the team. You two were so fragile... Unfortunately, before I could find a way to fix it... you know."

The orange-haired youth made the motion of cutting his stomach.

"But you two managed to get together anyway, so I guess it worked out."

"It didn't work out," Nagato complained, suddenly aging a few years, as he turned away from his friend, "You are dead. By my hand. It was my fault. I wasn't strong enough to save you, to save anyone."

"You're contradicting yourself," Yahiko said sadly, "If you weren't strong enough, how could it have been your fault?"

"I..." the Rinnegan user paused, unable to argue the point. He looked down at the smiling teen and prompted desperately, "What should I do?"

"I can't make your decisions for you," the orange-haired boy suddenly turned stern, "If you ask me, you've let too many other people control your destiny. The people who ran you out of your village, me, Konan, Hanzo, Gouki, Madara... The only things you've ever really decided for yourself were to save Konan from that jerk merchant, and to kill Hanzo to avenge me. What to you want to do?"

"I want to live," Nagato sobbed, "I want to be with Konan. But I can't. I don't deserve it. I haven't earned forgiveness."

"Nagato, why would anyone need to forgive you? You haven't done anything wrong." Yahiko parroted his friend's earlier words. Then he touched his friend's arm comfortingly, his fingers not coincidentally brushing the single chakra control rod in Pein's current mental manifestation.

"But _if_ you had, I would have forgiven you a long time ago," the original of the Deva Path concluded gently. Nagato smiled, and nodded. Then his face fell again.

"If I do this, you will..." Nagato couldn't finish the statement.

"I'm already dead. This is just a portion of my soul that your jutsu called back. This will probably be a good thing for me. I'll finally get to see what kind of hotties there are in the afterlife."

Nagato could not help but chuckle.

"Good bye, Yahiko," he said thankfully, embracing his friend. The specter allowed it for a few seconds, then pushed him off.

"Save the touchy-feely for Konan," he taunted with mock disgust. Then he smiled happily, and said, "Good bye, Nagato."

* * *

Naruto tried to looked nonchalant, as Nagato's eyes opened again. The Rinnegan bearer smiled contented, and took a few deep breaths. Then he looked at his guest again.

"What was the deal you made with Konan again?" he asked openly.

"Umm," Naruto stammered in surprise, "You two get decommissioned, but you get to live freely in the Leaf Village, under our protection. Oh, and Gramma Tsunade will treat you personally, to make sure you recover from being Pein as much as possible."

"That seems more than fair," Nagato agreed, "I think that calls for a gesture of good will on my part. But I'm going to need your help."

Naruto looked bewildered, but nodded his consent nevertheless. Nagato reached for his right forearm with his left hand, and with an expression of suppressed agony, withdrew the control rod closest to his wrist.

"The Human Path," Nagato said wistfully, "Taira Hanashi, a Jonin from the Mines Village. Taira was an excellent talker, and fit well with the soul stirring nature of that realm."

He set the grey bar on the table, and looked up at Naruto.

"I don't have the chakra now to break it, to release him. Can I ask you to do it for me?"

"Sure. Uhh, what do I do?"

"Destroy it with a jutsu. The control rods are strong, so it will take more than a Cyclone Spike to do it. Simple slicing the rods in half would be enough, but the more thoroughly you destroy them, the faster the Paths will be freed."

"Freed, as in?" Naruto prompted, thinking of two possibilities.

"Returned to death. They will be freed from my control, but they will not last for more than a minute or two without my life force."

"My lord," the voice of the male Acolyte suddenly asked through the still open door, "Are you certain you wish to go through with this?"

"I am," Nagato answered openly, "Is that a problem?"

"Not at all, Pein-sama," the female Acolyte sounded overjoyed.

"Then you should not call me that anymore," Nagato's voice was full of relief, "Pein is about to die."

"Rasengan," Naruto finished forming the sphere while Nagato and his guards spoke, and pushed it carefully onto the bar. The spiraling orb splintered the dark material, and the ends that it did not touch began to break apart on their own.

"Yugito Nii," Nagato expositioned as he removed the remaining rod from his right arm, "Jonin of the Hidden Cloud. Even before the Bijuu was sealed in her, she had a strong connection to animals, and becoming the Jinchuriki of the Two-Tails Cat only deepened that bond."

"Goumon, Tokujo of the Hidden Claw," he removed the first bar from his left arm after Naruto destroyed Yugito's link to him, "His love for giving and receiving pain made him an unfortunately ideal candidate for the Naraka Path."

"Hagane Senshi, Jonin of the Hidden Rain. When my first two paths and I fought her to reach Hanzo, I could feel both her noble warrior's spirit, and her latent Tetsu Kobushi Kekkei Genkai. After her master fell, I returned and made Hagane my Asura Path."

Naruto destroyed the two first divine Paths, and watched carefully as Nagato removed the last control rod. Then the Rinnegan user shook his head.

"I will free this one myself," he told the young man, "Yahiko, no rank, of the Akatsuki township. My best friend and comrade."

He set the rod amidst the disintegrating remains of the other four, then held his hand above it, and took a deep breath.

"Shinra Tensei," Nagato intoned, and the cylinder shattered. The Rinnegan user shuddered and closed his eyes. For a moment, Naruto thought he had passed out. Then he opened his eyes, and smiled weakly.

"I'm going to need some sort of assistance to leave this place. I'm not sure I have the strength now to walk out of this building on my own, more or less make it to the Konohagakure. And I'm not sure how Gouki-sensei will react to me leaving. Will you help me, Naruto-kun? And you two, too, Sera, Toro?"

"Sure thing," Uzumaki grinned.

"Of course, my lord," the two Acolytes said in unison. Naruto offered Nagato his shoulder, while the two clerical warriors took up defensive positions.

* * *

"Sol?" Sakura said softly, getting the attention of the white ball of fluff in the alcove.

"Sakura-dono?" the albino squirrel unfurled, and looked up at the Human. She sniffed the air carefully, and studied the medic, before deciding she was the genuine article.

"Thank the gods, Sakura-dono. Hinata-dono is..."

"I know," the medic cut her off, "I got your message. I'm here to help. I need you to take me to where Hinata is. It was only luck that I found you."

"Of course," the familiar nodded in relief, "It's not far."

The squirrel girl scampered off, and the Jonin followed. Sol turned left at the intersection, and then froze.

"What the heck are you?" the blue Shozoku demanded of the rodent. Then Sakura rounded the corner, already pulling her bow off her shoulder.

"Sto..." he started to call out to the young woman, but the arrow that passed through his throat silenced him. Sakura inclined her head to Sol, who started running again. The white-furred squirrel turned right twice as she moved around the outside of a large room. She stopped in front of the door.

"Hinata-dono and Madara are inside. It's some sort of training room."

Sakura slammed open the door. Inside the remains of the dojo, Madara had backed Hinata nearly into a wall. Which might not have been the worst place to be, except the undying black flames of Amaterasu were eating away at the metal plate behind her. If the pale beauty touched them, they would spread to her. Madara obviously knew that, he seemed to be taking sadistic pleasure as the slashes of his chakra katana and flame claw clanged off Ginmaki. Each blow drove her closer to the shadow inferno.

"Hinata!" Sakura shouted. Madara glanced back at the intrusion, even as Tsunade's apprentice released her first arrow...

* * *

**Preview:**

[background scene of Sakura firing on Madara]

Sakura [false confidence]: Come on, Hinata. Naruto took done this guy on his own. We should be able to beat him together.

[background scene of Hinata fighting Madara up close.]

Hinata [evenly]: We need to be careful. He and I are evenly matched on defense, but his offense is stronger.

[background scene of Susano-o swooping down on Sakura.]

Hinata [cautiously]: And he knows more jutsu, and he had more chakra.

[background scene of Hinata, with her fingers in the Shadow Clone jutsu sign.]

Sakura [confidence further strained]: We'll think of something. Even this guy has his limits.

Naruto [announcer voice]: Next time on Naruto: A Growing Affection; **Chapter 160: The Limits of Immortality**

Madara [smugly]: Foolish girls, there is nothing you can do against me.

Naruto [taunting]: Uh-oh, did he just claim he was unstoppable?

Madara [off balance]: So what if I did?

Naruto [just chuckles]

**Author's Note:** 10


	160. The Limits of Immortality

**Chapter 160: The Limits of Immortality**

Madara almost casually shifted the burning claw surrounding his left hand. The fire chakra extension intercepted the arrow, incinerating even the metal head before it hit the first Uchiha. Though Sakura's attack failed, the distraction gave Hinata enough time to push the chakra tattoo weapon aside, and slip past Madara. The pale beauty darted away, joining her teammate as the medic stepped into the dojo.

"Sakura, thank you," Hinata said with obvious relief, "How did you find me?"

"I called for reinforcement, mistress," Sol explained timidly, as she followed the archer into the room, "You looked to be in great danger, so I stole your radio and asked if anyone would be able to aid you."

"You _called_ for Naruto," Sakura taunted the squirrel fondly, "But hopefully I'll do."

Her attempt to diffuse the situation failed, and the healer fired at Madara again, to keep him from interrupting. Hinata stared at Sol in thoughtful surprise, and the rodent met her gaze, apologetic yet hopeful.

"Thank you, Sol," Hinata said softly, "You saved me, despite the risk to your honor and station. But I am going to have to ask for my radio back."

"Of course," the squirrel squeaked gratefully, and handed over the device.

"Now, back to your mission," Hinata said more sternly, "Sakura and I can handle things here."

"Can you?" Madara asked dubiously, "Your friend may have saved you, but she doesn't have your talents for overcoming my Sharingan. And once she is dead or disabled, it will just be you and me again."

"Don't underestimate Sakura," Hinata warned him, "She is a Jonin of the Hidden Leaf and the apprentice of the fifth Hokage."

"No need to egg him on," the medic countered nervously, preparing another arrow; then asked, "What's the situation?"

"I'm almost out of chakra," the Hyuga heiress explained as she blocked a slash from Towa's stolen katana, "I took two food pills, but he has been forcing me to spend chakra almost as fast as I am recovering it. So far, none of my injuries are too serious."

Sakura nodded and launched her missile at Madara's left eye. For a third time the fiery appendage destroyed her projectile before it connected.

"Madara is down to about one quarter of his chakra," the Byakugan user continued, "And about seven minutes ago, I hurt him badly enough with a Rasengan that he had to use Suseri to temporarily heal himself. I was trying to hold on until it runs out..."

"Even if you can last another twelve minutes, there's nothing to stop me from using Suseri again," Madara scoffed.

"Just the fact that you're running low on chakra," Sakura shot back, to cover her uncertainty. Itachi's reports had said that he could only use Suseri once on a given injury, and neither kunoichi knew if this was another way Madara's Sharingan outclassed his descendants' eyes, or if the first Uchiha was bluffing.

'Besides, twelve minutes against this monster is long enough as it is,' Tsunade's apprentice reminded herself, 'and neither one of us is in perfect shape.'

"And it is not as if I can't take food pills as well," Madara informed them, as he aimed his weapons to drive the two young women apart. The teammates jumped in opposite directions, but circled around to regroup behind him. Madara tracked Hinata as they did so, but was still able to block the weak water jutsu Sakura aimed at his back. As the women resumed formation, he smirked at the medic.

"I chose this room specifically for the lack of water and earth, which, according to our last report, are currently two of Hinata's strongest elements," he informed the pink-haired Jonin.

"But back to the previous topic," he said conversationally, as he let the fire claw lapse. He reached into a pocket on the left side of his uniform and took out a small capsule with a deep blue liquid inside.

"Sakura, as a healer and chemist I'm sure you could us all the reasons why food pills are solids, even though the Human body absorbs liquids faster," he noted, waving the pill before them. Both of his opponents' faces registered shock.

"That's right, another of creation of the Akatsuki's scientists," he affirmed, "A liquid food pill, as concentrated as any solid, in a capsule hard enough to withstand the rigors of ninja life yet saliva and stomach acid soluble, and vacuum-sealed to extend potency."

He quickly popped the pill into his mouth and swallowed. And when it hit his stomach, Hinata's Byakugan registered a blossom of chakra refilling his tenketsu.

"Now, let's remove the interloper," he said confidently, staring hard at Sakura.

"Susano-o!" he announced. The archer tried to look away, but it was too late. The phantom warrior flew towards her, its sword of eternal pain raised.

"Suigin Byakugan: Absorption!" Hinata shouted desperately. To Sakura, the genjutsu figment turned towards the Hyuga Tokujo, rapidly fading away. But to Hinata, the indistinct construct solidified, and swung its katana sideways at her neck. Naruto's beloved did not flinch, and when the blade hit her throat, it shattered. The destruction of the sword spread back to the rest of Susano-o, and the genjutsu broke apart.

"I remember reading about that power," Madara growled, "but I would not have thought you could use it against my Susano-o... Raiton: Thunder Pressure Jutsu."

He sent out the shockwave without warning. Instead of the standard, dense column, Uchiha created a broader arc to fully encompass both women. Hinata quickly summoned Ginmaki's lightning blades, and held the enlarged kote in front of her face and chest, while sending the rest of her once again flagging chakra into her feet so she would not be pushed towards the Amaterasu covered wall again. Sakura grabbed her canteen, and threw it at the Lightning Release. The metal jug snapped when it hit Madara's technique, flinging the water into the air.

"Suiton: Water Burst Jutsu," Sakura countered, causing the newly available liquid to explode outwards, neutralizing the Raiton attack.

"How's you chakra?" the healer asked her friend, as she fired an arrow at the first Uchiha's knee. Madara changed his tattoo katana into a broader, straighter claymore, and interposed the blade between the missile and his leg.

"I'm okay," Hinata said aloud, while her fingers formed the words, 'Almost empty. Absorption costly.'

'That's unfortunate,' Madara signed back, and then added vocally, "Hashirama and I designed Leaf sign language, and I've made sure to keep up with the security changes that have been made over the decades."

"Fine," Sakura snarled slightly, beginning a new set of hand seals, "Hinata, take two more pills, and just throw some Empty Palms at him if you get too full. Ninja Art: Maximized Metabolism Jutsu."

The Hyuga scion, nodded, and ducked under Madara's claymore as she bit into the tablets. Sakura's jutsu accelerated Hinata's body's conversion of the supplements into energy, and also increased the rate at which her injuries healed, though not to the level of becoming actual, visible regeneration.

Hinata closed in again, knocking the red blade aside, aiming her Gentle Fist attack for Uchiha's heart. She knew that he could unseal his tenketsu as fast as she could close them, but her goal was to keep him on the defensive and spending chakra. Even if he really could banish his injuries more than once, waiting for damage to his arm to return and going for the kill while he was distracted using Suseri again was the safest plan.

Sakura let Hinata fight up close, and used her teammate as a blind so Madara's Sharingan could not influence or copy her actions. The immortal raised his claymore for a beheading stroke, and Tsunade's apprentice launched an arrow into the crosspiece. Her counter did not damage the chakra weapon, nor could she knock it from his hand, but the impact delayed the stroke long enough for Hinata to land two hits to Uchiha's right side as she slid under his arm. Sakura darted around to stay in line with the other two fighters, but fired another shallow shot at Madara's trunk as she moved. He cut the missile down with his blade, and then shifted his hands around the weapon's hilt.

"Chakra Pulse," he intoned smugly, and then pointed his left hand at them. The fingers on his directed limb moved in their half of the noble animal shapes, but the digits on his right hand remained firmly around the grip of the tattoo claymore.

"You let him copy that?" Sakura asked, unable to resist a hint of accusation.

"No, I haven't used that jutsu," Hinata shook her head as her fingers lash out at Madara's right shoulder, "He claims he invented the same technique a long time ago."

"Katon: Cascade Conflagration Jutsu," their opponent intoned, and a broad wave of deep orange flames emerged from his palm, flowing heavily towards the kunoichi. Hinata hopped backwards, landing right next to Sakura, and threw her arms out.

"Eight Trigrams Palms: Enfolding Dome," she incanted, creating the barrier around both of them. The liquid flames crashed against the jutsu, and were thrown away. After the last of the weaker inferno had broken on the walls or been engulfed by the lingering Amaterasu, Hinata ended her bubble, exhaling sharply.

"Okay, so what are we going to do?' Sakura mouthed silently into Hinata's back, counting on her comrade's Byakugan to let Hinata read her lips, 'He's immortal, right? Konan said that he only switched bodies because it was faster than waiting for his original body to heal, and he was hoping to grab Naruto's body. Maybe the best we can hope for is to disable him and escape. If we can even do that."

"I think I might have a way to kill him," Hinata temporarily showed Madara her back so he could not make out her words. He attempted to close the gap between them, but the Hyuga heiress threw up another Enfolding Dome, forcing him to dive backwards, or risk getting knocked into the lingering black flames. That alone gave Madara pause, and he reluctantly neutralize the Amaterasu with a pair of shallow Kamui portals.

"Then why haven't you done it already," Sakura whispered sharply, firing again as the Eight Trigrams art ended. Madara slipped by the arrow, and raised his claymore, pointing it horizontally at Hinata's throat.

"Because that jutsu isn't battle ready," the pale beauty answered, "I've never used it in real combat, and it takes me too long to set up to use it alone. But if you can buy me a minute..."

"Just one minute?" the medic sounded dubious as they darted away from Madara's attempt to skewer them by changing the claymore into a spear mid-stab. He then gestured with his free hand, flinging unformed fire chakra at Sakura.

"Inu, Tori, Ne! Suiton: Dowsing Rain," the Leaf Jonin pulled down the previously scattered water from her canteen, now condensed on the ceiling. The droplets fell through Uchiha's attack, neutralizing it as they boiled away again.

Hinata nodded, and Sakura sighed dubiously. Then Tsunade's apprentice bobbed her head once in agreement.

'When I say, get behind me, put your hands on my back, and stay there no matter what,' Hinata's lips formed the words without any noise escaping, and she hoped Madara's attention was sufficiently on Sakura that he did not see her. Then she placed her hands together, the first two fingers of her right hand pointing up, and the same two digits on her left hand pointing right. She whispered the incantation, and got to work.

"Ninja Arts: Shadow Arrow Jutsu!" Sakura shouted splitting the arrow that left her bow into a swarm of fifty missiles. Madara ducked, transforming his sword into a broad spherical shield. The real projectile poked through the red aegis, but was stopped before it could hit Uchiha. And the chakra generated shots all broke on the defense without doing any damage. Madara looked mildly annoyed as he stood; he changed to shield back into a katana, dropping the arrow in the process, but there was still a rhomboid break in the curved blade, corresponding to where the weapon had broken through Towa's tattoo.

Sakura had drawn an arrow to full extension by the time Madara regained his stance, and she launched it while he was still looking at the damage to his crimson sword.

"Ninja Art: Iron Arrow Jutsu," the healer intoned. The projectile leapt out with it usual speed, but the immortal's reaction was too slow to stop it. Instead, as the illusionary arrow hit his heart, his left hand shot out and grabbed the solid, invisible arrow by the shaft.

"You think you can use genjutsu against _me_?" Madara demanded, incensed.

"Just because you have an unnatural talent for it, doesn't mean you're immune," Sakura shot back, "And I just have to distract you with an illusion long enough to hit you once."

As if to illustrate, she pivoted slightly and fired at the wall. With a dull whine of metal on metal, the missile pierced the protective barrier around the dojo and vanished. Madara's ire cooled slightly as he realized he might have been underestimating the Leaf Jonin. Then her words sparked another thought in him.

"Speaking of distractions, did Hinata escape or is she up to some..." his taunt trailed off as he turned to look for the Hyuga heiress. His jaw dropped, and then he forced it shut, and chuckled derisively.

"Impressive, but you can't think you'll be able to hit me with that."

Opposite him stood Hinata and three of her Shadow Clones. And what had caught his attention was the massive Odama Rasengan the quartet had formed. The Sharingan user estimated its diameter at around sixteen feet, as it was digging into both the floor and the ceiling of the sparring chamber.

"I'm not done yet," the real Hinata croaked. All four versions of the young woman placed their hands against the edge of the Rasengan, and began to push inwards. The sphere began to slowly shrink.

"I don't know what you're up to, but it doesn't matter," Madara lashed out at the closest clone, his sword once more becoming a whip. Sakura darted around, intercepting the lash with her bow, and then pulling Madara closer with her greater strength. The red cord switched for a spear, and he attempted to move the healer out of his way.

The Rasengan was down to twelve feet in diameter when two of the chakra threads near the top of the sphere collided, setting off an explosion that shook the roof and threatened to destabilize the rest of the orb. The four Hinatas paused, switching their efforts to maintaining the Rasengan instead of compacting it further.

"Focus," the silver-eyed woman told herself bitterly, and they began to press inwards again.

"Katon: Grand Fireball Jutsu," Madara snarled at the annoyance keeping him from his true prey.

"Katon: Oxygen Consumption Jutsu," Sakura fired an arrow wrapped with a paper bomb into the cloud of fire, using the explosion to steal the inferno's fuel.

The five-foot sphere was a much deeper blue, and Hinata dismissed one of her clones. The turbulence around the Rasengan was much greater than usual. Sakura and Madara both felt it tearing at their uniforms, however Hinata was not touched by the chakra storm she was creating in the enclosed space.

"What is she doing?" Madara demanded, with a hint of desperation. He attempted to impale Sakura with his spear, but she caught the weapon and pushed him back. He changed the tattoo again, this time into a rapier, and he sliced deeply into her palm and fingers as he slid the blade out of her grip.

"No idea," Sakura admitted openly and with great amusement, while her inner self piped up for the first time in months, adding silently, 'But I wish I did. That thing's really starting to make me uncomfortable.'

The real Hinata was finally able to fit her hands around the three-foot navy-blue orb. Her last Shadow clone slipped Naruto's lover an additional food pill, and then dismissed herself. The Rasengan now seemed to fall in on itself on its own accord, and the compression grew faster in turn.

"Enough of this," Madara growled, "You'll either stop what you're doing to defend yourself, or you'll die. Ama..."

"Sakura, now," Hinata shouted, her voice still strained. Sakura complied eagerly, the ball in Hinata's hands starting to make her feel unbalanced physically as well as mentally. She jumped sideways, and then slid into position behind her teammate. She banished her bow and placed her palms on her friend's back, doing her best to minimize her profile behind the Hyuga kunoichi.

"...terasu!" Madara stated for the second time, and the shadow blaze roared out towards the two young women. Uchiha started to grin triumphantly, when Hinata did not release the Rasengan. Then the flames began to curve, and instead of spreading to the edges of his vision, they started to whirlpool towards Hinata. The immortal's eyes widened in fearful amazement, as the Amaterasu fell into the Rasengan and vanished.

"What the..."

His accusatory query died out as Hinata closed her hands around the tiny, black orb, and the storm around them died out. Then she opened unfolded her fingers again, and the room went black.

'What have you done?' Madara attempted to shout, but no sound emerged. The air in the room spun with the force of a tornado, and he felt himself being pulled towards the last place he had seen the pale beauty.

'Release,' Uchiha slapped his hands together, more praying than trying to remove the genjutsu that wasn't there.

'Katon: Kagu-Tsuchi,' he shouted desperately, but though he felt the fire chakra leave his hands, there was no illumination nor did anything change. And once again, the vocal seal produced no noise. He sent the remaining chakra in his body into his feet, however he still felt himself sliding steadily forward.

'Hinata, what's going on?' Sakura pleaded, unaware of Madara's matching desperation. But like the traitor, her request went unheard.

"I'll show you," Hinata answered anyway, and both Sakura and Madara heard her voice.

"Kariname Jutsu," her clear voice announced, and suddenly the other two ninjas could see, though the colors were severely muted. The door to the dojo was gone, apparently ripped inwards, but nowhere to be seen. The layers of the wall were being slowly stripped way, and the particles were flowing into the orb above her right pointer finger. A point of infinite blackness, less then a quarter of an inch across, hovered above the digit, and was the only point in the room that the loaned Suigin Byakugan could not not penetrate.

'Hinata,' Sakura mouthed, 'that's... that's a black hole.'

"More or less," the younger woman agreed, "This is my ohgi. Byakugan Art: Singularity Rasengan."

Then her silver eyes locked on Madara's black pits, and she said kindly, "I thought it was only fair to show you, too."

The vision sharing jutsu ended, and unseen by her colleague or enemy, Hinata took a step forward. Sakura almost did not notice the move in time, and she grabbed tightly onto her friend's uniform, huddling closer to the Tokujo.

Madara wanted to run. He thought he remembered where the door was, but was afraid if he lifted his foot, he would be sucked in like the walls were. Even if he could move, the disorientation from the false gravity and the gale force winds would almost certainly have diverted him off his course.

He felt her fingers touch his chest. And then his body started to melt away. Empirically, he knew he should have been in incredible pain, as his flesh disintegrated. But the Singularity Rasengan destroyed his nerves before they could register any sensation. After a handful of seconds that stretched out like hours in the impenetrable darkness, his torso was gone, and his disconnected head and limbs began to tumble into the abyss.

Madara panicked. Rationally, he knew it would not save him, and might even hasten his demise. But the first Uchiha was engulfed in a terror he had not experienced since before attaining his Sharingan and with it his supposed immortality. He convinced himself that he would be able to escape, to survive. And so, he fired tiny bursts of Amaterasu backwards, burning away Towa's optic nerves where Madara had merged with them. Madara's eyes pushed their way out of their recently stolen sockets, and attempted to fly away.

The grip of the Singularity Rasengan on Madara's chakra intensified without the shield of flesh. Rather than escaping, the Sharingan orbs were sucked even faster into the tiny void. Desperately, he tried to launch Amaterasu, Kamui, and Susano-o in rapid succession, but he was so far within the event horizon, that the jutsus failed before they were fully formed, their energy broken down by the vortex and scattered. Madara tried to scream, but even had he still possessed the physical capacity, Hinata's oghi would have consumed the noise.

Madara Uchiha died without making a sound. His precious eyes, the host of his soul and seat of his power were disintegrated, and with them his anchor to life.

Though she regretted doing so, Hinata maintained her Singularity Rasengan, until every cell of Towa's body was gone. She wanted to stop when Madara's eyes vanished, but she could not chance that Uchiha could recover from another part of his pilfered body. Only once there was nothing left did she end the jutsu.

Sakura blinked in amazement as the light returned. Although the overhead fixtures in the former dojo were gone, massive sections of the walls had been torn away, so there was plenty of illumination from the outside. The medic released her death-grip on Hinata's top, and stepped back.

"Is he gone?" the pink-haired girl asked cautiously, despite the fact she could not see any trace of Uchiha.

"There isn't even one cell left of him," Hinata said softly, tired and also inexplicably saddened, "Any matter that touches the Singularity is broken apart to the molecular level, sometimes further. And any chakra it pulls in is similarly redistributed. The only way Madara could have survived is if he is no longer a Human and had somehow become a spirit or a demon. But even then, it would take him some time to reconstitute himself."

Sakura sighed in relief. And then she fixed the younger woman with a glare that she normally reserved for Naruto, and punched Hinata in the arm.

"What the HELL was that?" Tsunade's apprentice shouted incredulously, "Why... how would you even create such a destructive jutsu?"

"I started working on it by accident, back when I was learning the Five-Points Rasengan," the pale beauty explained, tapping her fingers together nervously, "I kept trying to compress a full sized Rasengan into one of the smaller spheres that the Five-Points uses. But Naruto told me I needed to use fewer, shorter threads. He said it would be too hard to get all of the chakra of a normal Rasengan into an area that small, and he asked me what good would it do."

Hinata tilted her head in memory, before continuing, "That question made me curious. I began to use my Byakugan to watch the inside of the Rasengan as I shrunk it, so I could better prevent the threads from colliding. And then I used the narrower threads of the Protection of the Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms to make it easier."

"Once I had a normal Rasengan shrunk down to that size, I noticed that a sort of vacuum effect pulled in solids, liquids, and even chakra around it. But fortunately, my body and my chakra are not effected. So I kept working on it, until I found the critical mass where even light is absorbed."

Hinata sighed regretfully, "But it's not really a viable combat technique yet. I need to use three clone for the initial stages, and it takes to long to form. And until I have it down to the size where I can handle it alone, it leaves me very vulnerable."

"I think Madara would disagree with that," the healer countered in mock exasperation, and her inner self noted, 'She's spending waaaaay to much time training with Naruto.'

"Well, we better get going," Sakura said happily, handing the heiress another supplement, "We've still got a mission to complete. But that's the last food pill you're getting, you're already over the recommended limit for the day. So you'll have to be stingier with your chakra, okay?"

"Hopefully we won't be fighting anyone like Madara again any time soon," Hinata smiled at her friend.

"Fingers crossed," Sakura agreed, "Now, we should get in contact with Sol and Lune, to let them know you're okay, and see if they've found anything..."

* * *

**Preview:**

[background scene of Hana and Shizune fighting the Human Path]

[background scene of Temari and Kaede fighting the Animal Path]

[background scene of Team Choza fighting the Naraka Path]

Kakashi [curious]: Naruto?

[background scene of Gaara and Neji fighting the Asura Path]

Sakura [annoyed]: Naruto?

[background scene of Kakashi fighting the Deva Path]

Tsunade [angry]: Where's the voiceover, knucklehead?

Naruto [announcer voice]: Next time on Naruto: A Growing Affection; **Chapter 161: Diverging Paths  
**

Hinata [surprised]: Naruto aren't you going to say anything?

Naruto [unconcerned]: Nah, I think the pictures speak for themselves this time.

**Author's Note:** 9


	161. Diverging Paths

**Chapter 161: Diverging Paths**

In the chaos on the wall, Hana and Shizune had found themselves driven into battle with Pein's Human Path. The lovers had waved off any assistance; the two Jonin believed they were sufficiently in sync to handle Pein on their own. And they also knew that the Leaf currently did not have the manpower to send three or four warriors against a single opponent, even if that opponent was one of Nagato's fragments. Besides, the couple had other reinforcements at their disposal.

At first the fight had been going well for the two kunoichi. Hana and her dogs kept Pein hemmed in with wolf-pack tactics, so he could not dodge Shizune's poisoned needles. But no matter how many of the healer's senbon connected, Gouki's general did not seem to notice. His movements did not slow, nor did he show any other signs that the toxins were attacking his nerves or organs. Then Pein connected with one of the Haimaru trio, knocking the ninja hound into the outer palisade. The canine attempted to stand, but appeared to have a broken leg. That drew the attention of his brothers and his Human partner, giving Pein a chance to close in on Shizune.

Tsunade's first apprentice engaged the Human Path in taijutsu while she was waiting for Hana to finish checking the injured dog. But the way he fought confused her, his style was mostly defensive, and the few attacks he did launch were both slow and weak. Just as the medic expert reminded herself not to underestimate him, Pein suddenly darted in much more quickly. Still, instead of a fist or knife-hand, he lashed out with a loose, open hand strike. And it looked like he was aiming high enough that his strike might even pass over Shizune's head without the kunoichi needing to dodge or deflect. Rather than take chances, Shizune lowered her stance, and launched a punch at his stomach, two senbon gripped tightly between each of her fingers. At the last instant, his hand dipped down, and

lightly grabbed the healer's forehead.

Shizune froze in place. She felt an odd tug from his hand, not on her body but on her spirit. And as that pull grew steadily, she lost all ability to move. It felt like Pein was trying to rip her mind and soul out of her body. She resisted, anchoring herself with her chakra, using every mental defense she had been taught to try to evade him, and just plain wishing and praying to hold on to her body. Pein grinned slightly.

"Your will is strong, and you are well trained," he whispered to her kindly, "But no-one has ever held out against this power for more than a minute. It would be easier and less painful if you just surrendered."

"Get him!" Hana Inuzuka instructed her hounds in angry desperation. The veterinarian did not know what was happening, nor could she hear everything Pein said over the din of battle around them. But, even though neither Shizune nor the Human Path were moving, Hana could tell that her girlfriend was in some sort of mortal danger.

The uninjured Haimaru pair leapt forward, and their teeth tore into the Human Path's arm. For a few moments, the dogs hung there, trying to separate Pein from Shizune with their weight. But Taira's body did not move or flinch, and the hounds let go. Instead they went for his legs, holding him, as their Human approached with a drawn kunai. Hana he acknowledged, turning sightly to meet her. He raised a hand to stop her, and then he paused and his ringed eyes drifted back to Shizune

"Ah," he said, "You are with child. That explains your resistance. But that... that..."

The Human Path's eyes closed, and his body slumped, his hand sliding off Shizune's head. Hana motioned for her hounds to break off, expecting a deception. When Pain's eyes opened again, she tensed for an attack. But Pein turned his head slightly, and darted away from the two Leaf Jonin, aiming for the nearest black Shozoku. Halfway there, he stumbled, a spot of blood appearing on his leg. He jumped the rest of the way, and grabbed the anonymous warrior's skull with both hands.

"Ya got no willpower, you swore it all away," he said in a decidedly different dialect. Then he pulled his hands away, and the Shozoku crumpled. As Shizune recovered consciousness, he turned back to the two women, a deep gash opening up in his skull.

"Guess that's all the revenge Ah'll get," he grunted painfully, "I guess Ah'll have to count on you gals ta handle the rest."

The Human Path fell forward, the head-cracking blow he had suffered six months prior killing him again as the lovers and dogs looked on in confusion.

* * *

The Animal Path's claws tore both xiphos from Kaede's hands, and then the Mist Jonin had to somersault back to avoid being disemboweled.

Temari attempted the capitalize on Pein's focus on the genjutsu user, but Yugito's nose and ears twitched, and she deflected the fan with her left claw, without looking. The Sand kunoichi pushed Pein's hand higher, and channeled her chakra into her weapon to unleashed a quick, weak Wind Scythe jutsu into their opponent's ribs. But the former host of the Two-tails darted away, and Kaede was also forced to dodge the attack.

"That fan of yours is getting to be an annoyance," the Animal Path hissed, turning both her claws towards Temari while the Mist kunoichi recovered from the friendly fire.

"Dual Arts: Ferro-Rend Jutsu," Yugito's voice intoned, and the chakra mixture around her enhanced nails changed. It took on a green-grey tint, and adhered more closely to the claws. Even as the change occurred, she darted forward, aiming her fingertips for Temari's chest. The Sand ninja spun her weapon up the block, but after a moment of resistance, the talons sliced into the fan. Pein continued to push forward, her widening nails slowly expanding the punctures in the Temari's fan. Gaara's sister extended her arms, leaning her weapon outward, after she realized the extended nails might reach her.

"'Ferro'..." Temari growled, "As in the chemical name for iron."

"A combination of air and earth chakra that will cut through all but only the toughest alloys and the strongest reinforcing jutsus," Pein agreed.

Yugito pushed closer to Temari, her superior strength both forcing the younger woman's arms to bend, and scraping her heels against the street. Fortunately Pein's fingertips hit the fan preventing her from cutting further into the Sand Jonin's weapon. Though she was no longer slicing through the fan, she continued to steadily push closer the the Kazekage's surviving sibling.

"Temari," Kaede called out, pausing in the attempt to retrieve her weapons, so she could toss her third xiphos to her ally. Temari recalled Kaede's boast about her swords, and swung her fan to the side as she released it. She caught the blade as she spun past Yugito's claws, still imbedded in her damaged fan. As she rotated, Temari stabbed underhand at Pein's ribs. The Animal Path allowed herself to stumble, so the tip of the xiphos would miss her, but the leaf-shaped blade still sliced her back. Yugito took advantage of her more stooped posture, placing one of her feet on Temari's fan to wrench her claws free, widening the rends in the process. She leapt forward, continuing towards the Mizukage's daughter.

Kaede had snatched up her first disarmed blade, and was nearly to the second xiphos when she was forced to turn to meet Pein. She raised her sword with both hands, stopping the downward force of Yugito's claws. Unfortunately, the Mist kunoichi did not have time to brace her legs for the Animal Path, and Pein was able to bowl her over. Mizuno was so focused on keeping the talons on Pein's hands away from her chest and throat, that she did not notice the smaller nails on Yugito's feet extend. Pein suddenly brought her right leg up, and raked her her lower claw down the left side of her opponent's belly and thigh. Kaede cried out in pain, and Temari went from running to join the melee, to flash-stepping directly next to the Animal Path and the Face of the Mist. She raised her borrowed weapon to dismember Pein, when Yugito suddenly grunted in surprise, and rolled off Kaede. She looked up at Temari apologetically.

"Too bad he wasn't a minute sooner," she commented mysteriously, then she tossed a small jar to Temari, stating, "This will slow her bleeding and prevent infection."

"Can I ask the two of you to make sure that Namikaze and his gang get thrown out of my village?" the Cloud Jonin asked regretfully, her voice weakening steadily.

"Yugito Nii?" Kaede asked, levering herself up on her right elbow, and wincing. The former Jinchuriki wobbled, and then forced herself to nod once, before collapsing.

"That was... odd," Temari sounded bewildered. She performed a quick check of the cream Yugito had given her, and then knelt to apply it to her injured comrade. As explained, the ointment staunched the steady flow of liquid from the cuts, and eased the pain visible in Mizuno's eyes.

"You're still going to need medical treatment," Temari informed the Face.

"Darn right, otherwise this will scar! But at least I can move for now," Kaede bound her chakra around the wounds, further restricting the ache and blood loss.

"In that case, we should see if we can catch up with Sakura and Natsuki," the straw-haired Jonin decided.

"Sounds good to me," the platinum blonde agreed, "But could I ask you to get me my other xiphos. I shouldn't move any more than I have to, after all."

Temari smirked at the skilled manipulator, but complied nevertheless. After Kaede's three swords were sheathed and the Sand Jonin had recovered her damaged fan, the two women began to move slowly towards the path taken by the medic and the bodyguard.

* * *

"… Sixty-four Palms," Hanabi concluded, jumping away from Pein and back to the relative safety of her teammates. The four members of Team Choza watched the Naraka Path carefully. For a moment Pein hunched over, as if defeated. Then he reared back, laughing uproariously.

"Amazing," he congratulated them, "I couldn't feel that at all, and my chakra network is almost totally sealed. Unfortunately for you, my armor of Torment wasn't effected, and I can still do this..."

He signed quickly and incanted, "Ninja Art: Enhanced Agony Jutsu."

The three younger ninjas tensed against the genjutsu, but Choza had already figured out what the Naraka Path intended. Pein flicked his left wrist, and cringed slightly, before grinning at them.

"I thought my interrogation techniques would be enough to overcome your painkillers," he told them. Then he lowered his head and charged forward like a common berserker.

"Ninja Art: Shiatsu Fingers," the Takamichi duo proclaimed in unison, but they felt a vague deflection as his genjutsu blocked theirs. Kei drew another set of senbon, and threw them at Pein. Choza Akimichi stepped forward, meeting Pein at the same time as Kei's needles bounced of the Rinnegan bearer's skin. The big Jonin hit the invader hard in the jaw with both fists, and then drove a Partial Expansion enlarged foot into the Naraka Path's gut, knocking him back.

"Suiton: Water Bullets Jutsu," Keiko completed her jutsu, and dozens of spheres of liquid struck Pein, each with the force of an expert punch. Hanabi joined in by throwing two tag-wrapped kunai at the resurrected Claw shinobi. The paper bombs exploded, obscuring Pein momentarily. Then the compact cyclops rose from the smoke, still grinning.

"What exquisite pain," he said happily, and then raced towards them again. Once more the Leaf Jonin set himself to meet the attack, but this time the Naraka Path knocked him away like he was a lightweight Chunin. Both Hanabi and Kei started signing desperately as Pein plowed straight for Keiko. The elder girl tried to dive out of the way, but Pein caught her ankle, and swung her up like a Human club. He started his downward swing, to impale her on the sharpened wooden stakes of the Konohagakure's outer wall, when he suddenly shuddered. Keiko's leg slipped from his grasp, and Kei and Hanabi jumped up and caught their teammate. Pein turned and looked down the wall, to where Tomi Arashikage was bouncing of the belly of Raijin, and the other Stupid Brother was getting ready to crush Yanagi Sakoshita.

"Miserable criminals," Goumon of the Claw growled happily, and charged Fujin and Raijin. The idiotic siblings barely registered that their temporary leader was attacking them, until Pein's punch launched Fujin back over the wall and into a Mist traitor who was just gaining a foothold inside the Leaf defenses.

"Huh?" Raijin grunted mindlessly, unsure where his brother was or what the man with the one, weird blue eye was doing kicking him. The rotund outlaw's right knee cracked under the force of the Naraka Path's blow, and Pein tipped him over the palisade as well. Then he grunted in a different kind of pain, as his right arm fell off his body, as if severed by an unseen sword. Then his left dropped away in the same manner, and Goumon fell to his knees, his single red-brown eye rolling back into his head.

"What just happened?" Kei asked his female teammates.

"There'll be time for that later," Choza admonished his charges, concealing his confusion in the need for expediency, "For now, we need to stay focused on the task at hand."

* * *

Neji skidded back next to his ally. The metal mesh and thick padding in his sleeves had stopped Pein's Iron Scissor Jutsu but was rendered useless in the process. Gaara's drill of sand was mostly dry when it left the wind chakra canopy, but the rain soaked in the instant the silicate moved out from under the protection. It slowed and dulled, and Pein was easily able to avoid the direct attack.

"I recall you stating that your sand draws power from the blood soaked into it," Neji whispered with a thoughtful expression, "Is that true, or was it the boast of a madman?"

"Both," Gaara admitted, not bother to challenge indirect barb about his past lack of sanity, "It is not necessary, and was more to do with Shukaku's hungers than anything else. But the statement was not entirely without truth, my sands can draw some chakra from blood. And the idea of my opponent's life essence in my sand provides a psychosomatic connection, though not so strongly as it used to. Why do you ask?"

"Does that mean blood does not inhibit your sand like water does?" Neji bypassed the question, wanting to be certain his plan could work, before suggesting it.

"That is correct," the Kazekage considered the ramifications of the statement even as he made it, "Are you suggesting we try to protect my sands with a layer of blood?"

"No, I doubt that would last against this weather. It would be washed away before we could reach her, leaving us the worse."

"Then what do you propose?"

"Give me a handful, and then try to hold her for a few seconds," Neji offered cryptically. Gaara complied, and then sent a wave of his sand at her legs again.

Pein felt bad about how the battle had progressed, knowing that if Gaara were not hindered by the weather, it would have been a much more even fight, which was what the Asura Realm spirit within her was searching for. That, along with simple curiosity, led her to hang back briefly, allowing them to catch their breath and try to plan something. But as they started to move again, she was unsurprised by their tactics. She could already tell the Kazekage would surround her legs with his sand, while the Leaf shinobi would attempt to capitalize on her immobility using the Gentle Fist or, more likely, given their need for a decisive blow, one of the variations of the Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms. She did note with some small pleasure that the broad net of dust the Sand Jonin was using would make it almost impossible for her to evade the trap. Instead, Pein hardened her Steel Chakra around her legs so Gaara would not be able to injure her while she dealt with Neji.

"Eight Trigrams, Two Palms," Neji lived up to Pein's expectations, and landed the first two blow before she could begin to react, "Four Palms, Eight Palms, Sixteen..."

She caught Neji's wrist halfway through the fourth level, and swiped at his ribs with a literal knife-hand. The Hyuga ninja twist away from her and hopped back to join his comrade. She noticed, with some confusion, that Gaara retracted his sand at the same time. Though he was retreating, the Kazekage was also showing a smile but pleased grin.

"Why did you not press the attack?" she asked suspiciously.

"There is no need," Neji said smugly, "This fight is over."

"I don't expect either of you is going to surrender," she frowned thoughtfully, "Which means you must have come up with some sort of plan."

She flexed her shoulders as she checked the flow of her chakra, before stating, "The tenketsu you blocked will only stop a handful of my jutsu. So what is your next step?"

"There are no other steps," Gaara said, raising his hand, "Other than to finish this."

Pein's expression suddenly changed, a burst of intense agony passing through her eyes. She looked at them in mild amusement and confusion. Then her back arched oddly, and she feel to one knee, a spot of blood appearing in the corner of her mouth and out of her left nostril.

"What did you do?" she asked, sounding almost pleased, "Gaara is manipulating his sand, but I don't see any move... movement."

"You appear to have figured it out," the Kazekage noted, curling his fingers.

"Your sand is inside me, tearing up my body. Was it when Neji attacked me just now?"

"I wrapped Gaara's sand in the threads of my Eight Trigrams Sixty-four Palms," Neji confirmed, "Each blow I landed inserted three or four grains."

"And my sand can feed on the chakra in your blood," Gaara continued, "so not only is it no longer slowed by the water, but I can increase its speed by almost half."

She nodded along with their words, but then began to shake her head sadly.

"If you had finished it in one blow, you would have won," she told them regretfully, "But since you let me figure it out, and confirmed my suspicions, it will be a simple matter to..."

Suddenly she froze, and her whole body shuddered. Neji turned his head slightly, so his physical eyes could confirm what his Byakugan had already told him; Gaara had not moved his hands any further, and looked mystified by the Asura Path's actions. Then she lifted her head, with a new expression of melancholy.

"You know, I never resented being made a Path of Pein," Hagane Senshi told her opponents, "But other than the Deva Path, I think I'm the only one who didn't. As Hanzo's successor, I owed my loyalty to Nagato, even if he did kill me before he killed our former leader. And Pein is a better leader, a better man than Hanzo was. Also, I felt a connection with the Asura Realm."

She coughed violently, spitting up blood. Neji saw her ribs shatter, even though the sand in her torso remained still. He could not know that it was the impact of the Shinra Tensei that had originally killed Hagane, returning after so many years.

"Thanks for the fight," she whispered hoarsely, "It was fun..."

Her dying breath rattled in her throat for the second time. For a moment her body remained balanced on one knee. Then the impacts of the rain rattled her, and she fell backwards onto the street.

"What just happened?" the Kazekage asked flatly.

"I believe we just defeated the Asura Path of Pein," Neji concealed his bewilderment under dry speech as well.

"But ultimately, we did nothing to kill her," Gaara protested weakly.

"You can't be sure of that," Neji noted smugly, "nor will anyone know better. And it will be better for morale if everyone believes that is true."

Gaara nodded, and added, "We might even be able to get the remaining Rain ninjas to follow us, given their means of succession.

For a moment, the two men stared at Pein's body in silence.

"Should we continue into their headquarters?" the Hyuga Jonin asked.

"No," the former Jinchuriki said firmly, "We go back, so Ino can check on your fingers, and so we can inform the others of Pein's death."

Neji inclined his head in agreement, looking down at his incomplete hand. Gaara gathered up the remains of the Leaf kunoichi who tried and failed to save them. They began to jog slowly towards the sounds of the continuing battle.

* * *

Kakashi used small bursts of chakra to try to right himself. But just as he was in a position to throw another kunai at Pein, another Shinra Tensei feather struck him, lifting him higher above the ground and spinning him upside-down away from the Deva Path. The Copy-ninja struggled to resist the urge to vomit. Though he had fallen often enough, and even glided a few times, he had never been aloft continuously free of the pull of gravity for so long. Very few ninjas possessed the power of true flight, and Kakashi was not one of them. The Leaf Jonin was not sure if Pein was toying with him, testing him, or simply conserving his feathers against Naruto's potential return.

'Whatever he's up to, I have to find a way to attack him,' Kakashi focused on the words to draw attention away from his churning stomach, 'But his feathers have stopped my weapons as well as any jutsu I can get off fast enough to target him. And as long as he keeps me spinning like this, I can't make eye contact long enough to influence his actions with my Sharingan. Unless the hypnotic power isn't the only thing he's afraid of.'

Under his mask, Kakashi's lips pursed in thought.

'It would make sense that the 'Essence of the Gods' would overcome the 'Wings of an Angel',' Hatake decided. He closed his original eye, and focused his Sharingan on the glimpses he got of Pein as the slow stream of feathers sent him fluttering through the air. He aimed not based on the images, but on a calculation of distance and absolute direction. The air around Pein began to warp, as if flowing into a drain. The Deva Path floated away, his eyes widening in worried recognition. Despite an increasingly bouncy ride as more feathers hit him, Kakashi was able to force the Kamui to follow Yahiko.

Then Pein suddenly stopped moving; not only did he no longer dodge, but the stream of gravity fragments targeting the Sharingan user also ended. As did the incomplete Kamui, when its creator suddenly dropped out of the air and barely managed to land safely on the street. He quickly turned, expecting some sort of trap. But the Deva Path just hovered a few inches above the ground, his ringed eyes unfocused.

"Okay, not sure what's going on," Kakashi muttered, mostly to see if Pein would react, "but I'm not going to waste this chance either. And now that I'm back on the ground, I'm not going to let you hit me with those again."

He lowered his right hand and grabbed his wrist. Electric chakra began to crackle audibly around his fingers. His transplanted eye locked onto Pein, but also absorbed the terrain, and the dust in the wind, and any other potential obstacles in between them.

"Lightning Blade," he incanted as he pushed off, racing forward at a dangerous clip. Halfway there, Yahiko woke up, and his eyes widened. His wings all extended outwards, the top set pressing against Kakashi's shoulders, the middle set grabbing the Copy-ninja's wrist, and the bottom pair wrapped around Pein's chest. The shield proved unnecessary, Kakashi was forcibly halted almost a foot short of his target. The Leaf ninja tensed for an attack, but Pein just set him down.

"Woah, that was close," Yahiko exhaled sharply, "I don't have much time left, and it almost got cut off early."

Kakashi eyed him suspiciously, noting the change in Pein's speech patterns. Hatake also recognized the Pein could have easily killed him instead of just stopping him. But despite those points, Naruto's teacher was not entirely convinced this wasn't a trap.

"That student of yours is sure some talker," Yahiko shook his head with a wry grin, "I've been waiting forever for Nagato to have some kind of conversation with me."

Kakashi's dubious and uncomprehending expression deepened.

"Sorry, I guess I should explain a little," the Rinnegan bearer smiled broadly, "I'm Yahiko. Or at least what's left of him, propped up by the Deva Realm spirit. Which is pretty ironic, since I really think the Human Realm would fit me better. I could talk most girls into doing whatever I wanted. But then I guess the Deva Realm is the strongest, and Nagato didn't know what he was doing back then."

"You're Yahiko?" Kakashi prompted dubiously.

"Yup. Your boy and I convinced Nagato to give up on Pein. And so he let me have control over my body for the last few minutes. But not the other paths, I guess he doesn't trust them as much."

The Deva Path grimaced suddenly, and added, "Well, there it goes. The control rod is gone. As soon as Nagato's soul piece returns, and the Deva Realm finish vacating my body, I'll finally be dead... Again."

"You don't seem very upset about that," Kakashi noted dryly.

"Eh," Yahiko shrugged, "I already died once. And to be honest, coming back hurt a lot more than going. But don't tell Nagato, okay? Last thing that guy needs is more guilt."

As he said that, a line of red appeared across the stomach of his uniform.

"That's unexpected, and a little annoying," the first Path exclaimed weakly, grabbing his belly tightly, "But I guess that means time is up."

Yahiko's expression suddenly turned serious.

"Naruto found Nagato, so he didn't get to Hinata and Madara," he informed the Leaf Jonin, "So you should probably get there as fast as you can."

Kakashi nodded, and took off. Yahiko leaned back against the pharmacy that bore the scars of their battle. He blinked once, painfully slowly. And when he opened his eyes again, he saw a small girl floating before him. She looked more like a doll than like a Human being, despite breathing and blinking normally. She had hair of the purest white, but her eyes were constantly changing colors. In her right hand, she carried a scythe that probably weighed more than she did. She faced him expressionlessly, but extended her left hand to him. Yahiko smiled sadly, and reached up to take it. When they touch, his pain vanished, and his soul stood, leaving his body behind.

* * *

"So, how much searching did you get done?" Sakura asked.

"Not too much," Hinata admitted, "Though my Byakugan can see into many of the rooms, each floor is blocked and some of the individual rooms are as well. I only managed to search a few of the shielded rooms on the first floor, before Madara chased me up here."

"I doubt Nagato is down there," the medic grimaced, "More likely he's near the top. But, if we're going to do this right, we had better be thorough. So maybe we should split up."

"No," the pale beauty quickly shook her head, "I don't think we're in any shape to do this alone right now."

"Yeah, you're probably right," Sakura looked at her nearly empty quiver and at Hinata's numerous, if minor, injuries, "Especially is we run into Gouki or one of the Peins. Let's head down and make our way back up."

Hinata lead her teammate back to the stairs she had used, and the two kunoichi quickly descended. Once they reached the first floor, they heard something that made them freeze.

"… ly taking you as far as the front gate," a familiar voice said loudly, "From there, your three should be able to make it on your own. Look for Kakashi-sensei, or Temari and Kaede, you know where they were fighting, right?"

Someone else said something after the first voice paused, but as the young women broke into a run, they did not hear it.

"Me?" the echoing voice continued, "I gotta go find Hinata!"

"Naruto!" Hinata dove at him as she and Sakura emerged into the interior courtyard.

"Hinata," Uzumaki teared up in relief, "and Sakura, too. What are you doing here?"

"Saving Hinata from Madara... well sort of..." the healer countered, then continued pointedly, "What do you think you're doing?"

"Our mission," he snapped back, and Sakura looked past him to see their target and two of his Acolytes.

"This means we can all get out of here, right?" Hinata said hopefully.

"No, no it doesn't," a deep, gentle voice answered, and Gouki Namikaze stepped out of the fuinjutsu that had concealed him in the shadows...

* * *

**Preview:**

[background scene of Gouki confronting Naruto, Hinata, Sakura, Nagato, and the Acolytes.]

Naruto [resolutely]: I knew things were going too well.

Sakura [annoyed]: You call this 'going well'!

[background scene of Gouki fighting Naruto and Hinata.]

Naruto [sadly]: I guess I really am gonna have to fight my uncle.

Gouki [pleased]: He called me uncle.

[background scene of Gouki summoning many, many clones.]

Naruto [mildly happy]: I guess this really does prove we're related.

Hinata [worried]: Is this really the time to be thinking about that?

Naruto [announcer voice]: Next time on Naruto: A Growing Affection; **Chapter 162: The Strongest Renegade  
**

Sakura [angry]: Enough with the boke-tsukkomi routine, knucklehead.

Naruto [confused]: Huh? Did you say something, Sakura?

**Author's Note:** 8


	162. The Strongest Renegade

**Chapter 162: The Strongest Renegade**

"I wondered who was making such a large ruckus in my home," the Raikage said, his obvious annoyance covering mild amusement, which in turn rested over a current of genuine anger.

"Gouki-sensei," Nagato sounded mildly chagrined as he bowed his head as deeply as he could to his teacher. Naruto, Hinata, and Sakura closed ranks around the weakened shinobi, and Uzumaki drew his staff-blade. Their reactions cooled his ire, and shifted his thoughts towards the younger renegade. Gouki shook his head and chuckled sadly.

"Nagato has nothing to fear from me," Namikaze told the Leaf teens. He looked past them and addressed his junior, "I see your control rods are gone, and you seem to be leaving. Have you decided to join Konan in exile?"

"I have, sensei," the Rinnegan user answered respectfully, "I have been reminded that my responsibility to her predates our apprenticeship to you. Or maybe I should just say that I love her, and I want to live for her."

"I'm sorry to see you go," Gouki smiled at the younger man, "But you are my friend and ally, not my prisoner. I won't stop you. Rather, I wish you both the best."

The group started to move again, and suddenly Syphon appeared in Gouki's hand, and he pointed the axe at Naruto.

"Nagato and his Acolytes may leave, if they go alone," the Raikage stated darkly, "But that does not apply to the three of you."

"Sensei?" Nagato sounded surprised.

"They have invaded my city, and stolen you," Gouki explained, "And unless I miss my guess, they are also responsible for Madara Uchiha's death."

"Madara?" now it was Naruto's turn to sound confused.

"How did you know that?" Hinata asked softly, causing Naruto and Nagato both to stare at her in amazement.

"I placed a tracking seal on him," Namikaze answered, "I knew the instant it vanished."

"You understand that I can't allow this to go unredressed?" Gouki queried his student.

"I understand why you feel that way, but given the situation, I'm not sure I can agree with you, sensei," Nagato denied Gouki his approval, "And I will not leave without them."

"Just go," Naruto countered, "I've been wanting to have a conversation with this guy, and you'll just be in everyone's way."

"For once I agree with Naruto-kun," Namikaze nodded.

"In that case, can I provide him with some additional escort," Naruto asked, "both to help Nagato, and in case your followers disagree with your decision?"

Gouki inclined his head, and Naruto bloodied his fingers. Beside him, Hinata did the same. Both lovers pressed a palm to the ground.

"Summoning Jutsu," Uzumaki and Hyuga intoned in chorus. Sakura frowned at the younger woman, even as Gamakichi, Gamatatsu, Sol, and Luné appeared in the space behind Nagato and his Acolytes. The sibling squirrels looked mildly confused at their resummoning. The toads looked at all of the potential opponents, and tensed for battle.

"What's up, Naruto?" the darker colored amphibian asked carefully.

"'Kichi, I need you and 'Tatsu to escort Nagato and his bodyguards out of the Cloud Village," Naruto said, "And you guys might need to carry him, he's pretty weak."

"Sol, Luné, will you two please accompany them as scouts?" Hinata asked kindly. The albino rodent nodded broadly.

"So, Nagato's the stick figure guy?" Gamakichi prompted again, and a hint of sadness flashed across Gouki's eyes.

"I'm afraid that I am," the Rinnegan bearer agreed.

"Great, climb on," the horse-sized toad crouched down lower, and the female acolyte Sera helped Nagato secure a spot on 'Kichi's back.

"Sol, Luné, you know where to take them, right?" Sakura asked, her statement indicating an individual rather than a location.

"Yup, we know the drill," the male squirrel answered.

Gouki stepped aside to allow the bizarre procession to leave the Raikage's home. But he kept a careful eye on the teenage members of Team Kakashi, ready to pounce if they tried to escape. But none of the younger shinobi made a move, until the doors closed behind them, and the shouts of the surprised Shozokus disappeared.

"You really think you can take the three of us?" Naruto asked his uncle confidently, "I mean, numbers aside, it sounds like Hinata and Sakura just killed an immortal..."

"And if you were all in peak condition, it might give me pause," Namikaze admitted, "But Sakura-chan has a lump on the back of her head the size of a chicken's egg. Both ladies have a number of minor cuts, Hinata-chan more so than Sakura-chan. And while you appear physically unharmed, the damage to your uniform would indicate you were in a fight recently, so, like your teammates, you must have expended at least some of your physical and spiritual energy."

He brandished Syphon lazily, and smiled at the teens, earnestly with a hint of condescension.

"So yes, I think I can 'take' all three of you," he concluded. He tapped his right toes against the stone floor, and then he vanished.

Gouki reappeared next to Naruto, swinging his axe at the younger man's neck. Hinata started to call out a warning, but her lover was already raising Kitsune to intercept. Sakura hopped back, drawing and releasing an arrow while still in mid-air. Even as Syphon clanged against the staff-blade, the Raikage took his left hand off the weapon.

"Redirection Jutsu," Namikaze stated without signing. He twisted his body slightly, and as Sakura's arrow approached him, he moved his free hand above the projectile. Even with only one hand, the pressure he placed on Uzumaki forced the Tokujo to move his off-hand to Kitsune's hilt as well. As the missile passed under Gouki's hand, he turned his arm and body further, and the arrow followed as if stuck to his inverted palm. He buried his right foot in Naruto's ribs, as he completed his rotation. Gouki released the arrow from his jutsu, and it flew at Hinata with the same velocity it had had when he caught it.

Hinata squeaked in surprise, ending the jutsu she had been forming. She quickly crossed her arms in the path of Sakura's redirected missile, and braced herself. The arrow scraped off Ginmaki with a metallic whine, and was deflected into one of the nearby pillars. And in spite of her preparations, the force of blow knocked the silver-eyed kunoichi onto her butt.

Naruto skidded to a halt next against one of the stone columns, wheezing as his broken ribs started knitting back into the correct shape and position. Despite the regenerating injury, he sent chakra into Kitsune to form its wind chakra blade and charged his uncle.

Once his kick cleared Uzumaki from his immediate path, Gouki turned his focus to Hinata, who was still in the process of falling backwards. He once again moved forward with speed even the Hyuga heiress could barely track, and lifted Syphon for a broad swipe at her legs.

"Ninja Arts: Find Me Jutsu," Sakura drew two arrows at once and fired at Namikaze. As they left the bow, the missiles seemed to split, but into a much larger mass of bolts than a simple Arrow Shadow Clone jutsu. Most of the two hundred arrows flying at Gouki and Hinata were illusionary, but mixed in with the real and fictional projectiles were around three dozen shadow arrows. The swarm made Gouki pause long enough for Hinata to plant her hands and spin her body upwards.

"Eight Trigrams Soles, Heavenly Spin," the pale beauty intoned, expelling chakra from her feet. The Raikage brought his axe down, and the red ribbon of metal in the blade glowed as it sliced through the jutsu. The swath carved out of the Heavenly Spin prevented it from hitting his chest and face, but the technique still hit Gouki's belly, legs, and arms, throwing him clear of the archery barrage.

Though he escaped the two kunoichi, his flight method tossed the rogue unsteadily into the path of Naruto. The blonde teen stabbed his Fuuton blade at his uncle's spine. The renegade twisted his shoulder almost out of joint, and managed to catch the sword against the flat of his axe. Namikaze pushed back, turning to face the Tokujo as his feet touched down again. He swung shallowly at Naruto's chest, and Uzumaki blocked with his enhanced staff-blade. Syphon flared again, and cut right through the wind chakra extension, before being stopped by the metal shaft.

Gouki spun Syphon up, catching Kitsune under the flare of his axe's head. He yanked down quickly, and Naruto was not prepared for the sudden switch in direction. The staff-blade and the axe both dropped, and Namikaze took his right hand off the weapon, thrusting his palm at the teen's chest. As the strike hit, Naruto exploded into a cloud of cherry blossoms.

"Release," Gouki announced, and then caught Kitsune on Syphon's hilt just before the blow from the concealed Tokujo hit his left temple. He pushed the pole weapon away, and rotate his entire body, aiming his battleaxe at Hinata's stomach as the younger woman once again entered melee range. Her kote prevented him from cutting her, but once again she was put off balance. This time the pale beauty used the momentum, lifting her right leg and dropping her heel lightly on his knee. She put her weight onto his leg and jabbed her other knee into his right elbow. Then she pushed off with both stems, and flipped back into position next to Naruto. Gouki examined his right knee and elbow while the teens caught their breath. Neither was particularly damaged, but Hinata had blocked one tenketsu in each joint.

"To be able to use the Gentle Fist with that level of precision with your legs is quite difficult," he observed with an odd hint of pride, "I like your girlfriend, nephew."

"You don't get to call me that," Naruto snapped, too incensed to try to deny their connection, "You abandoned your brother, your village. Kakashi and Iruka are my uncles. I don't know you from any other missing-nin I've had to take down."

"I regret that I wasn't part of your life before now," Gouki sounded genuine, "If I had known Yukihana and Minato were dating, that they had a son..."

"Yeah, but you're still trying to kill me now, aren't you you?" Uzumaki shot back.

"I don't intend to kill any of you," the Raikage sounded hurt, "You should know that I do not kill if I can avoid it. And my skills being what they are, I am rarely _unable_ to avoid murdering my opponents..."

"You could have fooled me," Sakura interjected sarcastically.

"No, familial connections aside, you three are too valuable to kill," Gouki stated openly, "Naruto's fame and popularity make him a critical asset in this war. If capture him it will demoralize the other side and hurt their alliances. And if I could turn him..."

"That'll never happen," the blonde youth growled.

"So you said before, but never is a long time. And if I am holding both of your teammates as leverage..."

"But your attacks have not been designed to incapacitate," Hinata shook her head, while objecting to Gouki's assertion, "Trying to behead Naruto and disembowel me can hardly be called 'non-lethal'."

"Syphon doesn't cut flesh, if I don't want it to," Gouki explained, illustrating by swinging the axe through his own arm, "My strikes are designed to tire the three of you and relieve you of your remaining chakra. After that, taking you prisoner will be far easier."

"You're still getting ahead of yourself," Naruto countered smugly, "Other than that one kick, you haven't hit us yet."

"That is true," the renegade leader admitted, "but then, I haven't really been exerting myself yet. But I suppose, to be fair about this, I really shouldn't hold back..."

He hopped further away and started signing. His hands formed the noble animal seals with speed the teens had only seen when Kakashi Hatake was particularly serious or desperate.

"Inu, Inu, Tori," Gouki finished the forty signs in only five seconds, and then intoned, "Ninja Art: Clone Brigade Jutsu."

The air around him exploded and sixty additional versions of the Raikage filled almost half of the previously expansive audience chamber.

"Big deal," Naruto scoffed, placing his hands together as the Gouki copies all lifted their right arms into the air.

"Multi Shadow..."

"Naruto, wait," Hinata implored him, grabbing his shoulder.

"Syphon, Replication," Gouki ordered, tossing dozens of loose kunai into the throng. Just over half of the clones caught a dagger, and as they did, the weapons turned into duplicates of the Senju clan's axe.

"Okay, yeah, that could have been bad for my chakra supply," Naruto agreed.

"That's not all," Hinata told her teammates, "Though I can't tell the difference anymore, I saw other materials mix in when the clones were forming. They aren't Shadow clones."

"Some of them are," Gouki admitted, impressed again, "But for every Shadow Clone, there is also a regular Clone, a Water Clone, a Fire Clone, an Earth Clone, and a Lightning Clone. Six types of clones, ten of each type. That is my Clone Brigade."

"Four different types of elemental clones in one jutsu?" Sakura protested, "That's not possible!"

"It is with the right Kekkei Genkai," Gouki explained, "And before you protest, I don't have the Rinnegan. But after I helped Nagato create the Random Elements Clones jutsu, we reverse engineered a more stable four element version that I could use. But it is one of my finishing moves, it is very difficult and takes most of my chakra."

As if to illustrate the point, Namikaze took out one of the liquid food pills Nagato had provided him from the Akatsuki's small stockpile and swallowed it. The teens tensed to attack, but the Goukis all smiled sadly at them, as they started to circle around Team Kakashi.

"You three should be careful," he advised, "Hitting a Lightning or Fire clone would be very bad for you, and from what Hinata said, even the Byakugan can't tell the difference."

The heiress nodded slowly. But Naruto just grinned.

"Yeah, well, we got this right Hinata?" Uzumaki boasted, gesturing for Sakura to close ranks. The medic complied before the copies reached her, but her expression was doubtful.

"Naruto, Hinata's chakra is pretty low, and she can't take any more food pills today," Haruno informed her male teammate in a harsh whisper.

"That's fine, I usually cover the chakra requirements anyway," the blonde was undeterred, "Hinata provides the eyes and the Byakugan threads."

"But in that case you better let us make contact," he said more seriously, while Hinata shifted her stance to press her back to his.

'Fighting back-to-back?' Gouki thought, unknowingly echoed by half of his clones, 'But it feels like I should be recognizing this. Some minor detail from Homura's reports that's escaping my memory? Ah, well, it can't be that important.'

"Take them down," the original Namikaze ordered, "but try not to hurt them too much."

The clones charged forward, some remaining on the floor and a handful leaping so the teens could not escape to the ceiling. As his personal army moved in, Gouki took a step back, his eyes focusing primarily on archer, crouched beside her friends. And Hinata and Naruto both smiled, thankful that their opponents were attacking on more than one plane. Their heartbeats and breathing in unison, and the chakra networks linked, both lovers' hands snapped out.

"Double Vision," they intoned softly, their speech matched as well, "Protection of the Eight Trigrams, Two Hundred Twenty-four Palms."

Sakura glanced up at the new incantation, and noticed Naruto's arms were moving faster than any previous time she had seen the defensive technique.

Gouki frowned in annoyance as half the front line of clones were cut down before their first steps landed. He had forgotten about the technique that had sealed the Hokage's decision to move Hinata to Team Kakashi, as the duo had only ever been reported using it in combat once. Water splashed, rock crumbled, and explosions of fire, lightning, and white smoke filled the area around the teens as the first dozen copies fell. Gouki took a small comfort in the fact that the water and earth chakra facsimiles did not die from one hit, but took a concerted effort from Naruto or Hinata to bring down.

"Syphon units, cut their threads!" one of the duplicates called out, and the original cursed himself for not thinking of it first. A Fire clone in the air lashed out with his version of the Senju weapon, destroying Hinata's left hand projection before it hit him and absorbing its chakra. Gouki nodded his approval, until Naruto's right hand string struck the same copy, bursting him and releasing the axe. Another clone attempted the cut down Hinata's restored left hand chakra stream, but the pale beauty subtly shifted her wrist and the thread twisted past the curved blade. The duplicate was struck in the forehead and transformed back into water.

"Sakura, why aren't you firing?" Naruto asked curiously, and with a hint of accusation.

"I'm almost out of arrows," she answered tersely, her gaze following the real Gouki. The fox-faced man tapped into his merged Byakugan sight, and counted four projectiles left in the container.

"I thought after you sent them back, Gramma Tsunade or Shizune-neechan refilled your empty quivers for you," he prompted, the annoyance in his voice switching to worry.

"They must have been too busy," Sakura matched his tone.

"Naruto," Hinata prompted anxiously.

"I got him," Uzumaki answered, turning his full focus back to the jutsu. His right palm shifted again, taking down the Gouki copy that had managed to slip to within ten feet of the Leaf shinobi trio. He exploded in a blast of fire, and as he did, Naruto and Hinata's movements suddenly slowed. Only five of Gouki's shadows remained, and they had all retreated to just outside the jutsu's range. They allowed the technique lapse, and their chakra networks naturally separated. Hinata immediately noticed that not only was her spiritual energy nearly full, she felt physically refreshed as well. Then she quit congratulating herself, seeing that Naruto's chakra had dropped considerably, and that he was panting slightly.

"Okay, so we're down to six against three," Sakura noted, watching the Goukis and making sure not to lose track of the true Namikaze, "Except now they've each got two of those darned axes."

"I don't suppose you were paying attention when Gramma Tsunade showed us the kill switch jutsu for the Syphon copies?" Naruto queried hopefully.

"Of course I was, idiot," Sakura hissed, "But the problem is, it requires close proximity."

"No more than three feet," Hinata answered before he could ask.

"Okay, you two take care of the axes left on the floor, and I'll get the remaining clones," he said, linking his fingers into a cross.

"Naruto, if the Syphons hit your Shadow Clones, you won't get any of that chakra back," Hinata fully explained her earlier protest. But Naruto just grinned. And Sakura mouthed the word 'left' thoughtfully.

"Don't worry, these guys are no problem. Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

Ten Narutos appeared around the trio, and immediately began to dart towards Gouki's clones. But as they ran, each Naruto stooped and picked up one or two of the Syphon copies. Gouki's eyes widened, and Sakura could not keep from chuckling triumphantly.

"That doesn't matter," the first Gouki clone he reached countered, but his bravado was forced, "Battleaxe isn't even on your skill sheet. Even two on one you can't hope to keep up with me."

"But you know what is on my skill sheet?" Naruto shot back, "Staff-blade. My best weapon. And the principal of the staff-blade style is..."

"Adapting attacks from one weapon to another," the real Gouki sighed. The first clone managed to block both of the Narutos' attacks, but the second copy, a Fire Chakra duplicate was less successful. One of the axes clipped his left leg, and the weapon inhaled the energy that had formed the clone, preventing even the Fire Clone's inherent self-immolation. And the third Gouki was merely an insubstantial Clone, the Syphons passed right through his attempted defense, destroying him. For a moment there three Goukis against ten Narutos, though the last Earth Clone Namikaze managed to clip a Shadow Clone Uzumaki.

"But without the Syphons..." Gouki whispered thoughtfully, and then held the real axe before him, "Syphon, Reconstitute."

The red ribbon in the axe seemed to darken, as if drawing in light instead of producing it. Simultaneously, each copy of the weapon reverted into the cheap kunai from which it had been formed. The Syphon returned to glowing, as it gained the chakra its subordinate selves had stolen. Unconcerned, the Narutos grabbed Goukis in sets of three.

"Hinata, now," nine brash voices shouted in chorus.

"Eight Trigrams, Empty Palms!" Hinata destroyed two of the Goukis and the Narutos that had them pinned with a blast of force from each hand. And rather than wait for her friend to recharge and waste three friendly clones, Sakura put one of her arrows through the last Gouki duplicate's throat.

The three real teens turned to face Gouki, and the three surviving Naruto copies stepped forward as well. But despite the fact that they had defeated one of his self-proclaimed finishing moves and forced him to remove all the Syphon duplicates, Naruto's uncle smiled at them with a satisfied look. Hinata's Byakugan picked up on a flow of chakra leaving the red imprint of the axe and flowing into its owner.

"Even after I spent so much chakra on my Clone Brigade, one eleventh of your power would be enough to fill me back up, Naruto," the Raikage informed them happily, "But let's reset a little, shall we? Ninja Art: Clone Disrupt Jutsu."

The three Shadow Clones vanished, and the kunai they were carrying clattered to the stone floor. Looking around at the thirty some wedge-shaped daggers on the floor, Sakura started to wonder if she could put them to some use. Hinata and Naruto darted towards Gouki again, and the medic drew her third to last arrow, keeping the discarded blades in the back of her mind.

Naruto's foot snapped up at Gouki's left side as he liberated Kitsune from its scabbard once more. At the same time Hinata dropped low, aiming her glowing fingertips for Gouki's knee and calf, while also positioning herself so if Gouki dodged backwards, Naruto's leg would sail over her head. Instead, Namikaze caught Naruto's leg on his curled arm, taking the diluted damage to hold his position, and transferring the force into the leg the Hyuga heiress was targeting. His knee launched towards her nose, causing her Gentle Fist strikes to miss. Uzumaki's hand shot out, due to their close positions he could not swing Kitsune, so instead he punched at Gouki's thigh with the crosspiece. The Raikage grunted in pain as the point of the Spiral Leaf-shaped guard dug into his muscle, and his limb was pushed far enough to the side that he missed Hinata's head entirely. However, his lower leg still hit the young woman's left breast, pushing her back. Namikaze stomped his foot down, and, still cradling Naruto's right leg against his left arm, swung Syphon down at Hinata's head with his right hand. Kitsune snapped up to intercept, and the former Jinchuriki placed both hands on its hilt to match his uncle's superior strength. This left Uzumaki in an unsteady position, but Naruto did not dare adjust his stance.

'If I were to stop holding uncle Gouki's other arm in place with my leg, and he wouldn't be forced to lean against my leg to keep his balance...' Naruto pondered the possibilities, and none of them favored Team Kakashi.

Hinata scrambled back, and Naruto let his arms go loose. The resistance suddenly gone, Syphon dropped and bit into the floor. Naruto swung his staff-blade up at Gouki's chin, but the renegade vanished in a puff of smoke, and the pole weapon smashed through the chunk of rock that took his place. Uzumaki considered summoned his weapon's extension again, but recognized that as soon as they exchanged blows again, he would be feeding their opponent more chakra.

Gouki appeared inside the newly formed gap in nearest pillar, and immediately leapt at his nephew again. Sakura tsked, as the Raikage moved too fast for her to get a good bead on him. Namikaze was doing an admirable job of keeping his axe and his opponents in between himself and the archer. Tsunade's apprentice began to run down her list of genjutsu, and considered the kunai again.

Gouki hammered down on Naruto, and axe clanged repeatedly and violently on staff-blade. Hinata trying to move closer again, but Namikaze drove her back with an offhand side thrust kick.

"What are you playing at?" Naruto grimaced. The Tokujo was annoyed by the frequent, amateurish attacks, yet remained unable to counter.

"Haven't figured it out yet?" Gouki smiled confidently, continuing to swing wildly. Then his expression brightened as one of the deflections yielded a slightly different tone.

"There it is, I knew I heard it," the Raikage said happily, suddenly drawing his axe back.

"Ninja Art, Critical Cleave Jutsu," Gouki stated, suddenly slashing out more firmly, both hands on Syphon's grip. Naruto raised Kitsune to bock, planting his feet for the powerful blow. The two weapons met with an echoing tone, and for a moment the two men stood their ground, struggling. Hinata ran forward, unsure if she would try to capitalize on Gouki's locked state, or try to help Naruto. Sakura sighted on Gouki's temple and drew the arrow back to full extension. Before either woman could attack, a new metallic groan reached their ears. Hinata's eyes widened, as her Byakugan caught what was happening.

With the ringing of a melancholy bell, Kitsune snapped, and Syphon continued down into Naruto's right shoulder...

* * *

**Preview:**

[background scene of a younger Gouki, talking to Hiruzen Sarutobi]

Naruto [over the top version of his announcer voice]: Finally, Gouki Namikaze's horrific past comes to light.

Gouki [mildly insulted]: Horrific is a bit much.

[background scene of young Gouki, _arguing_ with Hiruzen Sarutobi.]

Naruto [over the top version of his announcer voice]: A disturbing tale of arson, murder, and jaywalking.

Gouki [defensive]: I was usually stopping other people from doing those things.

[background scene of young Gouki being glared at by a somewhat familiar teenage girl off-blonde hair, hawkish features, and purple eyes.]

Naruto [over the top version of his announcer voice]: Witness firsthand the birth of an insane, megalomaniac.

Gouki [annoyed]: That's it, you're out of my will.

Naruto [(regular) announcer voice]: Next time on Naruto: A Growing Affection; **Chapter 163: Forging a Conqueror (Part I)  
**

Naruto [pleading]: It's not my fault, I was just reading the script. I don't even know what 'megalomaniac' means!

Hinata [confused]: Naruto, why are you so worried about Gouki's will.

**Author's Note:** 8, again; 163 got too long and has been split.


	163. Forging a Conqueror Part I

**Chapter 163: Forging a Conqueror (Part I)**

_A firm knock on the door caused Hiruzen Sarutobi to turn away from the window, a thoughtful expression still on his face. He took one more long draw from his pipe, and then extinguished it, remembering and respecting his former student's preference. _

_"Enter," the Third Hokage answered, and the door swung inwards. Behind it stood a muscular young man with piercing blue and crew-cut hair that skirted the line between blonde and brown. His features were young, and though he was already well into his twenties, he could easily pass for sixteen or seventeen. Like most other Leaf Jonin, he wore a military vest and covered his forehead with the village's shield. Unlike any other ninja the Hokage had met, this young man wore black jeans for his uniform. And most distinguishing was the large, single-bladed battle-axe strapped to his back._

_"Gouki, thank you for coming," the older ninja greeted him cordially, "Please, come in and have a seat."_

_"Thank you, Sarutobi-sensei," the elder Namikaze complied, closing the door behind him and slipping into the chair across from his third mentor._

_"Do you have a mission for me, sir?" Gouki asked respectfully, carefully bottling his hope and anticipation._

_"In a manner of speaking," the Hokage smiled mysteriously, "But if you choose to accept it, it will be the last mission I ever give you."_

_"I've come back from suicide missions before," the younger man pointed out with a small measure of pride._

_"Indeed you have. But the issue this time is not the risk involved. Rather, the duration of the mission is the problem."_

_Gouki nodded his understanding, a wry grin touching his lips. He had been scouted for the ANBU and for the Guardian Shinobi Twelve, but had turned down both positions. He did not particularly like or trust the leader of the Black Ops, nor did he want the boring life of a personal bodyguard, even to the Daimyo. _

_"Is it Lord Hisoka?" Gouki asked, "Or Danzo again?"_

_"Neither," Sarutobi answered, and the young man could not hide a sigh of relief. Then his eyes narrowed as he considered what was left._

_"So, some other sort of long term mission," Namikaze pondered, "Is it undercover work, or am I crossing the ocean again?"_

_"Again, neither," Hiruzen shook his head, "The village certainly could not afford to have you gone for so long."_

_"Are you going to tell me, sensei?" Gouki asked with mock ire, "Or are we going to sit around all day playing guessing games?"_

"Alright, I have strung you along long enough," the Third raised his hands in defeat. Then his expression grew thoughtful.

_"By the standards of our profession, I am not a young man," Sarutobi began, "Though the life expectancy of a shinobi has been increasing steadily since the founding of the Hidden Villages, the fact remains that most ninjas die before their fortieth birthdays'. My teammates and I, along with Hiashi Hyuga, are the only survivors of the fifth graduating class of the the Konohagakure Academy. The entire sixth class is gone. I hope for a day when shinobi can live almost as long as civilians, but I don't think that will happen within my lifetime."_

_"I would like to see that as well," Gouki agreed, then prompted with a hint of confusion, "No offense, sensei, but what does this have to do with why you summoned me?"_

_"I won't be around forever," the Hokage explained, "And even if I lived to be ninety, I will eventually lose my Jonin standing, and with it a measure of respect and authority."_

_"I don't think that will happen for many years, sensei," his student said confidently, "I still doubt I could defeat you in a one on one battle."_

_"You are a skilled liar, Gouki, but you don't fool me," Hiruzen chuckled, "By the time you left my tutelage, you were more than a match for me. Which is part of my point. The village needs a leader with both the strength to reign in this unruly mob, and the wisdom to protect them. And I think you possess both of those qualities in abundance."_

_"Sensei, are you..."_

_"Gouki Namikaze, I wish to offer you the position of the Fourth Hokage of the Village Hidden in the Leaves."_

_The young man's control slipped, and he goggled openly at his third teacher. Then he snapped his mouth shut and shook his head wryly._

_"That's a pretty bad joke, sensei," Gouki told him, "and maybe a little cruel."_

_"I am totally serious," Sarutobi's smile carried warmth and amusement._

_"But..." Namikaze stuttered, however his protests died in his throat as he considered it. The Third watched him closely, trying to read his reaction. Emotions warred on the younger man's face as he tried to wrap his mind around the implications of being the leader of the Konohagakure. Pride wrestled with doubt, refereed by logic. One minute passed, than another, and ultimately the clock had moved forward by five clicks before the muscular Jonin spoke again._

_"Can I have a day... or possibly two... to think about it?" Gouki finally said._

_"I would be disappointed if you didn't," Hiruzen nodded sagely. Namikaze stood slowly to leave, and there was an unfamiliar clumsiness to his movements, almost as if he had suffered a concussion. As he reached the door, Gouki turned back to his teacher with a thoughtful expression._

_"Do you ever regret becoming the Hokage, Sarutobi-sensei?" the youth asked carefully._

_"Almost every day," the older man answered honestly, "And yet there isn't a single day where I would take back my choice if I could."_

_Gouki bobbed his head once in understanding and thanks, and then slipped silently from the room. The Third watched with a knowing smile._

* * *

_Namikaze paced the floor of his apartment anxiously._

_"I'm not ready," he told himself aloud._

_"But there's no-one better for the job," he argued._

_"Would the rest of the village accept me?"_

_He paused, unable to answer himself._

_"If I say no, who will Sarutobi-sensei ask instead?" the side of him that wanted to accept took a different track. Gouki considered that. Danzo obviously wanted the job. Any of the major clan leaders would have both built in support and automatic opposition. And, of course, there were Sarutobi's other three student, Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru. The crease in Gouki's brow deepened at that thought._

_'Orochimaru... sensei... wants the job,' Namikaze pondered, 'He has as much as said so. But he's a bit unstable. Give him access to the authority and sealed knowledge of the Hokage, and he might not be able to reign in his darker tendencies.'_

_'But would that be a bad thing, in the long run?' he kept his argument silent this time, as if afraid someone might overhear him, 'I could help him get the position, and then distance myself from him officially, while watching him. As the Hokage, I have no doubt Orochimaru will come up with some amazing jutsu, that will make the village stronger. And when he crosses too far over the line into forbidden techniques or human experimentation, I can reveal him. If he can last a few years, I will be able to gain more support in the village. And if I am the hero that reveals the Orochimaru's crimes, I will be a natural choice to become the Fifth Hokage. Then we can use some of the safer, saner things that serpent will develop, and make the Leaf Village the most powerful of the five great villages.'_

_Gouki took a deep breath, to steady himself. The plan had potential, but he began to attack it from all angles. What if Orochimaru went too far, too fast? Or what if he failed to give in to the temptation? What if someone else uncovered the snake's immoral experiments first? He ran through a list of possible hiccups, and devised basic, theoretical countermeasures for each potential pitfall. Once he was satisfied he had most of the contingencies covered, he began to prepare for bed, anxious for the next day to arrive._

_As Namikaze slipped into his futon, one last thought echoed around in his head._

_"I will go down in history as the one who made the Leaf Village the strongest of all the shinobi villages..."_

* * *

_Gouki was already standing outside the Hokage's office, when Sarutobi arrived the next morning. The Fire Shadow paused, and then shook his head with a wry smirk._

_'The energy of youth,' Hiruzen thought enviously._

_"Good morning, Gouki," the Professor greeted his student._

_"Good morning, Sarutobi-sensei," the young man answered evenly. Hiruzen was surprised the elder Namikaze brother did not seem more nervous or enthusiastic. He remember that, despite his training, he had barely been able to contain himself when he responded to his predecessor and teacher. Sarutobi unlocked his office, and then paused just inside the door._

_"I presume this is in reference to the offer I made yesterday," the Hokage noted confidently, "Please come in."_

_Gouki nodded slightly and followed his mentor inside. The Third closed the door and took his seat behind his desk, staring out at the young man._

_"Have you come to a decision?"_

_Only now did the younger Jonin show a hint of emotion, tiny wisps of anxiety and regret wafting off him._

_"I have," Gouki said simply, his voice belying his body language in its neutrality, "I considered your offer very carefully. But I am afraid I must decline. I am not yet ready to become the Hokage."_

_Sarutobi frowned in surprise. He had spent enough time with the elder Namikaze brother to know that the young man was not lacking in ambition. And there was no guarantee that the next Hokage would offer the position of Fifth to Gouki, if he lived that long._

_"May I ask why?"_

_"I worry that the village won't follow me, due to my youth," Namikaze answered._

_"I think you might be underestimating yourself," Hiruzen responded, sensing the truth in his words, "And you would have my support as a village elder."_

_"You might be right, but I can't help feeling there are too many others who are better suited. Who are as skilled as I am, or close to it, but have more experience and are more established in the Jonin Council. They might resent being passed over, and cause trouble."_

_"And, also," Gouki continued quickly, with a small, chagrined smile, "I'm not sure I'm ready to have a desk job just yet. I enjoy field work, and I don't think I've reached my peak. I can do more good for the Leaf completing missions than assigning them."_

_Sarutobi nodded, he had more than once expressed some jealousy of the freedom and adventure a a field agent was afforded. _

_"If you have made up your mind, I doubt I will be able to budge you," the Third said sadly, "though I would remind you, this could well be a once in a lifetime chance."_

_"I understand," Gouki sighed, "But I can only follow my conscious."_

_"I thought so. Well, thank you for your honesty."_

_Despite the dismissal in the Hokage's words, Gouki did not leave. Instead he took a deep breath, and spoke again._

_"If we are talking about honesty, and following your heart, there is something I must request permission to add," Namikaze stated. Hiruzen's lips narrowed thoughtfully, and he nodded for his protégé to continue._

_"I think you are overlooking the most obvious choice for the Fourth Hokage, if you came to me first."_

_"Oh?" Sarutobi's eyebrows rose in amused amazement, "And who would that be?"_

_"Orochimaru-sensei," Gouki answered, remembering to add the honorific he had started to distance himself from the previous evening. _

_"Really? I'm curious to hear why you would say that."_

_"Orochimaru is, as I said, older and more established than I am," Namikaze explained, "He has more leadership experience. And he is much smarter than I am. And I may have trained under you, but Orochimaru-sensei was truly your apprentice, so he will be viewed as a direct line of succession. And he was my first and most influential sensei, so I can't help but think that whatever you see in me could just be a minor reflection of Orochimaru-sensei anyway..."_

_"Why not Tsunade or Jiraiya then?" Hiruzen prompted, enjoying the minor debate, "Much of what you just said applies to both of them as well."_

_"I have not spent much time with Jiraiya-san," the youth answered, "But from what I have heard from my brother, and seen around the village, I doubt very much that the kunoichi of the Leaf would support Jiraiya-san as Hokage. More likely, they would all revolt."_

_Sarutobi chuckled briefly in agreement._

_"And I think Tsunade-sensei would make a fine Hokage, but she would never accept the position. She would think she was trampling Nawaki's dreams."_

_"Very well," the Third nodded, unable to counter the Jonin's observations, "I will take your suggestion under consideration."_

_Gouki smiled openly, and nodded his understanding._

* * *

_"Minato?" the elder Namikaze brother stomped into the Hokage's office without waiting for permission to enter. Sarutobi's eyes flared in anger at the disrespect, but he reigned in his temper, and gave his student some leeway. Gouki's reaction was not entirely unexpected by the Third._

_"You seem upset," Hiruzen said calmingly, "I know this must come as a shock to you, but you did turn me down, and I have my reasons."_

_"But... he's my younger brother. If I'm not old enough for the job, he certainly isn't."_

_"Age was _your_ argument," the Hokage reminded him, "And it was the one I had the greatest issue with. Minato is only two years younger than you, and like you, has been a working shinobi for more than half of his life."_

_"He's too nice. He will be more interesting in protecting our people than in completing our missions," Namikaze argued, "And he doesn't have the strategic mind to lead the village. He might be able to direct his own team. But deciding which teams to dispatch and which to hold back? I worry... well, I just worry."_

_"His kindness is not a weakness, it is why the shinobi of the village will follow him. And it does not mean he will not be able to make the tough choices when he has too," Sarutobi countered sternly, "and he will not become the Hokage right away. He will have six months to a year to learn the offices and responsibilities of the job, including strategy. And Minato will have advisers to help as well, myself included."_

_"What about Orochimaru-sensei?" Gouki wondered if the Third was toying with him._

_'Did he figure out my plan?' the sandy-haired Jonin wondered._

_"Orochimaru may be intelligent and strong, but many in the village are suspicious or even frightened of his inclination towards necromancy and similar forbidden jutsus. I worry that with the power of the Hokage, Orochimaru might lose what little self-control he still has when it comes to his research."_

_Gouki inclined his head bitterly, unable to deny the core of his plot. He sighed harshly, and looked back up at his third teacher._

_"I have some vacation saved up," Namikaze stated flatly, suddenly feeling the need to distance himself from the Leaf village, for multiple reasons._

_"That is a bit of an understatement," the Hokage noted dryly, "You haven't taken a single day off since your appointment. You are the reason the elders have been suggesting we put a cap on the amount of time off a shinobi can retain."_

_"Well, I would like to begin using it, starting now."_

_"You might miss Minato's swearing in," Hiruzen noted, and when Gouki's eyes tightened, he sighed and added, "But I suppose that is the point. Alright, how much time do you want to take off?"_

_"All of it."_

_"All of it?" _

_The younger man nodded._

_"Gouki, do you realize that you have almost seventeen months saved up?"_

_"I need time to think," Gouki offered contritely, "To come to terms with having to follow orders from my crybaby younger brother. I doubt a will be gone for that long, but I also don't want to say I'll only be gone for one or two months, only to have my scheduled leave time run out while I am still... troubled."_

_"I'll do what I can," the Third offered sympathetically, "But I will not be in charge the entire time, and the new Hokage may see fit to recall you. Also, there might come a time when the village needs you."_

_"I understand. And I will always be there for the Leaf. Thank you, sensei."_

_Gouki Namikaze left Hiruzen Sarutobi's office, not knowing he would never see his friend and mentor again._

* * *

_Gouki could not help but let out a sigh of relief as he entered the dining room of the tavern and inn that served as the hub of the small, unnamed town. He had been roughing it in the three weeks since he left the Konohagakure. And while his shinobi skills were more than adequate to let him survive indefinitely in the wild, there was no match for the minor comforts like indoor plumbing and a clean mat under his futon. Or even better, a real bed and a proper bath._

_"Good afternoon," the girl acting as the server in the restaurant said overly happily as she turned to greet him. She had thin, off-blonde hair, though more yellow-green than his own brownish coloring. Judging by her height and build, he estimated she was around thirteen years of age. In a larger town, she would have probably been in school, but in the smaller, tucked-away community, helping out at her family's store took precedence._

_Her purple eyes were unconsciously shadowed. He could tell the girl had an unfortunate past, and was ruled by darker emotions that she tried to hide for the sake of her job. But as her violet orbs raked across his body, that facade fell away. She glared at him with open contempt._

_"Sit where you like," she snarled, backing away like a wounded animal. Once she had gotten a table between them, she half-turned and yelled, "Hey, old man. It's one of _those_. You come serve him and I'll clean or something."_

_An older gentleman emerged from the back as the girl finished retreating. He smiled weakly, and hurried over to Namikaze._

_"Ah, yes, just you then?" he said in a wispy voice. Gouki nodded, and the man showed him to a table next to one of the large, front windows. But the Leaf Jonin never took his eyes from where the teen had vanished._

_"I must apologize for Narumi," his host told him, realizing his distraction, "She has a bit of a sore spot when it comes to shinobi."_

_"Oh?" Gouki prompted, still moderately surprised despite the girl's reaction, "Why is that? If it is not too rude of me to ask."_

_"Well, her dad, gods grant his soul rest, had a certain personal grudge that caused him to frequently badmouth your profession," the innkeeper started to explain, "And Narumi took his words to heart. But then, a few months ago, a wounded Stone ninja wandered into our village. Narumi has worked odd jobs to get by since her dad's death, so she was elected to care for our guest while he recovered. That Itsuki was a handsome one, and despite her prejudice, Narumi was quite taken with him. And she did what some girls do, to ensnare a boy they fancy. If you know what I mean?"_

_Gouki nodded slowly, a kernel of disgust at his so-called colleague growing in his belly._

_"And after Itsuki got better, he just vanished one night. Which might not have been so bad on its own, except he also stole Narumi's most precious possession, a keepsake locket from her mother. Also took all the cash I had in the register. Since then, she's hated ninjas more than her dad ever did. She'll tell anyone who will listen how she was wronged, and how she'll get him some day. Which is why I don't mind telling you, if you weren't wearing that vest and shield, she would have told you anyway."_

_"For what it's worth, I apologize on behalf of ninjas everywhere," Gouki said in genuine embarrassment, "And I hope that one day, Narumi-chan gets her revenge."_

_"Don't go saying that in front of her," the innkeeper said quickly, "The last thing she needs is any sort of encouragement to run off and get her self more hurt."_

_Namikaze dipped his head and eyes in acknowledgment. Then he carefully asked, "What can you tell me about that locket?"_

* * *

_"Gouki Namikaze-dono?"_

_The Jonin tensed when an unfamiliar voice called out his name. Gouki had not sensed anyone coming, and being surprised was highly disconcerting to the master shinobi. His guard up, he turned slowly to meet his ambusher._

_And saw nothing. Which only increased the Leaf ninja's anxiety._

_"Down here, Namikaze-dono!" the voice stated again. Gouki turned his attention down, and saw a lumpy brown toad, about the size of a large house cat. Except this amphibian was more or less pedal, and had a scroll case strapped to his back. After a moment of searching his memories, the wanderer realized the toad must be one of his brother's summoned familiars._

_"What can a I do for you?" the Human asked carefully._

_"I have a a message for you, Namikaze-dono. What is a the pass phrase?"_

_"Pass phrase?" Gouki sighed, throttling Minato in his mind, "I don't have a pass phrase."_

_"That is correct. Hand?"_

_Gouki held up his left hand, palm out, and the toad scanned it. Namikaze was not sure what the amphibian was looking at or for, but after a few seconds of close scrutiny, the small familiar nodded sharply._

_"Very good," the messenger noted. He then slipped the tube off his back, and passed it the the Human. Gouki slid out the single sheet of paper and quickly scanned it._

_"Aniki," Minato's familiar script wrote, "I am not sure where this letter will find you, or if you are aware of our status. But the ninja world is at war. We are fighting the Stone and the Cloud, with the grudging help of the Sand. For now the Mist is staying neutral, but many expect that, if either side shows weakness, they will intervene. The village needs your power now, so we can end this battle as quickly as possible. I know you are upset, but please, return to the village. Your brother, Minato."_

_Gouki snorted as he incinerated the message with a burst of fire chakra._

_"If he wants me to come back, he should just order me to as the Hokage," the elder Namikaze brother said, as much for himself as for the toad._

_"Minato-kun isn't the Hokage, Namikaze-dono," the messenger told him. Gouki noted the difference in forms of address, and for a moment wondered if the familiar was buttering him up. Then he remembered the Toad Clan's structure, and that Minato was part of it, while he was just a client._

_"Really?" the Human prompted, setting aside that distraction._

_"Yes," the toad nodded, "He finished his training, but the war started before he could officially be appointed. The Humans decided it was better not to have a shift in leadership right now. So Minato-kun is acting as field commander, while Sarutobi-sama remains the Hokage and overall general."_

_"Well, tell the _field commander_ that I am on vacation, and only the Hokage can override it. And despite that, I'm still assisting, in my own way."_

_The amphibian nodded, and then vanished. Gouki turned back to his original route, starting across the Grass field to the farming town at the edge of his visual range._

* * *

**Preview:**

[background scene of a younger Gouki, fighting a group of Stone ninjas]

Gouki [sad]: I'm sorry things turned out this way.

[background scene of young Gouki, confronting a bedraggled Konan, Yahiko, and Nagato]

Gouki [sad]: I never intended for things to turn out like this.

[background scene of young Gouki saving Kohaku from the Grass Hunters]

Gouki [with growing resolve]: But the things I saw, I could not turn away from how rotten this world has become.

[background scene of Gouki arguing with the Fourth Hokage.]

Gouki [firmly]: I will save this world, no matter who stands in my way.

Naruto [(regular) announcer voice]: Next time on Naruto: A Growing Affection; **Chapter 164: Forging a Conqueror (Part II)  
**

Gouki [regretful]: I'm sorry we couldn't come to terms, brother.

**Author's Note:** 7. Also, I will be at GenCon next week, so there will be no chapter (probably). My apologies.


	164. Forging a Conqueror Part II

**Chapter 164: Forging a Conqueror (Part II)**

_Gouki had followed the trail of an incursion into the Land of Grass. The southern, wider portion of the country had been spared the worst of the war. Namikaze had recently heard that the Land of Earth was sending agents to towns in the region, to try to force the Grass work with them, or to cripple smaller country's remaining food production._

_He had been staying in the sole inn in the small farming community. Three days had passed since he sent his brother's messenger back. His vest and Leaf shield were hidden in his backpack, as were his weapons; he doubted the locals would take kindly to having a Leaf ninja in their town at the moment. After almost half of a week, the Leaf Jonin was beginning to wonder if the lead he had followed was bad. Then there was a cry of distressed surprise, followed by a loud voice covering the marketplace outside the hostel._

_"Citizens of the Land of Grass," a nasally, high-pitched, yet definitely male voice carried into the building, and Gouki quickly vacated his chair._

_"As you know, the Land of Earth is engaged in a battle to prevent the tyrannical Land of Fire from spreading their influence any further into this part of the continent."_

_Namikaze snorted in amusement at the bold-faced lie. He exited the building and observed the eight Hidden Stone Ninjas drawing a crowd of civilians._

_"Therefore, we require your support," the lead Stone ninja continued loudly, "You will give us all the food we can carry."_

_"We are selling food," a young fruit-seller said bravely, "You are free to buy, as anyone else is."_

_"Let me make myself clear," the whiny-sounding warrior shot back darkly, "You can give us what we need, or we can pacify you and take it."_

_"I don't see that happening either," Gouki said loudly, and the crowd split at the sound of another unfamiliar voice._

_"And who is going to stop us? You?" the spokesman demanded incredulously._

_"If it comes to that," Namikaze said simply, and without boasting. The Stone ninja was unnerved by Gouki's calm confidence._

_"Kill him," the invader ordered, "Then the others will know better than to cross us."_

_The four shinobi nearest to their leader charged forward, and the civilians wisely withdrew to the closest available cover. The Leaf Jonin watched impassively as the Stone warriors drew a single kunai apiece. With practiced precision, each threw his blade at one of Gouki's limbs. Gouki hopped up, catching the daggers aimed at his arms, while his toes pushed the weapons targeting his legs into the ground. Standing on the partially buried kunai, he returned the other two blades to their owners, stabbing into their biceps as they had attempted to do to him._

_Gouki did not like showing off, but it had the effect he hoped. The Stone ninjas stopped, and looked at their boss in uncertainty._

_"Who are you?" the head thug squeaked._

_"Just a traveler, who doesn't like it when ninjas attack civilians instead of protecting them."_

_"You can take your archaic nobility with you to hell," the would-be thief shot back, trying unsuccessfully to lower the pitch of his voice, "Attack formation three!"_

_"Earth Style: Craven Stones Jutsu," the five of the Stone ninja chanted, their voices not quite matching. The ground twisted upwards and reformed into two creatures that Gouki understood were meant to be wolves, or possibly coyotes. Whatever their intended species, the rocky quadrupeds both 'ran' forward, though none of their legs ever left the earth. Syphon appeared in his hand on a mental command, and Namikaze swung down on the maw of the first beast. The weapon's crimson inset flared, and stole all the chakra animating the statue, causing it the break apart. He swept the axe sideways and the second instance of the jutsu also failed. _

_Two of the larcenous ninja had been using the moving stony canines as cover, and were quite surprised that they have been revealed so quickly and easily. Gouki's foot lashed out, connecting with the first shinobi's glass jaw, and the man went down, managing a pitiable whimper before he passed out . The second warrior retreated, abandoning his comrade with a look of fear._

_"What are you waiting for?" the leader barked at his six remaining subordinates, "He's only one man. Get him!"_

* * *

_Gouki looked down at the corpse of the Earth ninja leader with regret. Five of the thieves had fled, injured and demoralized. Two remained, unconscious but alive. But despite his seemingly cowardly demeanor, the high-pitched spokesman had been a skilled fighter, and had refused to back down. Though he was not as strong as Namikaze, he refused to back down. He ultimately resorted to taking one of the town's children hostage. After Gouki rescued the girl, the Stone shinobi began an advanced Doton jutsu that would have leveled most of the hamlet. Ultimately, he gave the Leaf ninja no choice but to kill him._

_Gouki began to go over the body for identification or orders, as the villagers began to drift back into the street._

_"We owe you our thanks, stranger," offered an older woman who Gouki recognized as the local butcher. Then she backed off suddenly when Namikaze scowled and growled. Seeing her reaction, the Jonin forced himself to calm down._

_"I'm sorry," he said with genuine regret, "that was not directed at you."_

_"What troubles you?" she asked carefully. In answer, Gouki held up a bound stack of one-thousand Ryo notes in his right hand, and a slip of paper in his left._

_"These," he waved his hand at the dead and disabled invaders in disgust, "were under orders to come here and purchase food."_

_"Then why did they try to steal from us?" a young man asked in confusion._

_"So they could finish their mission and keep the money for themselves," the butcher said sadly. Gouki nodded._

_"It's possible his subordinates were not aware of that they were disobeying orders," Namikaze noted dubiously, "But given how easily they abandoned their mission, I expect they were aware of their crimes..."_

* * *

_Gouki watched the three bound teens carefully. _

_After the war came to an end, he received another message from the Konoha, this one by falcon and sent by the Third. Sarutobi requested that Gouki return so he could witness his brother's appointment as the Fourth, and also to receive a commendation for his own actions during the war. Namikaze declined, again. He had stumbled onto another self-appointed mission, and had not been willing to abandon it._

_As he had been leaving the Land of Grass, traveling east, he ran into an interesting trio. He immediately recognized them, both from his contact with the Sannin, and from rumors he had heard from the Rain Country. His attempts to make contact with the younger ninjas had been aggressively avoided, but Gouki refused to let them lose him._

_Finally, almost two weeks later and just after they all passed into the Land of Forest, the teens had decided to ambush him. They were undeniably skilled. Namikaze doubted there were more than a handful of Leaf ninjas, excepting the Hyuga Clan, who would not have fallen into their trap. But the Jonin had trained with their sensei's teammates and his sensei, so Gouki knew what to expect. After he avoided their net, their pit, and the fuinjutsu that the physical traps were meant to force him into, the refugees attacked. Unfortunately, the younger shinobi were tired, hungry, and afraid of something besides him, and Namikaze quickly disabled them. He tied them up so they could not flee or attempt to attack him again. And then he observed them carefully, trying to determine how he should break the proverbial ice._

_"What do you want with us?" Nagato demanded, his Rinnegan practically glowing in rage. The older shinobi noticed the other young man mouthed the same words, but silently._

_"I just want to talk," Gouki answered openly, "I have heard about your three, both from Jiraiya-san, and from those you have helped around the Rain/Grass border. I wondered what kind of mission brought the Akatsuki leaders so far from their normal range. And, frankly, I've been a bit starved for conversation."_

_"You know Jiraiya-sensei," Konan said carefully, her amber eyes studying his features._

_"Not so well as I know the other two Sannin," Namikaze admitted, "But our paths have crossed more than once. He spins an amusing yarn."_

_The three teens absorbed that thoughtfully._

_"If I untie you, are you going to try to run?" Namikaze asked neutrally. _

_"No," Konan shook her head, "I'm not quite sure I trust you, yet. But you've proved it won't do any good."_

_Nagato and Yahiko looked at her in perfectly matched expressions of dismay, and then both went back to glaring at Gouki. The Leaf Jonin had heard enough to think Yahiko's actions were out of character. As he considered that, he noticed the orange-haired youth also now possessed the multi-ringed blue eyes of his teammate's Kekkei Genkai._

_"I had not heard that you had the Rinnegan as well," Gouki said to Yahiko, who pointedly ignored him, "When did you gain that Dojutsu?"_

_"After the slaughter of the Akatsuki," Nagato answered harshly, and again Yahiko mimicked his words without making a sound._

_"The slaughter of the Akatsuki?" Gouki prompted in genuine distress, "When... How did this happen?"_

_"Hanzo decided that we had become more annoying then useful," Konan began, tears coming unbidden to her eyes. Gouki sat down beside them, listening with dismayed interest._

* * *

_"Mercy, please," the bandit pleaded pitiably, dragging himself back with one hand while he held his other defensively in front of his throat, "Who will take care of my daughters?"_

_"You should have considered that before you began stealing from caravans," the masked warrior said darkly, lifting his katana. The blade seemed to buzz as it plunged towards the thief's neck. But it stopped with a resounding clang, as the broad flat head of a familiar axe appeared between the ANBU operative and his target._

_"What do you think you're doing?" Gouki snarled angrily at his 'fellow' Leaf shinobi._

_"Completing my mission," the anonymous warrior shot back, assuming a defensive position. And as soon the two ninjas' attention was shifted away from him, the bandit scampered away, and vanished into the brush._

_"Your mission involves killing a fallen opponent who is begging for mercy?" Namikaze's anger grew sharper._

_"He is a bandit," the Special Ops shinobi said simply as if it answered everything,_

_"That group has never killed anyone," the Jonin sounded offended, "They stole only to feed their families, and only because our war took away their jobs. You could have taken them into custody."_

_"The Leaf is not a charity. Our prison is full enough with _valuable_ prisoners. Easier to just eliminate them."_

_"And leave their children orphaned, probably to die of starvation without the meager means these men provided?" Gouki demanded, incredulously. The ANBU agent shrugged._

_"Is this my brother's policy? Is this the kind of Hokage he is?"_

_The masked ninja snorted in amusement, "No, my orders come from Danzo-sama. He sometimes acts... parallel... to the Hokage, for the good of the village."_

_Gouki's rage lessened a tiny bit at the admission._

_"What are you going to do, Namikaze-san?" the ANBU member queried impassively, "Take me back to the village, and try to have me held accountable for this 'crime'? Your word does not hold the weight it once did. You are as likely to end up in prison as I am."_

_"What?" Namikaze snarled again._

_"Most of the Jonin Council considers you a deserter for not returning to assist during 'our war'. It has taken all of the Hokage's influence to avoid declaring you a missing ninja. If you insist on trying to gain justice for this trash, I can just claim that you are lying, using me to try to get back into the good graces of your brother."_

_Gouki had heard enough. Syphon flashed out, but at the last instant, the Jonin reverse the axe, striking the unsuspecting murderer with blunt back end of the weapon. The ANBU operative dropped like rock, the welt on his neck visible even through his uniform. Gouki bent over to make sure he was still breathing. Then he took the warrior's mask. He snapped it in two, and dropped one half back on the unconscious Tokujo's chest._

* * *

_"Kohaku Zoishin."_

_Gouki paused as the emphasized name carried out of the woods to his north. He had not heard anyone moving through the forest, which meant the owner of the voice was probably a ninja. And likely the target as well. Though he was due to meet up with Kohaku and Nagato in less than one hour, his curiosity was piqued. And he also wanted to be sure that whoever it was would not find the small cottage he shared with his two and a half protégées._

_Namikaze padded silently forward, circling around and listening to the debate between a woman he presumed to be this Kohaku Zoishin, and the man she identified as her former sensei. The woman's name sounded familiar, but he could not place it. And when the kunoichi came into view, he knew that he had never seen her before. Her short, almost navy hair hung wildly around her face, and though of average height, she had above average curves, which her clothing seemed designed to accentuate._

_He watched the exchange between Kohaku and the impatient tracker. Despite the lack of headbands on any of them, due to their styles, he was fairly certain they were all Hidden Grass shinobi. He drew closer, watching as she backed her second opponent towards the circle of jutsu users, while deliberately avoiding killing strokes. Suddenly she stumbled, her eyes going blank and her neck and shoulders tensing in agony. Kohaku tried to remove the genjutsu afflicting her, but failed, and the melee fighters took her down. They threw a net over her, and then, when she attempted to retrieve a kunai, one of them stomped on her wrist with unnecessary force. Gouki heard a sickening crunch, and estimated that both of the younger woman's forearm bones had been broken._

_That settled it for the Leaf Jonin. He had been hesitant to intervene, not only to preserve his stealth, but also because he was uncertain which side was in the right. The girl had named herself a renegade, and the force sent to capture her was not out of order. But she had gone out of her way to avoid killing them, and they repaid her with cruelty._

_"That was unnecessary," the Hunters' leader, Kohaku's teacher said angrily._

_"I quite agree," Gouki said harshly._

_"Who are you?" the man holding the net demanded._

_"I have no name for the likes of you," Namikaze said softly, quoting one of the books Konan had lent him. He expected the line was a little cliché, but it amused him anyway._

_One of the outer ring of ninjas had kept his attention focused firmly on Kohaku. Gouki struck him before he responded to the verbal exchange between Namikaze and his comrades. _

_'Six left,' the Leaf soldier noted, 'Only two represent a tactical threat, but I also have to protect her from them.'_

_"Katon: Curling Flames Jutsu," the Grass ninja furthest from Gouki called loudly, and two loops of red fire spun towards Kohaku's rescuer. Gouki dodged to his left, intentionally bumping the man holding the net. The bindings loosened enough for Kohaku to kick the off-balance Grass ninja, who returned the kick weakly. The fire arcs continued to track him, so Gouki summoned Syphon, cut apart the jutsu, and then slammed the hilt of the axe into the temple of his melee opponent. He crumpled, and the ropes went slack._

_"Stay still," Gouki advised the young woman, and then he darted away. As he ran towards the ninja who had launched the fire attack, he threw his axe sidearm at one of the Hunters who was continuing to focus on Kohaku. Syphon's blunt back end collided with the man's chest, so instead of being cut in two, he merely suffered multiple broken ribs as he too lost consciousness. Namikaze gestured, and the axe vanished back to his new home._

_The first dangerous target was completing his second jutsu when Gouki slid into unarmed range. The Grass warrior broke off his technique abruptly, to catch the knee aimed at his gut. The Leaf Jonin flipped backwards, his other knee forcing the man's arms apart and driving into the ceramic mask covering his chin. The animal themed disguise broke, but the Hunter did not fall. Instead he drove his fist into Gouki's side, forcing the breath uncomfortably from Namikaze's right lung. _

_'Focus,' Gouki told himself, hammering fists into either side of his opponent's neck as he descended from his upwards hop. The pretty boy Hunter was stunned long enough for Gouki to slam his forehead into his opponent's nose. The fourth head trauma was too much for the Katon user, and he fell backwards, still essentially awake, but unable to focus his eyes. The Leaf renegade turned, his eyes quickly scanning them. One of the two genjutsu users remained, as did the 'man' who broke Kohaku's wrist, but Gouki had been saving him for last. And beyond those two was the girl's teacher, their field commander, who Namikaze was surprised to see had not moved._

_The former Hokage candidate flash-stepped to the woman who was still binding Kohaku's mind in some way. The genjutsu user let out a resigned sigh, and did not even struggle as he disabled her with the Ranshinsho._

_He turned on the young shinobi who had seen fit to break Kohaku's wrist while subduing her, but the coward was already running. Growing even more disgusted, the Leaf shinobi signed twice, causing the ground to open up and swallow the jerk, stopping not at the neck, but closing around his mouth, just barely leaving him room to breath._

_Kohaku's eyes came into focus as Gouki moved to confront her teacher. Gouki leveled a punch at the Grass Jonin's shoulder, wondering at the sluggish block that barely moved his fist out of the way._

_"Make it look good, Namikaze-san," the Grass Hunter whispered, before demanding loudly and nervously, "Who are you?"_

_Gouki's eyes widened in surprise, but then he nodded with a knowing smile. The Leaf soldier appreciated his foe's need to stay loyal to his village, but also to protect his student. So he gave the man an out, putting on a show for the disabled yet alert Grass ninjas. Namikaze let the Hunter land a decent blow to his left ear, before knocking out the man with solid hit to the stomach. Even as the Grass Jonin lurched forward, Gouki raced back to the renegade kunoichi._

_"We should get some distance between us, before they recover," he told her, taking her uninjured hand, drawing her to her feet. It was then that she noticed the Grass hunters were all still breathing. He pulled her gently and they vanished into the woods._

* * *

_"Is that him, Gouki-sensei?" Nagato asked with a hint of anxiety. Namikaze nodded, as the two men studied their target._

_The renegade ninja was huge, taller than either of them and probably weighed as much as both of them combined. He had greyish brown hair that jutted around in wild, random spikes. And his similarly shaded eyes darted around with a hint of madness._

_"That's the target, Jigoku" Gouki confirmed, "Though his village is unknown, from what I have learned of his skills, he must have been a Tokujo or even a Jonin. Now, he's assembling his own personal cult, using both religion and torture to keep his 'followers' in line, while he does whatever he wants. Currently, he is tracking more war refugees to 'bring into the fold'. Based on what we've learned of the Paths, I thought Jigoku was the perfect candidate, letting us accomplish two goals at once."_

_Nagato nodded, feeling a strong connection between the rogue and the Realm of Hell. But it was not the man or the thought of fighting him that made the young man nervous. Nor was it that the Deva Path had been left at home with Konan and Kohaku, this trial being for Nagato alone. What had the Rain orphan riled up was was what came after._

_"Okay, this is your first fight since I took over your training," Namikaze told his student, "But I'm here to back you up, if you need it."_

_"I won't," Nagato said as much for himself as for his mentor, "because, if I can't show this person pain, what chance will I have against Hanzo?"_

_Nagato drew a single kunai in his left hand, and focused his unique chakra into his right palm. He darted forward, positioning himself in front of Jigoku, before stepping into the other renegade's field of vision. But he kept his weapon concealed for the moment._

_"Greetings, my son," Jigoku said immediately and openly, and Nagato felt a surge of the Human Realm as the self-proclaimed holy man tried to influence him, "How fortuitous that we have met today. I am seeking lost lambs, to offer to shepherd them on the path to salvation. And I can see you are in need of guidance."_

_"I am already on the path to redemption," Nagato could not help but be angered by the false promise, "And unfortunately, you are the first hurtle on that road. But if you like, I can show you Heaven..."_

_Jigoku smiled darkly as Nagato moved the blade from behind his back._

_"Then I will have to beat salvation into you!" the big man roared imperiously, charging forward._

_"Shinra Tensei," Nagato intoned, releasing the energy in his empty hand..._

* * *

_"Well done," Gouki said, moving into view as Nagato knelt beside the renegade's body, "but now is the real test."_

_The Rinnegan user nodded, and began to sign. He and Namikaze had poured over accounts of the Sage of the Six Paths, and studied forbidden spiritual and necromantic techniques, before they had finally devised this technique. It had helped stabilize Yahiko's half-existence, but this would Nagato's first full use of the technique._

_"Hitsuji, Tatsu, Inu, Mi," he started to chant, his eyes locking on the metaphysical holes in the corpse's brain and heart, where his soul had resided. He reached into the Naraka Realm, finding Jigoku amongst the other victims of their own bad karma, and started to draw him back. Then he broke off a moderate chunk of his own life-force, and seeded it into the body. Jigoku's coloring began to change, but unexpectedly, it matched Yahiko's appearance more than Nagato's, except for the blue-ringed eyes that the Akatsuki founder had also gained. Nagato cried out in pain, as a bar of grey metal erupted out both sides of his left forearm with a short fountain of blood. Similar, smaller cylinders appeared through Jigoku's nose and ears. The corpse took a sudden breath, and sat up. Nagato could now see himself through the fragment's eyes, and thought he looked very tired._

_"Well done, Nagato... Or should I call you Pein now?" Gouki smiled proudly at his student, "And welcome to the Naraka Path."_

_"Nagato," the young man answered, "I will bring the rest of the world Pein, but to you sensei, and to Konan and Kohaku-san, I will always just be Nagato."_

_Gouki nodded his understanding, and helped the young man stand._

* * *

_Gouki ran his fingers through Kohaku's long green hair as he kissed her passionately. After they broke off the lip-lock, the Jinchuriki giggled like a schoolgirl._

_"Nagato and Konan just left," she chided him affectionately, "you should at least wait until they're out of earshot."_

_"What is wrong with me kissing my new bride?" he teased her back, moving his hands in... interesting ways._

_"What's wrong is that my husband is an impatient horn-dog," she countered without any real bite._

_"You were the one who tried to seduce me when we first met," he told her, sliding her shirt upward, enjoying the feel of her soft skin._

_"And given everything I've seen since, I'm very surprised you turned me down," she blushed, embarrassed by her past actions._

_"What kind of person do you take me for?" he said in mock hurt, "No matter how attractive you might make yourself, I wouldn't do this if I didn't love you, heart, mind, and soul."_

_Kohaku kissed him again, as if desperate to convey how thoroughly she returned his sentiments. Gouki's hands moved down to her skirt, until they were interrupted by the loud clearing of a throat. _

_Instantly the couple was on opposite sides of the room, and Kohaku's clothing was back in place and completely unruffled. Gouki found the source of the noise as he was moving, a familiar brown toad was standing outside the window, staring at them impatiently. The Grass Jinchuriki followed his gaze, and she frowned at the amphibian in confusion._

_"A messenger, from my brother," he explained, annoyed, "Just wait here, I'll find out what it wants and get rid of it."_

_In his anger and haste, Namikaze almost used substitution to get outside, but instead used the door. As he approached the toad, the familiar started to speak, but the Leaf Jonin cut him off, holding up his hand both to forestall the toad and to let him study it._

_"You are a fully bonded courier, right?" the Human demanded. The messenger toad nodded, looking insulted._

_"And you cannot reveal my location without my permission, right?"_

_Another quick bobbing of the animal's head answered the question._

_"You do not have my permission," Gouki said darkly, "Clear?"_

_"Of course," the toad could not help but shudder._

_"Give me the letter," Minato's brother said in resignation._

_"Umm, it's not a letter, Namikaze-dono. It's a communication jutsu scroll."_

_Gouki blinked in shock, and pursed his lips in thought. _

_"Alright, thank you for telling me," he regretted slightly snapping at the toad. He took the parchment, and despite the Namikaze's change in demeanor, the toad hopped away as quickly as he could._

_Gouki sat down on the grass, and began to carefully lay out a web of fuinjutsu. He placed seals to prevent Minato from tracking the location of the scroll, and to mask the view of the area around him. He reinforced the techniques so that if someone else piggybacked the connection, he would be alerted to any attempts to bypass his wards. Satisfied with his precautions, he unfurled the scroll, and placed a bloody thumbprint on the last kanji in the long string of characters._

_A moment later, a perfect one-foot tall representation of Minato stood before him. His younger brother was wearing normal ninja attire, except with a flashy white greatcoat with a flame pattern. And he wore the Hokage's official hat of office._

_"Brother."_

_"Gouki-niisan."_

_After exchanging openings, the two men continued to stare at one another._

_"Aniki, why haven't you come back?" Minato flinched first._

_"I'm on vacation, right?"_

_"Even taking into consideration all the things you are rumored to have done in the war as 'working', your leave time ran out months ago."_

_"So?" Gouki countered, "It's not like I collected any pay while I was gone. Besides I have other things to do, and the village is getting along fine without me."_

_That riled up Minato, "The Professor and I have been covering for you, but many on the Jonin council are demanding that you be declared a missing-nin."_

_"Go right ahead," Gouki shrugged, "I haven't thought of myself as a Leaf ninja since I broke Kuma's mask."_

_"That was you?" the younger brother queried thoughtfully, "But why would you do that? You were always the most loyal to the Leaf."_

_"After what I have seen, I can no longer consider just the Leaf. Nor am I willing to turn a blind eye to the darker elements in your ranks," the elder Jonin answered. Then his expression softened, and he asked, "Let's say I did come back. But I brought with me a handful of renegades from other villages. Could you guarantee them freedom, safety, and protection?"_

_"I... That depends on what they have to offer in return," the Fourth answered, uncertainty apparent in his voice._

_"Unfortunately, that is what I thought you would say... You are a good man, brother, and I'm sure you have done the best you can for the village. But you have to play politics with the elders, the council, the Daimyo, and the the other villages. And I can't come back, not until you can at least promise me my friends will be treated right."_

_Gouki raised his right hand, fire chakra dancing between his fingertips._

_"Wait," Minato pleaded, "there is..."_

_"Good bye, Minato. I understand you will do what you have to do."_

_The illusion of the younger Namikaze started to protest, as the elder shinobi lit the parchment. Gouki hurried back inside, and all but dove into his wife's arms. He held her tightly, as a single harsh breath shook his body. _

* * *

_"Wait," Minato pleaded, "there is another reason I want you to return..."_

_He trailed off as the jutsu ended._

_"You're going to be an uncle..."_

* * *

_Minato Namikaze addressed the Jonin council with a look of resignation. The Fourth Hokage looked to the Third, but Hiruzen could only incline his head and gave the younger man a supportive look._

_"It is with great displeasure that I must now name Gouki Namikaze, former Jonin of the Hidden Leaf Village, a renegade shinobi. His name will be recorded in the Bingo Book as an S-Rank criminal deviant. He is to be approached with extreme caution."_

* * *

_Gouki stared at the corpse with grim resignation. He had always had sympathy for smaller bandit groups, having seen too many people forced to steal to survive after the war. And that acceptance had only grown in the few weeks since he had been officially been named a renegade. But that tolerance waned with respect to those who used excessive violence in their illegal redistribution of wealth. _

_The former ninja who lay did before him was not only a thief and a murderer, he was also a known rapist. Or rather had been those things. Namikaze was unwilling to let him go with a warning as he had the others, believing that the 'man' would have victimized others again._

_After the seven of them had finished educating the aggressive bandits about the error of their ways, Gouki had sent Kohaku and the others back. Even if this man's crimes had condemned him to death, the Leaf renegade wanted to give him something resembling a proper burial. The time he had spent with Nagato had heightened Gouki's awareness of the cycle of reincarnation and enlightenment._

_"What the hell happened here?" a brash voice demanded, breaking Namikaze's reverie. Four figures had exited the forest into the clearing that had served as the bandit's base. The three younger ninjas were unknown to him, though the white eyes marked the tallest of them as a Hyuga. But the last of them was definitely known to him._

_"You?" Homura Mitokado almost sputtered in amazement as he recognized the renegade._

_"Homura-sensei?" the lone kunoichi of the team prompted cautiously, "What is it? Do you know him?"_

_"That is Gouki Namikaze, Sakura-chan" the elder answered. The other members of his team all gasped, recognizing the name even if they had not memorized his face. _

_"Great," the non-Hyuga youth said happily, "Here I thought we'd just be taking out some mooks, and we get a Grade S opponent instead."_

_As he spoke, hints in his voice and face clicked with Gouki, and he realized this must be Hiruzen Sarutobi's elder son, Ichibe. Without waiting for orders, the Tokujo dove forward, freeing his longsword from its scabbard. Gouki pushed aside the attack easily with his empty hand, and jabbed his palm into the younger man's solar plexus, sending him flying back. The young woman named Sakura caught her flying teammate, while Homura and the Hyuga raced towards him._

_Namikaze avoided the white-eyed Jonin's glowing fingertips, and blocked Homura's taijutsu. Gouki did not want to fight his former comrades, so he started on the defensive. But simply dodging the two Jonin would never get him anywhere, so when a chance came, he took it. Both Homura and Hyuga aimed blows at his chest, from opposite sides. Namikaze slipped out from between them, but grabbed the Hyuga's wrist and forced his glowing fingertips into Homura's left elbow before the younger ninja could shut off his Gentle Fist. Homura's left hand went limp, but for good measure, the renegade drove his elbow into the Elder's left bicep, cracking the bone underneath. _

_Sakura got Ichibe sorted out, and Gouki realized if he did not hurry it might be four on one instead of two on one. So when the Hyuga warrior lashed out again, Namikaze dropped low, and wrapped his arms around the younger man's waist. The he threw himself backwards, dragging the loyal Jonin over him, and slammed the Hyuga's head, neck, and shoulders into the ground. Gouki let go, and the newly titled Jonin flopped to the side, unconscious._

_"A suplex?" Homura noted, switching to kicks now that one of his arms was disabled, "That's highly unconventional."_

_"But very effective against an opponent who is too rigid in his thinking," the renegade shrugged, sliding around the Mitokado's extended right foot and catching the older man by the throat, "Ranshinsho."_

_Homura's body jerked, and when Gouki released him, he fell limply, unable to control his limbs._

_"Hizashi, sensei," Ichibe was on him almost immediately, livid over the injuries to his friend and his mentor. He slashed viciously at the rogue, but Namikaze slipped easily around the imprecise strikes. Meanwhile, the kunoichi named Sakura was frozen in fear and indecision. He blond hair fluttered as her head darted between her three allies, trying to decide if she should help Ichibe or one of the injured men._

_Gouki twisted the blade from Sarutobi's grip, and the younger warrior continued lashing out with his hands and feet. His attacks became more precise, and he landed a pair of moderate blows on Gouki's left arm. Rather than risking the Third's son getting lucky, Namikaze swung his pilfered sword at its owner's left leg, hoping to drive the Leaf berserker back. But Ichibe did not even attempt to block or evade, and the longsword bit deep into his calf, slicing even into the bone. At that point Gouki's instincts took over, and he released another Ranshinsho, through the sword's blade._

_And instantly regretted it as the younger man's leg twitched wildly, ripping itself off the longsword. Gouki remembered Tsunade's warning that while a Ranshinsho applied to the skin would temporarily disrupt or even randomize muscle control, discharging it directly inside the body could cause permanent nerve damage._

_Whatever the attack had done to his leg, Ichibe ignored it, still striking with his fists. Gouki considered summoning Syphon, but could not divert his attention from Ichibe's wild attacks long enough. Then the youth hit the renegade's chin hard enough to rattle his teeth, and Namikaze decided he could not delay any longer._

_"Katon: Cauterizing Blade," Gouki stated, sending fire chakra into his borrowed sword. He blocked the next strike with the crosspiece, but Sarutobi's son ignored the seared flesh on his knuckles._

_"You aren't leaving me with many options, Sarutobi-kun," he tried to reach the Tokujo, but Ichibe did not seem to hear him. Instead he launched simultaneous punches at the rogue's throat and crotch. Gouki exhaled in defeat, dodged the wild strikes, and drove the still blazing sword into the teen's left should. The combination of stabbing and burning finally caught the berserker's notice, and he howled in pain. This distracted him long enough for Gouki to sock him in the face. The off hand blow was still hard enough to knock out the nineteen year-old._

_Sakura Futabi was past her limit. She had started backing away after the cut to Sarutobi's calf, but now she turned heedlessly and ran back into the forest. Gouki shook his head in dismay, and turned back, kneeling over his teacher's son. As he reached for the younger man, Homura found his voice again._

_"Stop, I won't let you..." the Elder started to object but trailed off when Gouki began to bind the wound on Ichibe's leg._

_"What are you doing?" the bespectacled Jonin demanded._

_"If I don't stop the bleeding, he'll die," Namikaze answered, "And my medical jutsu doesn't even compare to Tsunade-sensei's, so I'll have to combined it with some old fashion compression. I could cauterize this wound, except I cut into the bone. And with the other damage I did, burning it shut might make things worse."_

_"But you're a rogue ninja, an enemy."_

_"This is only the second... well arguably the third time I have betrayed the Leaf, and you did attack me first. I have no desire to fight my former friends and comrades."_

_"Then why betray us at all," Homura demanded incredulously._

_"Because I have to. This world... _Our_ world, is about to break. People view us as demons or demigods, and they aren't that far off. Even worse, there are an increasing number of us who actually wholly accept that."_

_Namikaze stopped speaking as he tied off the bandage, and began checking the hole in Ichibe's shoulder._

_"What do you mean?"_

_"I studied with both the Professor and Orochimaru," Gouki offered, "I understand the science of chakra and jutsu better than three quarters of the ninjas on the planet. But when I stop to think, really think, about what we can do, it is insane; ludicrous." _

_Gouki paused both his treatment and his speech to pick up a small stone from a nearby fire pit._

_"I can copy my mind, insert it into this rock, have it assume my form, and essentially become me, until it is destroyed or runs out of chakra."_

_He channeled his ki, creating a clone. The copy picked up Hizashi Hyuga, placed him beside Ichibe, and began to check on the younger man's spine and skull._

_"The civilian Daimyos, they only rule by our whim and sense of honor. And both of those I have been finding recently lacking. I have seen too many full, sanctioned ninjas breaking the rules and disobeying orders for their own gain."_

_"Do you know," Gouki prompted with more anger, "that in this last war, four times as many civilians died as did shinobi? The helpless people we are supposed to be fighting for, died in our conflict by the droves, more than we did. And that's not considering an the orphans that were created, all of the people who died later from hunger. And beyond just death, there are too many reports of theft, rape, and torture."_

_"And there's nothing they can do about it. If someone were to gather all the non-ninja soldiers and samurai of every country on this continent, they could only barely overpower one ninja village. Throw in reinforcements from a second village, and it would all be over. But that's not to say that ninjas should just vanish. We are the only ones who can even attempt to deal with demons and spirits. And we could do so much more..."_

_"And?" Homura prompted again, this time much more humbly, "Are you going to fix it?"_

_"I hope to," Gouki said sadly, "But I don't know how, yet. All I can do for now is protect my friends, and this Land that lacks a hidden village of its own."_

_There was a rustling in the forest, and Homura shifted his gaze to look. And when he turned back, Gouki was gone._

* * *

_"Gouki-sensei!" Konan screamed, rousing him from bed. None of them slept particularly late, but the origami user rose early once a week to trek to the nearest city to get a newspaper. Both Namikazes were awake and down stairs in a matter of seconds, as was Nagato, even though he had not been called for._

_"Konan, what is it?" Gouki asked, staring anxiously at the young woman. Konan was panting and drenched in sweat, as if she had run the whole way back at top speed. Trying to catch her breath, she could not form the words. So she thrust the paper into his hands._

_"Nine-tails Fox Strikes," he read the headline aloud with a tone of dread, "Fourth Hokage falls sealing the beast."_

_He quickly read through the article, which gave a shaky accounting of the attack on the Leaf village. It listed numerous dead, including Minato, but did not say where or how the fox had been bound._

_"They didn't do anything," Gouki barked on his second read through, "They let him die, sacrifice himself for them. There must have been a dozen other things they could have tried, but they let him go, instead."_

_Tears streamed down his face, and he threw the paper back at Konan. Kohaku draped her arms around him, offering her love and support._

_"It has to stop," he mumbled suddenly, after a few minutes of silence. Her lover and both students looked up at him in surprise. _

_"I've been trying to find a better way, and also hoping Minato might shape up and start to influence the world like only the Hokage can. I have been too naive, thinking that good people can influence the bad, that Humanity will grow as a whole. No, there is only one way this world will be come a place where mortals can live without fear of random supernatural beings playing with them on a whim. I... _we_ will have to make it that way."_

_Kohaku nodded._

_"We are with you, sensei," Nagato said._

_"Good," Gouki seemed to recover slightly with their show of support, "In that case, I think our first step has to be for you two to go with Madara Uchiha."_

_Nagato and Konan drew back in surprise._

_"I know, but he will end up being either our greatest hindrance, or a vital tool. And his offer to Pein is the best chance we have to determine which one."_

* * *

_"I already told your dogs I'm not interested in joining your 'new Akatsuki' or whatever you call it," the Reaper of Shinobi said harshly, "Even if it had some benefits, joining Pein's group was a mistake. But you still insisted on this private meeting, even knowing I would probably try to kill you. So color me intrigued. What do you have to say, Raikage-sama?"_

_She sneered the last word, but Gouki was unconcerned._

_"Whether or not you join me is up to you," he said openly, "But I have been looking for you from a long time, Narumi-chan."_

_"How do you know that name?" she snarled to cover her surprise._

_"I fully expected that you would not recognize me, considering how quickly you ran out of that dining room," he answered gently, "But I heard all about you from the innkeeper. And I have something that I believe belongs to you."_

_He opened one of the pockets on his vest, and took out a small swatch of silk. He unwrapped the item carefully, and extended it to her. She reached for it hesitantly, but did not move any closer, frozen in rush of emotion._

_"My mother's locket," as the rage flooded from her voice, she sounded ten years younger, "How do you have it?"_

_"I met a certain Hidden Stone Chunin who was enamored with his own good looks, and had a nasty habit of stealing a trophy from each of his 'conquests'. I took this from him, and... disabused him of the practice."_

_"So let me guess," her suspicion returned, and she tightened her left hand grip on the Gryphon's Claw, "I agree to work for you, and you'll give this back to me, someday."_

_Gouki walked over to her, shaking his head kindly. He placed the brooch in her still extended hand, and gently closed her fingers._

_"This is not a bargaining chip. I returned to that town after I recovered it but you were already gone. I recognized Konan's description of when were in the Akatsuki. She saw you one time, unmasked, changing. So as soon as I could, I had Kohaku and Pein bring you to me. I do want you to be my general. I believe that our goals are compatible, and that your power would be of great help to us. But as I said, that is your choice. Whatever your answer, the locket is yours, and you are free to leave at any time."_

_She studied him, and he stood before her, totally relaxed. She could have killed him with a single stroke, but she could not even find a hint of tension in him._

_"What's your end game?" she asked openly, dropping her guard slightly._

_"To create a world without war and remove the social and political caste known as 'ninja'," he answered, then expounded, "Your stated goal is to kill all shinobi. I only wish you to change the word 'kill' to 'destroy'."_

_"What's the difference?" she demanded, a hint of doubt returning._

_"Ninjas will be given three options. They can become my soldiers, foreswearing their individual fame and pledging to follow my code of conduct, on the penalty of death. Or they can be decommissioned, have their knowledge of jutsu removed and their tenketsu scarred. If they will not agree to either of those options, then they will die."_

_"Why go to such lengths?" she prompted reasonably._

_"Because I do not like to kill," he said, "And because there are certain things that can only be dealt with by those with our skills. I have heard that you call ninjas demon-spawn. And I do not disagree. But _demons_ are also demon-spawn. And without some way to control them, thing would go back to the way they were before the modern age. It would be impossible to have a city of more than one hundred people, because some spirit would come along and destroy it. Or worse. And no matter how badly you think of this world, even you must realize that that would be... undesirable, to say the least."_

_She thought on his words, and then lowered the tip of her trident to the floor._

_"What... Where do we begin?" she asked hopefully._

_"A certain noble in the Grass country, whose acquaintance I made during the war, is demanding we step up our timetable for that country. It is risky, but I gave him my word. However, before we can send troops into the Grass, we will need certain assurances that their allies will not intervene..."_

* * *

**Preview:**

[background scene of a Naruto, staring at the hilt of his weapon]

Naruto [dully]: He broke Kitsune.

[background scene of three Narutos, holding a Futon Rasenshuriken]

Naruto [angry]: He broke Kitsune.

[background scene Naruto, furiously beginning to transform]

Naruto [livid]: HE BROKE KITSUNE!

Naruto [announcer voice]: Next time on Naruto: A Growing Affection; **Chapter 165: Matchless Teamwork  
**

Hinata [sadly]: I'm so sorry, Naruto.

Naruto [unconcerned]: Ehh, it's not a big deal.

**Author's Note:** 6


	165. Matchless Teamwork

**Chapter 165: Matchless Teamwork**

At first it seemed the two weapons were equal. That Gouki's greater strength would let him push Naruto back, but that Kitsune would stop Syphon, as it had Kusanagi as well as countless other weapons and jutsus. But Hinata's Byakugan let her see the axe's absorption tugging at the chakra that reinforced the staff-blade.

It began with a tiny nick in the metal cylinder, but as Gouki pressed down, the intrusion into Kitsune's structure hastened Syphon's unraveling of the strengthening techniques. The further the axe cut into the staff-blade, the weaker the latter grew. After it had been sliced one third of the way through, the beleaguered weapon failed, shattering unevenly. The majority of the metal cylinder dropped, clattering onto the floor.

"Naruto!" Sakura shouted fearfully, as Syphon arced down at Uzumaki's shoulder. She released her readied arrow, but knew she was too late to save Naruto's arm. Hinata changed her angle of approach, aiming for Naruto's back so she could evacuate her lover to the medic. Both women cringed as Syphon cut into the cloth of Naruto's uniform and continued down without slowing.

And then the Senju weapon passed out the other side, leaving not so much as a mark on Naruto's body, though his now disconnected sleeve slumped down to his elbow. Sakura was shocked to see her teammate unharmed, but Hinata had seen the truth of the of the hit. She recalled Gouki's earlier statement that he did not intend to kill them. As he claimed, there was no physical damage from the hit. Instead, the former Jinchuriki's remaining chakra supply had dropped by almost a third.

Gouki put more momentum into his swing, letting it drag him forward so that Sakura's missile sailed behind him. Then Namikaze swung again, this time directing a horizontal attack at Naruto's belly. Still clutching the hilt of his broken weapon, the blonde teen hopped back quickly, nearly colliding with Hinata. His nose detected her, and she predicted his movement. They shifted their approach, and linked arms as they passed, letting Hinata use Naruto as an anchor while she seemingly floated up and slammed her left knee into Gouki's matching shoulder and her right calf into his temple. Though rattled, the Raikage attempted a counterstrike. Uzumaki reeled Hinata back in, before the axe could hit her. The blonde youth caught his lover gently, as he put more space between them and his uncle.

"Naruto, are you okay?" the Leaf healer demanded.

"A little tired, but otherwise fine," he answered, panting slightly.

"It is as Gouki said," Hinata reminded them, "Syphon can be made to hit without injuring, instead stealing the victim's chakra."

"I'm sorry about Kitsune, Naruto," the pale beauty added softly, as Gouki rubbed his hurt shoulder, and then shook his head to help clear the cobwebs.

"I'm not," he said, and both women looked at him doubtfully, so he continued, "No, really. I made it as a throwaway weapon to fight the Reaper. I didn't have the right metals to make a really strong alloy, and I hacked it together in like six hours. Honestly, now that I think about it, I'm kinda surprised it lasted this long. And I can always remake it when we get home."

He slipped the hilt into the scabbard, and reversed the summoning. The broken weapon disappeared back to his condo.

"Okay, what about Ginmaki, or my bow?" Haruno prompted.

"Well, your bow wasn't made to be parrying axes or swords in the first place," he frowned at her, "but Ginmaki is the strongest alloy I know, and I put a lot more time into them than I did Kitsune. Plus I had learned a bunch more stuff by the time I made Ginmaki. So it should be okay against Syphon."

The Hyuga heiress colored slightly upon hearing for the first time that Naruto had worked harder on her weapon than he had on his own.

"In that case, Hinata had better take point," the lone Jonin of the trio instructed, "Naruto, take a food pill and switch to middle range."

Gouki had finished his own recovery, as Naruto and Hinata nodded their understanding. The Raikage was slightly surprised by their formation. Hinata's kote might be stand up to Syphon. It had taken him a greater effort than he expected to break Kitsune. But even so, he had already proven he was was faster than any of the teens, and strong enough to maneuver the white-eyed girl around however he wanted. All he had to do was keep Hinata between himself and the other two, while he wore the younger woman out.

Satisfied with his estimation of their plan and his counter strategy, Gouki met Hinata with a diagonal stroke. She braced herself and linked her bracers, and while Namikaze's battle-axe was stopped, the kunoichi was driven to her knees. He start to bring his leg up, to match his knee to her elbows, and push her arms out of the way for a second attack. Before he could he heard something else that made him tense and divert his gaze.

"Doton: Stone Claws Jutsu," Gouki heard a brash voice declare to his left.

"Raiton: Spark Darts Jutsu," the same voice announced to his right.

The Raikage spun backwards, barely escaping the hands that emerged from the floor. But the lightning technique continued to home in on the largest individual source of metal in the room, his axe. He cut sideways, and Syphon's chakra stealing edge hit four of the five projectiles. But the last Spark Dart hit the hilt instead, and Gouki's arm went rigid from the shock. He glared at the two versions of his nephew, wondering which one was real and which one was the clone. He realized keeping Hinata between himself and Naruto might be harder than initially expected. Based on the energy in his weapon, he had expect the boy to be nearly out of chakra.

'It seems all the stories about his chakra supply are not exaggerated,' Gouki thought, 'If anything, they might be underestimating him. Even with a food pill, I would not have expected him to rely on ninjutsu so soon after getting hit by Syphon.'

One Uzumaki launched a set of Cyclone Spikes, while the other unleashed a Fire Trace. A left-handed swipe of Syphon took care of the miniature tornadoes, while Gouki half-signed with his right hand.

"Suiton: Tripping Waves Jutsu," Namikaze incanted. The water that had formed his clones gathered and then rapidly dispersed, destroying the creeping flames and nearly toppling Hinata. The Byakugan user sent earth chakra into her feet to increase her connection to the stone floor, and water chakra into her shapely legs to reduce the impact of the waves. Then she continued forward, her glowing fingers flashing out at his arms while he tried to shift Syphon back to his primary hand.

'What is Sakura doing?' Gouki wondered, as he dodged Hinata's right hand and interposed his axe before her left. He glanced over at the medic, who had an arrow drawn, but was merely tracking him. A second study told him her quiver was still nearly empty. He thought it was likely she was waiting for the best possible shot, likely after one of Naruto or Hinata's attacks connected. Namikaze could not let that happen, so he prepared to switch his focus to Naruto. He launching an unsigned, unnamed Fireball Jutsu at his melee opponent, forcing her to leap back in surprise.

Unsure which one was the clone, he selected the Naruto on his left, and kept Syphon trained on Hinata and the other Uzumaki as he flash-stepped across the courtyard, landing behind his chosen target. He aimed a hard left at the blonde youth's neck, testing him. Naruto broke off his signs, and dropped unevenly under the fist. Gouki plunged even lower, and kicked out the teen's legs. As he rotated, the renegade Kage extended his weapon, hoping to catch Uzumaki as he fell. Instead of losing any more his chakra, the clone dismissed himself. And as Syphon passed through the cloud, a high pitched whine began to echo around the wide atrium.

Gouki watched all three of the teens, but none of them seemed to be the source of the noise. Hinata was almost upon him, so the rogue placed his primary focus back on her. He knelt under a Gentle Fist strike at his head, and then rose up, spinning Syphon vertically. The Hyuga heiress flipped towards him, caught the Senju weapon on her bracers again, and used the extra momentum to continue her path over him. The Raikage barely evaded an elbow strike to the top of his head, and braced himself for an attack from behind before he recovered.

"Now, Naruto," Sakura shouted, but her mouth did not move. Namikaze's eyes narrowed in anoyance.

"Release!" Gouki demanded, borrowing some of the chakra from his weapon and cursing himself for not thinking of it sooner.

Sakura was not ready to shoot him, instead her hands were laced together over the grip of her bow and she was staring at him with a different sort of intensity. And next to her were three additional Narutos, one holding his hand over his head, and two drawing out the Rasengan hovering there into a broad, spiral disc.

"Fuuton: Rasenshuriken," all three Uzumakis proclaimed, as the original brought his hand down, throwing the disc diagonally. Gouki was vaguely aware of Hinata rolling to the side, so she was not behind him. But he knew he would not have time to dodge. Instead, he moved his right hand up to Syphon's shaft, dug in his feet, and turned the axe's blade into his nephew's attack.

"Cyclone Spikes," the solo clone shouted triumphantly, and while two cones flew towards Namikaze, one hit the Rasenshuriken, changing its trajectory slightly. Unable to dodge the Spikes, Gouki took the hits to his left arm and shoulder, and tried to shift he weapon so he could still cut done the galaxy-shaped wind chakra squarely. His timing was disrupted, and a curved tine of the shuriken struck the flat of the axe's head. An instant later, the edge of the Senju weapon touched the Rasenshuriken, and Naruto's attack was consumed. But in the aftermatch, all four shinobi could not help but notice a shallow pit at the point of initial impact. The previously smooth metal around the indent was now severely scuffed.

"The chakra stealing only works on the edge," Minato's son smirked as he stated the obvious. The fox-faced man recalled his clone to conserve his energy. Gouki managed to hide his indignation and worry under a practiced veneer.

"I don't think that will help you much at this point," the Raikage countered smoothly, "All those clones and jutsu must have consumed at least as much chakra as you regained from the food pill you just took. And I won't fall for that illusion again."

"How do you know you haven't already?" Naruto countered slyly, "Sakura is really good with genjutsu."

"Hinata can see it," the Raikage stated, starting towards the Byakugan user again. Uzumaki shifted his head slightly, and correctly read the furrow in his lover's brow.

"He set up some sort of cycle in his chakra flow, I'm not sure how. I've never seen anything like it before," the younger woman explained, deflecting the axe. She carefully directed her glowing toe at Gouki's midsection.

"He will probably be able to sense a chakra intrusion much faster than normal," she concluded. Naruto unleashed a Tornado Lance on his uncle. Sakura began to weave a more complex technique. Gouki spun out of the way of Naruto and Hinata's strikes, and brought his heel up backwards towards Hinata's chin. She tried to dodge, but his boot still scraped her skin almost up to her lip. Naruto was right there behind her, having moved in just behind his jutsu. He held his arm behind her back so she wouldn't fall. Instead, she used that brace as a lever, and rolled over. She jammed her toe into the knee of Gouki's retreating leg. Both the Raikage and the Hyuga heiress landed, and neither one was entirely steady. Hinata was rattled from his blows. Gouki's tagged joint twisted slightly as he set it down, before he caught himself.

"Youth Clone Jutsu," Naruto crossed his fingers and spun off a new copy. Namikaze noted that Sakura finished her art at the exact same instant. He felt the intrusion into his chakra network's altered rhythm, and decided that one of the three melee fighters was not what they appeared. But he expected that the fake was not the Naruto that exploded into being. Instead the facsimile would actually be the original Naruto, or Hinata. He deduced there was still a clone, there had to be.

"Release," Gouki said smugly. However nothing about the scene before him changed.

'Either they transformed physical, or Naruto switched with his own clone,' the Raikage thought carefully. He plotted his attack, but wanted to try to narrow the options first.

"_Youth_ Clone Jutsu?" Gouki sounded amused.

"Gai-sensei's enhanced form of the Shadow Clone Jutsu," Naruto explained sharply, "Neji and I agreed to change the name to honor him after he died taking out Kisame."

Both Narutos darted towards their uncle, arms drawn back for a strong punch. Hinata circled around more cautiously, her fingers raised. Gouki caught both Uzumakis in a sweeping crescent kick, but neither changed or exploded. He turned out his weapon's edge for a hasty jab at Hinata. The young woman hopped back to avoid it. Then all three teens cleared a path as Sakura threw six of the Syphon copy kunai back at him. He shattered five of them with a quick slash of his axe. But the last was merely deflected downward. It cut through his heavy boot and shallowly into his foot. Gouki punched a returning Naruto in the jaw. The teen was knocked back, but again was not destroyed.

The renegade leader frowned thoughtfully. He had not been informed of the altered technique, but it was not uncommon for shinobi to come up with minor variations on their jutsu. Without knowing how Might Gai had altered the Shadow Clone, he could not be sure of the most effective way to deal with it. But he expected Syphon would still be up to the task.

He took a broad swipe at his nephew's copy, or at least the one he estimated was the copy. The youth dove under the attack aggressively. Naruto attempted to grab Gouki's knees, while the other him went for his uncle's right arm. Gouki hopped over the low attack, and slammed his elbow into the cheek of the blonde reaching for his axe hand. As he landed on Naruto, Hinata's fingers clipped his spine. The Raikage pushed off of the Uzumaki below him, rolling forward to escape the Gentle Fist strikes. Which put him directly in the path of Sakura's next round of repurposed spade daggers. He blocked them, holding Syphon broad-ways as a shield. He caught one of the kunai as it clanged off the battle-axe, and jammed it down into Naruto's calf. Finally, the clone obliged his attacks and exploded. Gouki landed facing Sakura in annoyance. The medic might not be the immediate threat that her teammates were, but her frequent distractions were keeping him from fully engaging Naruto and Hinata.

"Axe Chrysanthemum Jutsu," He took a step forward and threw Syphon at her sidearm. The large weapon spun towards her with unnatural speed and a deliberate '*' shaped path. And due to his chakra, it spun with the grip as the central point, increasing the area it covered. Haruno recognized one of the attacks Tsunade had taught her but that she had never fully mastered. She also knew that she would not be able to avoid the attack. She briefly hoped the blade was still configured to cut her chakra reserves instead of her flesh.

"Sakura," Naruto shouted, and a wan duplicate of him appeared next to her. The defensive clone yanked her to the left, and exploded from just that effort. Despite the assist, the Leaf Jonin did not fully escape Syphon. Its blade passed through her wrist without any visible damage. And then the hilt struck her knee with a loud crack.

"Weapon Summoning," Gouki announced, and Syphon appeared back in his hand. He swept it around, keeping Naruto and Hinata at bay for a moment, their focus partially on their teammate.

Sakura looked down at her right hand, which was not properly answering her mental commands. She estimated her kneecap was merely cracked, not broken. And her chakra supply was nearly depleted. She unsteadily swung her bow over her shoulder, and began fumbling for a food pill with her left hand.

"My apologies, Sakura-san. But that was the best way to remove you from the fight."

"What was?" Naruto demanded, launching a fist at his uncle's ear.

"He severed the tendons in my right hand," the healer explained, biting into the supplement she had clumsily retrieved.

"Why do that?" Uzumaki sounded confused, "Why not just cut off her hand?"

"Aside from the fact that severing her wrist would be going to far?" Gouki answered with a query of his own, "That aside, reattaching a limb in combat would be nearly impossible, even for Tsunade-sensei or her star pupil. Sakura would have probably stopped the bleeding and continued fighting. But this way, after she recovers her chakra, it makes more sense for her to spend the time to heal herself. If she doesn't, her limb hand will just get in her way, and if she does, she will be able to properly form hand seals or shoot her bow again."

Having ducked under her nephew's first attack, Gouki caught the blond youth's knee on the shaft of his axe. Naruto winced from the impact with the hardened steel, but still forced his weight onto the weapon. He pushed Gouki back slightly and kept Syphon trapped. This allowed Hinata to circle in for a Gentle Fist strike to Namikaze's kidneys. Gouki released Syphon with his left hand, but moved the matching knee into its place. He reached caught the pale beauty's wrist before she could close his tenketsu, but not before the thread of sharpened chakra shallowly punctured the targeted organ. He dragged the light kunoichi around, trying to draw her into Syphon's edge. Hinata responded by summoning Ginmaki's lightning projections, forcing the Raikage to release her or lose his fingers. Gouki kicked out with the leg supporting Syphon, and forced Naruto back. As the axe flew out wildly, Uzumaki had to dart back further to avoid a cut to the stomach.

The fox-faced man landed, and met his lover's silver eyes intently. Then he began to pulse his chakra in a deliberate pattern. After a moment Hinata nodded. Gouki observed them with a bemused frown.

"Is that a trick, now that your genjutsu user is disabled," he asked happily, "Or are you two actually planning something?"

"You'll just have to find out," Naruto snapped lightly. He cracked his knuckles lightly, and hopped forward again. He threw a simple right front kick at Gouki's sternum. The renegade raised his axe to block, edge out. Uzumaki stopped his foot just millimeters from the blade. Instead, he pitched himself forward, grabbing the back side of the battle-axe for momentum. The Leaf Tokujo aimed his metal covered forehead at his uncle's nose. Gouki took the hit, his nose breaking with a sickening snap. In return, he used Naruto's weight on Syphon, and drove the weapon into the teen's knee. It cut though cloth, ignored skin, bone, and muscle. But as with Sakura, it sliced through his tendons and ligaments, and claimed a large portion of his remaining chakra. The two men stumbled away, blood streaming down the Raikage's face. Naruto limped the first two steps, but by the third his regeneration had kicked in, and on his fifth step he was moving normally. And Gouki straightened his nose with only a hint of pain, before staunching the bleeding with a weak medical jutsu. Uzumaki popped another food pill, and glanced at Sakura. Though the medic was still working on her wrist, the real reason for the look was to let Naruto subtly check Hinata's progress.

With his girlfriend almost ready, Naruto moved into the second phase of his plan. He slipped his fingers into the familiar position, and shouted, "Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

Two hundred Uzumakis filled the space almost to bursting. Many of them scooped down, gathering the scatter kunai, and tossed them skywards. Then, all but ten of them crossed their fingers in the reverse of the regular Shadow Clone sign. Their faces scrunched in concentration, and they called out, "Release."

They vanished, leaving only the original, plus the ten copies. Each duplicate caught two or three of the falling daggers, and once they were equipped, threw themselves recklessly at Gouki. And as the clones attacked, Naruto swallowed another chakra tablet. The first facsimile met the descending axe with three kunai, two in his right hand and the third in his left. The cheap weapons cracked, but did not immediately break. Before Namikaze could press the issue, he was forced to dodge the next two copies. He ducked under the kunai aimed at his neck. The act removed the pressure from the first clone's daggers, and he slid past Syphon, aiming a blow at the Raikage's scalp.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu," Gouki growled, sounding moderately annoyed. His clone appeared outside the circle of Narutos, and four of them turned to meet him. Namikaze's copy took down one Naruto, cutting into his neck with the duplicated Syphon. But the other three focused their attacks on his right arm. They disarmed the Syphon, and the copied axe disappeared once separated from its source. Gouki's shadow continued to fight, but without his weapon and limited by the Shadow Clone form, it was only a matter of time. One of the Narutos landed a moderate cut to the traitors' clone's left side, and the second Gouki exploded. But during the exchange he was able to landed a solid blow on that Naruto. The clone exchange ended two for one in Gouki's favor.

During the copy battle, the real Gouki was able to cut down one of the six copies fighting him. But the duplicate had only one half percent of Naruto's remaining chakra, so Syphon only gained a small amount of energy. The Raikage realized the original large batch of clones had been focusing to send their power back to the original Naruto. As the two surviving blonde shadows returned, their original suddenly shouted, "Now! Get him, guys!"

The copies abandoned their recycled kunai; and with them almost any semblance of tactics. Two grabbed each of Namikaze's limbs, except his left arm, for which there was only one Naruto left. Gouki frowned down at them, knowing this tactic would not work very long. He twisted his right leg, scissoring one of the clones holding it between his knees. The weak facsimile popped, and the Raikage regained more freedom of movement. Then he glanced up, realizing taking his eyes off Naruto for even a fraction of a second was a mistake.

The real Uzumaki raced forward, his right arm extended and five tiny spheres glowing above each finger. Gouki's eyes widened, and he smashed the clone holding his left arm. As he caught Naruto's wrist, he recognized that the Five Points Rasengan was not aimed at him, but at his axe. Struggling to keep his nephew from advancing, and trying to shake off the remaining clones, Namikaze turned his right arm outwards in spite of the clones. The axe inched further away from Naruto. And right into the path of Hinata.

"Five Points Rasengan," she announced, as the orbs floating over her left fingertips made contact with the scarred side of the axe. Naruto dug his left fingers into his uncle's wrist, freeing his right arm from the Raikage's grip.

"Five Points Rasengan," he echoed his beloved, his version of the attack carving into the clean side of Syphon's blade.

Gouki grabbed the hilt of the axe with both hands, trying to pull it free, but the vibrations spreading through the weapon made it impossible for him keep firm hold of the weapon. And every time his hands slipped, the clones made him pay for it, hauling his numb limbs away.

Naruto and Hinata's tiny sphere finished their paths, and they met in the middle of the blade. As the five sets of Rasengans merged, they grew, carving out larger holes in the center of the axe, and increasing the resonance.

Syhpon's head exploded. The blade shot away, carrying most of the chakra draining red ore with it. That fragment of the Senju weapon buried itself in one of the stone pillars. The hilt, haft, and backside of the weapon flew more slowly in the opposite direction, and slammed into the uninjured side of Gouki's head. The rest of the weapon was spread out as tiny shards of shrapnel, destroying all the clones and scoring numerous cuts on the three Human combatants. Naruto's injuries began to fade even as he and Hinata turned to face Gouki. The Raikage was slowly regaining his feet, a look of rage and a livid purple welt both on his face.

"Now, we're even," Naruto growled.

"Not quite," the Raikage snarled back. Gouki pumped more chakra into his limbs than Hinata had ever seen anyone risk before, enough to potentially damage his muscles. He disappeared from Naruto and Sakura's vision, and Hinata could only track the trail of energy behind him. He struck her too fast for her to block or dodge. Namikaze brought the back end of Syphon down where her neck and left shoulder met. As she started to crumple, he drove the hilt of the axe into her gut, forcing all the air and a light mist of blood from her lungs. Then he kicked her sternum, knocking her into the air, deliberately aiming for Hinata to land next to Sakura. Then he let out a harsh breath to steady himself, and dropped his broken weapon.

"None of those attacks will be lethal if she receives immediate treatment," he told the medic, who was not quite finished with her own damaged wrist, "But that ensures you two will be occupied long enough for me to have a little discussion with my nephew."

"Not a good idea," Sakura smirked back, even as she knelt next to Hinata and began to check the younger woman's injuries, "I still remember what happened to the last _thing_ that seriously injured Hinata to get a one on one fight with that knucklehead."

Gouki felt a burst of energy hit him, and turned slowly towards his nephew. Naruto was covered in a thick aura of silver chakra. The cloak pulsed with each breath, creating a steady outward breeze. His visibly growing fangs ground together in rage. Uzumaki took a step forward, his face lengthening, and golden fur sprouting all over his body...

* * *

**Preview:**

[background scene of a the expanded Team Yugao fighting the Reaper]

Naruto [all business]: My uncle's forces are falling apart.

[background scene of Gaara and Neji meeting up with Tenten and Lee]

Naruto [sternly]: Without Pein, his other armies have no real leadership.

[background scene Temari and Kaede joining Natsuki's fight with Kohaku]

Naruto [smugly]: We might not even need to beat him to finish this.

Naruto [announcer voice]: Next time on Naruto: A Growing Affection; **Chapter 166: Crumbling Plans  
**

Gouki [confidently]: Don't get ahead of yourself. I've been waiting for this transformation.

Naruto [dubiously]: Uh-huh. Sure you have.

**Author's Note:** 5


	166. Crumbling Plans

**Chapter 166: Crumbling Plans**

The triplicate blades of the Gryphon's Claw stabbed towards Konohamaru's heart. Udon's manriki-gusari snaked out, wrapping around the shaft of the trident. Just before it hit his friend's shirt, the bespectacled shinobi yanked the trident wide. A moment later Sasame's threads entwined the trapped weapon. The senbon pulling the strings buried themselves in the wooden palisade, further limiting the pole-arm's movement. The Reaper released the Gryphon's Claw and kicked Akamaru in the face as she jumped back. She grabbed the Mist traitor closest to her, and shoved him into the path of Kiba. Yugao recognized him as the rogue who had tried to kidnap Nyoko on the beach. Then Inuzuka's claws met his throat, and he was no more. The Jonin shifted her defensive stance, keeping herself between the Reaper, and Shino and Moegi. The insect user had been attempting the stabilize the younger redhead since seconds after the Reaper had impaled the girl on her trident. The young Chunin's color had improved, but she was not out of the woods yet.

The Reaper looked around and realized her side was losing. She could not spot either Path of Pein, but in both locations where she had last seen them, there were expanding holes in the prisoners' lines.

'They must have been taken out,' she decided, 'and without them, the rabble just fell apart.'

The woman once known as Narumi summoned her trident again, and nearly took off Kiba's head. Sasame's threads hauled her aggressive teammate back, and only the longest of the three tines scraped his Adam's apple. Fuma laced a net of strands around the Reaper's neck, forcing the killer to stop moving. Udon threw out the weight on his chain at their opponent's forehead. The Gryphon's Claw snapped up, and deflected the manriki-gusari towards Kiba. In the same move, she directed the back end of the weapon at Konohamaru's elbow, forcing the Rasengan he was holding into Sasame's threads. The spiraling sphere snapped the chakra strengthened strings. As the tension left the web, some of the strands whipped back, cutting shallow furrows into the Reaper's legs.

"Sasame, set up a Summoning Seal," Yugao instructed, "Kiba, Akamaru, Udon, and Konohamaru, get the Gryphon's Claw away from her, and to Sasame."

The younger warriors instantly complied. The daughter of the Fuma clan reeled in her lines, and began marking a circle on the ledge. Udon aimed his weighted chain for the trident again, but this time the Reaper supplied her weapon with her chakra. The sword-like tines of the polearm began the spin, and they tore through the links attempting to secure it. The Third's grandson aimed a high kick for the invader's head, while Akamaru and his Human each went after one of her legs. The Reaper leaned back, and Konohamaru's strike passed just over her nose. At the same time, she smacked the butt of her trident into Kiba's shoulder. This prevented the teen from securing her left leg. But the three Humans took up all of her focus, and Akamaru's teeth bit deep into her right calf. She started to stab the Gryphon's Claw into the canine, when Udon tossed a small pouch at her face. The Reaper blocked it as if it were a more lethal weapon, and it exploded. All four melee combatants were covered in a fine powder. Though it did not appear to effect Akamaru, the other three fighters all started sneezing. Both Kiba and the Reaper convulsed violently; repeatedly and painfully emptying their lungs. But Konohamaru had developed a partial immunity to his teammate's irritant. He sneezed only once, and then grabbed the trident while the murderess was distracted. The young Chunin hastily tossed the weapon to the older red-head. Sasame stabbed the multi-headed spear into the wooden platform, and activated the fuinjutsu.

Despite his more sensitive nose, the Inuzuka Chunin recovered before their opponent. With Akamaru still trapping her right stem and her body wracked by sneezes, the Leaf shinobi rose up. He put the weight of his body into his fist, and drilled it into her chin, even as her head descended in another sneeze. Even with his training and chakra reinforcement, Kiba broke two knuckles when his fist hit her jaw. But the Reaper came out much worse. Her head snapped back, straining her neck. Her leg was dragged across Akamaru's fangs, but not very far given the power of his grip. And because of the ninja hound holding her down, none of the force of the attack could be dissipated in upward movement. Her eyes rolled back into her head, and she collapsed backwards. Akamaru released her, and the Reaper's head hit the wall hard. Still, the Leaf warriors watched her carefully, expecting a trap.

A few dozen feet down the wall, a shout of triumph went up as Shizune and Hana's poison cloud killed or disabled seven of the freed prisoners and two black Shozokus in one hit. The heart seemed to have gone out of the attackers. Most were breaking off. They were now more interested in escaping, given that their links to Gouki's command structure were severed.

"Udon, go see if Shizune-san can come help with Moegi," Yugao ordered, "No offense to your skills, Shino."

"No offense taken," the insect user agreed pragmatically.

"The rest of you keep an eye on the Reaper," the Jonin added, her gaze moving up and down the wall, looking for any remaining pockets of severe combat.

* * *

One captain rank Shozoku, and the two sergeants with him, fell as they were struck by Tenten's barrage of weapons. Lee's knife-hand strike to the neck of a female green Shozoku knocked her unconscious. That cleared the way for the bushy-browed Tokujo to engage the red Shozoku who was attempting to ambush the Leaf Jonin while she recovered from her Twin Rising Dragons.

The two members of Team Gai had separated from their temporary teammates at the gate. Then, after securing permission from Shikaku Nara and Tsume Inuzuka, they had slipped through the incursion bulge at the now open entrance, and began looking for their missing friends.

"That is all on this street," Lee said, as the lieutenant he was collapsed face first into a puddle. The energetic youth rolled the enslaved warrior onto his back, and then looked around to get his bearings again.

"We appear to be about halfway to their operations center," he added.

"If they made it there," the kunoichi agreed, pessimistically. Lee frowned at her.

"Do you believe they did not?"

"I don't know," she said, "call it nerves, or women's intuition, but I get the feeling that they ran into some trouble on the way. Maybe it is just that their defenses are still too organized for the Rain's command structure to have fallen apart. And if they had taken down Pein and convinced the Rain ninja and Shozokus to follow them, then the fighting should already be over."

"Perhaps we should just ask them," Lee noted oddly, pointing in the direction of their target. Two figures had emerged from the haze of the downpour. And as her eyes focused on them, Tenten realized Lee was correct.

"Neji," she whispered, noticing then that each of the pair was leaning on the other for support. She and Lee took off running, the kunoichi barely resisting the urge to expend some chakra to speed her movement or even just Body Flicker to her lover. As his form became more clear, she noticed he was holding his left hand against his body, and it was crudely wrapped.

"Tenten-san, Lee-san," the Kazekage hailed them, "It is good to see you."

"What happened to you two?" Lee demanded, his eyes also drifting to Neji's hand.

"We fought Pein's Asura Path," Neji answered, his voice shallower than usual.

"And..." Tenten could not finish the statement, unsure what she should say to avoid insulting them.

"We are alive," Gaara continued flatly, "She is not."

"Then why has the fighting not ended?" Lee asked curiously.

"We did not fight her in their headquarters," Neji answered, "And as you can see, we are not in any shape to take advantage of our victory, such as it was."

"We'll get you back to the healers," she moved to support her fiancé, while Lee propped up Gaara. As she wrapped his arm around her shoulders, Tenten could not help but prompt, "Neji, your hand..."

"She severed my left pinky and ring fingers," he stated with embarrassment, "We have them, and Gaara preserved them in a scroll."

"We hope that Ino Yamanaka will be able to restore them," the Kazekage offered, "And if she cannot, I will ask the Hokage personally to perform the operation."

"Thank you, Gaara-san," Tenten said sincerely. Their former enemy nodded, bearing his own feeling of gratitude. Then the quartet began to move back towards the gate as quickly as the injured men were able.

* * *

Thee figures trudged through the Kumogakure, undisturbed. The Acolytes both guarded and supported their weakened master, though so far their protection had been unnecessary. The Shozokus still recognized Nagato as one of Gouki's generals, the Raikage having been unable to issue orders the the contrary. And the few civilians not hiding in their basements recognized the Acolytes Shinto-styled uniforms, and stayed out of their path.

They had been walking for a quarter of an hour when someone finally stood in their way.

"The Acolytes of Pein," Kakashi Hatake said blandly, stepping into the middle of the broad thoroughfare in front of them.

"There haven't been any reports of you since the attempt to kidnap Hanabi Hyuga," the Leaf Jonin continued, "We thought Towa might have killed the last of you. Either that or Gouki had claimed all of you for high ranking Shozokus."

Though their faces would hidden, their posture suggested they were not pleased by Kakashi's words. Nagato smiled sadly and nodded.

"It was the latter," the Rinnegan user conceded without any anger, "Gouki-sensei allowed me to keep Sera and Toro as my personal bodyguards, in case Madara betrayed us sooner than expected. But the seven other surviving Acolytes were converted into grey Shozokus."

"That would make you Pein, then?" Kakashi noted, "Though I suppose the eyes should have given that away."

"Pein is no more," the fragile man answered, "I'm just Nagato now. Though I thought Yahiko was going to tell you that."

"He might have mentioned it," Kakashi shrugged, then fixed a more critical expression on the turncoat, "but I notice Naruto isn't with you. Did he stay behind to help Hinata?"

"Not precisely," Nagato sounded chagrined, and the Acolytes shifted uncomfortably, "Naruto-kun was escorting me out, when we met Hinata-san and Sakura-san. They had already defeated Madara. Killed him, if Sakura's words were accurate. But before we could make our escape, Gouki-sensei stopped us. He agreed to allow my Acolytes to take me out of the village, but he refused to let your students leave. Naruto-kun insisted we go, despite my offer to stay. He said we should seek out you, or the two kunoichi who were fighting my Animal Path."

"That explains how I ran into you," the Copy-ninja sounded torn, and the Rinnegan user understood his indecision.

"If you mean to go help them, do not let us stop you," Nagato offered sincerely, "We will find Temari-san and Kaede-san."

"No," Kakashi shook his head, "Those three don't need me sticking my nose in. And bringing you back safely is our mission."

The silver-haired Jonin offered his former enemy and indirect senpai a shoulder, freeing up the female Acolyte to take a forward defensive position.

"We better go back out the way we came in," Hatake speculated, "I'm guessing the Shozokus at the main gate won't be too happy to see us."

"Unless sensei has had the time and inclination to give orders removing me from my position, I am still one of his two seconds in command and a general of the Shozokus," Nagato interjected uncertainly, "If I so order, they will let us leave."

"Certainly easier than navigating the sewers," Kakashi agreed sardonically, "If you're sure, I guess it's worth the risk."

The quartet resumed the trio's original path, moving slowly closer to the sounds of battle.

* * *

"Gaara?" the Tsuchikage rumbled in surprise as the Kazekage walked stiffly into the command center, "I thought you were being treated for your injuries."

"Neji Hyuga was much more badly hurt than I was," the sand-shaper answered, "And I have responsibilities to my people and to my allies. What is the situation?"

"Our people have begun spreading word that the Asura Path has fallen," Mitsuru informed him, looking down at the map, "That appears to be having a negative impact on the Shozokus' morale. And a handful of Rain ninjas have come out of hiding and are helping us. With the gate open, the walls are more of a hindrance to the enemy, keeping them trapped and limiting their maneuverability. At this point, even conservative estimates have us in control of the Amegakure by this time tomorrow."

"Good," Gaara nodded, "in that case we need to contemplate our next move."

"I believe that would be joining the Snow and Mist ninjas attempting to liberate the Land of Silver?" the Stone Jonin recalled.

"Yes. And if nothing has changed in the last four hours, it sounds like they will definitely need our help."

"Something has changed," the Tsuchikage growled slightly, "A group of Gouki's _black_ Shozokus freed the criminals and renegades from the Leaf's prison. The Human Path of Pein is leading them in an assault on that village. We have not heard anything recently, but the last we knew the Leaf were holding their own."

"Tsunade will ask for assistance if things become too desperate," the younger shinobi asserted confidently.

"And if it is too late by then? I have no special love for the Leaf, but even now we cannot afford to lose any allies."

"I trust in them," the Kazekage did not falter, "For now, we just have to continue the plan we agreed upon."

"Very well," Mitsuru's voice settled, "Our plan is to attack from the Land of Forest, while the Mist and Snow continue their assaults from the ocean, is it not?"

"Correct. But I believe that with the combined skills of you people and my own, we may be able to attack the mines directly. That would be easier than attacking the surface and having to fight our way down."

The compact kunoichi bobbed her head in agreement, a deep smile cracking her face.

* * *

"There," Temari pointed as a blast of snowflakes shot off the roof of a three-story restaurant boasting 'authentic Land of Lightning home cooking'.

"Just a second," Kaede squinted in pain as she focused the energy she was using to keep her scratches from getting worse. Then she placed one foot on the wall and began a tentative assent. The Sang Jonin frowned, wondering if her Mist ally was hurt worse than she initially appeared. But Mizuno pushed herself harder, and the fan user found herself sprinting to catch up.

What they saw was not what they expected or hoped. The Kazekage's protector was no longer with the Leaf healer, and was facing off against a woman both kunoichi recognized as the closest thing Kohaku Namikaze had to a standard appearance. The Hyoton user directed another hawk made of ice after the Jinchuriki. And the Grass renegade's chakra wrapped fist smashed it into snow, creating a drift like the one that had attracted them. The two combatants paused, looking at the newcomers. After deciding that Temari and Kaede were both real and legitimate, they relaxed to regroup. Kohaku's eyes lit with potential.

"What are you two doing here?" Natsuki asked carefully. Even recognizing Temari as the genuine articale did not preclude the possibility of a trap. And as a bodyguard, the ice-shaper was naturally cautious.

"The Animal Path suddenly dropped dead," Kaede fell into her standard, inept persona, "but not before she cut me up pretty bad. We were looking for Sakura, so she could fix me up. Where is she?"

The casual manner in which she dropped the strange fate of Yugito Nii unnerved the surviving Shozoku general. Exactly as the Mist hunter intended, if not to the degree Kaede was hoping for. Kohaku's eyes flickered over Mizuno, taking in the deep tiger's claw cuts down the seductress's left side.

"_We_ sent her to help Hinata fight Madara," Natsuki answered, placing special emphasis on the first word. Kohaku smiled weakly, as the two newcomers exhibited their amazement.

"Nuh-uhh," Kaede protested incoherently, then frowned at Kohaku, "Why would you do something like that?"

"I was just using it to get a one on one fight," the Jinchuriki explained unconvincingly.

"And because she did not want Hinata to have to fight Madara alone," Gaara's guardian continued, "She made quite a number of concessions to get Sakura to go."

"No-one deserves to fight Madara alone," Kohaku said again, glaring at Natsuki as if the Sand kunoichi had betrayed her, "And might I add, those concessions have just been rendered null and void."

"It's not like you can become invisible again," Natsuki shrugged, "Not when my Hyoton jutsus can find you. And if you transform into myself or Temari-sama, the other will be able to see through you easily enough. Even if you mimic Mizuno-san, we will be able to tell the difference by her injuries."

"Speaking of," Gaara's sister interrupted, "If I take over for you, Natsuki, could you take a look at Kaede's wounds?"

"What? No way, I want Sakura," the Face of the Mist protested, drawing a raised eyebrow from Kohaku, "Why her?"

"Because as a bodyguard she is more versed in first aid and medical jutsu than your average shinobi. Including me," the fan wielder let her genuine annoyance at the younger seeming woman's facade seep into her face and voice.

"Fine," Kaede pouted.

"And you expect me to limit myself to one tail of power, even after you switch out for a fresh replacement?" Kohaku prompted sharply.

"Fresh?" Temari sighed, "I had to cover for her during our fight with the Animal Path. And she still managed to get hurt, so I had to carry her here."

"You can stop that," the Raikage's wife insisted in annoyance, "There is no way I will believe that the Mizukage's daughter, and the infamous hunter ninja known as the Face of the Mist is a Technical Jonin."

"Believe what you want," Temari shrugged, stepping closer. Then she glanced at the holes and dents on her weapon.

"Give me those toys of yours," Shikamaru's lover demanded, "Since my fan was damaged protecting you."

"What? If she gets past you, I'll need my xiphos," the Mizukage's daughter whined, "And she's unarmed. Can't you fight her with taijutsu? You're a Jonin too, right?"

"Fine," Temari echoed Kaede's earlier tone as she repeated the annoyed acceptance. She stabbed her fan into the tiles under them, and approached Kohaku barehanded.

"Really, you two should book a theater," Kohaku shook her head in amused exasperation, "But have it your way. I'll limit my powers and play with Temari-san for a while so Natsuki-san can stabilize Kaede-san."

As if to belie her statement, she darted forward, diving past Temari. Then spinning back, Kohaku launched a kick a Gaara's sister's spine. The lighter-haired Sand Jonin threw back her left arm, her elbow striking the Jinchuriki's knee. Both women winced at the impact. They landed facing one another, and both started signing.

"This looks pretty bad," the bodyguard didn't pull her verbal punches, as she knelt beside the hunter.

"Yeah," Kaede agreed softly, dropping the act, "Both the middle and the right cuts punctured my small intestine. And she just missed the major veins in my leg. I've been using my chakra to keep the wounds from getting any worse, and Yugito gave us a cream that slowed the bleeding. But the only medical type technique I know is one that accelerates my healing and limits scarring. But I can't use that if I'm moving, and it wouldn't be enough to save me from organ damage."

"Well," Natsuki fixed her with a critical eye, "Fire up your technique, and we'll double team this."

"Yeah," Kaede exhaled weakly, "Thanks, Natsuki."

"Wind Scythe Jutsu," Temari called.

"Bronze Skin Jutsu," the Grass renegade intoned. She moved into Temari's attack, stomping towards her new foe. The blades of air sliced through Namikaze's uniform, but only dimpled her skin without cutting. Temari could not help but remember another Jinchuriki who had treated her Wind Scythes like they were nothing.

Kohaku picked up speed with each step, and her feet were cracking the cold weakened roof tiles. The Sand ninja met her opponent with a punch to the jaw, but retracted her hand in pain.

"It's like hitting a steel wall," Temari complained, as she dodged a knee to her midsection.

"Not steel, bronze," Kohaku corrected, aiming another punch for Temari's sternum.

"It makes you tough to hurt, but also slows you down," the younger woman countered, "So let's see if you can dodge this. Fuuton: Straight Line Jutsu."

Namikaze leaned into the wind and braced herself. The powerful gusts did not move her increased weight, but the stronger jutsu inflicted a number of shallow furrows in the demon host's arms, legs, and face. And unlike the first jutsu, these began to bleed lightly.

"I wouldn't have thought a Wind Release technique would overcome my Bronze Skin," Kohaku shrugged, unbinding the defensive chakra, "I guess speed will serve me better in this fight."

She closed the narrow distance between them, and began a series of punches and kicks designed to open up Temari's left knee for a disabling blow. But the Sand kunoichi matched her, blow for blow, and when the end gambit came, the blonde woman easily dodged the attack.

'I'm still slowed down,' Kohaku realized, and then she shivered, 'It must be from all the snow and ice up here. But why isn't it hindering her, too.'

She felt a rumble inside her, like the Chameleon was slamming into its cage again. Then she knew.

"Release!" Namikaze hissed, and as she expected, Natsuki was no longer kneeling beside Kaede. Instead, the bodyguard stood between the melee and the Mist ninja. And both of them had their hands clasped and were staring at her intently.

"I guess your injuries weren't so bad after all," Kohaku stated angrily.

"No, I'm dying," Kaede's voice was weak yet entirely earnest, "What Pein did to me is beyond Natsuki's skills as well. I need a real healer, preferably Sakura. But we have to take you down first, so I'm helping the best way I can. Staying out of the way and tripping you up with illusions."

Kaede drew two of her leaf-shaped shortswords, and tossed them to Temari.

"Now that the cat's out of the bag, can you two just finish this as quickly as possible?" Mizuno requested with a hint of fear. The Sand ninjas both nodded.

"Fine," Kohaku seemed troubled, "It that case..."

Three curled, reptilian tails of chakra erupted behind her.

"I'll take all three of you hostage," the renegade announced, "The Mizukage's daughter and the Kazekage's sister will make fine bargaining chips."

"And I will see that you receive the best medical treatment we have, Kaede-san," the Jinchuriki added more sedately.

Temari slid forward, after Natsuki established the skating rink again, in case Kohaku had any ideas about hiding. Her two borrowed blades flashed out, but the Bijuu tails intercepted. The younger woman brought up her heel, to drive it into the Jinchuriki's calf. And Natsuki moved in to join the melee.

After a short exchange of blows, the Sand Jonin both realized their opponent was not as much stronger and faster as they would have excepted. Her three-tail mode only barely overpowered with Gaara's one-tail mode, and the Kazekage was hardly an expert in that use of the demon's power. Only Kohaku's chakra supply was significantly increased. That increase in energy did let the Grass renegade throw around jutsu with reckless abandon, which in turn kept the two comrades from overwhelming her.

"This is not quite what I was expecting," Natsuki noted aloud, "She isn't much stronger with three tails than she was with one."

"Maybe she should go for more? Four or even five tails?" Temari agreed. Kohaku cringed involuntarily. As a trade off for her nearly unparalleled control over the Chameleon's chakra, the seals sharply limited the amount or power she could draw. Three tails was her upper bound, unless she was willing to permanently remove one of the fuinjutsu, and risk going berserk or letting the demon take control. Then she took a deep breath and settled her nerves.

"You can't bait me like that," Kohaku informed them sharply, "I am the strongest Jonin the Grass has ever produced. And that was before I trained with and fought beside the greatest shinobi in the world."

* * *

Temari finished securing the Kaede's shinobi cuffs round Kohaku's fingers and wrists, making them tight enough that even if the Jinchuriki decided to change shape when she came to, she wouldn't be able to escape. Or so the Sand ninja hoped.

"Natsuki, stay with Kaede," she instructed, "I'm going to go get Sakura. Keep her alive, and keep an eye on the prisoner."

The bodyguard nodded. Temari knelt by the Hunter ninja, whose breathing had grown more shallow.

"I'm going to borrow these," the actually younger woman told the younger looking girl, indicating the two xiphos now tucked into her belt, "I'll leave you my fan as collateral. So you better be here to trade back when I return, okay?"

Temari couldn't tell if the answer she received was a weak nod, or if the Mist kunoichi no longer had the strength to keep her head steady. Either way, she bobbed her head once more towards Natsuki, and then jumped to the next building, aiming for the Raikage's manor.

* * *

**Preview:**

[background scene of Naruto's fox form darting around Gouki.]

Sakura [reassuring]: It's okay, Hinata, I've got you and Naruto is handling his uncle.

[background scene of Gouki summoning alternate weapons and armor.]

Sakura [more nervous]: He can hold out for a while, so we just need to get better so we can help him.

[background scene Naruto, reverted, arguing with Gouki]

Sakura [annoyed]: This again? Stop talking to the bad guys and fight them, knucklehead.

Naruto [announcer voice]: Next time on Naruto: A Growing Affection; **Chapter 167: Those Who Inspire the Leaf  
**

Naruto [confused]: Sakura, shouldn't you be focusing on Hinata instead of me?

Sakura [surprised and embarrassed]: Oh, right!

Hinata [weakly]: coughs Don't worry about me, just do the preview...

Naruto and Sakura together: Hinata?

**Author's Note:** 4


	167. Those Who Inspire

**Chapter 167: Those Who Inspire**

Hinata's right eye, the one facing away from Naruto, popped open and regarded Sakura gravely. The medic started to call out in relief, but the younger woman discreetly shook her head, and Haruno silenced herself.

"Hinata, are you okay?" Sakura whispered.

"No," the pale beauty answered as softly as she could, "I was able to brace myself somewhat and redirect my chakra, so my new injuries are not as bad as Gouki believes them to be. They still require treatment, but they are not the reason I allowed Gouki to knock me over here."

"What do you mean?"

"I was hit by a large piece of shrapnel when Syphon exploded," her open eye flicked downward as she mouthed the answered, "It is lodged in my right femoral artery. For now it is keeping the cut closed. But if I were to engaged in strenuous combat, it would come loose and I would bleed out."

"And, I was hoping Naruto might... cut loose a little, if he saw me hurt," Hinata confessed.

"No issue there," Sakura said sarcastically, "Let's get you patched up so if that knucklehead doesn't live up to our expectations, we can save his butt again."

Hinata nodded imperceptibly, and altered her chakra flow to assist Sakura's work.

* * *

Gouki watched with open curiosity as his nephew's mouth and nose lengthened and merged into a vulpine muzzle. Golden fur sprouted all over the teen's body, and his fingernails lengthened and sharpened into short claws. A single living tail tore its way out of Naruto's uniform, and two additional extensions of silver chakra formed, one on either side of the real tail.

"Fascinating," the Raikage commented with poorly faked apathy. Then he continued, drifting quickly into mild sarcasm, "So this is the supposed bloodline of the Uzumaki Clan. And the fact it so highly resembles the demon that used to be sealed within you, and the powers the Bijuu granted you is just a remarkable coincidence..."

Naruto just snarled at his uncle wordlessly. Gouki could see the tension building in the lean muscles under the younger shinobi's amber pelt. Then Namikaze made the mistake of blinking.

Gouki threw his arms up front of his neck, as Naruto appeared before him, his right claws angled to tear out his uncle's throat. Instead he shredded the renegade's outer arm almost down to the bone. And even though it was a hasty, one-handed slash, the force of the blow launched Gouki backwards towards the same pillar he had used earlier for his Substitution. The Raikage managed to twist forward, and landed heavily on the column instead of a crashing into it.

Naruto was right behind him, and landed on the pillar above his uncle, not quite back to back with the rogue. His three tails lashed out at Namikaze's spine, knocking him off their vertical perch.

"Substitution," Gouki shouted before he hit, and reappeared in one of the pillars on the opposite side of the internal courtyard. Naruto was already bearing down on him before he recovered from the teleportation technique, so the Raikage began to sign quickly.

"Ninja Art: Melee Arsenal Jutsu," Namikaze proclaimed, and then raised his wrist to block Uzumaki's claws once more. The fox's nails clanged off the metal that appeared around Gouki's wrists. The bracers also incidentally bound the bleeding from the earlier wounds.

The renegade Jonin lashed out in kind. His suddenly metal wrapped knuckles broke Naruto's jaw, but the bone regrew almost immediately. The younger shinobi fired a weak kick at is opponent's midsection. His leg was blocked by Gouki's knee, also covered in the same dense alloy. And besides his limbs, Gouki also summoned a choker of the dark steel.

Namikaze's right fist shot out again. He missed when Naruto hopped even closer, attempting to rake out his uncle's eyes. The rogue covered his face with his left forearm, and again his kote deflected his nephew's talons. He buried his knee into Uzumaki's gut, forcing the lighter man back.

'Defense accomplished,' the Raikage let out an internal sigh of relief, 'Now, to get the momentum back. I underestimated his fox form's speed and power. But he doesn't have my experience; I can still beat him in both categories, if I need to. First speed, and I'll go from there.'

Gouki darted forward, but just before he reached Naruto, the younger man vanished. The Jonin sent more energy to his limbs, tracking the teen's clockwise movement. Gouki blocked a strike designed to tear off his right arm. But the force of the blow pushed him back, preventing his planned counter while Uzumaki disappeared again. Again he followed the teen's course. This time he narrowly interposed his armored knee between his stomach and Naruto's left leg. The young man grunted lightly as his leg hit the metal. Gouki was not prepared for the next attack. Thus he did not start to dodge the silver chakra tail until after it started to cut into his left bicep. The Raikage escaped any major damage, and mentally chided himself to watch the three tales behind his nephew, too. Namikaze boosted his quickness again, blocking a claw strike to his chest. He thought he saw an opening and fired a hard left at Naruto's nose. By the time it reached, the transformed Tokujo was already gone, and Gouki was again scrambling to block an attack intended to remove his right kidney.

'Maybe I can't beat him with speed, not without using the Gates. But his attack pattern is simple. Every attack is designed to kill or incapacitate. His rage is clouding his judgment. So long as I can keep up with him, I can guide this fight and wear him down.'

Gouki continued the flow of energy to his muscles, but also began to send them different spikes of chi. Naruto lighted to Namikaze's left, and launched a kick at his uncle's spine. The renegade turned to meet the blow, but instead of blocking it, he punched the teen's tibia. Gouki's strength and the hardness of his steel knuckles powered through pant leg, fur, skin, and muscle. Naruto's bone broke in two places, but was already restored by the time the youth regained his balance and set his foot back down.

'That's it, use these openings,' the Raikage urged silently. And across the room, Hinata's open eye widened, as Sakura continued working on the damage to her ribs and lungs. The medic had already finished healing the potentially lethal gash in her friend's leg, and was saving the cracked collarbone for last.

"Sakura, how close are you?" the younger kunoichi asked with noticeable worry.

"At least ten more minutes on your torso. Not sure about your clavicle, yet," the medic swallowed her annoyance at the distraction, understanding Hinata must have a very good reason to interrupt, "Why?"

"We need to get ready to move," the Hyuga heiress insisted, elaborating, "Remember what Naruto did at the Valley of Dawn? He's doing it again."

Hinata specifically kept her words vague, in case Gouki was listening.

Uzumaki darted past his uncle again, apparently using his tail to slow himself, so he did not go too far. After he skidded to a stop, his left leg snapped up, his heel flying towards his uncle's left temple. Gouki caught his ankle with one kote, and then kicked at the teen's supporting knee. Naruto's right energy tail blocked the attack, and then the younger man was moving again.

"Are you trying to make me dizzy?" Gouki demanded lightly. Then he added more seriously, "You haven't landed a solid blow since I summoned my taijutsu equipment. And I know that jutsu drains your chakra."

"Haven't been trying," Naruto snarled, speaking for the first time since he transformed. He stopped a few feet away, and suddenly dropped to one knee, slamming his fist into the scratches his tails had carved into the stone floor.

"Katon: Creeping Napalm Jutsu."

"No way," Sakura complained, as his chakra lit up the seal and she saw just how big it was. Naruto darted back over to his teammates. Hinata's eye suddenly snapped shut when she realized he was approaching them. The Ascendent Fox crouched down next to his lover, but looked intently at the healer.

"Is it safe for me to move Hinata?" he queried, "Or do I need to use the Life Sustain Jutsu."

"There's no need for any of that," Gouki answered first. He began to sign, and they noticed that he was making frequent use of the Bird and Ox seals. As the burning gel expanded beyond edge of Naruto's circle, Namikaze clapped his hands together, staring intently at the growing inferno.

"Hyoton: Absolute Suppression," the Raikage intoned, and there was a wash of cool air as a dome of ice formed around the napalm. Naruto slowly stood, glowering as his fire chakra began to sputter and fade.

"How are you doing that?" the vulpine shinobi demanded, "No ice jutsu that small should be able to stop the Creeping Napalm."

"It is not a solid block of ice. Inside is a perfect vacuum, with no oxygen to feed the flames. That, combined with the cold of the ice jutsu is enough to extinguish just about anything. I learned this jutsu from Bunjiro; it was his favorite for dealing with Fire Release experts."

"Sorry, Hinata," Naruto whispered, "I guess this is going to take a little longer."

He carefully extracted two food pills, and chomped down on them aggressively.

"I take it this means you're going to stop playing the berserker?" Gouki's smile was not quite a smirk, "I almost bought it. But your path was too regular."

"Well," Naruto brushed off the front of his uniform, trying not to get his claws tangled in the zipper or the pockets, "I guess I can quit pretending to be out of control. That is, if Hinata's ready to quit pretending she was knocked out."

The pale beauty slowly opened her eyes, smiling modestly.

"You knew?" Sakura demanded.

"These things aren't just for show," Naruto tweaked his large, pointed fox ears, "I couldn't quite make out everything you two said, but I definitely heard Hinata whispering to you."

"Yeah, well, she's still pretty hurt," the medic countered, "just not unconscious."

"Guess you're not as tough as you thought, huh Uncle Gouki?" Naruto snapped happily.

"So, you think that if you actually fight me, instead of scribing a seal, you'll do any better?" the renegade seemed unaffected by the taunt.

"Let's find out."

Naruto charged forward, and Gouki expected the youth to suddenly vanish again. But Uzumaki did not deviate. After a heartbeat of surprise, the Raikage launched a hasty defensive right jab. Naruto took the hit without flinching, his claws plunging towards both of the Jonin's shoulders. Gouki twisted inwards, and his left arm twitched up. His bracer collided with Naruto's palm, knocking aside the strike to his left side. But despite his dodge, the fox-faced teen's nails bit into his right shoulder. The Tokujo's knee shot towards his uncle's ribs, once again Gouki was able to block with his own steel-covered knee. Naruto ignored the brief pain, and turned away. Doing so allowed all three of his tails to float up, grasping at Gouki's right wrist. Before they reached, Namikaze spun in kind, pulling his threatened arm back. As they continued rotating, he grabbed Uzumaki's left shoulder.

"Ranshinsho," he proclaimed, pouring lightning chakra into his nephew's body. Naruto's body jerked wildly, and then he slumped slightly. Gouki smiled sadly, and then drove his fist hard into the back of Naruto's skull. The younger man tumbled forward onto the stone floor. Then his body suddenly jerked again, and he rose to his feet. He spit out a mouthful of blood, and faced his uncle once more.

"That hurt," Uzumaki complained, "You made me bite my tongue."

"I'm surprised you can shrug off the Ranshinsho so fast," Gouki ignored him.

"I regenerate, and I do know the technique."

"Then here's one you probably don't know," the Raikage stated after nodding his understanding. He grabbed each of his wrists with his opposing hands, and began to gather his chakra into his lower arms. As Naruto stepped forward, Gouki's released his forearms, and as they separated there was a sharp sound, like a medium-sized firecracker exploding.

"Ninja Art: Jutsu Cork," Namikaze proclaimed, as he blocked the younger man's double, downward slash. He forced Naruto back with weak front kick. Then the Jonin closed his right fingers in an especially deliberate manner.

"Suiton: Water Burst Jutsu," Gouki stated evenly, however no exploding sphere of water appeared before him. Instead a noticeable blue aura surrounded his clenched fist. Uzumaki either did not notice or ignored the visible ki, and swiped at Gouki's stomach with his claws. Before he made contact with his uncle, the older man's fist hit his chest, over his heart. Naruto was thrown back violently, much more so than the power behind the punch would have suggested. And at the same time, the increasingly tattered remains of his uniform were thoroughly soaked.

"Katon: Phoenix Flower Jutsu," Gouki stated, and again the expected effect of the technique did not occur. As he leaped towards his nephew, an orange glow appeared around the Raikage's left hand. Naruto didn't even try to dodge as the fire chakra wrapped fist descended into his skull. Gouki winced as his knuckles hit something harder than stone, but the next instant a series of blazing explosions struck all around Naruto's head and shoulders. The teen was driven to his knees, and the stone floor beneath him cracked. The Tokujo could not help but wobble slightly as he stood, but his blue eyes met his uncle's similar orbs in defiance.

"Fire jutsus don't work on me in this form," Uzumaki boasted.

"Perhaps," Gouki agreed, "But the physical hits of the explosions seem to be effective. And I imagine that negating my fire expends more of your chakra. Fuuton: Tornado Lance. Raiton: Thunder Pressure."

Gouki's right hand was tinted green, and his left purple, as he raced forward again.

"How much longer, Sakura?" Hinata prompted again, her eyes suddenly narrowing.

"With my hand like this, the fine work is slower than I hoped," Sakura explained carefully, worried by her friend's expression, "I almost have your capillaries repaired. Then I can finish your ribs and move on to your clavicle. Fifteen more minutes, maybe ten if I push it and keep you at minimum fighting form. What is it this time?"

"These stored jutsus that Gouki is using... Naruto's fur is protecting him from the worst of the damage, and he is regenerating the rest. But like Gouki wants, it is causing Naruto's chakra to drain even faster. I estimate he has two to three minutes."

"Don't worry about me," Naruto called out to them, his fox's hearing having picked up their conversation. He picked himself up off the ground again, a cut from the wind chakra visible from his left wrist up to his shoulder. He brushed off the thick hair on his chest, as the wound on his arm started to close. Some of the lightning charred follicles flaked off, only to regrow before the damaged ends hit the floor.

"Fuuton: Tornado Lance. Raiton: Thunder Pressure," Gouki repeated, having found two jutsu that worked especially well, despite being weakened moderately when stored and discharged through a punch. He threw a quick kick at Naruto's knee, and then caught the boy's claws on his right kote. His secondary equipment was beginning to show some wear from the battle. However, he had also noted a distinct decrease in his nephew's speed and strength. Added to what Uzumaki had shouted to his teammates, Namikaze expected his last opponent was running out of chakra.

Gouki's left hand slammed into Naruto's right side, forcing the younger man to exhale roughly. The combined impact of the punch and the Raiton technique put Uzumaki off balance. This let Gouki draw back his blocking right, and launch an uppercut into his nephew's narrowed and lengthened chin. The wind chakra drilled a hole through the skin and muscle, into Naruto's mouth. The Tokujo fell back, and as he did, his face returned to its natural shape and the golden fur fell off his body. His tails receded, but the damage Gouki inflicted continued healing, though at a slower rate than usual for the former Jinchuriki. Naruto landed on his butt, looking up at his uncle, panting for breath.

"Surrender, Naruto," Gouki counseled gently, "Your chakra is so drained that even your regeneration is barely functional. You can't hope to fight me in that state. If you try, I will be forced to make sure Hinata-san and Sakura-san will be... _unable_ to help you. It's over."

"You're half right," Naruto dragged himself to his feet, still breathing hard. The gap under his chin finally closed. He stared at his uncle defiantly, but without anger.

"It was over the day you gave up hope in humanity," he continued, "The day you decided forcing people to do the right thing at the point of a kunai was better than leading them by example. As soon as you attacked your neighbors, who had done nothing to deserve it, in the name of peace, you had already lost."

"Morals and innocence are wonderful things," Gouki shook his head sadly, "but without the power to protect them, your words are empty."

"You think I'm innocent? After the life I've lead, and the things I've had to do?" Naruto barked, reminding Gouki that he had also had a hard life, "But if power is all you respect anymore, I'll show you power, uncle."

* * *

Naruto Uzumaki stood in an infinite black void. Before him burned a giant red fuinjutsu circle. Unlike the Eight Trigrams seal that used to glow on his stomach, the young man had never seen this symbol before. Despite that it was still familiar to him.

The Leaf Tokujo was not alone. To his right floated a young girl, seemingly tiny and delicate. She had long white hair, longer than she was tall. The girl wore the robes of a priestess, and her eyes were as black as the abyss around them.

The woman on his left was the same height and roughly the same build as him. Her feminine curves easily surpassed those of Sakura Haruno, but did not quite match the voluptuousness of Hinata Hyuga. Her blonde hair would have flowed down to her butt, had it not been bound up into two pigtails off the top of her head. The girl's ears were slightly pointed, and her crimson eyes were split by a vertical pupil. She had similar whisker marks to Uzumaki on her cheeks, but hers were longer and more jagged.

"You sure about this, kit?" the female on his left asked carefully, a nervous edge to her familiar voice, "What's on the other side of that barrier is most of the Yang chakra of the Nine-tails. Your pop only left a small portion of her darkness in you. If you do this, you'll have to contend with that on your own. And who knows what it might do to you."

Naruto glanced at her, frowning at her use of the third person.

"I can handle it," he said confidently, "Yang isn't evil. Darkness can protect as well as smother. Anger and aggression have their uses, if properly controlled. And it's not like the Kyubi's soul is in there, just her power."

"Okay," the blonde spirit did not sound convinced, "But you also have to remember that this is a one time thing. If there's anyone out there stronger than Gouki, or if you one day had to fight say, the Eight-tails, you won't have access to this power."

"If I don't beat my uncle, it won't matter either way," he countered.

"There is another consideration," the entity on his right spoke for the first time, "While this portion of the Kitsune's chakra remains sealed, the formation of a new Kyubi is slowed."

"Slowed doesn't mean stopped," Naruto shook his head, "And if it takes twice as long for the new Nine-tails to show up, people might get complacent and think that things have changed. Besides, I'd rather have the new Bijuu show up while I'm still around to deal with it."

"Complacent?" the woman on Naruto's left snorted at him, "I didn't think you knew any words that long, unless they were names of jutsu."

"Shut up."

"The formation of the new Nine-tails might still take upwards of a century," the white-haired spirit told him, "I cannot guarantee you will live that long."

"Never asked you to," Naruto smirked, "Now, are you two done trying to talk me out of this?"

The woman shrugged to the girl, and both spirits floated back. Naruto reached over his shoulder and grasped his weapon's hilt. Even though it had not previously been visible, he drew Kitsune from its sheath. In this realm the staff-blade was still complete. The blonde female started to make a smart remark, but Naruto raised his left hand to cut her off.

"I know what I promised," he told her, "And as soon as I have a chance, I'll remake her. And this time, she'll be even better. Okay?"

The entity smirked at him, and lifted her hands in supplication.

"Fuuton: Rasenblade!" Naruto roared, and swung the sword of turbulent green chakra at the Reaper Death Seal.

* * *

Hinata yelped and had to shut off her Byakugan, as the energy in Naruto's tenketsu went from empty to blinding. Uzumaki was no longer short of breath, and every mark on his body was gone, save the one over his heart.

"I don't know what those busybodies were worried about," the teen said to no-one in particular, smiling. Then he brought his hands up, and began to sign.

"He's trying to use the Ascendant Fox Jutsu again?" Sakura queried, annoyed by the comment she thought referred to herself and Hinata, "I thought he was out of chakra."

"He was," Hinata noted, "But then suddenly, he was overflowing. I haven't seen this much chakra since... well, since the Kyubi died. And that's not the Ascendant Fox Jutsu. He _is_ using the 'Fox' sign, and the other signs are similar. But it's not the same..."

"Shin Tensei Kitsune," Naruto proclaimed confidently. His aura of silver chakra solidified into a cloak of energy that Sakura and Gouki could see. The manifestation was only vaguely vulpine, except for the three distinct fox tails behind him. His canine teeth lengthened slightly and his pupils expanded into vertical slits, but otherwise he remained physically unchanged. Namikaze frowned at him in confusion and exasperation.

"I don't know what you're playing at here," the Raikage stated darkly, "Or how you recovered your chakra. But how can an incomplete version of the Ascendant Fox Jutsu help you, when I defeated the full version?"

"You've got that backwards," Naruto smirked, "The Ascendant Fox was the incomplete jutsu. I get it now. Transforming was a stopgap, until I had the understanding and chakra control to do it right. And it wasted a lot more chakra than I needed to."

The teen vanished. Gouki tensed, crossing his arms in front of his chest, while preparing to turn to block an attack from behind. Naruto did not reappear behind his uncle. He landed directly in front of the Raikage, his fist already moving towards the older ninja's solar plexus. Gouki afforded himself a slight grin, that he had anticipated the attack and was guarding.

Naruto's fist hit Gouki's left bracer, and the chakra reinforced steel shattered like cheap iron. Namikaze's wrist bones cracked, as they were sandwiched between Naruto's knuckles and his other kote. Despite having both his arms matched against Naruto's one, Gouki's limbs were forced back into his chest almost without slowing the teen's attack. The metal around his right wrist thumped against his chest, hard. And while his breastbone survived the attack, the ligaments holding it in place were torn, and the breath was forced from his body.

"Phoenix Flower Jutsu," Gouki managed to choke out as his lungs were emptied. He spit dozens of fireballs at Naruto, who did not even flinch. The teen's uniform was charred, leaving him naked from the waist up. But Naruto himself was unmarked, not even a single hair on his head was crisped.

"This version is still immune to fire chakra," Naruto growled as his left hand chopped at his uncle's neck. Gouki's right shot up, just in time to block. Though he was stopped, Naruto's hand and wrist struck both Namikaze's remaining bracer and his knuckleduster. Both the weapon and the armor crumbled from the force of the hit. Gouki kept his elbow and shoulder locked, using the force of Naruto's blow to let the younger man push him out of the way. The Raikage instantly used the Body Flicker to move jump behind Uzumaki.

"Raiton: Lightning Cannon." Gouki sent the jutsu into his right hand, producing a stronger violet aura. He launched the layered attack almost immediately, but Naruto's tails moved as if they had a mind of their own. Two caught the fist, and the electricity discharged without any visible effect. The final extension smacked the Raikage's stomach, knocking him to the other side of the room.

'He's faster than before, and almost twice as strong,' Gouki told himself, tumbling through the air, 'There's only one way I can hope to fight him hand to hand.'

"Gate of Life!" he shouted as he landed. His skin turned bright red, and an aura of chakra began to flare around him as well.

"No," Naruto said, behind his uncle before Gouki finished the incantation. Uzumaki flicked his opponent in the back of the head. Namikaze's eyes widened in terror, and even as his head snapped forward, he reverted to normal.

"Did Naruto just..." Sakura ceased her work on Hinata's collarbone in shock.

"Yes," the younger woman answered, her eyes silver again, "He forced Gouki's Inner Gates to close."

"Is that even possible?" the medic asked in awe.

"There is a Gentle Fist technique that can close the Gates; they are part of the chakra network," Hinata answered, "But I have never shown it to Naruto, nor is he borrowing my Byakugan right now."

Gouki scrambled away, signing. He tumbled forward, coming up facing both Naruto and the two kunoichi.

"Raiton: Thunder Pressure Jutsu!" he incanted spreading his arms to broaden the column so it would hit all three teens.

"Stone Spears Jutsu," Naruto dragged huge spikes out of the floor, temporarily cutting the room in half. The lightning chakra broke the granite, but was expended in the process. Naruto leaped forward again, diving fist first at his opponent. Namikaze rolled out of the way, but while Uzumaki's right hand dug into the rock beneath them, his left foot suddenly came around. The Raikage threw up his left hand to block. Naruto's leg splintered the already damaged bones in Gouki's wrist, and the teen's heel hit the renegade's temple, cracking his skull.

The two men faced each other. Though his clothing was in tatters, Naruto was calm, composed, and unmarked. Gouki was struggling to remain steady, due to the ringing in his head. And his left arm hung worthless at his side, the intact half of his pair of knucks glinting ironically on those limp fingers. Still, the Raikage refused to back down, glaring at his nephew defiantly, his right hand slowly forming its side of the noble animal seals.

"What are you?" Gouki asked carefully.

"Naruto Uzumaki, son of Minato Namikaze and Yukihana Uzumaki. Bearer of the Kitsune no Chishio Kekkei Genkai. Tokubetsu Jonin of the Konohagakure," Naruto proclaimed proudly. Then he grinned mischievously and added, "But if you mean the Shin Tensei Kitsune, that's all on you, uncle. If you hadn't pushed me this far, hadn't gone after Hinata, it might have been years before I figured out what the Ascendant Fox was missing."

"Dual Arts: Thundering Hailstorm Jutsu!" the Raikage snarled, his good arm snapping up to point his palm at his nephew. Bolts of lightning flashed across the room, followed almost as quickly by spheres of ice the size of cantaloupes. Even with his increased speed, Naruto could not dodge. The javelins of electricity hit him first. His back arced, and a purple glow replaced his silver cloak. Then the ice hammered him next, various orbs punching through him with the power of a cannonball. Naruto started to crumple, and then exploded. Gouki's eyes widened, as he felt a finger tap his shoulder.

"Flash Split," Sakura remember the technique from when Naruto fought Orochimaru for the last time. What she did not recall was Uzumaki being able to use the technique so quickly and without using the Dragon sign.

"Combining a pure chakra and a hybrid chakra in one Dual Art is pretty cool," the real Naruto said, as his uncle jumped away, "I'll have to see if Nagato will teach it to me. Except I can't use Ice Jutsu. Does he know anything in Wind and Lava?"

Gouki forced himself to stay silent. He wanted to ask how Naruto had done that, but did not want to give away his ignorance. Instead, his right hand started moving again. Before he completed the fifth half seal, Naruto had Body Flickered in front of him again. The teen shinobi grabbed his uncle's hand, squeezing to prevent further seals from being crafted. Then drove his right knee into the renegade's ribs. Gouki coughed painfully, and a spot of blood appeared in the corner of his mouth. Namikaze wrenched his good hand free. He feinted another retreat, and then drove his forehead into the younger man's nose. The cloak surrounding Naruto pulsed, stopping the Raikage just before his desperate attack hit. Frowning, Gouki threw a kick of his own, while starting to half sign again. Naruto caught the extended limb on the ankle, and held it tight as he drilled his fist into the rogue's jaw. Gouki fell back, choking on a dislodged tooth. He finally spit out the offending molar, and stared at his nephew in weak amazement. Naruto sighed, looking down sadly at his last living relative.

"It's over," Uzumaki said gently, "Even if I let you take one of those weird blue food pills you took earlier, you'd have to spend most of that chakra to heal yourself. If you didn't, you'd have to keep fighting me like this..."

He gestured vaguely at Gouki's torso and left arm.

"I don't want to hurt you any more," the teen said, "So just... just stop, okay?"

The renegade's eyes dropped, and his shoulders relaxed. Naruto exhaled in relief, and his chakra cloak vanished while his eyes and teeth returned to normal.

"Hinata, Sakura, how are you two?" he asked, turning away from his uncle.

"I'm fine, more or less," Hinata stood cautiously, "Sakura's healing is skillful as always."

"I've got myself patched up, too," the archer noted, collecting her bow and flexing the fingers on her right hand. Naruto smiled happily, and started to walk towards them.

Gouki's head lifted as the younger man moved further away. The Raikage's face took on an expression of melancholy resolution. He closed his eyes, and took a deep breath. Then his blue eyes snapped opened, fixing his nephew with a glare of rage and unhinged hatred. He extended his good hand, and silently summoned his final weapon, a double-bladed battleaxe slightly smaller than the Syphon had been. He rose up to one knee, channeling most of his remaining chakra into the blade, causing it to glow red hot. He held the weapon horizontally, preparing to throw it at Naruto's back.

"Naruto!" the two kunoichi shouted in unison. Sakura drew and fired her final arrow, while Hinata sent the last of her chakra into her extended right arm, incanting, "Eight Trigrams Empty Palm."

Sakura's arrow hit Gouki's right wrist, just as he released the axe. The missile yanked his arm back. It passed through his left lung just below his heart, pinning the limb to his chest. Hinata's wave of force stuck the weapon, sending it careening off course. Then it hit Namikaze, throwing him into a column. The impact broke his back, and the drag on the arrow as he slid down widened the hole in his lung.

Naruto spun in surprise, noting the now cooling battleaxe. He darted over to his uncle with a look of dismay. Gouki noticed his expression, and his lips turned up, even as blood began to flow out of them.

"You didn't think I would let you capture me alive, did you?" the rogue Raikage whispered, as if answering the question the teen was struggling to find.

"You're not dead yet," Naruto insisted, "Sakura can fix you up. Hinata and I know enough to give her a hand."

"No," Gouki insisted, as the two women arrived behind their teammate, "I have enough chakra left to prevent you from healing me, at least long enough that it will no longer make any difference."

"Why did you make Sakura and Hinata kill you?" Uzumaki demanded, tears rolling down his cheeks in spite of himself.

"I would have been executed anyway," Namikaze smirked, "Alive, I would have been a liability. The Shozokus, especially the ones who shared in my goals, and anyone else with a grudge against the ninja villages, they would have joined together and sought to free me. I'm sure the Conclave would have made a show of giving me a trial, but I have to die, for there to be any chance at your version of peace. And if I must die, I would rather die on my own terms, in battle."

"Besides, this way, you three get to be the heroes who killed me, not just than the ones who captured me," he told them, "Your fame will grow, and people will be more inclined to listen to your words. You will be the next Sannin, the trio who protect and inspire the whole ninja world."

"But at the same time, you'll have to consider my goals and my message in your actions, lest the people I mentioned before use me as a martyr for their causes..."

Gouki's eye fluttered as he trailed off, and his coughed weakly, dribbling blood down the front of his vest.

"Uncle Gouki?" Naruto prompted. The rogue's blue eyes snapped open, and locked on to Naruto's very similar orbs.

"Finish me?" Namikaze requested hoarsely, "It hurts, and I'd rather not wait to bleed out. Besides, if someone is to kill me, better it's Minato's son."

Naruto nodded. He reached down for the weapons pouch on his right leg, but found it ripped and empty. Hinata extended her hand, holding a single kunai. Naruto took it from her, and held it in both hands.

"I'm sorry, Kohaku," Gouki wheezed, his eyes no longer focused, "I hope you can find a way to live in this world, my love."

"Good bye, uncle Gouki," Naruto whispered, and then he plunged the weapon into the renegade's heart.

* * *

**Preview:**

[background scene of Temari, Naruto, Hinata, and Sakura racing through the Hidden Cloud village]

Naruto [sadly]: I just got the word, this is going to be the last preview

[background scene of Naruto, Tsunade, Haruna, and Ayameko in the Hidden Grass Village]

Sakura [shock]: What? There's still three more chapters.

Hinata [pensive]: Why?

[background scene of Nagato standing before a large group of Shozokus]

Naruto [resolved]: The author said no more spoilers before the ending.

[background scene of Tsuande, Gaara, Mitsuru, Yasuo, Washichi, Ayameko, and an unfamilair Snow ninja, in the Conclave's chamber.]

Hinata [calmer]: I guess that makes sense.

Naruto [announcer voice]: Next time on Naruto: A Growing Affection; **Chapter 168: Peace Restored  
**

Gouki: Good bye Naruto, I'm going to miss you. You have such potential. But then again, all good things must come to an end.

Sakura [livid]: After all this we're ending the previews with a Star Trek gag? At least come up with something anime related!

Hinata [hesitantly]: Sappy remarks are not allowed?

Sakura [exasperated]: Shounen anime!

Naruto [firmly]: _Ras tel Ma Scir Magister_!

Sakura [sighing]: I guess that will have to do.

**Author's Note:** 3


	168. Peace Returns

**Chapter 168: Peace Restored**

Sakura laid Gouki's body atop the unfurled scroll. She signed carefully, and the dead renegade vanished into the treated parchment. The medic wound the scroll again, and secured it against her hip. She stood, facing her two friends. Naruto had finished collecting the largest portion of Kitsune's broken blade, and tied it against his left forearm. He stepped over next to his fiancé and placed his palm gently on her shoulder. His tenketsu pulsed, and he began carefully restoring her chakra.

"You realize we're gonna have to fight our way out of here, right?" the Jonin asked them, pessimistically. Hinata nodded, and Naruto took his hand off her shoulder.

"Thank you, Naruto," the younger woman said softly.

"How about you Sakura, do you need a refill?" he asked, extending his hand. The healer shook her head.

"No, I'm still fine on food pills," she answered, showing him a tablet, "But that reminds me, how did you suddenly go from empty back to full?"

"We should wait 'til we get home to talk about that," Naruto evaded, not sure how his teammates would react to his usage of the sealed Yang chakra.

"You two ready to go?" he continued quickly. Sakura took out her axe and stowed her bow. Hinata cinched Ginmaki's straps. Both women indicated their ascent, and the trio approached the main gate carefully.

As Naruto gripped the door to open it, there arose a clamor on the other side. Hearing the shouts, Team Kakashi's hesitancy vanished. Naruto yanked open the doors, and all three Leaf ninjas leaped forward.

On the other side of the door, the original dozen Shozokus were down to ten, but they were regaining momentum against the solo Sand Jonin. Temari's borrowed blades slashed horizontally before her, forcing the masked warriors back. Some of the guards turned at the sounds of the heavy doors groaning inwards. Most flinched when the ones exiting were not who they expected.

"Eight Trigrams Empty Palms," Hinata called out, expending some of the chakra Naruto had given her. Three of the Shozokus were struck, and they stumbled into another pair of their comrades. Naruto's fist and Sakura's axe quickly neutralized the off-balance warriors. The remaining five guards quickly fell to the four friends.

"Sakura, thank the gods," Temari darted forward, ignoring the groaning soldier she kicked out of her way, "You have to come with me right away."

With waiting for a response, the blonde woman turned back the way she had come.

"What happened?" the medic queried, as they followed the Sand Jonin.

"Kaede was seriously hurt fighting the Animal Path," she answered, her voice worried, "And despite that, she helped Natsuki and I defeat Kohaku. But there was nothing we could do for her. She'll die if you can't help her."

"You three took down Aunt Kohaku?" Naruto asked, trying to fake a tone of disbelief, hoping to get Temari to focus on something else.

"Thanks to Natsuki's snow and Kaede's genjutsu, she couldn't use her invisibility and other tricks. So we had that going for us," Gaara's sister admitted, "Even so, I still doubt any one of us could have taken her alone. But three on one? It wasn't that hard. Natsuki knows how I fight, and I can use my wind chakra to reinforce her ice jutsu. And Kaede kept her distracted with an sorts of illusions. Really subtle stuff. Before the fight even really started, she turned up Kohaku's pride and aggression, and then just let her go. Kohaku was completely off tilt. That alone made things a lot easier."

Hinata nodded, as Temari led them up the side of a building, and continued across the rooftops. The Hyuga heiress could now see the snow-covered bistro with the three women on top of it. She estimated they were still almost a mile away, and she did not like the pale color of the Mist Jonin's cheeks. The youngest of the four shinobi began to flash step forward, and her companions hurried to follow her lead.

Sakura skidded across the ice, and was already probing the Face of the Mist with her chakra as she stopped. The healer's eyes narrowed in concern, and she swallowed another food pill. Then she took out her mortar and pestle, and begin to grind up a second food pill, a plasma pill, and a few herbs she retrieved from her pouch. Then she thrust to tools into Temari's waiting hands.

"Spread this on her tongue, and start giving her a sip of water every minute," she instructed the Sand kunoichi, as she started to sign, "When she has swallowed all that's on her tongue, do it again. Can you handle that?"

"Yes, ma'am," the elder Jonin said without a hint of irony. Naruto and Hinata stayed out of their way, joining Natsuki next to the apparently unconscious Kohaku.

"Natsuki-san, thank you for sending Sakura to help me," the Hyuga scion told the Hyoton user, "If you hadn't, I would have been killed."

"Speaking of that," Naruto piped up, looking away from his aunt, "Just how did you guys kill Madara? Is he really dead this time?"

"I am a certain as I can be that Madara is dead," Hinata said, "I destroyed every single cell in his eyes, and the rest of Towa's body, too. And I watched his chakra dissipate. As I told Sakura, unless he is no longer a Human, he is dead. And even if he somehow became a demon, it should take him at least some time to pull himself back together."

"Holy..." Natsuki forced her jaw shut before she said something impolite and damaged her image. Neither of the teens was fooled, and Naruto nodded in wide-eyed agreement.

"How did you do that, Hinata?" he asked in awe.

"Sakura held him off long enough for me to form a Singularity Rasengan," she tried to focus on the pink-haired woman's contribution as she explained.

"Singularity," the Sand bodyguard blinked, "As in a black hole?"

"It's not a real black hole," Hinata denied nervously, "It's just a super-condensed Rasengan that has a sort of vacuum effect."

"And just what does it draw in?" Natsuki asked cautiously.

"Matter... chakra... light and sound," Hinata admitted uncomfortably, "Pretty much everything except me and things that have my chakra infused in them."

"That's awesome, Hinata," Naruto congratulated her.

"Yes, well done eliminating Madara," Natsuki said more thoughtfully. Hinata considered telling Gaara's bodyguard the technique's flaws, to allay the older woman's worries. But before she could, she was indirectly interrupted by Sakura.

"Naruto, can you give me a recharge," the healer requested, her voice strained.

"Sure," he agreed instantly, trotting over to the other three women. Natsuki started to address Hinata, again. Before she could speak, four new figures arrived on the roof, attracting the attention of everyone except Sakura.

"I thought these drifts had to be you, Natsuki," Kakashi said immediately, indicating the piles of snow all over the bistro.

"Naruto-kun," Nagato seemed surprised to see the three younger member's of Kakashi's squad. If the copy ninja felt the same, he hid it well.

"Hey, Nagato," the blonde youth waved from his position behind Sakura. There was something pensive in his voice that everyone caught, but only his female teammates understood. The former Pein's eyes traveled to Haruno, to Hyuga, and back to Uzumaki.

"The three of you are all here," the Rinnegan bearer stated, "Does that mean you found a way to escape from Gouki-sensei?"

"Gouki?" Temari jumped slightly, then returned to her assigned task.

"Kinda," Naruto said evasively.

"Nagato-san, Gouki is dead," Hinata spared her lover by speaking for the team, "Naruto defeated him with the intent to take him prisoner. But Gouki would not allow that. He forced us to wound him further, and then refused to let Sakura treat him. He asked Naruto to kill him, and Naruto agreed, to end his suffering. I think I speak for all of us when I say we are sorry it ended that way."

"Don't be," the frail shinobi shook his head knowingly, "I can't say I'm surprised sensei chose death over capture."

"What happened to Kaede?" the Copy-Ninja changed the subject, not knowing it would not clear the air like he hoped.

"My Animal Path did that to her," Nagato admitted sadly, "Just before I was convinced to stop. How is she?"

"I've closed the cuts in her intestine," Sakura answered without turning, "and did my best to prevent any complications from the damage."

"Now I am trying to close the wounds," the medic continued, shifting to the tone she used when Naruto was acting stupid, "and it would be a lot easier if she didn't insist I take twice as long to insure she doesn't have a scar."

"My looks are one of my best weapons," the Face of the Mist interjected, her voice much stronger. Hinata and Natsuki both recognized a marked improvement in the platinum blonde's skin tone.

"If I have these giant gashes down my side, it will be harder to fool my marks. And I won't be able to wear a bikini."

"Perish the thought," Sakura groused.

"Exactly," Kaede agreed in apparent sincerity, "I'd rather die. Or if I did live, it would be like I died anyway."

"While Sakura finishes," Kakashi took charge, "We should discuss how we are going to get out of here. Nagato had previously suggested we just walk out, and that he would order the Shozokus to let us. But with Kohaku as our prisoner, I don't think that's possible."

"Why don't we all just steal some Shozoku uniforms?" Kaede suggested sardonically, "Then we can just escort 'Lord Pein' out of the village."

"And what about Kohaku-dono?" the male Acolyte prompted smugly.

"Well," the Mist vixen said coyly, "If Naruto-kun will give _me_ some chakra, I can easily disguise her with my genjutsu."

"You're sill recovering," Sakura said sharply, glaring at the Face not unlike she had during their first meeting, "I can do it just as well as you can."

"I wouldn't say you can do it quite as well, " Kaede shot back, "Besides, you should save your power for in case anyone else needs healing..."

As the two women sniped at one another, the rest of the shinobi began to discuss what it would take to set the loose plan into motion.

* * *

"Citizens, comrades, allies," the restored Daimyo of the Land of Grass addressed the crowd of gathered near the Village Hidden in the Grass. He stood on a temporary stage assembled outside the walls of the ninja outpost. The city itself did not have a venue capable of holding all the guests, but more than that, the damage of the battles had not been restored. So, to keep their pride, the event occurred on the broad plain. Which was fitting in its own way.

It had been three weeks since the death of Gouki Namikaze, and things were slowly settling down. Initially it had appeared that the Shozokus in the Hidden Mines would be able to draw out the siege, even against the combined forces of the alliance. But the Leaf had presented them undeniable proof of their leader's demise, and after that Nagato was able to order them to stand down. The Conclave of Shadows and the Daimyos were still discussing what to do with them, and the state of the continent in general. Though the Grass Daimyo's announcement was likely to impact those talks.

"Thank you for joining me here today," the royal continued, looking over his audience. The entirety of the Grass Village was present, as were all the nobles of the Grass country. Some of the wealthier citizens of the nation were also in attendance, as were a number of foreign shinobi, and a few nobles from surrounding lands. Naruto Uzumaki sat prominently in the front row, next to Daimyo Toki of the Land of Birds. On the platform with the Grass ruler were his niece, Hidden Grass Jonin Ayameko; his cousin, Greens Daimyo Haruna; the Hokage, Tsunade Senju; and the Tsuchikage, Mitsuru Jishin.

"As we return to peace, I cannot help but realize that my mistakes were the primary catalysts for what happened in my own country. And what happened here in turn had an impact on larger events."

He lowered his head slightly in penitence. "I made some choices I thought were in the best interest of myself and my country. But I did not think about how my actions influenced those around me. My weak and failed attempts to reunite the Land of Grass with the Land of Greens gave my nephew the justification he needed to launch his coup. And oddly enough, my wish will now come to pass, if not in the way I had originally intended."

The crowd began to murmur in surprise at the implications of his statement. Naruto frowned and looked at Toki, the only one, aide from those on the the dais, who kept her composure. The teen was not quite sure why he was there; he still did not fully comprehend the implications of his political and social boundary-breaching friendships. Tsunade had not told him that Toki, Haruna, and Ayameko had all requested his presence. However, the Hokage had told him what she would do to him if he did not stay silent and otherwise mind his manners.

"As of this meeting, the Land of Grass is no more. I have decided, with the support of the Hidden Grass Village, the Conclave of Shadows, and my fellow Daimyos, to put this land under the control of Daimyo Haruna. She has done more for the Land of Greens in the last five years, than I have in my entire reign. And her mother, my aunt, should have been the Daimyo of this country in the first place. So it is more than fitting that given my failure, she is the one to help us recover."

"None of current nobility of the Land of Grass will lose their ranks or domains," he tried to reassure the increasingly noisy crowd, "so long as they show our new Daimyo proper loyalty. And we both firmly believe that this merger will be what is best for all of us. Lady Haruna."

He stepped back and turned to his cousin. The young ruler stood, and moved to the front of the stage.

"As my uncle said, the Land of Grass will now become part of the Land of Greens," her voice was steady, but Naruto detected a hint of worry in her eyes, "He will become the regional governor of this territory. The Village Hidden in the Grass will retain its name, and the Flower Ninja Clan will rejoin the village. And by the same token, our new country will remain the Land of Greens, thus maintaining our alliances with the Leaf and Stone Villages, and with the Land of Birds. The only thing that saved us from Gouki Namikaze and his minions was cooperation and friendship. I hope all of you will keep that in mind as we move forward."

As she stopped speaking, the audience remained silent. Some of the nobles were glaring openly at the young woman. Naruto scowled at them, and then started clapping loudly. Toki smiled at him, and joined in his applause. The Grass ninjas took up the cause, and as they considered the Greens' economic prosperity, the merchants also joined them. Tsunade grinned triumphantly. Haruna caught Naruto's eye. She smiled at him and nodded.

* * *

Nine hundred eighteen Shozokus filled a field on the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Forests. The group was comprised of all of Gouki's oath-bound warriors, who had been captured or induced to surrender. By Nagato's estimation, that was between eighty and ninety percent of the surviving anonymous soldiers. All wore light grey masks to preserve their identities and thus their lives, and similar colored t-shirts and loose pants. They were surrounded by only three hundred alliance ninjas, but the Shozokus were unarmed and under orders not to attack.

A stone pillar had been raised at one end of the field, and on it stood the four surviving Kages, along with Nagato, Washichi of the Cloud, Ayameko of the Grass, and Hisame of the Snow.

Nagato looked at the megaphone in his hand hesitantly, and then his Rinnegan moved to Tsunade.

"Are you sure about this?" he asked carefully, "If we send them back, and they are recognized, they will die."

"It's the only fair way," Gaara answered for his ally.

"Most of them probably want to go back home," Yasuo added gently.

"It's the only thing we can do," Tsunade told the ring-eyed man kindly yet firmly, "The Cursebreaker is the only person we know of can remove Blood Oaths. It would take her years to get to all of them. And even then, her success rate is under fifty percent. Gouki is dead, so he can't release them, and he didn't structure the oath so that anyone else could free them. Unless we can find a reliable way to unseal them, they have no choice but to stay like this."

"I have no problem with them remaining Shozokus," Nagato admitted, "I still believe Gouki-sensei was not entirely wrong in binding ninjas to a code of conduct. He just took it too far. But I am afraid this puts them at to much risk."

"We have all ordered our people not to acknowledge any Shozoku by his or her former identity," Mitsuru rumbled, annoyed by the delay, "And we have strongly requested that the ninjas Rain, Mines, and any other village that has a Shozoku return do the same."

"All right," Nagato bowed his head in acceptance, and then raised the megaphone to his lips. He pulled the trigger and addressed them sternly.

"Shozokus," he stated loudly, his amplified voice carrying over the throng, "I am Nagato, also known as Lord Pein. I am Gouki Namikaze's second, and in his absence, your commander. Here are your new orders."

"Any Shozoku who was originally a shinobi from one of the Hidden Villages will return to that village. You are orderd to honorably and honestly serve the rightfully appointed leader of your village. He or she will be your general, and you will obey his or her orders as if they were orders from me. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir," almost two-thirds of the assembled warriors said as one.

"Then execute your orders, Shozokus."

"Now they can reveal themselves to at least one person," he told the shinobi leaders, "But what about the rest of them?"

"We need to figure out how many return to each village," Washichi said grandly, "Then the rest will be assigned to balance out our strengths."

Nagato nodded, and began to tell the former bandits and civilians what to expect, and that they were to wait until their fates could be determined.

* * *

"You win," Kohaku admitted in defeat, breaking off her staring contest with Tsunade, "What am I doing here?"

The Hokage did not respond. Though she kept her expression stern, inside she was surprised by the question.

The two women sat in the Leaf leader's office. They were alone, but there were three times the normal number of guards in and around Ninja Ops. Kohaku was in her default appearance, but was wearing civilian clothing. The captured rogue was also wearing a set of ninja manacles.

"I'm trying to decide what to do with you," the original Sannin answered, "But surely you must have known that."

"I am a little surprised," the Jinchuriki admitted, "I was captured by Sand and Mist ninjas, and I am a renegade of the the Grass. I expected to end up in one of those villages."

"We handle most prisoners for the Mist, and neither they nor the Sand qualified you as a vital target, since Shozokus followed Nagato after Gouki, and have now been spread out amongst the various villages," the older woman explained, "And we offered you to the Grass, but Ayameko wants nothing to do with you. She's got too much else to worry about. As Gouki's wife, even if you were both missing-nin, you are considered an honorary Leaf ninja. So we got stuck with you."

"And what are you going to do with me?" the shape-shifter asked again.

"I'm still trying to figure that out," the healer admitted. Then she pursed her lips, and her brown eyes seemed to pierce Kohaku's soul.

"If we were to make you the same offer Konan and Nagato accepted, would you take it?"

Kohaku gave the offer serious thought. Being decommissioned and allowed to live freely in the Leaf was more then she could legitimately ask for. Removed from the life of a ninja, she might be able to find some level of happiness with her husbands student's, and her nephew by marriage. If Naruto would forgive and acknowledge her. But there were two reasons why she could not take the deal. Or rather, one reason with two facets.

"I wish I could say yes," the Jinchuriki said sadly, moving her hand to her heart, "But if I let you scour my chakra network, I could no longer host the Six-tails. That means someone else would have to become a Jinchuriki. And I would have to go back to being invisible. And I can't let either of those things happen."

"I'm not terribly surprised," Tsunade nodded, slowly, "In that case, we will probably have to send you to prison. Once it is rebuilt, that is. Or so I would like to say. But your... _condition_... forces me to think twice about that."

Kohaku's eyes widened, and she asked softly, "How did you know?"

"It's my job to know."

* * *

The doorway to the Hidden Leaf opened, and Tsunade led Ayameko and Hisame into the the meeting chamber of the Conclave of Shadows. Gaara, Mitsuru, and Yasuo; the Wind, Earth, and Water Shadows, respectively; were already waiting. As was Washichi, the acting Lightning Shadow. The other four members of the Conclave fully expected him to be ratified as the new Raikage, once the Cloud Village settled.

The Grass and Snow ninjas looked around the room. Ayameko was filled with a sense of wonder, thinking about the great men and women who had been in this chamber, and the incredible work they had done. Hisame's reaction was cooler, he was somewhat underwhelmed by the simple design of the concealed meeting room.

"Thank you very much for this opportunity," the gradient-haired beauty said gratefully, bowing deeply to the Kages.

"It is only on a trial basis," the Tsuchikage grumbled.

"Mitsuru remains unconvinced," Gaara informed both Tsunade and their guests.

"And we cannot take a vote until the new Raikage's appointment is official," Yasuo added.

"But if it is me, I'm all for it," Washichi stated grandly, his eyes locked on Ayameko.

"Kakashi said you were a lot like Gai," Tsunade mumbled at the Cloud ninja, "but left out the part about you being a pervert."

"Just because I've been a little lonely and have a healthy appreciation for female beauty does not make me a pervert," Washichi said grandly, not the slightest bit upset.

"Can we please just continue with this... experiment?" Mitsuru interrupted.

"Agreed," Yasuo said more evenly, "Hisame-san, your seat is between myself and the Raikage's position. And Ayameko-san, you will be between the Hokage and the Kazekage."

The seven ninjas all settled in, and began to discuss recent events that required the Conclaves' attention, testing Tsunade's proposal that a Yukikage and Hanakage be added to their ranks...

* * *

Next: **Chapter 169: Life Continues**

Author's Note: 2


	169. Life Continues

**Chapter 169: Life Continues**

Temari suddenly awoke, the feeling of being watched permeating her sleep. She opened her eyes a slit, and turned over slowly, trying to make it look like she was only getting more comfortable. Then she saw the source of her agitation. Her blue orbs snapped open as she let out a sigh of annoyance. She sat up and glared at her lover.

Shikamaru sat in the lone chair in their bedroom. Their apartment was essentially a large shed Yoshino had had converted to give Temari some privacy. It consisted of the bedroom, one bathroom, and a surprisingly spacious closet. So there wasn't really any other place he could have gone.

'I guess he was trying not to wake me,' she forced herself to try to give him the benefit of the doubt. She noticed his haunted expression, and worry replaced her anger.

"Welcome home, Shika," she greeted him openly, "When did you get back?"

"Just a few minutes ago," he said simply.

"Don't just sit there staring at me," she scolded him fondly, her disquiet deepening, "Come to bed."

He exhaled, and did not comply. Her gaze softened further.

"What's wrong, Shikamaru?" she asked tenderly, "Did something happen on your mission? Are Ino and Choji okay?"

"They're not hurt, not physically anyway," he answered slightly, "But they got into another big fight on the way back."

The Sand Jonin nodded thoughtfully. She was well aware that Choji wanted to marry Ino, but that the younger blonde woman still had no intention of ever getting married. She also knew that the friction was causing Shikamaru some heartache, and annoying Anko to no end. The team's Jonin understood Ino's stance, but since her own engagement she had begun to take Choji's side. Regardless of who she supported, Mitarashi did not want the couple arguing while they were on a mission.

"I'm sure they'll work it out," Temari reassured her lover. He half shrugged, half nodded, but did not leave the chair. She gripped the sheets tightly, not sure if she wanted to sock him, to knock him out of his funk, or hug him to reassure him. But her lover did not give her the chance to make up her mind.

"What are we doing, Temari?" he asked suddenly.

"What do you mean?" she countered uncertainly.

"We haven't ever talked about where we really want this to go," he said with a hint of venom, "I know talking without our masks isn't exactly our thing. But you did move in with me. And even if we have a separate place, it's still on my clan's land."

"Hey," she snarked, deliberately invoking her 'mask' both to protect herself and to try to settle his nerves, "you're the one who asked me to move in. And I figured it was cheaper than keeping my own apartment, and this way I would have to deal with the _hassle_ of closing a place if I have to go back the Suna."

"Do you think that's likely?" he asked darkly, and she realized she had hit a nerve in him. And then searching herself, Temari recognized she expected it to happen, and had probably been unknowingly keeping her distance.

"I don't know," she said softly, "What would you do if it happened?"

"What do you want me to say?" he countered, suddenly using his usual sardonic tone, "That I'd defy to Hokage, race across the continent, and fight your brother and anyone else who tried to stop me from taking you back?"

She pretended to smirk, covering the dull ache in her heart. Then he added softly, "Because I would. I'd probably get my ass kicked and thrown in prison, but I'd come for you anyway."

Her eyes widened, and she felt a wetness growing in their corners.

"You remember what I told you when we started dating," he prompted, "about what I thought I wanted, what I planned?"

She nodded carefully.

"Well, most of the first year we were going out, I was half waiting to come to my senses. To realize you were a fling, a bit of insanity. And then I could go back to looking for some nice, quiet girl. Until the night of Kankuro's funeral. You opened up to me, and suddenly some of the stupid things my dad told me made sense. That was when I realized I was hopelessly in love with you."

"Special emphasis on the hopeless. Is that why you asked me to move in with you a week later?" she queried, and this time her smirk was genuine.

"Yeah. Once I admitted it to myself, I started to get worried that you'd get taken away. Of course, I hid my reasons under a pretense of rationality and sarcasm. But the truth was I just wanted you as close to me as possible."

She digested that for a moment. Deciding he wasn't going to move, she slid across their bed, and reached out her hand. He took it almost desperately.

"Are you really that worried?" she asked, trying not to sound too happy. He dropped his head, and just barely nodded, bobbing his chin exactly once.

"We may fight, but we're not like Ino and Choji," she told him, "Those two fight because they're different. We fight because we're the same. You and I want the same thing. We both know where this is going."

"You want to marry me?" he prompted uncertainly.

"Possibly," she teased him, "some day. Why, are you asking?"

"Yeah."

Temari's head jerked like she had been pinched.

"I figure I better take the initiative, before one of these upcoming weddings puts ideas in your head and you start issuing ultimatums."

He barely faked his normal persona, and Temari could not decide if she should yank him over to the bed, or flick him off. She settled for squeezing his hand tightly, and grinning dangerously at him.

"That's not the sort of thing you should joke about, Nara," her voice was sweet, yet threatening. He shook his head, and slipped out of the chair to one knee. Her eyes grew to the size of saucers and she tried to pull her hand back, but this time he kept his grip on her. He slipped his free hand into one of the pockets on his vest and drew out a ring.

"My mom forced me to take this the day after we moved in together. Meddlesome woman," he informed her in exasperation, "It was her mother's ring. Grandmother wasn't quite as delicate as you are, so we'll probably need to have it resized. So what do you say?"

Her eyes narrowed dangerously. Temari was not as thick or muscular as some kunoichi, but she had never been called 'delicate' before. She took it as a lingerings remnant of the misogyny she had worked to drive out of him. That, combined with the way he asked, pissed off the volatile woman.

"If that's how you're going to propose..."

"I love you in spite of myself," Shikamaru interrupted her, "I know we'll have a huge fight every other week, but I still can't imagine a future without you. And that doesn't bother me any more. Temari of the Sands, will you marry me?"

"Is that the best you can do?" she tried to sound angry and resigned, but there was more than a little joy in her voice.

"We've been together for long enough; you should know this is about all you'll get," he shrugged in self-depreciation, "Unless I cheat and get help from someone like Naruto, or Iruka. And I wanted to do this on my own."

"Yeah, I guess," she slumped in mock defeat.

"So what do you say?" he prompted again.

"I just did," she smirked suddenly.

"Then..."

"For a so-called genius, you can be pretty dense some times," she admonished him fondly, "Yes, I will marry you, Shikamaru Nara."

She leaned down and kissed him hungrily. And for only the third time she could remember, he let himself go, fully committing his feelings to the kiss. When they broke apart, he switched which hand he was holding, and slipped the ring on to her finger. It was big enough she almost could have fit two digits into it.

"You weren't kidding about the sizing," she noted in genuine amazement, "Just how big was your grandmother?"

"Don't get me started," he advised her, before kissing her again.

* * *

"On this fortunate day, before the gods we pledge ourselves..."

The couple knelt on the floor of the shrine, a low table between them. Yugao Uzuki wore a lily white kimono, but her face was not colored white, nor did she wear a veil. She had no pretense of being a pure maiden, nor did she need to hide her face from her mother-in-law to be. Kakashi Hatake was also formally dressed in a jet black kimono, but he still wore his Leaf headband over his left eye.

Traditionally, the couple would have been joined by their respective families. But neither shinobi had any living blood relatives. And their adopted daughter was entering her terrible twos early, so she remained outside with the majority of the other guests. Instead, the bride and groom were attended by Naruto Uzumaki and Anko Mitarashi. The blonde Tokujo sat on his sensei's side of the shrine, looking more than a little uncomfortable in his navy kimono. And while the serpent summoner affected the appropriate gravitas, inside she seethed over the pink color of her old-fashioned robes.

"Grant us your blessings," the wedding couple continued in unison, "that we might respectfully share our joys and sorrows. That we might live together in peace, That we and our progeny might prosper. Please protect us forever. In love, we humbly offer our vow."

The priest nodded, and took out a small bottle and four dishes. He poured his libation first, and then one for each of the witnesses. Kakashi passed one to Naruto, as did Yugao with Anko. Then the holy man and the two guests drank. Naruto scrunched his face in distaste, but despite her show of manners, Anko could not repress a smirk of appreciation of the quality sake. They passed the sipping cups back to the priest, who placed the alcohol and the remaining tray on the table before the couple. The groom carefully tipped the proper measure into the dish before him, and then offered it to his bride. She took the shallow disc, and gingerly imbibed the liquor. Then she placed it before her, and decanted the last of the rice wine. She lifted the cup, and turned it so the same side she had drank from was facing her beloved. She extended the dish to him, and with equal reverence he received it and drank from it. Then he returned the tray to the priest.

"The rings?" the Shinto cleric prompted, and if he held any distaste for this modern interruption of the ancient ceremony, he hid it well. The couple turned as one to their attendants, each of whom produced a single gold band. Kakashi and Yugao extended their left hands, until their middle fingers touched. They moved the rings into position with the precision and synchronicity only ninjas could hope to achieve.

"This is my oath, my love given form."

Their voices blended again, and as they spoke, the shining bands slid down their digits. Anko could not help but think it looked like they were sheathing weapons.

"With the divine guidance of the gods, and the legal authority granted me by the Daimyo," the priest announced, "I sanctify this union. Go now, and be happy."

The newlyweds rose slowly to their feet, and marched in unison towards the entrance. After they passed, the guests followed suit, Naruto groaning and stretching a little more than was proper.

"Stop fidgeting," Anko hissed at her student under her breath.

"I can't help it," he complained softly, tugging at the neck and sleeves of his kimono, "I hate these things."

"You can change as soon as we're out of here," she told him, silently adding, 'I know I sure as hell plan to.'

Kakashi and Yugao pushed the doors open, and were met by an uproarious cheer from the assembled crowd.

* * *

The courtyard of the Uchiha estate had been outfitted to celebrate the couple's nuptials. Near the main house was a single long table for the wedding party. Smaller tables dotted the edges of the yard, leaving the center open for mingling, and later dancing.

As Anko had stated, the couple and their witnesses had changed immediately after leaving the shrine. Kakashi had put on a tuxedo , complete with vest and bowtie. The jacket was draped over the back of his chair, but he was still better dressed than most of the male guests, his best man included. Naruto was wearing his 'best outfit', the one he wore when Hinata took him to the theater or he took her to the Leaf's top restaurants. But he had left his longcoat at home. Anko, despite have joked again about breaking out a hot pink halter top, was wearing the same light blue dress she had worn on New Year's Eve. And Yugao had slipped into her 'reception dress', a version of the modern wedding gown that was lighter and easier to move around in than either a kimono or a full gown, but was still almost as ornate. The dress was white, with a single spaghetti strap over each shoulder and barely connected, wrist length sleeves. It had some subtle silvery beading around Yugao's waist and bust, accentuating her curves. It stopped just above her knees, and was loose enough that she could take a full stride. After a short expanse of thigh, her extended stockings started, with identical accents around the top. She wore a comfortable pair of white pumps to complete the ensemble.

Seated between the newlyweds was their daughter, currently on her best behavior. Also at the main table were Hinata and Iruka, with their respective partners, and the other members of Kakashi and Yugao's teams, with their dates. Shino and Sasame were together, while Sakura was escorted by Rock Lee, and Kiba sat next to Hanabi Hyuga.

Most of the guests were Leaf villagers and shinobi. The Kazekage had been invited, more out of deference to Hatake's students than out of any real friendship between Kakashi and Gaara. But he had been unable to attend due to business. His bodyguard Natsuki had also been invited, and she was in attendance. Yugao noticed the Hyoton user was sticking close to Temari and Shikamaru. The bride wondered if the other woman was uncomfortable around so many unfamiliar faces, or if Gaara had sent his protector to investigate the engagement of his sister to the future Nara clan leader. And despite her friendship with Yugao, Kaede Mizuno had declined the invitation, for unspecified, work related reasons.

There was one other notable foreign guest, who now sauntered up to the main table.

"Congratulations, Kakashi," Washichi of the Cloud said grandiosely, with a huge, genuine grin, "You finally settled down. Though to be honest, I was a little surprised to get the invite."

"I was at all three of your weddings," the Copy-ninja offered with a shrug, "I thought it was only fair."

"But you were only invited to the second one," the Cloud Jonin frowned, "And I never saw you at the third one..."

"And to be equally honest," Kakashi continued, ignoring him, "I thought you would be too busy with your new duties to attend."

"Nonsense," the recently appointed Raikage sounded hurt, "After all the times we've helped out one another or fought one another? There's no way I would miss this."

"Take good care of him, Yugao-san," Washichi turned to the kunoichi, and his voice grew almost serious. Then he smirked and added, "He certainly needs it."

Kakashi just stared at him blandly, and the foreign ninja chuckled. Washischi turned away, and his eyes settled on of the tables, where an attractive younger woman with red triangles on her cheeks sat. Hatake shook his head, recognizing the Thunder Shadow's expression. Hana Inuzuka chose that moment to stand, revealing her very pregnant belly. The Cloud ninja paused, and the final blow to his interest was delivered when the Jonin veterinarian leaned down awkwardly to give Shizune a quick kiss. Washichi turned back to Kakashi with a defeated grin, and the groom just shrugged at his friend. Then the Raikage took notice of Natsuki, and he sauntered over to the Sand kunoichi.

"How did you meet than guy anyway, Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto asked, mildly bewildered by both parts of the exchange.

"It was actually at his first wedding," the silver-haired Jonin started, and his wife smiled in fond memory...

* * *

Sakura watched fondly as Naruto and Hinata twirled slowly around the dance 'floor'. Fortunately, it was a slow song, so they were not chasing off the other wedding guests with one of their increasingly notorious displays of footwork. Hinata was resting her head against her boyfriend's shoulder, and he smiled down at her in loving contentment. The medic sighed happily, and squeezed Lee's hand.

Then Sakura's breath caught in her throat as she realized something. She was not in the least bit annoyed by her teammates' closeness. Nor was there that sharp pang in her heart that she had grown accustomed to ignoring.

She glanced up at her date, studying his face. He was staring at the dance floor longingly, and her smile changed to one of amusement. No ninja she had met could match Lee's speed, not without expending chakra. He could charge through a forest without even disturbing a single leaf or blade of grass. He could slip through a battalion of green Shozokus without one of them touching him. And he could not go more than two bars in a dance without stepping on one of her feet. Except for the times his foot hit her shins or knees instead. One time he had actually managed to accidentally headbutt her.

Lee had settled down somewhat since Gai's death. It seemed he had found the vocal volume control he had previously been lacking. And though still excitable, he at least tried to force himself to think a little before he reacted.

Sakura Haruno recognized the warmth growing in her chest. She let go of Lee's hand, and drew her right hand up, placing it over her dress, between her breasts. She closed her eyes, leaned back slightly in the chair, and tried to analyze the feeling. The emotion was weaker than the one she remembered, but it was also kinder.

"Lee," she called out to him softly, her green orbs slowly opening. Her patient suitor turned to face her, trying to hide his disappointment at being defeated by the three-four tempo currently wafting throughout the gated neighborhood.

"What is it Sakura?" he asked openly.

"Would you come with me for a minute?"

He looked at her curiously, but nodded nevertheless. She drew him out of his chair, and led him away from the courtyard. She pulled him gently down one of the narrow streets inside the Uchiha compound, and turned into a secluded alley. She then faced him with a curious, and slightly hungry expression.

"Sakura?" he said her name questioningly. His expression was confused, yet also carefully hopeful.

"Hold still for a second," she murmured, "there's something I want to try."

Lee snapped to attention, and his eyes widened. Sakura placed her right hand on his left shoulder, and her left hand behind his head. She rolled up onto the balls of her feet, and placed her lips firmly against his. For a moment Lee remained ramrod straight. Then he faltered, relaxing and placing his hands on her back to hold her closer.

Finally they broke apart. Lee looked about ready to faint, his eyes out of focus and his knees weak. Sakura smiled thoughtfully at him.

'It wasn't as intense as _that_ one,' she thought to her self, recalling when she assaulted Naruto, 'but it was pretty close. And in some ways, it might have been better.'

"Hey, Lee?" she prompted softly, "You have your own place, right?"

* * *

Shino Aburame and Sasame Fuma exited the Uchiha estate arm in arm. The hour was late, and more than half the guests had already left, by the time Yugao's two calm students opted to make it a night. They walked slowly towards the insect trainer's home, the slender young woman leaning on him slightly. Then she took a deep breath, and exhaled audibly.

"Is something the matter?" he asked softly. She had known him long enough to hear the concern in his hollow voice. She smiled up at him.

"No, that was a happy sigh," she told him, "I love weddings, and I'm very happy for Kakashi-san and Yugao-sensei."

He nodded his understanding, and they continued on in silence. She tucked in closer to him, and he suspected it was more than just the chill of the night air.

"Sasame," he said, and although there was nothing urgent about the way he said her name, the orange-haired woman stumbled slightly in surprise. He paused and turned to face her.

"Shino?"

"Sasame, I know you are not entirely happy with the rate our relationship has progressed," he said evenly, but she caught the uncertainty in his tone.

"That's not true," she shook her head, "I enjoy your company Shino. I like you. And I understand why you are holding back. I had never heard of your clans' distrust of my clan, not until I arrived in the Leaf Village. But I know that your family takes it very seriously."

"But you are not a member of your clan," he told her.

She frowned at the statement, and he continued quickly.

"That was poorly phrased. I meant that you are not simply a member of the Fuma Clan. You are a person in your own right. You are Sasame Fuma, my teammate and the woman I have come to care a great deal about."

She smiled up at him radiantly, a tear running down her left cheek. She took his hand.

"Shino, I am going to kiss you now," she warned him, "is that alright?

"I think that would be entirely acceptable," he answered her, his voice imperceptibly excited. He bent down, slowly, tenderly. But Sasame released his hand and jumped up, wrapping both arms around his neck, and one leg around his waist. Angling down on him from above, she locked her lips to his passionately. After they broke apart, she kept her embrace, holding herself slightly higher, using his shoulders for support. She stared down at him, her grey eyes joyful.

"You're in my web now, little beetle," she teased him gently.

Shino was not surprised to find he did not mind the prospect at all.

* * *

After the reception officially ended, Naruto sent Hinata home ahead of him. She was exhausted, while he still had some energy. He had told her that he had a few duties left to perform as best man. And beyond that, he intended to help the staff get everything cleaned up right, so Kakashi and Yugao wouldn't have to worry about anything in the morning. Too tired to protest, she let Neji and Tenten escort her back to the Hyuga manor.

After Naruto finished up and ushered the temporary help out, he found a familiar face waiting outside. The other shinobi immediately fixed his eyes on Naruto, leaving no doubt why he was there. Uzumaki finished locking the gates and enabling the security, before acknowledging his former friend.

"Is there something you want from me, Kiba?" the blonde Tokujo asked guardedly. He struggled to keep his voice neutral. He did not want to start a fight outside Kakashi and Yugao's home, not on their wedding night. And he wanted to give the feral Chunin the benefit of the doubt, though Kiba's past actions did not make it easy.

"Yeah," the dog trainer admitted sheepishly, "I want to talk to you."

"Alright," Naruto answered, then yawned against his will, "But can we do this on the way? We're both heading kinda the same direction, and it's been a pretty long day."

"Sure, no problem," Kiba started trudging alone beside the former Jinchuriki, his hands in his pockets. Naruto relaxed a little, Inuzuka's stance suggested contrition.

"So, what's up?" Uzumaki prompted more naturally.

"Well, you know..." Kiba struggled against his pride and his own general lack of diplomacy, "I guess I've been kind of a jerk since... Well, you know..."

"Since you found out about the Fox Demon," Naruto filled in softly.

"Yeah, well, I was upset, and felt betrayed and all that crap," Inuzuka tried weakly to defend his actions. Then he shook his head to banish those thoughts.

"But I was wrong," Akamaru's Human admitted, "You had your reasons to lie... err hide it from us. Some were your own, and others were forced on you. And I pretty much proved you right."

"You are entitled to your feelings," Naruto offered, and then qualified sarcastically, "At least that's what Hinata and Kakashi-sensei keep telling me."

"Yeah, maybe, but you're also entitled to your secrets. Especially when they put your life at risk. Or make people try to ruin your life."

"Yup," Naruto agreed lightly. Then he queried more seriously, "But why did you change your mind after all this time?"

"Well, a while ago I started to think I might have overreacted," Kiba answered, "But really, now that you're the big damn hero, I can't really keep thinking that you're an evil backstabbing ass. I mean, you talked that Pein guy into switching sides, and then killed that Namikaze guy."

Naruto nodded silently. The exact details of the battle with Gouki were not known, so the rumor mill had filled in the blanks. The current version had the members of Team Kakashi walking into Gouki's throne room, and demanding his surrender. He refusal had lead to a quick fight, in which the three teens thoroughly humiliated the now dead Raikage. Rather than admit defeat, he had attempted to use a forbidden jutsu drawing on the power of a demon; though the stories were unclear as to which demon. To finish him, Naruto and Hinata had combined their respective Fuuton and Suiton Rasengans into a Hyoton Rasengan that had supposedly turned Namikaze into a snowflake sculpture. And then a brisk passing breeze scattered him across the Kumogakure.

Rather than correct the rumors, the Conclave of Shadows had just let them grow, hoping to at least partially discredit Gouki.

"And also, Hanabi's been kinda riding me about it," Kiba continued.

"Yeah, when did you finally cave in and start seeing her?"

"I'm not quite seeing her..." Kiba dodged the accusation, "but she _is_ growing up real fast. And as a ninja, she is technically, legally an adult. Plus, it turns out she's been interested in me for a while."

"Yeah, I know," Naruto smirked.

"You knew?" Kiba fought to keep his voice down, considering the late hour.

"Everyone knew, except you."

"I thought she just thought she could push me around because she was Hiashi's princess and I was Hinata's teammate," Kiba hung his head, then glared at Naruto, "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Why didn't you tell me about Hinata?" Uzumaki shot back.

"It wasn't my place," Inuzuka hung his head in defeat. They walked silently for a while, and then Kiba shook his head again.

"What's with those girls?" the Chunin asked, "Can't they show their feelings right?"

"They do okay once they open up," Naruto defended his lover, if barely, "but it must run in the family."

"Yeah," Kiba agreed.

They continued together until their paths split, once again comrades in their obliviousness.

* * *

Hiashi Hyuga stood in before the majority of his clan. A few members were on guard, and a few more were on missions. And Hyouta Hyuga was in his rooms, sulking. But all of the other Hyugas were present. Seated around the clan leader were the four elders, and his two daughters. And in addition to the Byakugan users, a single outsider was 'hidden' in the back of the large meeting room, not that any of the ninjas, or even the handful of white-eyed commoners, were fooled. Nor did they particularly mind, given he was the catalyst for what was to come.

"My family, I have asked you here today to make official the change that you have long known was coming," the injured leader told them, "Starting today I will step down as leader of the Hyuga Clan, and assume the currently empty elder position. Taking my place will be my eldest daughter, Hinata. I hope you will give her the respect and support you have given me."

He sat down, and Hinata stood up.

"As my father said, most, if not all, of you already knew this would be occurring, and I have spoken to many of you about my hopes and plans."

She took a deep breath, and smiled at them, "We are a family. We have forgotten that. The way we act towards one another, in the name of politics and power, it borders on lunacy. And when those actions have become known to the rest of the world, it has hurt our politics, diminished our power."

"But that is going to change," she continued firmly, "The branch families will be given more influence, more freedom. The changes might be slow, they might be difficult. But they begin now, with this."

Hinata took out a wooden case, familiar to everyone except her 'secret' guest. She opened it, and removed an X shaped brand. She held it tightly, her knuckles white as she gripped it harshly. Then she lifted her right hand, and chakra began to swirl above it.

"Rasengan," she intoned strongly. She turned over the iron, and pressed it up against the spiraling sphere. Though the assembled Hyugas were not aware that Hinata and her great-aunt Hiroko had already neutralized the jutsus in the brand as a precaution, the action was as much symbolic as practical. As the Rasengan ground away the item that had marked most of them, Hinata's distant cousins began to cheer.

"No more Caged Bird Seal," she announced, "The original Fallen Eagle Seal will be revived if necessary, should anyone turn traitor to the clan or to the Leaf. But no longer will we mark and torture our family members in the name of personal gain."

The Hyugas shouted their approval, and behind his chameleon tarp, Naruto's voice was the loudest of all.

* * *

Naruto extended his hand across the table, and Hinata took it. They had finished eating almost a half-hour prior, but had been waiting for the floor to clear a little. And in the mean time, they had become distracted talking about the new book they were both reading and what had been occurring in the Hyuga Clan.

Hinata was wearing the ash and flame dress, the same one she had worn on New Years. Naruto was wearing a new pair of dark grey slacks, a light orange dress shirt; an outfit chosen to compliment his beloved's frock.

Now the young lovers walked out on the dance floor, the other regulars acknowledging them, and more than a few retreating. The band leader caught Naruto's eye, but the younger man shook head. So the next number was a slow beat, and other couples drifted back onto the floor. Naruto held Hinata close to him, and they slowly circled the platform, listening to the gentle song and each others' hearts.

* * *

Next: **Final Chapter: Two Endings, Two Beginnings.**

wafting


	170. Two Endings, Two Beginnings

**Chapter 170: Two Endings, Two Beginnings**

"Hurry up, Lee," twenty-four year old Sakura Haruno demanded, pulling the simple sundress over her head, "or we're going to be late."

"That is hardly my fault," Lee told her, tightening his belt and reaching for his t-shirt, "You are the one who insisted we return home instead of going straight to the chapel."

"I wanted to take a shower to get off the road dust," she shot back, grabbing the garment bag with her dress and a backpack with accessories.

"And as I said, I am quite certain the chapel's changing rooms have showers," he reminded his girlfriend again, jogging towards the door of their apartment.

"But then we wouldn't have been able to shower together," she smirked at him.

"Hence the true reason for our potential tardiness," he grinned back appreciatively.

Sakura and Lee sprinted past Ichiraku Ramen, causing Ayame to look up at the clock on the wall. She brushed off her hands and lifted the curtain to the back of the shop.

"Dad, we'd better close up," the attractive chef told her patriarch, "It's almost three, and we still have to get ready."

The shinobi couple raced past a familiar flower shop as Inoichi and Minako Yamanaka exited. The Jonin carried two trays of floral arrangements, while his civilian wife held a single smaller platter.

"I guess that means we had better hurry up," the florist noted, recognizing the pink blur that streaked by. The former model nodded.

Sakura and Lee angled away from the front of the chapel, where early arriving guests were already beginning to conglomerate. The ushers, Kiba and Shino, were escorting the invitees to their seats. The hurried lovers darted around the side of the building, hoping their mad dash went unseen. The two shinobi slowed to a respectable pace as they reached the back entrance. Once inside the church, they were forced to split up, the women's dressing room being up a floor, while the men were in the basement.

"See you in a little while," she said, and kissed him quickly. She hurried up the stairs, taking them two at a time. But when she reached the landing outside the changing room, Ino Yamanaka was waiting for her, tapping her foot in annoyance. The blonde kunoichi wore a simple yet flattering sheath gown in a deep purple, with a modest slit in the right side up to her knee. Her pumps were the same color, as were her elbow length gloves. Ino's long hair had been pulled back into a tight braid. A single, purple rose was resting over her left temple, its dethorned stem tucked behind her ear and wrapped in her hair to keep it in place.

"_You_ are late," the mentalist Jonin told her friend smugly.

"Sorry," the senior medic bowed slightly, "We were a little delayed getting back, and we had to go home to get our stuff."

"I'm not the one you should be apologizing to," Ino said sharply, reaching to open the door.

"Is she angry?"

"Of course not," the notorious female pervert scoffed, "But she is worried, and that's the last thing she needs today."

"Sorry, Hinata," Sakura stated without preamble, as she entered the room. The others paused in their preparations and turned to look at her in varying degrees of annoyance. Like Ino, Tenten Hyuga and Temari Nara were both all ready. Except for the color of their dresses and roses, they were outfitted identically to Yamanaka, ven down to their braided hair. However, instead of purple, Tenten wore a deep blue sheath, while Temari's frock was a lighter azure. Shizune Inuzuka was also already dressed, though the older medic wore yellow. And she had not yet put on her gloves, she was trying to work the matching rose into her short hair. Due to the length of her hair, Shizune was exempt from the braid the other women wore, as were Sakura and Keiko Takamichi. Sasame Fuma, still in her lingerie, was managing help both Hanabi Hyuga and Keiko slip into their respective lavender and pink dresses. The thread user's green gown was still on its hanger.

Hinata Hyuga looked at her teammate with relief.

"Thank goodness, Sakura," the twenty-three year old retired clan leader said gratefully, "I was beginning to think something might have happened to you and Lee."

"No," the pink-haired woman reassured her friend, "We were just delayed a little getting back, and I had to go home to get my dress."

She held up the garment bag as justification.

"Uh-huh," Temari said knowingly, continuing her work on Hinata's make-up. The Hyuga Jonin was wrapped in a sheet to protect her gown, while the Sand Jonin lightly applied a soft, water-resistant blush to her cheeks. Behind Hinata, Tenten braided small white roses into her friend's long purple hair.

Sakura quickly shed her traveling clothes, and hung up her gown next to Sasame's. The healer took over getting Keiko zipped up and adjusted, while the Fuma clan Jonin finished with Hanabi. Haruno could not help but be annoyed that both younger women easily overshadowed her own curves. And since giving birth, Shizune's breasts and hips had also expanded pleasantly, leaving Tsunade's junior apprentice easily the most boyish woman in the room. But she dismissed her jealousy, reminding herself that Lee liked her body. She took out her red dress and shoes, and Shizune brought her the red rose for her hair.

The eight attendant kunoichi finally finished getting dressed, coiffed, and made up just before the camera man arrived. As the activity slowed, Tenten and Temari carefully removed the cloth covering Hinata, and the bride stood. The bridesmaids all studied her appreciatively.

"You look lovely, Oneesan," Hanabi whispered in awe, and the other women nodded carefully in agreement.

"Lovely doesn't even begin to cover it," Temari said enviously.

"You'll knock Naruto's socks off," Tenten informed her.

"Thank you, all," she told them sincerely, blushing modestly.

"Alright, ladies," Ino called for their attention, "Mom's outside with the bouquets, and the photographer is waiting."

* * *

Naruto tried his best to stay still, as the music started, and Gaara began to slowly escort Shizune down the aisle. Instead he focused on the crowd, taking in the most familiar faces.

The front row on his side of the church was filled mostly with women. Tsunade was in the position where Yukihana should have sat. Next to her were Yugao Hatake, Rei Uchiha, and Minato Hatake. The seven-year old was kneeling on the pew so she could see past the taller people seated behind her, while her mother held her three-year old brother so he could watch, too. Next was his other 'uncle's wife, the moderately pregnant Anko Umino. Hana Inuzuka had been mildly surprised when her brother had escorted her and her two children to the front row. But Kiba had given her Naruto's spiel about how "Shizune-neechan's wife is my oneesan, too." Hana was so happy that she had not protested further, and lead Momo and Toshiro to the end of the first row.

As Rock Lee and Sasame begin to move towards the alter, he reflected on the fact that, other than certain Daimyos, he was probably the only man to ever have five sitting members of the Conclave of Shadows at his wedding. The fact that there were now seven Shadows mitigated the fact slightly, as did the fact that he had only directly invited two, three if he counted the fact that the Kazekage was one of his groomsmen and thus not a guest. Tsunade was of course in the front row, and he had also invited the Hanakage Ayameko. In addition, the Yukikage Hisame was present as the date and bodyguard of Daimyo Koyuki Kazahana of the Land of Spring; and Mizukage Yasuo Mizuno had escorted his daughter Kaede.

Nor was Koyuki the only Daimyo present. The rulers of the Lands of Fire, Birds, and Greens were also in attendance, though Naruto was not quite sure if Hisoka Honokata had brought Nyoko, or if it was the other way around. He noticed Nyoko's expression of sadness with surprise, despite Hinata and Sakura's insistence that the princess's feelings were genuine, he had never though her affections to be much more than a crush. And after their first meeting, he had always been careful to let Nyoko know she was only a friend, and that he was committed to Hinata.

Konohamaru and Keiko had reached the front of the church and split to take their respective positions. Shikamaru and Temari stepped into the aisle. The still sometimes dense young man noticed for the first time that the vests and boutonnières of his groomsmen matched the respective colors of the dresses, bouquets, and accent roses of the bridesmaids they were escorting. He hadn't even thought to ask why his fiancé requested that specific groomsmen wear a specific color.

The groom's eyes drifted to the back of the church, where Nagato and Konan sat with their ward, Jiraiya. The Rinnegan bearer had mostly recovered from the damage Pein had done to his body. However even Tsunade had not been able to repair the fact that the drain on his life-force had left the former Akatsuki leader unable to father children. As a consequence, not long after Kakashi and Yugao's wedding, the defector couple had taken in an abandoned baby. However they had not adopted the infant, whom they named after their first teacher. And Jiraiya referred to the couple as 'Aunt' and 'Uncle' rather than 'Mother' and 'Father'. Sakura suspected that Jiraiya was the son of a Shozoku, and that the legal and social detachment was because they feared and hoped that someday the boy's birth mother would be able to unmask and reclaim him. Naruto thought she was probably right, while Hinata and the Hokage remained silent on the issue.

Uzumaki was mildly surprised that Jiraiya was not sitting between Konan and Nagato; instead the origami expert was in the middle. Naruto's eyes drifted curiously to the other woman sitting next to the boy. But his eyes slid past her, and his brain decided she was no-one important.

Naruto frowned lightly, trying to keep his sudden displeasure from being too visible. He was a trained ninja, and he should have at least been able to connect the unknown woman to her date. She was on his side of the church. He forced himself to focus on her, and found it oddly difficult. The woman was so nondescript she was hard to look at. She appeared to be a few years older than the groom's twenty-three years, but not yet in her thirties. She was slender, yet fit. And her face was plain. Not pretty, not ugly, just there. Nothing stood out about her.

And yet, there was something familiar about her. The strength in her dull, brown eyes. The way she sat, relaxed but at the same time ready to react. The happy yet melancholy expression she wore. As he started to recognize her, it triggered his memories, of a brief description he had been given just after the war.

Choji and Ino had passed half of the pews, when Naruto's eyes snapped back to Tsunade. After he had her attention, his blue orbs flicked back over to the mysterious, unassuming woman. The Hokage followed his gaze. It seemed to take her twice a long as Naruto to even see the woman, and longer still to recognize her. Finally realizing the cause of his distraction and worry, the Hokage shook her head to indicate he need not worry. Then she inclined her head slightly, and he followed where she indicated. And his jaw almost dropped in surprise.

Naruto realized in all the times he had played with Jiraiya or helped Hinata babysit, he had never really paid attention to the boy's appearance. The combination of blonde hair and blue eyes was fairly common on this side of the continent, so he had never given it much thought. But Jiraiya's hair was a shade darker than Uzumaki's, or any of the Yamanakas. And there was a certain, familiar sharpness to the boy's blue eyes. Naruto's locked the gaze of the plain woman with his own. He smiled kindly at her, and nodded once. She nodded back, tears of joy filling her eyes.

Neji and Hanabi reached the front of the church, and Iruka and Sakura began to make their way down. As the second to last pair of attendants followed the song forward, Naruto focused on the aisle again, knowing the moment of truth approached. Though he knew it was not the case, in anticipation time seemed to speed up for him. Iruka and Sakura, and then Kakashi and Tenten appeared to be almost sprinting. As the best man and matron of honor took their places, the music changed.

Hinata and Hiashi stepped into view, and Naruto say his bride's gown for the first time.

The main portion of Hinata's gown was a shimmering, medium-weight, pure white silk mikado. The edges of the fabric were all stitched with a golden filigree of small, overlapping triangles. The bride's dress was strapless like those of her attendants. But the pale beauty's bodice was so perfectly fitted it almost appeared to be paint instead of fabric. It clung tightly to every curve of her exquisite breasts, dipping slightly between her cleavage. The gown wrapped around her toned stomach, revealing the slight indent of her navel. The upper portion of the dress also had short sleeves connected under her arms, covering from the middle of her biceps to just above Hinata's elbows. Unlike her friends, the young woman wore no gloves, and her engagement ring shone brightly on her finger.

The ivory material split just below the waist, creating a wide slit in front while the rest of the dress flared out dramatically, flowing around her in vertical pleats. A cape-like extension off the back of the bodice and sleeves added an additional layer to the back of the gown. The silk ended a full six-inches above the floor. Underneath there was an underskirt of pale lavender, but unlike the white silk this part of the dress had a matte finish. The second layer went all the way to the floor, and as was also visible through the gap in the front.

The bride wore a simple silver circlet on her head, with a veil of lace hanging out of the headpiece down to just below her chin.

She was without a doubt the most beautiful woman Naruto had ever seen. Hinata smiled happily, but still blushed noticeably under his scrutiny.

Father and daughter walked carefully up to the front of the church, where Hiashi passed Hinata's hand to Naruto. The former clan leader limped over to his seat in the front pew, opposite Tsunade and next to his aunt Hiroko. Hyouta Hyuga was also seated in the first row of Hinata's side of the church, and though he did not look happy, he at least had enough manners not to scowl. The couple turned to face the priest, who nodded to them before beginning.

"Dearly beloved," the holy man addressed everyone present, "We are gathered here today to witness the bonding of Naruto Uzumaki and Hinata Hyuga. Marriage is a contract; legal, spiritual, social, and emotional. In some cases I found couples standing before me who do not fully grasp the enormity of the commitment they were making. But I can honestly say that is not the case with Naruto and Hinata. They have been emotionally and socially married for many years. And now the time has come for them to formalize their union under the law and before the gods. So, if anyone present has just cause why these two should not be wed, let them speak now or forever hold their peace."

More than a few eyes turned to Hyouta Hyuga, but the deposed Elder wisely remained silent. After waiting a handful of seconds, the reverend inclined his head in acceptance and continued.

"Naruto and Hinata, your families and friends stand in agreement with your decision to be married. You may each now pledge your troth."

The couple turned to face one another. Naruto reached up and lifted Hinata's veil, moving it back over her head so he could look directly into her eyes. The lovers linked their other hands; left to right and right to left.

"Hinata," Naruto said happily, a single tear forming in his right eye, "_I love you_. Before we got to know each other, I didn't understand just how powerful those words could be. We have each waited for the other, for various reasons, but now the time for waiting is done. You have helped me to become not only a better ninja, but also a better friend and a better man. I love you more today then I did yesterday, and I am sure I will love you more tomorrow, and every day after. Thank you so much for loving me."

Hinata exhaled sharply, struggling to control her emotions, two lines of wetness running down her cheeks.

"Naruto," she told him lovingly, "My name might mean 'sunshine', but _you_ are the light of _my_ life. For almost as long as I can remember, you have been the beacon of strength and hope I have looked to when I thought I couldn't go on. And now that I am able to stand on my own, there is still no place I would rather be than by your side. That you came to love me in return is the greatest miracle in my life. I love you, and I will love you forever."

The priest motioned for Kakashi and Tenten to step closer, and each Jonin produced a single gold and platinum wrapped band. Kakashi followed the second gesture, and placed the ring in his student's palm.

"Naruto, do you take Hinata to be your wife? Do you promise to love her, honor her, cherish her, and forsaking all others, keep yourself only for her, for all of your days?"

"I do," the young man agreed reverently.

"Then repeat after me..."

"Hinata, with this ring, I thee wed," as he parroted the phrase, Uzumaki slipped the ring onto his bride's finger. The priest turned his attention to the bride, and Tenten handed her friend the matching band to the one Hinata now wore.

"Hinata, do you take Naruto to be your husband? Do you promise to love him, honor him, cherish him, and forsaking all others, keep yourself only for him, for all of your days?"

"I do," the pale beauty stated joyfully.

"Then repeat after me..."

"Naruto, with this ring, I thee wed," Hinata choked up slightly, but managed to get the words out, and sealed their union with the precious circle.

"Then, under the divine providence of the gods..." the priest paused, not entirely pleased by what came next, but he dutifully followed the special script he had been given, "and the legal authority grant me by that guy..."

He pointed into the audience, to where a mildly surprised Hisoka Honokata sat. A few of the guests looked annoyed or aghast. But the Fire Daimyo broke out laughing, as did most of the other unsuspecting victims of Naruto's latest prank. The groom grinned smugly, and his beloved smiled slightly and squeezed his hand.

"...ahem," the priest continued after the mirth died down, "I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss your bride."

Naruto swept Hinata carefully into his arms, oddly conscious of her dress. Then he pressed his lips firmly to hers, enjoying more than ever before the taste of her, and the feel of her body pressed against his. And he could tell from her reaction that she felt the same. The priest cleared his throat slightly, and the couple finally broke apart.

"It is my great honor and pleasure to present for the first time as husband and wife, Naruto and Hinata Uzumaki."

* * *

Tsunade Senju looked out over the crowd, and the last Sannin could not help but feel an intense sense of relief.

"All right, most if not all of you know I'm not one for public speaking," she started without ceremony, "so I'm going to make this short and sweet. Not quite fifteen years ago, two idiots hunted me down and dragged me back here. They, along with certain others, forced the thankless job of being Hokage on me. But that's all done now. I'm retiring, and one of those idiots is actually stupid enough to want to take my place."

She paused and the harsh inflection of her voice changed to one of gentle fondness, "And I can think no better man to carry on the legacy of my grandfather, my great-uncle, my teacher, and his own father's as well. So it is with only slight misgivings that I give you the sixth Hokage of the Village Hidden in the Leaves, Naruto Uzumaki."

From the bank of seats at the back of the stage, Naruto gently disengaged his hand from his wife's grip. He kissed her lingeringly, and his fingers brushed against her distended belly. After almost four years of trying, the couple was finally expecting their first child. He pulled the Hokage's hat a bit lower over his face, and strode out into view of the audience.

Cheers and applause erupted. Uzumaki scanned the crowd, taking them in. Sakura and Rock Lee were right in front, and like his own wife, the pregnancy of the current head of the medical corp has just entered the final trimester.

Next to Lee was an oddly unfamiliar pair of faces; Naruto had not seen Konohamaru and Moegi out of their masks since they had joined the ANBU. The couple had recently been placed in charge of the Black Ops division.

On the other side, Ino Akimichi stood next to her best friend. Naruto recalled immediately that her husband and his Genin squad were capturing bandits in the Land of Forests.

The last of his friends in the front row, Shino and Sasame had never married, due to his clans' prejudice against the thread wielder. But they might as well have been. Sasame held their first child, a girl, and according to Sakura, was expecting again.

From the second row, Kakashi and the three members of Team Hizashi observed, along with the newly graduated Genin Rei Uchiha, Kakashi and Yugao's son Minato and second daughter Rin, and Iruka and Anko's two sons and two daughters.

Also in that row were Hana, Shizune, Momo, and Toshiro Inuzuka. Momo and Toshiro had just started attending the academy, and both had recently received their clan tattoos.

A few lines of chairs back were the leader of the Hyuga clan, his wife, their two sons, and their daughter. Hanabi and her husband Kiba were also in that row, as were the head of the Takamichi clan and Hanabi's two teammates. Neji smirked at Naruto, noticing the instant the Hokage's eyes fell on his family.

Recognizing the need to acknowledge the special guests, Naruto quickly and neutrally locked gazes with the Tsuchikage, Mitsuru; the Raikage, Washichi; and the Yukikage, Hisame. From the Snow Shadow, Naruto nodded at his wife, Daimyo Koyuki. The Snow Ninja frowned slightly, but the leader of the Land of Spring just shook her head at her consort's jealousy.

Unlike his diplomatic exchanges with the first three members of the Conclave, Naruto exchanged happy looks with the Hanakage, Ayameko, and the newly appointed twelfth Mizukage, Kaede Mizuno. The incorrigible flirt winked at him, and Naruto could smell a hint of annoyance from his wife.

The last Kage, and Naruto's closest ally in the Conclave of Shadows, Gaara of the Sand chuckled slightly at the exchange. He nodded broadly to the fellow former Jinchuriki. But Gaara seemed to have forgotten his arm was draped around his bride, and his action dragged Matsuri down as well. The younger woman's reaction made Naruto laugh briefly in turn especially when Gaara began to apologize profusely. And next to them, Shikamaru shook his head knowingly, and Temari glared at her husband in mock annoyance.

Finally, Naruto met the gaze of the Fire Daimyo, and inclined his head thankfully. He knew his appointment also had to be approved by Nyoko Honokata, and while he had never doubted her trust in him, it did not diminish his gratitude.

The acclaim began to die down, and Uzumaki took his place at the microphone.

"Thank you all for coming," the blonde Jonin told them, "As you all know, becoming the Hokage has been a goal of mine for most of my life. Originally, my reasons were mostly selfish. I wanted to be respected. But I learned that that was the wrong for many reasons. If I did not earn the respect of my comrades, I would not be accepted as Hokage. And I should want to be the one to protect the Leaf ninjas, not to rule over them."

"But I don't just want to protect my Leaf comrades, or even the people of the Land of Fire" he said firmly, "Since the end of the Fourth Ninja War, I have made it my goal to protect everyone. It hasn't always been easy..."

His thoughts drifted back to the Summoning War, the battle between the ninja animal clans that had been hidden from those Human shinobi without familiar contracts.

"… and I can't do it alone," he continued, "I need the assistance of everyone here. Ninjas do have to be weapons. So long as there are demons and criminals in the world, that much will be unavoidable. We fight to protect people from the threats they cannot handle on their own. But that's not all we have to be. Shinobi exist to help people; whether that is as simple as doing chores they don't have time for, or critical as healing injuries that civilian doctors cannot."

"I pledge to you all, here, today, that I'll do my best to make sure to leave the world a better place than I found it. All I ask is that you do the same."

Shouts of approval and agreement shook the walls of the Leaf, and Hinata moved forward to stand at her beloved's side.

"Jiraiya and Gouki would be proud," she whispered into his ear, "So would your parents."

"Thanks, Hinata," he answered as he took her hand again, "Now we just need to make it happen."

She noticed that he included her as part of him unconsciously, and she wrapped her arm around him tightly. Without meaning to, he had once again reaffirmed their bond.

"I love you, Naruto."

"I love you too, Hinata."

_**Fin**_.

* * *

**Author's Notes:**

Well, after four years, two months, five days; and not quite seventeen hundred pages, it's done. My vision of Naruto's world, after the point I feel Kishimoto began to go astray. It's been a labor of love (and at times revenge), and I wish to sincerely thank everyone who took the time to read this monstrosity. Especially those who took the time to review, and extra especially anyone who pointed out any spelling or grammar errors, or internal continuity guffaws. After so long and so much, sometimes it blends together... But I digress.

Thank you, and I hope that everyone enjoys my next project as well, even if it is not Naruto related. Whichever one I decide on...

Oh, one more thing; actually there's a bunch of things I would like to mention, like all the name drops in this story. But I'm trying to keep this short and sweet...  
I had two external dreams for this story, and one has been fulfilled. If not quite in the way I hoped. I always hoped that someone would draw fan-art of A Growing Affection (without being asked or paid by me), and, well... I found an H-doujin based on my story. I'm not going to post the link, since this is a T rated story. But if you are really curious, you should be able to find it. As to the other dream... well, it is dying slowly, but I won't finish it by stating it here...  
Or not. My second dream has now come true, my story has a page on TV Tropes.


End file.
